Articles
Features, reporting, and analysis on the culture, community, and business of the grappling arts.
12 articles in culture
CultureWhat beginners actually need from a jiu-jitsu coach
Reflections from my conversation with Prof. Marcelo Bonança of Gracie Barra Sainte-Anne
CultureJiu-jitsu exposes how badly most of us manage stress.
Reflections from my conversation with Dr. Diana Wang & Dr. Kris Martin of Open Mat Physio
CultureA jiu-jitsu gym is built on contradictions
Reflections from my conversation with Professor Marvin Castelle and Coach Kay from 10th Planet Torrance, CA
CultureWhat jiu-jitsu schools actually sell
Technique draws attention to a school. Experience is what makes people build a relationship to it. Professor Bruno Fernandes of Gracie Barra Montreal on fifteen years of building something worth returning to.
CultureWhy Jiu-Jitsu Had to Change to Grow
The art grew because it proved itself in public. But it stayed and spread because it changed. It became easier to teach, easier to organize, and easier for more kinds of people to practice.
CultureSafety in Training Environments: Common Pitfalls and Solutions
Jiu-jitsu requires trust, proximity, and hierarchy. If you run a gym, coach classes, or manage staff, here is what you can do to reduce gray areas and increase safety.
CultureWhat Good Jiu-Jitsu Teaching Looks Like in Practice
Not in slogans. Not in abstractions. In specifics. Breathe. Create space. Repeat the movement until it is available under pressure.
CultureBeyond The Technique
What many academies are actually selling, whether they understand it or not, is a repeatable environment for confidence, structure, discipline, belonging, and change.
CultureIn Jiu-Jitsu, Feel Is the Real Product
Technique is not the ultimate product. Feel is. Understanding that difference may change how you think about coaching, class structure, and gym culture.
CultureCurriculum Shapes the Culture: What Professor Laercio Fernandes' Gym Operations Reveal About Retention
Most gyms do not lose students because their technique is slightly worse than the academy down the street. They lose students because the room feels unsafe, unpredictable, or built for someone else.
CultureJiu-Jitsu Is More Than a Single Sport
Jiu-jitsu is a competitive system, a therapy space, a social club, a small business, a masters sport, and a youth development pipeline. Sometimes all in the same building.
CultureWhy People Stay in Jiu-Jitsu
Retention in jiu-jitsu has far less to do with becoming a killer than we like to admit. People stay because the room makes sense in their lives.