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Raf's Recollection | Coming soon!
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Raf's Recollection | Full write up coming very soon. Listen in as we preview UFC 182 and chat with our pal, Jon Thomas, from Tap Cancer Out.
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Raf's Recollection | Coming soon!
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Raf's Recollection | Metamoris recap shows are always my favorite episodes.
Always.
Not only do we dedicate an entire episode to breaking down the techniques, production value, and implications of the big event, but we also get a chance to catch up with some of our favorite friends (new and old), as they help us analyze these matches from every possible angle.
Following in the tradition of our previous Metamoris recaps (Metamoris 4 and Metamoris 3), we enlist a team of six to help us take a look at the card and break down each match.
Joining us this go round...
Kit Dale - Leading us off on this podcast is our good pal Kit Dale. When looking to analyze the explosive match-up between Garry Tonon and Zak Maxwell, we figured: who better to speak on the match than a guy who not only had some of the best seats in the house, but also happened to commentate on the match as it was going on (not to mention: who knows a thing or two about competing against Tonon at Metamoris). In addition to his observations about the match, Kit also hooks us up with some great details about the behind the scenes nature of the show, reveals what Kenny Florian was too scared to do, and Kit and I discover where our jiu-jitsu venn diagrams intersect.
Ruben Avila 
- As one of of the more prolific BJJ writer/bloggers on the circuit, we decided to turn to the guy behind BJJGrappling.com, Ruben Avila, to help us try to make sense of the lengthy (and ultimately underwhelming) game show that was "Submit Vinny Mahalhaes for $10,000!" More importantly, we ask if this is a format that Metamoris should continue to use in future installments going forward. That and he gets Kevin to inadvertently support the use of WWE-esque rules in order to make a match like this more interesting (slick move, Ruben. He never even saw it coming!).
Jim Lawson - It only makes sense that we enlist the help of our friend Jim Lawson of The Warrior's Club to help us break down the epic rematch between two exciting BJJ warriors. Jim makes his second appearance on the show detailing the finer points of Keenan Cornelius' and Yuri Simoes' respective games and attacks. As the lone gi match of the card, Jim tells us how the match stacked up against the five other bouts (and even describes how the fight looked like in person at the Long Beach Convention Center that night).
Travis Newaza - Very few people can refer to themselves as the "sweetheart" of Brazilian Jiu-JItsu and get away with it. Yet somehow the distinction doesn't seem too far off when you get around to talking about Travis Newaza. As one the owner of one of the coolest BJJ brands out on the circuit (Newaza Apparel) Travis has made a name for himself as a brand owner who doesn't just make clothes for the BJJ community, but who also takes a great deal of pride in being immersed in the culture of the sport. On this podcast, Travis helps us measure the shock value of the Metamoris "secret match," it's overall impact, and even discusses the finer points of Ed O'Neil's head.
JT Torres - In order to get the most objective account of the match-up between JT Torres and Rory MacDonald we decided to ask JT himself to take an objective look at his match against Rory MacDonald. Just kidding. No part of our conversation is objective in the least. Instead, JT gives us the inside scoop on what it was like to compete against an opponent who outweighed him by close to 40+ pounds, outlines the game plan he used during the match (and describes the adjustments he had to make), and even takes a minute to respond to the comment that Rory was prepared to let his arm get broken on the Metamoris mats.
Rob Acree 
- And finally, closing out the podcast, is one of Kevin's training awesome partners from BJJ and MMA Training Center out in Chantilly, Virgina, Rob Acree. Rob uses his black belt acumen to properly contextualize the match between Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, navigating us through not only the historical significance of this highly-anticipated rematch, but also giving us a detailed breakdown of the techniques and strategies utilized by both Renzo and Sakuraba. Additionally, he helps me get in some great digs at Kevin's expense, so I seriously can't complain about that.
A damn good podcast from start to finish. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped us breakdown this monumental event. And keep an eye out real soon for episodes of Around the Mat to start popping up all around.
