Open Mat Podcast
A deep dive into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where coaches Adam and Tim cut through cliches to uncover practical insights on training, coaching, competing and jiu jitsu culture.
Episodes
37 episodes
Episode 37: Why ignoring concepts makes our BJJ better | Improving specific skills | When efficiency is and is not important
The idea of understanding and learning concepts in Jiu Jitsu - like posture, inside position, and head control - has been the gold standard of "good" technique for years. But when it comes to learning individual skills and specific movements, d...
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46:33
Episode 36: Why white belts SHOULD teach other white belts | The role of reflection on the mats
Tim and Adam discuss a common situation: White belts giving feedback and advice to other white belts. They discuss the role and importance of peer feedback among junior students, and the place it should take up within a class.
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43:26
Episode 35: Never have drop-in nerves again | How to properly drop in while travelling | Finding "Home gyms" while travelling
Tim and Adam discuss dropping in to new gyms while travelling. While this sounds like one of the easiest decisions to make while travelling, most practitioners have anxiety when it is actually time to go train at a brand new gym. Tim and Adam d...
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38:14
Episode 34: How to create Ecological “games” for Jiu Jitsu | Is Flow Rolling useful?
Tim and Adam discuss how they create classes in which they don't demonstrate or drill techniques. They cover how to break technique apart into individual skills, how to create games that directly improve those skills, and how to do this for you...
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53:29
Episode 33: Winning positions you can't control | Becoming dangerous in Turtle and Front Headlock | The importance of a primary attack
In this episode Tim and Adam address the difficult positions of Front Headlock and Turtle, and how to build a dominant game. They discuss why it's impossible to control right away, how to focus aggression into primary attacks, opening your oppo...
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36:18
Episode 32: Is "Old School" Jiu Jitsu coming back?| Jiu Jitsu's metagame | Why techniques always become less effective over time
Tim and Adam discuss the cycle and evolution of Jiu Jitsu's competitive "metagame". They discuss how competitive BJJ has evolved since Tim started in 2009, what is currently happening, and also what they expect the next focus of competitors to ...
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45:27
Episode 31: Does lineage actually mean something? | Finding significance in rank
Tim and Adam discuss whether knowing and tracking Jiu Jitsu lineage still means anything in an art that continues to become more of a sport every year. They discuss how it may give meaning to belts that they don't have on their own, why we will...
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32:11
Episode 30: Is guard pulling the best strategy? | Why Tim teaches heel hooks to beginners | Answering questions
Continuing from episode 29, Tim and Adam tackle questions they have been asked on the mats before. They discuss why they believe it's important to teach heel hooks to beginners, where we can find significance in belts, why Derek Moneyberg IS a ...
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38:58
Episode 29: Why don't we show techniques? | Are offense and defense different? | Answering questions
Tim and Adam answer questions they've been asked about coaching or learning styles, and also address some thoughts they've heard more generally. They discuss why specifically they typically do not demonstrate techniques for students start to fi...
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38:55
Episode 28: How to start the year with explosive growth | How to approach goal setting in Jiu Jitsu | When do you not need a new goal?
Tim and Adam ring the new year in discussing how to approach returning to the mats after the holidays, how to approach setting and attaining goals in Jiu Jitsu and why most people should not set a new goal when they return to the mats.
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52:13
Episode 27: The year in Jiu Jitsu | Reflecting on 2025 | How to prepare for the next year's Jiu Jitsu
Tim and Adam take an episode to discuss their Jiu Jitsu journeys throughout the past year - the ups, the downs, the changes and the progress. They discuss what they've focused on and what they've discovered, and also offer practical advice to b...
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59:43
Episode 26: How to deal with losing to junior belts | Becoming more comfortable training for tougher rolls
At some point in the journey of everyone who makes it past white belt, we deal with "losing" to someone we don't think we should lose to. Whether that loss is being tapped, having our guard passed, or anything in between, this fear costs us tra...
