In this episode, Joe discusses his training routine and preparation for upcoming competitions. He explores the tension between sharpening mode and exploration mode in Jiu Jitsu and how it relates to his experiences of anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Joe shares his insights on mindfulness and the FLARE method, created by Dr. Inna Khazan, for managin…

In this episode, Joe discusses two questions from listeners. The first question is about how Joe's understanding of BJJ has changed since he first started training. The second question is about feeling discouraged in BJJ and comparing oneself to others. Joe uses examples from art to explain that BJJ is an expression of oneself and that the process …

In this episode, Joe reflects on the concept of taking things seriously without holding onto them too tightly. He discusses how the pandemic upended worldviews and the importance of being adaptable. Joe relates this concept to jiu-jitsu, where new techniques and strategies force practitioners to adapt. He explores the idea of gripping too tightly, …

In this episode, Joe reflects on the theme of conviction and its importance in achieving success. He shares a personal experience of a near car accident and how it reminded him of the value of life. Joe discusses the importance of believing in oneself and the quality of training rather than comparing oneself to others. He also explores the concept …

In this episode, Joe reflects on his recent trip to Central America and about the challenge of winning Masters, which has prompted Joe to question his belief in his ability to win. He discusses the logistical aspects of training and competing in Masters, as well as the need for conviction and comfort with losing. Joe explores the underlying assumpt…

In this rough-and-ready, episode of BJJ Meditations, host Joe Hannan broadcasts from a remote jungle location in Central America. Amidst the sounds of nature, Joe shares his reflections on essentialism, the importance of embracing the present moment, and the valuable lessons learned through Jiu Jitsu. Key Takeaways: -- The impact of the jungle envi…

Send us a Text Message. Are human rights a social construct? Professor Benjamin Gregg, author of Human Rights as Social Construction and Creating Human Nature: The Political Challenges of Genetic Engineering, argues they are, but thinking of human rights as a social construct strengthens them. In this in-person discussion, we explore how political …

In this episode, Joe discusses the theme of 'Seeing More Clearly' and its connection to his new hobby of photography and videography. He reflects on the importance of curiosity, self-awareness, and thematic learning in both jiu jitsu and life. The episode explores the idea of finding fresh angles and insights, both externally and internally, and ho…

This week, Joe dives deep into the world of training and the nuanced differences between simply "doing" and truly "training" in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Drawing from his personal experiences and recent coaching sessions with two dedicated clients, Joe explores how focused training can lead to extraordinary growth on and off the mat. In this episode, yo…

This episode first appeared on The Highest Levels, a BJJ Mental Models Premium show hosted by Emily Kwok and Joe Hannan. The Highest Levels is all about dissecting the tactics and psychology of optimal human performance -- work that Emily and Joe do daily with some of the world's leading performers in finance, science, and professional athletics. I…

In this episode, Joe discusses the topic of leadership and shares his experiences as a leader in his jiu jitsu school. He explores the polarities and challenges of leadership, including consensus building vs. representation, athlete vs. shepherd, cultural steward vs. toilet scrubber, and entrepreneur vs. community builder. Joe emphasizes the import…

This episode of BJJ Meditations explores rank and hierarchy on and off the mats. Hierarchy is an unavoidable aspect of human society, including in the context of Jiu Jitsu schools, where it is a reflection of competence and serves as a proxy for skill level. Hierarchy is relative and not all black belts, brown belts, purple belts, etc. are the same…

In this episode, Joe discusses the concepts of certainty and uncertainty in the contexts of jiu jitsu and life. He explores the idea that certainty can be boring and that the pursuit of certainty often leads to fear, anxiety, and doubt. He also touches on the role of coaches and the value of asking the right questions. The host draws inspiration fr…

Send us a Text Message. Attachment Parenting International (API) co-founders Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker discuss attachment parenting and their book Attached at the Heart: Eight Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children. We talk about parenting multiple children at the same time, finding support as parents, and how to ensure…

In this episode, Joe reflects on his current state of mind and training in between competitions. He discusses his tendency to not drive things to completion in his jiu jitsu game and his efforts to improve in this area. He also explores his aversion to finishing things and the emotional import of feeling stupid and fucking up. Joe shares his experi…

Reflections from my experiences at the New York Open and the lessons learned from competing, including the importance of finding your own approach to competition and the value of looking stupid. Other areas of exploration include: The journey of psychological preparation The challenges of anxiety and stress Methods for balancing intensity and relax…

