I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show

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

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

I tried to solve one of Jiu Jitsu's oldest debates and got beat up by a 50 year old man instead.Was Rickson Gracie actually that good… or did the legend get bigger than the man?Before we know whether or not Rickson was the goat we must answer a much bigger question: what does it actually mean to be good at jiu-jitsu? Not famous. Not decorated. Not good at one rule set. Actually good at grappling.This episode starts with the myth: the 450-0 record, the old-school stories, the Gracie aura, and the never-ending internet arguments. But it turns into something way more useful: a breakdown of efficiency, effectiveness, connection, weight distribution, and the kind of jiu-jitsu that still works when strength, speed, and youth start disappearing.And yes, I finally tell the story of getting beat up by a 50 year old and, one of Rickson’s most respected black belts, and why getting absolutely manhandled changed the way I think about skill forever.This is not really an episode about worshipping Rickson. It’s about figuring out whether there is a level of jiu-jitsu most people never learn how to see.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 Was Rickson Gracie actually that good?4:06 Did Rickson have secret jiu-jitsu knowledge?6:13 Learning from Henry Akins8:38 What does “good jiu-jitsu” actually mean?13:17 Learning to roll without strength21:50 Henry changed how I saw dominant positions26:25 Rickson vs modern jiu-jitsu rulesets31:50 Breaking the old-school training room code38:33 Rolling with Henry Akins44:28 The efficiency gap became obvious46:29 The best and worst moment of my jiu-jitsu life49:04 Why medals don’t tell the whole story54:36 Are modern black belts actually better?1:01:34 Why the Rickson debate is really about identity1:02:12 Was Rickson actually that good?1:03:56 The real lesson of the episode

Six jiu-jitsu black belt coaches with over 100 years of combined teaching experience sit down for an honest roundtable about what it really means to lead a team, run a school, and try to help the next generation.Josh McKinney is joined by Jared Weiner, Kyle Watson, Nick Sanders, Junior Silva, and Andrew Sabens to talk about the hidden cost of coaching, students leaving, gym culture changing, the pressure of being a role model, and where the “old dogs” fit in as jiu-jitsu keeps growing.Is opening a jiu-jitsu school still the dream? Or is there a side of leadership most people never see until it’s too late?All that and more on The I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu Show.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 Intro1:03 What do we do with the next generation?3:05 Coaching changes when you have a family4:54 Impact them while you have them7:13 The responsibility of being a jiu-jitsu role model8:26 Why a good coach keeps people around13:53 Jiu-jitsu coaches are not counselors18:40 The emotional cost of students leaving21:03 Learning to let students go23:49 Jiu-jitsu culture is changing fast25:03 Where do the old dogs fit in now?26:58 Why structure still matters in a gym29:16 Building the culture from the top32:05 The truth about opening a jiu-jitsu school33:13 The business stress nobody sees38:24 When your job makes you choose between career and jiu-jitsu42:41 The C***D years and gym owner pressure46:12 Why jiu-jitsu still matters in a divided world48:09 The worst travel stories in jiu-jitsu58:42 Kyle Watson vs. Jared Weiner1:03:45 How competition creates lifelong friendships1:07:18 Why refereeing is the worst job in jiu-jitsu1:09:38 Are BJJ refs better now?1:11:19 Why coaches still need to know the rules1:13:05 Coaching chaos at tournaments1:21:19 The lore of the team1:23:31 Why good teams happen organically1:25:23 Your enemies at blue belt become your peers at black belt

This might be the best Jiu-Jitsu advice I’ve ever given.
Because once you understand this Secret Concept, you’ll know who’s actually winning every position before the score ever changes.
Today, I(@thejoshmckinney) will break down the idea of "Positional Pacing" and why it's important to base your game around the right positions. 
Most grapplers don’t lose because they don’t know enough techniques. They lose because they don’t know when they’re already in trouble. 
They think all guards are equal. They think close matches are close because the scoreboard says they are.
They’re wrong.
In this episode, I’m going to show you the hidden way good grapplers measure every position: who has real offense, who controls the pace, who is closer to scoring, and who is slowly getting dragged into hell.
I call it Positional Pacing and using the ideas you’ll learn you will start to see Jiu Jitsu’s Secret scoreboard!
And once you see it, guard, passing, pressure, pacing, and match strategy will never look the same again.
Somebody is always winning.
Most people just don’t know how to see it yet.
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0:00 Most Black Belts Don’t Know This BJJ Hack
4:23 Welcome to I Suck at Jiu-Jitsu
5:05 The Secret Scoreboard in Every Sport
7:28 Why Some Positions Are Worth More Than Points
8:24 Closed Guard Isn’t Neutral
10:44 Smashed Half Guard Means You’re Losing
14:16 The Chicago Open Story That Changed My Game
23:51 He’s Tired… Go Now
27:56 The Blitz: When to Attack and When to Wait
47:34 The Black Belt Answer: “You Shouldn’t Have Been There”
50:57 How to Beat the Annoying Blue Belt
1:03:00 How to Use Positional Pacing in Your Rounds
1:07:22 The Dormammu Strategy for Jiu-Jitsu
1:09:18 The Positions You Should Build Your Game Around