BJJ Mental Models

This week, we're joined by Josh McKinney! Josh is a black belt, head coach at HeadNod Jiu-Jitsu in Southern Illinois, and the host of the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu podcast. In this episode, Josh shares a framework for self-coaching beyond getting belt promotions, and explains why submission count and belt color are the wrong yardsticks for measuring whether you're getting better. Topics include: false metrics, the over-reliance on your A-game, learning to read old-school black belts, the Henry Akins "how many steps" test, and managing effort as a progress metric.

Follow Josh on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thejoshmckinney

Listen to the I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@isuckatjiujitsu

Call the Hot Take Hotline:
951-HOT-TAKE

Train with Josh at HeadNod in Southern Illinois:
https://headnodhq.com

Mental models discussed in this episode:
Self-Competition
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition

Goodhart's Law
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/goodharts-law

Systematic Abandonment
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/systematic-abandonment

Concepts Over Techniques
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques

Deliberate Practice
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/deliberate-practice

Resulting Fallacy
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/resulting

Economy of Motion
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion

Making Smaller Circles
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles

Process Over Outcomes
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/process-over-outcomes

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https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database

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Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com

In this mini-episode, we discuss cognitive load: our brain's working memory (like computer RAM), and how to manage it so we can learn jiu-jitsu more effectively.

Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro

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The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
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Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter

Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database

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https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
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This week, we're joined by returning champion Ryan Rich and first-timer Max Corteggiano! Ryan is a third-degree black belt who owns Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu in California and was one of the early adopters of the constraints-led approach, and Max is a first-degree black belt from France who runs BJJ Flowcharts. In this episode, Ryan and Max break down what they've learned from building BJJ Games together, a project focused on making CLA simple and accessible for coaches and students. Topics include: simplifying the constraints-led approach, the blended ABC and eco method, designing games around invariants, attention spans in coaching, and ditching the warmup.

Check out BJJ Games:
https://bjjgames.com

Check out BJJ Flowcharts:
https://bjjflowcharts.com

Train with Ryan at Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu in Granite Bay, CA:
https://granitebayjiujitsu.com

Mental models discussed in this episode:
Constraints-Led Approach
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach

Concepts Over Techniques
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques

Win Conditions
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions

Ecological Dynamics
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics

Cognitive Load
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load

Invariants
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/invariants

Effortful Retrieval
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/effortful-retrieval

⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!

The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com

Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter

Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database

Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com

In this mini-episode, we discuss double trouble, a concept popularized by John Danaher. Double trouble teaches us that to fully control a near-side limb, we must also control a far-side limb.

Get our Intro to Mechanics audio course, normally $79, FREE:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/freeintro

⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!

The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com

Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter

Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database

Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
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https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
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This week, we're joined by Drew Foster! Drew is a black belt and coach at Elevate MMA in Durham, North Carolina, chief of staff at PGF, and host of State of the Meta on BJJ Mental Models Premium. In this episode, Drew breaks down the "double tap:" attacking a submission, releasing it, then re-attacking right when their defenses drop. Topics include: the double tap, pattern interrupts, the porcupine strategy, and the constraints-led approach.

Follow Drew on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/drewdarce

Train with Drew at Elevate MMA in Durham, NC:
https://elevatemmaacademy.com

Check out Drew's instructionals at Darce Dynamics:
https://darcedynamics.com

Listen to Drew on State of the Meta, exclusive to BJJ Mental Models Premium:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com

Mental models discussed in this episode:
Double Tap
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/double-tap

Mask Your Intentions
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mask-your-intentions

Dilemmas
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/dilemma

Layers of Strategy
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-strategy

Porcupine Strategy
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/porcupine-strategy

Pattern Interrupts
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/pattern-interrupts

Constraints-Led Approach
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach

Cognitive Load
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load

⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium!

The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com

Need more BJJ Mental Models?

Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter

Learn more mental models in our online database:
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database

Follow us on social:
https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels
https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels
https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social
https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels

Music by Enterprize:
https://enterprize.bandcamp.com