Send us a Text Message. Joshua Lisec is the ghostwriter of over 92 books. Under his own name, he has written So Good They Call You a Fake and the upcoming book Unhumans. In this episode, Joshua shares bold critiques of the publishing industry, fitness and diet propaganda, and communist revolutions. We talk about the challenges of nuance in marketin…

Josh Lu of 1-800-BJJ-HELP is back. This time, we're going deep on all things mindfulness and meditation. Josh is a white belt based in San Diego, CA. He's been meditating for 12 years and has spent a total of 45 days (spread out over the years) on silent retreat. He's currently pursuing a mindfulness meditation teacher certification. In this conver…

BJJ Meditations sits at the intersection of Jiu Jitsu and the examined life. Part of living an examined life is tending to health and well-being. Skin health presents one of the most complex and pressing challenges in the life of a grappler. What are the best practices and protocols we can use to protect ourselves and our training partner? Dr. Clay…

Jiu Jitsu is a thematic exploration of structure (and structurelessness, of course). We dynamically organize our bodies to accomplish certain goals that lead us toward our ultimate objective within the game. Playing in this space of structure-no structure demands a certain amount of discipline. The same skills with which we navigate this structure-…

Jiu Jitsu attracts people who live at the dynamic edge of experience. I think it's because the art strips away all affectation and leaves behind people in their most potent form. This is yet another example of how Jiu Jitsu is a revelation. It shows us something about ourselves. But what we do with that something is up to us. We can use it to be ab…

BJJ is a door to an examined life. It reveals who we are, stripping away our personas and posturing. It's up to us to decide what we do with what's revealed. We can avoid it, or we can use it to build new levels of self-awareness and fuel growth. Either way, we have choice: Choose to do the work of being, or walk away. Some weird thoughts and refle…

This episode is a collaboration with Josh Lu and Jake Luigi, the duo behind the fantastic 1-800 -BJJ-Help podcast. You also may recognize Jake from Less Impressed More Involved BJJ. It was a real pleasure to sit down and talk with both of these guys, and I'm hoping it's the beginning of many more conversations! As always, some weird thoughts and re…

I've said that Jiu Jitsu is a vehicle for self-improvement. But now, I'm not so sure. I can see that people who train Jiu Jitsu have qualitatively better experiences because of the art. But are they themselves improving? Or are they simply becoming who they really are? This is an important distinction. Here's why. Some weird thoughts and reflection…

Rascals make no buts about who they are. They may be bastards, but they're bastards living examined lives. They see the light as well as the shadow. How does BJJ bring our inner rascal to the surface? And what can we learn from this crafty creature? Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all …

I'm back from the Miami Open and covering how it went and, more importantly, what I learned. Contained here is a framework that you can use to goal-set for competitions of your own. Or, better yet, use it to create a framework of your own! Ultimately, much of what happens on the competition mats it is outside of our control. But, how we relate to a…

What are we fighting against that's fighting right back? What are we trying to silence that only gets louder with the effort? Jiu Jitsu teaches us to work with whatever life, or our opponents, throw at us. But the practical application does little to change the thoughts and feelings that arise during the struggle. What, then, do we do? Perhaps we l…

At one point in our lives, we all sang. And then we stopped. Why? Did someone make you feel self-conscious? Criticize you? Humiliate you? Singing is a basic and ancient form of expression. So is dance. BJJ is certainly dance-like. But where is our voice when we need it? And what might the discomfort of singing teach us? Just like the discomfort of …

Can we study Jiu Jitsu? Or is it a way of life, or a way of being -- perhaps only experienced in its totality via full participation? And is there any distinction between the martial path and the path of everyday life? Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show notes here: http…

Something is amiss. For the first time in my life, I have no idea what a new year will bring. Perhaps you feel the same. I know this: Meeting this year with poise requires newfound levels of presence. Good thing Jiu Jitsu can help. Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show not…

We are here because we have chosen the path of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We pursue it often with a singularity of focus. With such a narrow field of view, what are we missing inside and outside of the game? Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show notes here: https://linkin.bio/bj…

I'm 37. BJJ looks a lot different now than it did in my 20s. And staying in the game requires a bit more effort. These are my BJJ longevity protocols. Some may work for you, others won't. Use them to form the basis of your own. Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show notes h…

I'm back from a work excursion to Central America. The trip included time on the mats, time in the water, and time in deep conversation. The jungle and the ocean have a way of seeping under your skin and coloring your thoughts. And the sheer biodiversity of the jungle has a way of radiating your being with life force. All require some processing. J…