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41:31
Episode 25: How to build a suffocating mount | How to stop losing control for mount | Consistently submitting opponents from the mount
Tim and Adam discuss what is considered by some to be the most devastating position in Jiu Jitsu, but for many practitioners is a challenge both to control and attack. Tim discusses the keys to avoid being thrown or rolled off from top position...
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38:38
Episode 24: Only one thing matters in Jiu Jitsu | How do we define Jiu Jitsu | How to focus your learning
In this episode Tim and Adam discuss submissions - and specifically, why Tim believes that submission is the only thing that even matters in Jiu Jitsu. They briefly define Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for any listeners unfamiliar, but focus then on what...
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25:36
Episode 23: Guaranteeing submissions through pins | How pinning works differently in Jiu Jitsu | Why pinning is so important
Pinning is an important part of all grappling sports, but is much less important in Jiu Jitsu compared to other similar sports. Or is it? In this episode Tim and Adam discuss how pinning serves a different purpose, and why it remains an absolut...
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32:13
Episode 22: How do we develop specialized skills in Jiu Jitsu | Specialties | What to do against knowledgeable resistance
As we get better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we tend to develop certain areas of our game we're better at than others. But how do we take those skills and turn them into true specialties? In this episode Tim and Adam discuss how to develop specialt...
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48:32
Episode 21: How to actually control from the back | How to dominate back control for extended periods | The three lines of control
Back Control is one of the most powerful positions in Jiu Jitsu, but behind closed doors most hobbyists have to admit they struggle to control from the back long enough to submit. In this episode Tim and Adam discuss how to be consistently succ...
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44:23
Episode 20: How to get better when you're getting smashed | Rolling with people much more skilled than you | How to win when you know you'll lose
At some point in our Jiu Jitsu career, we run into one or more training partners we're completely helpless against. In this episode, Tim and Adam discuss what to do when the skill gap between you and your partner is too great for rounds to be c...
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26:24
Episode 19: How to prepare to win competitions | How to train differently leading up to a competition | How to get comfortable standing
Adam and Tim discuss how to use class time leading up to a competition to prepare to win. They discuss how to avoid getting robbed in a tournament, why and how to train differently with a competition coming up, and how to develop the foundation...
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39:52
Episode 18: What you aren't told about passing the guard | How to approach passing the guard for consistent success
In this conversation Adam and Tim dive into the deeply frustrating topic of passing the guard, and why much of the time we spend drilling passes is not useful. Tim lays out his views on how to truly improve at passing, including details on his ...
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33:37
Episode 17: Everything good for you is bad for opponents | How to improve your Jiu Jitsu as a zero sum game
In this concise episode Adam and Tim hone in on the idea that Jiu Jitsu is a zero sum game, and what this means for us strategically and for our learning. They delve into how every movement increases or decreases control, and how to make sure t...
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28:37
Episode 16: CJI | Better late than never - CJI 1 breakdown | Was standup a waste of time? | How CJI has forced BJJ to evolve
Adam and Tim give commentary on the first Craig Jones Invitational that is as definitive as it is late. They discuss the matches, evaluating some major matchups in both the context of the tournament and how BJJ has continued to evolve since. Ti...
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58:46
Episode 15: Competition | How to gameplan effectively for competition | How important is competition in Jiu Jitsu?
Tim and Adam have an in-depth conversation around competition, including its importance, how to gameplan effectively, and recounting some of their own competitive history. They discuss the specific advantages competition gives in the journey of...
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1:02:17
Episode 14: How to get improve your Jiu Jitsu off the mats | How to study film | How to build conceptual frameworks
In this episode Tim and Adam dive into the elusive skill of learning by reviewing Jiu Jitsu matches - whether those of top competitors or your own. While most top teams discuss their film study often, most hobbyists have never been taught how t...
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53:33
Episode 13: Gi vs No Gi | Which should you train? | How different are they really?
Tim and Adam dive into the differences and similarities between Gi and No Gi Jiu Jitsu. They discuss the current state of the sport, the rising popularity of No Gi and the slow decline of the Gi. They discuss their personal preferences, and als...
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1:03:25