And get ready guys. Kevin touches down in LA in just a few days and we've already got big plans for our 100th episode! Get ready folks!
If you want to send us a message on our social media, merely hastag #VerbalTapTurns100 with a twitter message, Instagram meme, video or Vine to send us a message (we might just talk about it on air)!
Oh Yeah, Check This Out
I got the chance to shoot the shit with Garry Tonon this week. Good times were had.
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[buzzsprout episode='222389' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | I'll never forget the time I discovered Mac Danzig and I had a mutual set of friends. Years ago I discovered that Mac and I were only a couple degrees of separation away from each other all thanks to my best friend Bobby.
And when you're in good with my long-time best friend (and future best man at my wedding) and his family, in my book, it means you've already been vetted and that you're good people.
Before I had a podcast, or even really knew I'd take up jiu-jitsu, I was just a UFC fan who enjoyed Mac's work in the Octagon. Perhaps it's my knowledge of how reality shows work and get spliced together, but even when I sat at home watching his time on The Ultimate Fighter I always thought he got a bum wrap on the way he was depicted. It's not entirely surprising, it's just the nature of the beast known as reality TV.
But as someone who doesn't tend to get caught up in that sort of thing (even then), I just knew I liked his fighting style and thought he had a promising future (in retrospect, I can see that I have a long history of rooting for the jiu-jitsu guys). Naturally, I was stoked to see him go on to win the show and have a solid run in the UFC.
After years of hearing great things about him and the way he teaches from our mutual friends, I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I heard he was holding a Striking for Submissions seminar down here in LA. I packed up the gym bag and made it down.
Before the seminar, I got the chance to meet and exchange pleasantries. We talked about our mutual connections and BS-ed about a number of MMA and BJJ topics, all the while Mac lived up to all of the great qualities our mutual friends had come to say about him.
By the time we got around to the seminar and I saw him demonstrate his first BJJ transition, I realized something I had long since forgotten: Mac was one of the first people I watched and learned how to do jiu-jitsu technique from.
While I had watched a number of fights before his tenure on The Ultimate Fighter, I never really paid attention to the science of it all. For whatever reason, his style just clicked with me and, while I may not have understood the exact reasoning behind every grip or underhook, I remember finding myself interested in the craft and wanting to learn how to break it all down.
And on this day, on these mats, there he was telling me to stop doing the technique so wrong and try to get it right for a change.
He didn't actually say that, but you're all familiar with how I roll by now.
Nonetheless, it was just a cool moment in my training journey and all the more reason his appearance on the show was so cool for me personally.
On the podcast this week, Mac (37:20) drops in to provide a little more insight about the actual production of The Ultimate Fighter, the awesome connection he has to the world of animation, his interest in photography, what its like to transition out of fighting, and even describes what it's like to be on the other side of the cage as a referee.
It's a fantastic first conversation with a guy who's been a friend of podcast long before we even had him on. We look forward to having him back on some time soon.
In the meantime, check out his work at http://www.macdanzigphoto.net/.
As an avid photography fan, I'm not one to put over work if I don't find it really good. But his stuff is awesome and I strong encourage you all to give it a gander.
But Wait, There's More!
Our pal, Alex Perez returns on this week's podcast to find out if he beat Kevin in our UFC 180 edition of Over/Under Kevin.
In addition to finding out the results, Alex helps us recap all of the awesome (that sick main event), the disgusting (Ultimate Fighters taking a #2 in the cage), and the really disgusting (the worst PSA for Cauliflower ears ever) things that made one of the shortest UFC PPV's in recent memory a fun and unpredictable night of fights.
Metamoris 5: The Game Show
Because no Metamoris card is complete without at least three match-up changes, we had to get creative with our latest Around the Mat preview series. We always like to record these things a week out of the show as to try and get you a preview that's the most up-to-date possible, but when the news hit that Kevin "KO" Casey was out of his match-up (prompting the BJJ equivalent of American Idol to take place) as I was editing the latest installment of our Metamoris Preview Series, I had to do something.
