Danni Thomas-Watson - Brown Belt and Karen McGurran - Purple Belt join me from Nossa BJJ after meeting me at the Her Fight Network Heretics I invitational event in London last year. Danni has a fun approach to training, and applies more commitment and intensity to competing, however doesn't like it as much as Karen, who really enjoys the whole experience. They set up Nossa BJJ as an open space that is welcoming and supportive.

Danni and Karen also host Women's Open Mats and events in Northern Ireland. and have built a growing community of women. They both travel, attend BJJ camps and train all over Europe. They have both recently been promoted and worked really hard on their own jiu jitsu as well as the growth of their Jiu jitsu school.

Topics:

• Female Competition
• Networking
• Knee Bars
• Team
• Invitationals
• Competition
• Nossa BJJ
• Kids BJJ
• Friendships
• BJJ Camps

Sponsor of this episode is:

Nossa BJJ: https://www.instagram.com/nossabjj/

Danni on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannitw89/

Karen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vineyard_karen_/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paddy Webber is one of the four Black Belts running Rising Tide Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Weston-Super-Mare having started his martial arts journey during his childhood with Traditional Jiu Jitsu, thinking that it was 'the real deal' back in the day. Paddy shares his story of being inspired by a 'cool guy', namely Ian Rossiter, now one of his fellow Black Belts at Rising Tide.

Balancing family life, running a Jiu Jitsu business as well as having a full-time job as a Grounds Keeper is now Paddy's priority. However, in the past he prioritised himself as a Jiu Jitsu Athlete, and appreciates that time now he has progressed through his career. We relate Paddy's previous trade/art of Joinery to Jiu Jitsu, and he talks of his new profession that allows him time to balance all of life. Eating well is the first step Paddy takes to accomplish his goal of achieving a Gold Medal at every belt. Rising Tide BJJ beautifully balances the drive for competitors to succeed, as well as the whole family to train together. Go check them out!

Topics:

• Rising Tide BJJ
• JJL Podcast Open Mat/Celebrations
• Traditional Jiu Jitsu
• Athlete training
• Family life
• Competition
• Apprenticeship
• Coaching
• Gold Medal goals
• White Belt Comps

Sponsor of this episode is:

Rising Tide Brazilian Jiu jitsu: https://www.instagram.com/rising.tide.bjj/

Paddy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paddywebberbjj/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corey Pickard, better known as 'BigRed' has recently returned from training with 10th Planet, and getting engaged to his beautiful fiancé Lucie in Las Vegas. He shares his story and how he managed being romantic, and training BJJ on the same holiday!

Corey has appeared on a few Invitationals, and has now been bumped up to Main Card, with the other Corey in the Battle of The Corey's in the upcoming Grapple Worlds. Back in his Blue Belt days he began to fall out of love with Jiu Jitsu until he stated training at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Thailand, and returned to the UK to discover a new energy for the sport.

We talk about learning styles and finding the best way that works for each of us, especially in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where it might involve trying a number of different clubs to find the right one for you. Congratulations on the recent engagement Corey, and all the best wishes for Grapple Worlds.

Topics:

• 10th Planet
• Engagement
• 'BigRed' nickname
• Grapple Worlds
• Weight cutting
• Performance
• Deathcore
• Learning Styles
• Leg Locks

Sponsor of this episode is:

Grapple Worlds: https://www.instagram.com/grapple_worlds/

Grapple Worlds LIVE STREAM: https://www.glistrr.com/events/e/grapple-worlds-1-3537-7

Corey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigred.bjj/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Johnson is a Brown Belt based out of Tennessee, and started out in martial arts with his brother after watching the UFC legend Royce Gracie. Due to lack of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools back then, they started MMA, which later lead onto BJJ. Kevin shares his experience of working in Law Enforcement and having a Jiu Jitsu mindset. Growing up as one of six siblings, Kevin shares his experience, and now as a family man, juggling life, teaching and training Jiu Jitsu.

Facing adversity is part of many of our lives. We talk about the mental health benefits of training Jiu Jitsu and move onto the funny side of the sport, with online content creation. Encouraging those individuals that have temporarily paused Jiu Jitsu, back on to the mats is the goal of any gym owners, Kevin shares how he helps those White and Blue Belts back to his gym.

Topics:

• UFC
• MMA
• BJJ Mindset
• Law Enforcement
• Family
• Mental Health
• Jiu Jitsu Memes
• Memorable BJJ moments
• Kids Classes

Sponsor of this episode is:

Ivy Jiu Jitsu: https://www.instagram.com/ivyjiujitsu/

Kevin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevins_jiujitsu/

Jiu Jitsu Memes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiujitsu_things/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corey is 100% a fan of meeting new people in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, even more so now he has embarked on his BJJ Referee journey. Corey recalls the early days of his Purple Belt promotion, his match losses and not quite feel worthy at that point. He has grown a great deal in Jiu Jitsu, and learnt things like patience and discipline to apply back to the rest of his life.