It's been quiet around here lately. Some of that is seasonal. It's a good time of year for silence and reflection. In other ways, it's a time for decisions and transitions. BJJ prepares us well for both. Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show notes here: https://linkin.bio/…

Collin Wiemer is one of the most hard-working students of the art that I know. He's also a dear friend, coach, and source of no bullshit BJJ chud wisdom. 😉 Collin offered a profound insight at World Master -- one that's definitely worth sharing. How might we reframe the narratives we tell ourselves relative to winning and losing? Some weird thought…

Send us a Text Message. After a Hasidic Jewish upbringing, Yochanan Lowen sued the Canadian government, arguing that his religious education failed to teach him basic information needed to succeed in the world. His story and lawsuit are profiled in the documentary I Want To Know. We talk about his journey, including the abuse he endured, the change…

One of the ways in which Jiu Jitsu and hunting are similar in their potential to glorify violence. But there's no sidestepping the fact that eating and fighting are violent acts. Maybe Jiu Jitsu and hunting bring consciousness to violence. Maybe we can engage in these acts deliberately and mindfully. Maybe we can examine both thematically: understa…

Elizabeth Bass is a grappler and professional based in Tel Aviv, Israel. A world-traveling soulful human, Lyz has expertise in the field of human-centric design as well as a flair for the creative. In this episode, Lyz brings all of these insights and experiences to bear on topics such as jiu jitsu instruction, the square mugs of jiu jitsu, knowing…

What does it mean to live life at the edge of experience? How do we train to relentlessly push ourselves on the mats? And how do we translate this effort thematically to the rest of our lives? Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all links and show notes here: https://linkin.bio/bjj_meditat…

You win or you lose. Maybe you learn. Learning is largely up to you. Learning hinges on the stories we tell ourselves in the aftermath of any emotionally charged event. At least that's what I'm telling myself in the aftermath of IBJJF World Master. Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. Find all l…

Thinking about the moment of battle produces all sorts of thoughts, sensations, and emotions. We can try to suppress them, but ultimately trying to keep them down is like trying to push a beach ball below the surface of water. The thoughts, sensations, and emotions all keep popping up no matter how hard we try to suppress them. And the act of suppr…

A listener writes, asking for a mediation on how pursuits like Jiu Jitsu and CrossFit promote a religion-like sense of community and belonging. We can draw a through line from the 97 Theses to the present, helping us understand how and why we arrived at this moment. And we can examine history to promote a better, healthier culture inside of BJJ whi…

Send us a Text Message. Beth Maloney, author of Protecting Your Child from the Child Protection System, shows how innocent parents can handle wrongful accusations from the child protection system and reveals how a mere trip to the doctor can start a legal nightmare. In this episode, we discuss the alarming rise of child abuse pediatricians who can …

There comes a point in most training camps when the question arises: Am I doing enough? Is the guy I'm going to face out there outworking me? Has he developed skills at a depth I can't match? Is his gas tank bigger? Does his well of conviction run deeper? How do we make peace with these questions? How do we know when we've done enough to prepare? S…

A virtuous life is an examined life, and few arts promote an examined life quite like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Erica Zendell is a BJJ brown belt, writer, and powerhouse in the digital products space. Her journey to and through BJJ has catalyzed here self-transformation, helped her sort through past trauma, clarified her own ambitions, and brought her t…

For years, the closing line of Rilke's Archaic Torso of Apollo has haunted me: "... for here there is no place that does not see you. You must change your life." Every step of my journey from white belt to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been the same refrain: You must change your life. Great art will do that to you. It will constantly remind…

Imagine a line that separates your life training Jiu Jitsu and your life at large. How do you prepare your mind, body, and soul so that you are fully prepared for the training on the other side of the line? How do you show up on the mats as the best version of yourself, ready to absorb new information and refine old systems? This responsibility evo…

First, some housekeeping. Humans are faced with multiple existential crises. Here in the northeast, recent events have highlighted the salience of the environmental crisis and climate change. BJJ Meditations is committed to being a force for change. From here forward, at least one percent of all pre-tax proceeds will be donated to organizations com…

Send us a Text Message. Drawing from his background in theatre and improv, Gabriel shares his insights into entering a child's world through play. We discuss the difference between different styles of parenting, including peaceful and authoritative parenting, how to connect with neurodivergent children, and what you can do to become a better parent…

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." -- Gen. George S. Patton Sparring in BJJ highlights the salience of Patton's point. We can enter a round with what we think is a perfect plan and ultimately falter because we are too tightly bound to that plan. But the inverse is also true. We can enter a round w…