This was that something.
The following is a sneak preview of our show that's coming out a little later tonight. Hope you all enjoy it!
EDIT: And here's the entire full length episode for your viewing pleasure:
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[buzzsprout episode='219848' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | We all know Garry Tonon [46:54] as one of the most exciting grapplers on the planet. With an aggressive style on the mats that relentlessly goes after submissions, Garry has made a huge name for himself in the world of competitive jiu-jitsu as one of the most reliable "sure bets" for an exciting match.
Even when if it means putting himself in terrible positions. And that's just part of what makes his matches so unpredictably exciting.
The guy has a gas tank that puts a great number of us to shame (despite a number of well-documented accounts of how much fast-food the kid ingests). But, as I came to find out last week, even interviewing Garry Tonon can be a workout.
Not because the guy is a difficult interview (our conversation is a lot of fun), but because he just has so much energy, you have to match his level of intensity during the interview. Even in the moments we spent talking with Garry off-air, before our interview officially began, Kev and I found ourselves having a great time comparing notes and jokes. As I overheard the rapid-fire cadence in his voice, it began to make complete sense:
Garry Tonon doesn't do anything slow.
With that in mind, I encourage you all to give a listen to a dynamic interview we do with Garry, as we touch upon all the bases: his match at Metamoris 5, what his expectations of his opponent Zak Maxwell, if his eating habits are truly as terrible as some Metamoris preview videos lead us to believe, what it's like to train with Rory MacDonald, and what he really thought of my interpretation of his BJJ game at Metamoris 5.
Yep. This one.
It should be noted that a running joke at my gym has been how when I played Garry, my jiu-jitsu was way better than normal. Leaps and bounds better. So while I'd love to base my game entirely on Garry's movement, I will remind you that too is an exhausting endeavor (the guy never quits moving).
Be sure to give Garry's episode a listen and then let us know what you think!
Peace Out, JEvans
Last week, we said goodbye to our pal, John Evans who is forging ahead with his journey to open out his own jiu-jitsu school. Mind you, he'll still be here in the Valley, but he's going to be opening up his own place for BJJ instruction very soon.
As one of the most influential people in my BJJ career, I can't thank John enough for his patience and his help with my game. Any gains I've made over the past few years are due in part to his superb coaching abilities.
And because no goodbye is without it's hardships, allow me to post the video of the way we closed out John's experience here at VMAC.
[embed]http://instagram.com/p/vE4UiBj6r5[/embed]
Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @BJJBreakdown and look out for more updates about his school at BJJBreakdown.com.
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[buzzsprout episode='216302' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | Man, oh man, did we pack an episode worth of great content for you this week. We've got interviews with JT Torres (28:52) and Shakib from Submission Fight Co. (1:01:31) and we also recap who won on the UFC 179 installment of Over/Under Kevin with our pal Marcus Kowal.
But let's start with our friend JT Torres.
It's harder to find a nicer more terrifying human being on our guest list.
I had the pleasure of meeting JT back at an Metamoris 2 afterparty and was completely impressed with his polite and friendly demeanor. Despite being a killer on the mats, JT is of of the nicest BJJ competitors I've had the pleasure of running into. That night, he was kind enough to talk with me about his match, exchange some fun jiu-jitsu stories, and even give me some words of encouragement about my own BJJ practices (at one point saying my jiu-jitsu couldn't possibly be as bad as I was describing... that's when you truly know someone is nice).
On the podcast this week, we get JT to talk a little bit about his prep for Metamoris 5, his time training at ATOS, his love of video games, why he decided to attack Andre Galvao on the beach of that one Metamoris preview video thing, and even get him to participate in the very first podcast version of our trademark 2 Minute Drill of rapid fire questions at the end of his interview.
Looking forward to seeing this (polite) killer back on the Metamoris mats in the coming weeks in his upcoming match with UFC fighter Rory MacDonald. This may be one of the few times an American will out-polite a Canadian post-match.