Corey shares his first experience as a supervised referee after scoring highly on the Level 3 UKBJJA Referee Course, and has found that it has given him more appreciation and respect for the art of refereeing.

There are many upcoming competitions for Corey, some prize pots, some others, and shares that he feels privileged to be appearing on the Main Card at Grapple Worlds on Saturday 5th July 2025. The support Corey gets from family, friends and everyone around him is deeply appreciated, and he hopes to be able to offer seminars, in the not too distant future.

Topics:

• Purple Belt
• Match losses
• Mindset
• Young Athletes
• Masters
• Los Banditos
• Referee Course
• British Open
• Grapple Worlds
• Seminars

Sponsor of this episode is:

Grapple Worlds: https://www.instagram.com/grapple_worlds/

Corey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreykent57/

UKBJJA Referee Training: https://www.ukbjja.org/referee-training/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerry is a Purple Belt, a BJJ Coach, a Mum and works full-time. She shares how she is inspired by her daughter, and also shares the horrific experience of being a held hostage at gun point in one of her first jobs in Banking.

Feelings of despair and anxiety can take hold of any of us. Kerry shares overcoming feelings of this type, and doing the hard stuff in life, like training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Building up her resilience helped Kerry have the awareness of behaviours when meeting her biological Mother for the first time, and it was the feelings of anger and frustration in life that set Kerry onto her Jiu Jitsu journey, following the inspiration of her daughter. An emotional listen, and one of inspiration for anybody.

Topics:

• Inspired
• Hostage situation
• Anxiety
• Bad Habits
• Expectations
• Fears
• BJJ is for any body
• Open Mindedness
• Coaching Kids Classes
• Team Spirit

Sponsor of this episode is:

KAIROS PRO Jiu Jitsu Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/kairos_pro_jiujitsu/

Kerry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerry.a.poulter/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Walker is Purple Belt, has been an avid martial arts fan for years, and started with a Yoga based Kung Fu and MMA, before progressing through Traditional and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Neil shares his story of having not just one, but two heart attacks at a young age.

Describing himself as an Enthusiastic Hobbyist is the tone Neil now sets for himself. Being mindful of keeping his heartrate in check and keeping training on the mats for as long as possible. We talk about the importance of Strength and Conditioning as we progress in life, and in Jiu Jitsu. As older grapplers, sometimes our mindset can hold us back in competing, and taking inspiration from our fellow martial artists may well be beneficial.

Neil is also the Founder and creator of Submission Searcher, the largest online database of martial arts submissions. So if you want to find your way around your own game, and increase your knowledge of techniques, go and check it out online.

Topics:

• Love of Jiu Jitsu
• Heart Attacks
• Boundary setting
• Cross Training
• Family training
• Competing
• Submission Searcher

Sponsor of this episode is:

Submission Searcher: https://submissionsearcher.com/

Neil on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neil_a_walker/

Submission Searcher on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/submissionsearcher/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Jen Case, or Dr Jen Jitsu has an incredible repertoire of academic and sports accolades. Dr Jen set out to solve her own problems in weight cutting and nutrition whilst being an MMA Fighter. She now works with all athletes as a qualified professional. She made a significant change in her attitude, and life experience when a coach noticed her potential and offered her the opportunity to be not just good, but great!

Listen and learn about the complexities of glass blowing, and the parallel relationship to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Dr Jen shares her BJJ story, the challenge of having to fight men in her White and Blue Belt days due to lack of female competitors to being Ranked Number 1 in Worlds.

Thinking about getting rid of uncertainty in training, and for competition is Dr Jen's strategy for success, and focuses on her A-Game. Her advice is that even if you get a bad start, work to get to the start of your A-Game and work to the finish, and ultimately win. There is a lot to learn from this episode, watch before you head to class, or listen on the way to your next open mat or competition!

Topics:

• MMA Fighter
• Sports Nutrition
• Learning disability
• Inspiration
• Glass blowing
• Competing against men
• Recovery from ACL
• A-Game strategy
• Weight cutting
• Competition prep
• Boundaries and safety
• Strength training

Sponsor of this episode is:

INSIO Mental Performance: https://insio.biz/bjj

Dr Jen Jitsu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenjitsu/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JiuJitsuLou

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiu.jitsu.lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuloupodcast

JIU JITSU LOU Merch Collab with BRUIZEHAUS: https://bruizehaus.co.uk/search?q=jiu+jitsu+lou USE DISCOUNT CODE: JJL30

PRODUCTION CREDIT: Kerr Mathieson of Audio Outsource

MUSIC CREDIT:

ARTIST: Maleki Ram | TRACK: Just A Little Boy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.