BJJ Globetrotters Pirate Radio podcast

Episode 21: How Mike rode his motorcycle for two years from New York to Argentina and trained Jiu Jitsu along the way

In this episode, I have a long talk with Mike Barr about his epic motorcycle trip that took him from New York all the way to the southernmost tip of Argentina, all while training Jiu Jitsu along the way. He was on the road for more than two years and I caught him shortly after he had returned home.

 

Episode 20: The 10th anniversary of BJJ Globetrotters!

It’s been 10 years since I sketched out a logo for a patch idea and BJJ Globetrotters came into existence. We celebrate that with a special episode where community members are “calling in” from many corners of the earth to leave a message or story for the podcast.

Episode 19: How David from Canada used Matsurfing to go on an epic trip through Europe

Matsurfing is couchsurfing style network for Jiu Jitsu travelers and it is—unknown to many—actually how the idea of BJJ Globetrotters started out in the very beginning. It’s a little corner of our community that is less exposed but widely used. David Bruun from Canada tells his story about how he used the network to travel through Europe on an epic adventure.

Episode 18: A talk in the forest with Chris Haueter on tribalism, hierarchy, personal relationships and status symbols in Jiu Jitsu

Chris Haueter has had a big influence on my Jiu Jitsu and even on the creation and philosophy of BJJ Globetrotters. I sat with him in the forest at our camp in Maine and had a little chat about random things that came to mind.

Episode 17: Bobby and Amanda started BJJ program in Moldavian village, now run a pay-what-you-can academy/campsite/community in North Carolina

In this episode I’m talking with Bobby and Amanda McMasters who I met in Romania during my trip around the world back in 2011. They had volunteered through the Peace Corps and Bobby had been setting up a small Jiu Jitsu project in a village in the middle of nowhere with population of just 2000 people. Later, they’ve moved back home to the United States, where they’re running a membership-free Jiu Jitsu academy and campsite with various self-built accommodation options.

Episode 16: Heather quit her office job, bought an old VW bus, drove it across the US and lived in it so she could train Jiu Jitsu full time

In this episode, I talk with Heather Raftery about how she quit her office job to become a Jiu Jitsu Gypsy, living in a 50 year old Volkswagen bus and training Jiu Jitsu full time. We also talk about how you can use changing your voice for getting out of dangerous situations.

Episode 15: Ordering pizza online for Valerie who got stuck in Kazakstan’s pandemic quarantine after taking up a controversial offer to go teach Jiu Jitsu there

Valerie Jean took up a much controversial offer on the Members of BJJ Globetrotters Facebook group to fly to Kazakstan and teach Jiu Jitsu, all inclusive. Those who were nervous for her to get stuck there indefinitely, had probably not imagined that would actually happen because of a world wide pandemic. After many unsuccessful attempts at catching a flight out of Kazakstan to get home to Canada, we managed to call her during the quarantine and hear her story. [Quarantine special]

Episode 14: A long walk on the beach with Ben Westrich for a talk about IBJJF, hierarchies, belt promotions and other weird things. [Quarantine special]

Quarantine special! The first in a series of podcast episodes I’ll be recording while under lockdown due to the Corona virus. I can’t record at home, so I took a long walk on the beach and called my friend Benjamin Westrich for a talk about IBJJF, belt promotions, hierarchies and other weird things that humans take seriously.

Episode 13 – How Priit Mihkelson from Estonia suddenly became one of the world’s most sought after BJJ instructors

If you’re training BJJ and have been online for the last few years, chances are very high that you have come across some of Priit’s recent instructional videos. In this episode, I speak with him about how he has done the seemingly impossible and become one of the most sought after BJJ instructors in the world at the moment, based purely on his technical material and not on being a celebrity competitor or coach.

Episode 12 – Becoming an instructor at the BJJ Globetrotters camps

Charles Harriott was teaching at his first BJJ Globetrotters camp one year ago. Since then, he has been part of many of our events and in this interview he is telling about his experiences with becoming an instructor at the camps, how nervous he was about it initially and how the experience has evolved for him over the course of the year.

Episode 11: The story of the BJJ Globetrotters camps, 2018 review and 2019 preview

In this episode, I talk about the story of how the BJJ Globetrotters camps started and about the background of each of the many camps we do at this point. We also look back at what happened in the BJJ Globetrotters community in 2018.

Episode 10: The BJJ Globetrotters Boat – About following a crazy dream, failing and then try again; a story four years in the making.

Viktor and Dan had a dream since they were kids; buy a boat and sail around the world. This is the 4-year-in-the-making story of how they tried, failed hard and then ultimately succeeded. Enjoy!

Episode 9: Mike & Rebecca – A life of adventure, frugality and planned uncertainty.

Mike and Rebecca Sweeney were full time BJJ and MMA instructors, when they decided to stop training, sell their academy and everything else they owned, to buy a boat and sail from Canada to the Caribbean and live there. After several years on the water, they sold the boat and set off on a bicycle ride from California to the southern tip of Argentina. They did all this with a true belief that everything, including money, can be figured out along the way. “How difficult can it be?”


Episode 8: How to sail the world on cruise ships to train Jiu Jitsu, roll with strangers when traveling and move to the Caribbean.

I have a visitor on the island who has been working on cruise ships for 18 years and sailed the world, always bringing his gi. We talk about how to roll with strangers when visiting other academies and I answer a question from the listeners on how to move to the Caribbean.

Episode 7: How to travel off the beaten path – a phone call from the Caribbean to the Arctic Circle with Ruadhán MacFadden.

Ruadhán from Ireland is an expert in traveling off the beaten path. I caught him for an interview while he was at a Polar Bear safety course in Svalbard, north of the Arctic circle and we had a long talk about his favorite American all-inclusive casino resorts and Greek island vacation package tours.


Episode 6: Taking six months off work to go on a Jiu Jitsu trip across the USA with two kids

Adam, Dee, Lilly and Kobe are not your usual Jiu Jitsu backpackers. They’re a family of four from Australia and they’ve been traveling 6 months across the United States to train Jiu Jitsu in as many gyms as possible. I caught them for an interview towards the end of their trip. Also in this episode: Revealing the new BJJ Globetrotters video library project and answering dramatic questions from our Facebook group.

Episode 5: Growing up in the favela and starting a new life in Europe + how to be an entrepreneur

In this episode, I interview Bruno Matias. He is one of the veteran coaches of the camps, the official victory dance coach of BJJ Globetrotters and also the one guy I was deadly afraid to meet in competition when I one day got my black belt. I also answer questions from the listeners, in this episode on being an entrepreneur.

Episode 4: The BJJ Globetrotter of the year, Robert Barker

In this episode I talk with Robert Barker who has visited 100 academies around the world this year and won the “BJJ Globetrotter of the year” award.

Episode 3: Caribbean Island Camp

First attempt at a podcast episode from one of our camps. I brought my little microphone around me during the Caribbean Island Camp and tried to capture the atmosphere, behind the scenes stuff and a few chats with people. Feedback and suggestions are welcome on [email protected].

Episode 2: Alexander Trans on fear and competition

* 34m31s: “There’s not a single thing about COMPETITION…”, I should have said, of course. I’m tired :D