Maybe.
RevGear and Marcus Kowal
One of the things I like about Marcus Kowal is how random he can be. For example, while it's not uncommon to see him at an event like the RevGear BJJ League Tournament, it's another thing to just happen to see him coach and then immediately compete right thereafter.
But that's Marcus for ya.
My compliments to RevGear for attracting some of the coolest folks I know on the BJJ circuit to compete this week.
It's always a blast running into so many of these awesome BJJ competitors and many of their fights did not disappoint. I'm hoping we'll see them with another tournament here in SoCal soon enough!
We talk a little bit about Marcus' competition at the tournament (as well as what it was like competing against one of Josh Barnett's beastly wrestling students) and then we find out who won this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin: UFC 179.
Submission Fight Co.
We then close out this stacked episode with an interview of the owner of Submission Fight Co.
Over the past few months, a lot has been printed about the brand. And rightfully so.
Earlier this year Submission Fight Co. discovered that products that they believed to be hemp-based were discovered to contain no trace of hemp. Discussion threads were dedicated to it, blog posts written, videos conducted with many customers expressing frustration with the company.
Rather than speculating on the issue, we decided to go straight to the source to ask him what events transpired, how the company discovered the problem, and what practices Submission Fight Co. intends to partake going forward.
We invite you to give the interview a listen and decide for yourself.
More World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Videos This Week
Trying to edit these as fast as possible, but here's a few more interviews for ya to take a look at. Hope you enjoy 'em!
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[buzzsprout episode='214622' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | Considering all of the videos and writing I have to get done this week, I'll keep this short. We had a huge week on the podcast, previewing this weekend's UFC 179 with our pal Marcus Kowal and discussing all things World Jiu-JItsu Expo.
Marcus (pictured here in a new headshot compliments of our good friend Blanca Marisa Garcia) joins us this week to take on Kevin on our latest installment of Over/Under Kevin.
Some of you know Marcus as our pal from Systems Training Center down in Hawthorne, while others of you may somewhat recognize this guy as the host of his own podcast the MMA Roundtable.
Yep, since we last left Marcus, he has now grown up and started a podcast of his own. So we decided to give him some well deserved shit to start the show and then get into our picks for this weekends fights.
I Went to the World Jiu-JItsu Expo!
Let's just say this weekend was another mad capped weekend of insane jiu-jitsu coverage.
Accompanied by my two awesome photogs (Alex Perez and Octavio Villanueva), we hit up the World Jiu-JItsu Expo for a second year of crazy coverage.
On the podcast, Kevin spends the first twenty minutes asking me all about it and I talk a little bit about some of our favorite experiences and observations from an event that is something akin to what we call "Jiu-Jitsu Christmas."
I got to talk with this guy.
And this guy.
And even catch up with this guy.
I'm working to get out a video per day, but right now, here are two of the first videos we've edited from this weekend.
Keep an eye out on our YouTube page as we'll be posting as many videos as we can from this weekend's World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.
Hope you enjoy it, folks!
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Raf's Recollection | Vinny Magalhaes {13:29) is the MMA version of a workaholic. It seems like every time he finishes a fight or a grappling match, he's already lining up the next fight (or two).
You might even call him a fight-aholic. It's like the guy's addicted to competing.
Lucky for us it results in some amazing fights to watch both in the cage and on the mats.
Shortly after walking us through his sick light heavyweight title win at Titan FC 30, Vinny talks to us about his next Metamoris 5 match-up against Kevin "KO" Casey (... only to work on creating a match for himself at Metamoris 6).
That's right. A month before Metamoris 5 even happens, Vinny's already offering himself as available and ready to fight at Metamoris 6.
But that's the spirit of the fight in Vinny. He's a goal-oriented fighter who's not just content holding MMA gold around his waist. It seems like he's ready to fight any time, any where, any place.
