VERBAL TAP (Episode 86) with Karl Penn

[buzzsprout episode='198059' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Karl Penn is our kind of idiot.

Well, jiu-jidiot to be precise.

In a short amount of time, Karl has made a name for himself as the guy behind some of the funniest jiu-jitsu memes hitting the net.

We've had the pleasure of getting name checked in a couple of his memes as of recently (including the one to the right-hand side here, pronouncing his appearance on this week's show), so we wanted to return the favor by having him on the show.

If you haven't seen some of his work, allow us to share a few of our favorites:

And my current favorite...

On this week's episode, we find a little bit about Karl's jiu-jitsu evolution, what he did before BJJ, and even get him to explain a few of his most recent status updates.

We love supporting folks like Karl who help put a smile on our face in this crazy world of BJJ.  For a sport that can sometimes take itself a little too seriously, we love having an ally like Karl Penn who gets that a simple meme can help us make sense of the more ridiculous aspects of BJJ.

Be sure to follow Karl and his facebook page, Jiu Jidiots, and tell 'em your friends at Verbal Tap sent ya.

Where'd I Train This Week?

I made a stop over to train with the guys over at The Warrior's Club this week.

As some of you may recall, our pal Jim Lawson publicly put me on blast on last week's podcast and told me a beating was in in the foreseeable future.

He was certainly right.

A beating did happen, just not at my expense.  As the picture on the right demonstrates, Jim may have pushed this white belt a little too far.

That aside, Jim teaches a really cool class, helping me lay a strong foundation for my footlock game (don't worry, I can't do any of it remotely well, so you're all safe for the time being).

What I appreciate was that as I struggled to grasp the proper grips and technique, Jim really made an effort to make sure I understood the concepts (even going as far as to blame himself for me not getting the techniques right).  I assured him it's my general stupidity (or jiu-jitsu dyslexia I've diagnosed myself with that renders me incapable of even the simplest of BJJ moves), but I sincerely appreciated his efforts to go above and beyond helping me better understand the techniques of the day.

Those are the kinds of instructors you want in your corner, the people who make it their mission to make you better (and feel like they're letting you down if you don't quite get it).  I can assure Jim that his help is greatly appreciated and will one day pay off.

Great rolls and fun times.  I look forward to giving Jim his well-deserved rematch any time he likes, but let this be a lesson to all: it's not polite to call out your podcast host.

They might get angry.

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

... or hungry.  Now that I think about it, that's probably worse: hangry.

Nonetheless, my thanks to all the good people at The Warrior's Club and I look forward to getting beat up by you all again sometime soon.

Oh and BTW

If you haven't watched it yet, please go check out the first technique video from your pals here at Verbal Tap.  That's right.  Our pal Travis Conley identifies a problem in my current game.  Please feel free to like and share, and let us know if you want to see more of these in the future!

Let us know what you thought about this week's episode on our social media:

Facebook: /VerbalTapCast

Twitter: @VerbalTapCast

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Vine: @VerbalTapCast

Until next time, folks!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 45) with Josh Hill and Julianna Pena

[buzzsprout episode='126277' player='true']

Raf's Recollection | Take it easy on Kev this week, gang.  It's been a rough couple of days.

When we finished recording the podcast on Sunday, Kev and I had what we considered to be one of our best episodes.  In fact, Kevin was so pleased with the way things were turning out during the editing phase, he actually sent me several texts just to say how awesome the episode was.

Of course, we didn't know this at the time, but that euphoric sentiment would turn out to be the kiss of death.

Just moments after putting the final touches on the podcast (and right as he was uploading it to our site), Kevin happened to notice that his audio went missing.  Something happened during the conversation process that eliminated a significant portion of Kevin's vocal track.

Now, while the thought of having a Kevin-less podcast is something that sounds fantastic in theory, just think about how crazy I would have come off.  Oh sure, my voice would make it seem like I was in the middle of a conversation with someone else, but the large chunks of radio silence from Kevin would have made me sound downright insane.

Just to give you an idea of how the podcast would have sounded without Kevin, please consider the following visual metaphor on the right hand side here.

Anyway, Kev took the day to get his head together and we (somehow) managed to slab together a podcast for your listening pleasure.

In fact, I don't know if it's a testament to his talent or a slight on the production value we normally carry on this dog and pony show, but you can hardly tell there were any major audio problems in this podcast (and if you do, keep it to yourself, please. No one likes a show-off).

Nonetheless, should you feel so inclined, send Kev a nice message (@PhillipsKevin1 on the Twitter) to let him know his efforts are appreciated.  We'll go back to treating him like shit next week.

The Gentleman

While I don't have the kind of extreme beef that Dana White does with "The Gentleman," Josh Hill, I do give him a little bit of grief on the podcast.  It has nothing to do with his (ironically stated) struggle of growing up "really, really ridiculously good looking" or even the fact that he has a truly impressive grappling record of 36-1 (North American Grappling Association).

It has more to do with the fact that he's so damn polite.

It's almost upsetting.

While Dana's spared no expense telling us what a "one trick pony" Josh Hill is throughout the season, I wasn't very surprised when the extremely well-mannered Canadian did the extremely well-mannered Canadian thing of not talking shit about Dana White (the nerve of this guy!).

But that doesn't stop me from trying to prod.  And I'd even like to think we got him to have a couple moments of (dare I say?) "edge" during our interview, where we also ask about his MMA journey, his family's roots in pro wrestling, and his fight against former-opponent-turned pal, Mike Wootten.

We even issue a challenge for the next time he comes on the podcast.  Let's see if he's got the stuff to prove us wrong.

The Vixen

I suppose we could have subtitled this podcast "The Gentleman and The Vixen" (I swear this wasn't by design, I'm only stupidly realizing this now), but we also get the chance to talk with the "Venezuelan Vixen," Julianna Pena.

As one of the first TUF cast members to fight (and therefore share their narrative), we've arguably gotten to know more about Julianna than most of her fellow cast members this season.  We certainly touch on topics like the letters she wrote to her teammates, how it felt to be portrayed as the underdog, and even got to ask if she felt her housemate makeovers paid off.

However, I'll put this out there right here and now:  One of our questions brings out one of the most unexpected stories Kev and I have ever heard on the podcast.  It's a story that not only helps identify what makes Julianna so mentally and physically tough, but also gives you an idea of why she fights.  It's an awesome story and, frankly, I'm happy she was willing to share it with us.

Additionally, if you happen to be in the Spokane, Washington area, be sure to support Julianna's team at Northern Quest Resort and Casino's "Conquest of the Cage," as both her brother-in-law and her training partner Elizabeth Phillips will be fighting in the co-main event.  Tickets for that fight can be found right here.

Odds and Ends

Among some of the Odds and Ends topics that make it onto the podcast this go round include: Which UFC Fighter would make a great WWE Superstar, how good of a public speaker is Dana White, and why we can't stop talking about Lyoto Machida's scarf.

All this and more on this week's podcast!