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I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

Josh McKinney
I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show
Latest episode

408 episodes

  • I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

    #387 Dorian Brownlee: BJJ's Greatest Photographer

    13/08/2026 | 2h 5 mins.
    Dorian Brownlee is one of the most recognizable photographers in Jiu-Jitsu.

    In this episode we talk BJJ photography, Daisy Fresh, content creation, the IBJJF circuit, Jiu-Jitsu culture, Jiu Jitsu drama, and what it really takes to build a life around Jiu-Jitsu full time.

    📸 Dorian: @bjjedits

    🥋 Josh: @thejoshmckinney

    Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnod

    Free Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck
  • I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

    #386 Could Jonah Hill Beat You Up? | Can Blue Belts Win Street Fights?

    06/08/2026 | 55 mins.
    Can a BJJ blue belt actually win a street fight, and could you beat up Jonah Hill?Jonah Hill’s viral jiu-jitsu rant opens a much bigger question: how well does modern day BJJ really prepare you for violence outside the gym?Josh breaks down “blue belt energy,” shares a recent confrontation in downtown St. Louis, and explains the difference between fighting and real self-defense. Learn why live rolling matters, why top position is king, and the three rules every grappler should remember when a fight becomes unavoidable.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Can Blue Belts Win Street Fights?1:35 Jonah Hill’s Viral Jiu-Jitsu Rant2:46 The “Blue Belt Energy” Problem5:29 Why Jiu-Jitsu Should Make You Avoid Fights7:53 99% of Fights Are Avoidable11:23 My Downtown St. Louis Near-Fight17:44 Bruce Lee’s “Fighting Without Fighting”22:29 Fight vs. Self-Defense24:25 Sport BJJ vs. Real Fighting26:18 Why Live Rolling Transfers29:10 Win the Fight, Lose Everything31:01 The Truth About Jonah Hill33:07 When Fighting Is Unavoidable34:51 Boundaries and Distance Management37:37 The “Never Throw the First Punch” Rule41:05 Avoiding the Sucker Punch43:54 Safest Positions in a Street Fight46:35 Three Rules for Winning a Fight48:25 Can the Average Blue Belt Win?50:31 Why Younger People Fight Less53:39 What Black Belts Understand
  • I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

    #385 Is Your Jiu-Jitsu School is a CULT?

    30/07/2026 | 1h 10 mins.
    Is Jiu-Jitsu Brain Washing You?Your BJJ coach may be great at jiu-jitsu, but that doesn’t make them: your spiritual leader, financial advisor, relationship counselor, or life coachIn this episode, Josh breaks down the warning signs of cult-like gym culture, how loyalty turns into control, why good coaches sometimes lose perspective, and how to tell whether your academy is a healthy tribe or a place you need to leave.Warning: Don't blame me if I shatter the glass and make you realize you've been paying $199 per month to be a member of a CULT.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck 0:00 Meet Your New Jiu-Jitsu Cult Leader2:24 Could You Be in a Cult Without Knowing It?6:18 Your Coach Is Not a Spiritual Leader16:05 When a BJJ Gym Becomes a Tribe22:41 Coaches Who Control Where You Train27:04 A Coach Tells a Student to Reject College30:03 The Simplest Test for a Dangerous Coach45:24 Coaches Dating Their Students51:39 Is Your Gym a Tribe or a Cult?54:41 Kids, Steroids and Exploitation58:45 The Biggest Warning Signs1:06:29 How to Choose the Right Gym
  • I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

    #384 Henry Akins: How to have Jiu-Jitsu That Gets BETTER With Age

    23/07/2026 | 1h 40 mins.
    Henry Akins is 50 years old, and his jiu-jitsu is still getting better.

    In this episode, Henry explains how older grapplers can keep improving without relying on speed, strength, or brutal training sessions that eventually break the body down.

    We discuss why injuries are the biggest threat to long-term progress, how to remove unnecessary strength from your game, and why positional training and flow rolling may be the best ways to train after 40.

    Henry also explains how he exhausted and beat me down me after barely training for nine months, and why your jiu-jitsu should become more effective as you age.

    If you want to keep training, improving, and giving younger grapplers problems for decades, this episode is for you.

    Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnod

    Half off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing

    00:00 Henry Akins beat me down
    02:24 The biggest mistake grapplers make after 40
    09:13 How to roll with less strength
    15:01 Physicality versus technique
    19:30 Start training like you are 80
    24:32 The truth about Rickson Gracie
    29:16 How Henry passed my guard
    41:30 You only need to master 5% of jiu-jitsu
    47:02 How to choose the right game for your body
    59:26 The best training method for grapplers over 40
    1:08:06 Roger Gracie’s positional training strategy
    1:11:04 How to flow roll correctly
    1:21:49 Techniques older grapplers should avoid
    1:24:38 Recovery and training frequency after 40
    1:25:00 Henry barely trained before beating me
    1:31:05 The real reason people should train jiu-jitsu
    1:32:16 Henry’s training schedule at 50
    1:37:28 Where to learn more from Henry Akins
  • I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

    #383 Everyone at Jiu-Jitsu Hates You… Here’s Why

    16/07/2026 | 1h 5 mins.
    Every Jiu-Jitsu gym has that guy.The person everyone avoids when it’s time to roll. The person who treats Tuesday night training like the ADCC finals, refuses to tap, coaches you while losing, and somehow has an excuse ready before the round is even over.But here’s the uncomfortable part:That guy usually has no idea he’s that guy.After 18 years in Jiu-Jitsu and 11 years running schools, Josh has seen exactly where these habits lead. Some people become incredible training partners who make everyone around them better. Others slowly become unsafe, exhausting, uncoachable... and eventually avoided.In this episode, Josh breaks down what it actually means to be a great training partner, a good teammate, and a student who never stops improving.Train hard. Protect your partners. Stay out of drama. Stay coachable.And don’t be that guy.Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodHalf off BJJ Mental Models with promo code "JOSH": https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/pricing0:00 Why Everyone Hates You1:57 The Worst Training Partner10:57 Why Winning Practice Hurts You22:22 Why You Rolling Too Hard is dumb25:00 My Students nearly ended me for $20036:29 Why You Must Respect the Tap39:56 Why Vulturing Makes People Hate You42:06 The Most Annoying Training Partner Habit45:17 The Time I Was the Problem51:17 Why Gym Drama Ruins Teams55:25 Why Purple Belts Stop Improving1:02:15 A Final Story
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About I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show
Jiu-Jitsu is hard. Join host Josh McKinney on his forever quest to "suck less at jiu-jitsu." Learn from high level black belts, in depth conversations, and off the wall rants by the host himself. It is guaranteed that each episode will help you suck just a little less at jiu-jitsu, or your money back. Josh McKinney is an accomplished adult black belt competitor with a "suck-less" mindset that can help anyone progress
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