On this week's podcast, Vinny describes his Titan FC 30 fight camp, what his training partners think of his workaholic tendencies, and even gives us some insight into the fighter psychology that takes place inside of the cage.
Then Vinny switches gears to answer some BJJ questions, including his thoughts on Keenan Cornelius' performance at Metamoris 4, what it's like to film one of those Metamoris preview videos, and even starts walking us through some of the competitors he'd like to have a rematch with.
Also, he fields a question thrown our way from Renato Laranja and then is informed about Kevin's poor attempt to recreate Vinny's match from Metamoris 4.
So Vinny, if you're watching. Here's the video of the terrible re-creation and I will be happy to provide you with Kevin's address once you finish watching it.
EBI Dos!
A
lso on the podcast, I talk a little bit about what it was like to watch the Eddie Bravo Invitational 2 in person.
I don't want to go too much into detail (as the show has yet to be televised and we're working on a cool side project here as part of our coverage), but it was a cool experience that was a blast to attend.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank the wonderful participants (a number of whom are friends of the podcast) who did an exceptional job that evening. And also, my thanks to Alex Perez for the fantastic work helping us with fight coverage through the night.
Are You Going to the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo?
If so, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello. I'll be covering the event live in Long Beach all weekend and would love to run into you guys while we're there.
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And FINALLY...
Check out our latest installment of Around the Mat, where we break down the Metamoris 4 match between Dean Lister and Josh Barnett.
We love hearing what you guys have had to say about our other installments, so keep them comments and likes comin'!
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Raf's Recollection | BJJ friends, we really come through for you on this one. This episode not only features the awesome guys from White Belt BJJ (Todd Shaffer and Tony Peranio), but we also do some of the best investigative journalism we've ever done on this episode of the podcast.
When I saw the headline "Wrestler Challenges Jiu Jitsu Instructor at 10th Planet Decatur AL- Security Cam Footage," it didn't take long for me to realize it would likely somehow involve our pal Brandon McCaghren.
Yes. This goofball.
Yeah, the same guy behind this abomination of a song (and also this one that's pretty ok).
Chances are, you've likely seen the video we're talking about here. If you haven't, take the following five minutes of your time to laugh your ass off as you watch Brandon make short work of a guy who interrupted his jiu-jitsu class and challenged him to a match (mid-way through said class, mind you).
In the time span of a week, the video has gone viral (right now hovering around the neighborhood of 500k views) and attracted the attention of just about every major BJJ publication and Facebook page (and even a few non-BJJ sites), making Brandon a bit of an overnight BJJ celebrity.
So to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal, we decided to reach out to our pal and get him to tell his side of the story. In our EXCLUSIVE interview, Brandon walks us through the match and all of the events that lead up to the challenge.
As usual, Brandon brings his brand of whimsy to the show and we couldn't be happier to see him get so many compliments on his jiu-jitsu skills (I've rolled with the guy, the dude's BJJ is nothing short of awesome). Give it a listen and let Brandon know what you thought on the Twitter at @Brandon_mc.
Here's hoping even more people head to his classes as participants, not mid-class challengers.
White Belt BJJ
Man, are these guys funny.
I can't tell you how many times I've scrolled through my Instagram feed and laughed out loud at the work the very funny guys from White Belt BJJ do.
Instead of talking about it, I'll just let a few of these speak for themselves.
And that's just a small sample of their work. Spend a few minutes going through their memes and you're bound to crack up more than just a few times.
What makes so many of the memes they do work so well is the ability to combine a crazy subversive sense of humor with a series of observations that are grounded in many of the frustrations so many BJJ practitioners experience in their training sessions.
I've been a real fan of the fantastic work ethic these guys have and they were a blast to talk with on the podcast. On our show, they talk about how White Belt BJJ came into existence, what it's felt like to watch so many new BJJ meme artists come out of the woodwork, and we even find out how much Tony and Todd really know about one another.
Give it a view and go support them on all of their channels.
WhiteBeltBrazilianJiuJitsu.com
But Wait, There's More
Oh and while you're checking out social media pages, be sure to add us and check out while you're at it.
Facebook: /VerbalTapCast
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And then also check out the latest installment of our BJJ talk show panel, Around the Mat. In our latest episode, we break down the match between Saulo Ribeiro and Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros. Let us know what you think about it with the hashtag #AroundTheMat!
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Raf's Recollection | Justin Rader [30:00] has been on our... podcast's radar for some time (see what I did there?).
Kev and I have been HUGE fans of Justin's jiu-jitsu game for ages. It's fast, it's aggressive, and it's destructive--a fascinating hybrid that combines the best of jiu-jitsu and wrestling (which has made for some truly impressive highlight-reel matches).
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Justin in person and was truly impressed by his character. From the many instructionals and interviews we've seen from the guy, we know he's truly passionate about the sport (and isn't afraid to voice a controversial opinion about it every once in awhile).
Sure he's got an intensity to him, but it's never impolite or combative. In fact, off the mats, he's about as nice as they come.
He's one of the few guys I know who actually says the word "gosh." Yes, actually says the word "gosh" when he gets asked a good question. And it just works, cuz that's just the kinda guy Rader is.
Which is why it was awesome to find that the guy who was so relentless in the cage (or on the mats) can have a great laugh with us and crack a few goofy jokes with us in between serious conversations about the current state of jiu-jitsu, his MMA career, and what the future holds in store for him.
We get a cool look at his mindset going into the fight, what made his fight camp so great, and how it felt like to be on the same card with his mentor/training partner, Rafael Lovato Jr.
It's a great time and I wouldn't be surprised if you hear Rader back on the podcast sometime very soon.
Travis Conley: All Around Badass
Travis Conley's passport must be tired as hell. The dude literally just got back from an awesome overseas trip where he got to conduct some awesome BJJ seminars, only to come back home and lead our friend LC Davis to an impressive win at Bellator 124.
But that's not all. Travis also got invited to compete on the US Men's Sambo team.
So it seems like Conley may need to bust out that passport again for this unexpected and amazing opportunity. We wanna help Travis achieve his goal and represent America accordingly, so we're asking for our fans here to help out and donate a few bucks if they can to the cause.
For more info about his trip, head on over to UNGD.tv. And on the podcast, we make some compelling arguments as to why you should help the guy out.
Especially if they mean beating Kevin up.
But wait, there's more!
We also have our pal Steven Briggs back on the podcast to find out if he beat Kevin in this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin.
I don't want to spoil anything, but he stands a good chance of beating Kevin's picks.
We also review all things that took place at UFC 178.
So listen in and let us know what you think!
And be sure to add us and check out our social media.
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All I got for now, later on party people.
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Raf's Recollection | I first met Steven Briggs when I was working for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
Steve had a goofball sense of humor even back then. But whenever there was some down time while working the show, we'd shoot the shit about MMA and wrestling.
At the time I had no idea Steve had any stand-up comic aspirations (but to be completely fair I'm not even sure he was aware that I was a comedy performer myself).
In the years since, Steve has blown up and has made a great name for himself touring across the country doing a truly unique brand of stand-up comedy.
He's even been on my talk show (Early Late Night) multiple times and remains a crowd favorite for the really funny stories he shares during our sit down interviews (for the record, he is the only person who I actually tolerate who beat boxes, it's quite impressive).
Steve has always been quick with an opinion on all things MMA which is why I thought he'd make a great opponent for Kevin on this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin.
This week we preview the stacked card that is UFC 178 and go over all the major scenarios. And from the tremble you hear in Kevin's voice, he is truly scared that we brought someone who is not only knowledgeable about MMA, but can actually spit out funnier jokes than Kev.
It makes for a fantastic segment and I think y'all will dig it this week.
But beyond giving Kev a run for his money on the podcast and being and all-around funny guy, Briggs also happens to have a pretty solid wrestling background and has trained with me a few times over the past five years.
As one of the guys who was there for my humble beginnings in jiu-jitsu years ago, Steve's always been a great guy to train with.
I like to refer to him as a pace-setting training partner: a partner who you don't train with all that often, but who will push you to get even better each time. He's one of the few people I allow myself to talk shit to about BJJ because I know he'll bring it on the mats the next time we train (and that he'll talk shit right back at me).
And every time we've rolled, Steve's always been helpful identifying a cool wrestling trick or complimenting any improvements in my game. He recently came up to train with us at Valley Martial Arts Center a couple months ago and he hasn't lost a step.
Not to say I haven't taught him a thing or two myself.
Steve has one Achilles heel. He's literally defenseless against a sharpshooter.
But I felt bad for him and decided to teach him a finisher he could use to defend himself. It still needs work.
When we took the picture he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was not only applying a Boston Crab, but that he was also flipping off the camera with two middle fingers.
Layers this kid has.
Nonetheless, give it a listen and let us know what you think of this one folks and hit us up on our social media to let us know what you think!
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Oh, and also, don't forget to check out our Metamoris 4 recap here. On our latest, we review Keenan vs. Vinny. Let us know what you think, folks!
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Raf's Recollection | Our pal LC Davis drops in [24:02], moments after his big win at Bellator 124.
We chat with LC about his preparation for the fight, as well as rectifying the biggest problem of the broadcast:
The fact that they didn't even give him a chance to talk after his win.
Check it out as LC crushes it, not only in his (deserved) post-fight interview, but also in our exclusive interview with this rising Bellator MMA star.
Oh yeah, also we talk a little bit about our pal Travis Conley (welcome back to the USA, buddy :-)
But Wait, There's More...
A reddit post prompted us to start talking about the nerves people get before training. As someone who's had their own experiences with anxiety, we decided it'd be a great thing to have a little dialogue about one of the lesser talked-about phenomenon in BJJ.
I also talk a little bit about the amazing experience I had over at the Grapplethon over in Laguna Niguel.
All this and much, much more.
[buzzsprout episode='202728' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | We always seem to catch Rafael Lovato Jr. [28:06] at incredible junctures in his career.
Our first conversation with Lovato took place a little over a year ago (Episode 24; yeesh, time really flies), just shortly after he became the first non-Brazilian to win the Absolute division at the Brasileiro. Since then, we've had the good fortune of running into him several times around the jiu-jitsu circuit and were even granted the opportunity to cover one of his awesome seminars out in Vegas a couple of months ago.
Always polite, willing to give us a few moments of his time, and extremely supportive of our crazy dog and pony show we call a podcast, Lovato has been one of the biggest champions of our show (and a good friend to us both on-and-off air).
Which is why when we heard a rumor that our pal would be making his way into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, we knew we needed to hear directly from the source about this new major milestone in his fighting career.
On September 26th, we get the opportunity to see Rafael compete in the Legacy FC cage (alongside his supremely talented BJJ phenom, Justin Rader, who will also be fighting at the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma that night). For some, this is a chance to see how a storied BJJ competitor, known for his aggression and exciting finishes, fares in the world of MMA.
But for Rafael this fight isn't just the culmination of a six week training camp. It's the chance to test a lifetime's worth of work as a martial artist in an entirely different way.
Just because Rafael is best known for his incredible work as a BJJ competitor, doesn't mean he's ignored other fighting disciplines all these years. Unlike other BJJ practitioners who make the transition to MMA, the integration of other disciplines is something that was instilled into him at an early age (and has been maintained in-between BJJ sessions at his own gym for some time). Now Lovato has an avenue to show us another dimension or two of his MMA game.
And it's a challenge that is reinvigorating him.
On this week's podcast, Rafael speaks candidly about his training regimen, his expectations, and the difficulty of putting away the gi to concentrate on his stand up game. We hear more about the impressive array of talent coming to help him get ready for his fight and even get to hear Rafael's thoughts about the most recent Metamoris card.
Two weeks out from fight night, there are certainly more questions than there are certainties on how it will all go down (how will Lovato transition to the cage? what kind of game will he bring to the table on fight night? what if the fight never goes to the ground?). And yet, despite the uncertainty, there is one thing you can take to the bank:
Win or lose, we got his back.
With far and few athletes really carrying the banner of jiu-jitsu in the world of MMA, we root for a guy who has consistently given his all on the mats. Who has inspired others to play an aggressive game and make history every time they go out to compete. And, perhaps most importantly, we root for the guy who has a conviction to represent the jiu-jitsu community when he enters that cage.
For all those reasons (and so much more), we are eagerly anticipating this fight.
Check his appearance out on the podcast and hit us up on our social media to let us know what you think!
Facebook: /VerbalTapCast
Twitter: @VerbalTapCast
Instagram: @VerbalTapCast
Vine: @VerbalTapCast
But Wait, There's More!
Oh yeah, in case you haven't been keeping up with us on the YouTube, check out our latest installment of our BJJ panel talk show, Around the Mat. On our latest episode we breakdown the match between Kit Dale and Garry Tonon (complete with exclusive footage from the event). Let us know what you think!
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Also, if for some reason you don't see our Buzzsprout player embedded up above, you can also listen to this week's episode of our podcast right here on Stitcher.
[buzzsprout episode='201359' player='true']
Raf's Recollection | Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous of Mik Milman's photography skills.
As an avid photography enthusiast, I spend a great deal of my spare time researching different photographers and trends within the field. Which is why it came as a nice surprise when I found there was a photographer taking the time to capture the essence of everyday jiu-jitsu practitioners.
That's right, not the guys you see standing on podiums or shouting out their twenty thousand sponsors. Nor the guys selling you DVDs, telling you what you need to know about jiu-jitsu. Not even the people trying to make names for themselves showing you a cool move on YouTube.
In fact, Mik (pronounced "Mick") none of that really seems to matter all that much to Mik Milman. For him, there's a way bigger interest in the psychology behind why people step foot on a mat.
Mik's passion project, People Who Train, is a photography-based narrative BJJ endeavor that seeks to find out the psychology behind why ordinary people step on the mats.
And the results, thus far, have been fascinating.
I first caught wind of the projects a couple months ago and was intrigued by the quality of the photos. In each of Mik's still frames you truly get a representation of each interview subject's soul. And while I've never rolled with any of the people in the photos or heard a single word about their story beforehand, the photos give a great peek into the role jiu-jitsu plays in their life.
It's even more awesome when you see the photos juxtaposed with some of the short narratives that give you a little more insight into these folks' everyday lives.
On the podcast [his appearance starts at the 58:30 mark], Mik describes his process (all the way from the photography sessions, the type of people's he's interested in photographing, and the unexpected narratives that have propelled him to do even more for the BJJ community).
If you're interested in being one of the folks featured in this project (seriously, don't be shy. We all have cool stories that deserve to be featured), be sure to check out People Who Train and hit up Info@MikMilman.com.
You can also check out Mik's work on Instagram (@retrograding) and give him a like on Facebook.
But Wait, There's More
We talk about Dana White's latest PR fail, some stupid parents on a dumb reality show force their kids to do jiu-jitsu and are pretty extreme about it, the devastation of UFC 177, and Todd Levin [21:11] returns to find out if he beat Kevin on our last installment of "Over/Under Kevin" (spoiler alert, of course he did).
So take a load off and kick back as we help you unwind and make sense of this crazy week in BJJ and MMA. And don't forget to follow us on our social media stuff as well.
Facebook: /VerbalTapCast
Twitter: @VerbalTapCast
Instagram: @VerbalTapCast
Vine: @VerbalTapCast
Oh yeah, one more thing. We've got our new Around the Mat episodes coming out (we filmed one episode per Metamoris 4 match). Check our our first installment right here!