Tapped In: A JiuJitsu Podcast

By David Figueroa-Martinez

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Episodes: 165

Description

I am a dedicated practitioner and coach on a mission to help you navigate the complex, rewarding world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Whether you are a White Belt trying to survive your first stripe or a seasoned grappler looking for a competitive edge, I created this show to be your technical and mental mat-side companion. In every episode of Tapped In, I break down the nuances of submission grappling. I dive deep into the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, discussing how to overcome mat burnout, manage BJJ injuries, and develop the "black belt mindset" both on and off the mats. Why Listen to Me? Beyond my fifteen years on the mats, I’ve had the honor of sharing my philosophy as a recurring guest on BJJ Mental Models and Fighting Matters. I believe in a structured tactical approach and I bring that same level of high-level conceptual analysis to every episode of this show. The Training Schedule: I know your time is valuable. That’s why I release three new episodes every week, each designed to fit perfectly into your daily routine. With a runtime of 14–24 minutes, these episodes are built to give you tactical clarity in the time it takes to drive to the academy or finish a warm-up. If you live for the grind, the flow, and the constant pursuit of the tap, this podcast is for you. Subscribe and let's level up your game, one episode at a time.

Episode Date
E169 | Developing Your Own Map: Why You Can’t Use Someone Else’s Jiu-Jitsu to Find Yours
May 28, 2026
E168 | BJJ Over 40: The Smart Way to Train, Prevent Injuries, and Outsmart the Scrambles
May 26, 2026
E167 | The Art of the Psychological Rolling: Why Your Jiu-Jitsu Coach Messes With You (And Why You Need It)
May 24, 2026
E166 | The Science of Specialization: Ronda Rousey, Systems, and BJJ/Judo Mastery
May 22, 2026
E165 | Finding Your Creative Voice: Why Jiu-Jitsu is More Art Than Science
May 21, 2026
E164 | The Wisdom vs. Weaver Paradox: How Jiu-Jitsu Changes as You Age
May 19, 2026
E163 | The Art of Mentorship In Bjj
May 17, 2026
E162 | Why Hobbyists (Not Pros) Are the Real Leaders of Jiu-Jitsu
May 14, 2026
E161 | The Bronze Medal Mentality: Finding Joy and Growth in the BJJ Grind
May 12, 2026
E160 | Embracing the Invisible Season: How to Navigate the Jiu-Jitsu Plateau
May 10, 2026
E159 | Bonus | Cultivating the "Lizard Brain": Building True Intuition on the Mats
May 08, 2026
E158 | Why You Should Stop Chasing the Jiu-Jitsu "Meta"
May 07, 2026
E157 | The Weight of the Belt: Why Your BJJ Lineage Isn't Your Identity
May 05, 2026
E156 | Finding the BJJ Sweet Spot: Balancing Aggression and Passivity
May 03, 2026
E155 | The Blueprint for Training Days: Balancing Recovery and Performance for Bjj
Apr 30, 2026
E154 | Why Multiple Jiu-Jitsu Coaches Accelerate Your Progress
Apr 28, 2026
E153 | Why Safety Must Always Outrank Politeness in Bjj
Apr 26, 2026
E152 | Bonus | Being in Love with Imperfection: The Secret to Long-Term Jiu-Jitsu Growth
Apr 24, 2026
E151 | Skill Stacking vs. Skill Chasing: Building a Cohesive Jiu-Jitsu Game
Apr 23, 2026
E150 | The Restaurant Strategy: Streamlining Your Jiu-Jitsu Inventory
Apr 21, 2026
E149 | The Pivots That Change Everything
Apr 19, 2026
E148 | From Collecting Moves to Learning Jiu-Jitsu: Mastering the Map of Grappling
Apr 16, 2026
E147 | The Black Belt Illusion: What Really Changes When You Reach the Top?
Apr 14, 2026
E146 | BJJ Guest Etiquette: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting New Gyms
Apr 12, 2026
E145 | Bonus | How to Research a Jiu-Jitsu Gym: Red Flags & Expert Vetting Tips
Apr 10, 2026
E144 | Jiu-Jitsu: The Adult Playground for Rediscovering Play and Curiosity
Apr 09, 2026
E143 | Maximizing Your Mat Time for Bjj
Apr 07, 2026
E142 | Demystifying Democratic Jiu-Jitsu Coaching
Apr 05, 2026
E141 | BJJ Safety and the Role of Rank: Managing Risk on the Mats
Apr 02, 2026
E140 | Mastering the Inner Coach: Transforming Your Jiu-Jitsu Mindset
Mar 31, 2026
E139 | The Jiu-Jitsu Arc: What I Wish I Knew as a White Belt
Mar 29, 2026
E138 | Jiu-Jitsu and the Economic Squeeze: Finding Ways to Stay on the Mat
Mar 26, 2026
E137 | BJJ Training Is Never a Waste: How to Level Up Against Lower Belts
Mar 24, 2026
E136 | The Laws of Top Control For Bjj
Mar 22, 2026
E135 | Bonus | The Black Belt Blues: Redefining Success Beyond the Rank
Mar 20, 2026
E134 | Bonus | Everything You Want is Downstream: Stop Forcing, Start Flowing in BJJ
Mar 19, 2026
E133 | Jiu-Jitsu Burnout: Identifying the Quiet Signs and How to Recover
Mar 17, 2026
E132 | Positional Playbook | Managing Tension for Better Cardio in Bjj
Mar 15, 2026
E131 | Bonus | Building Your Bjj Network Before You Need It
Mar 12, 2026
E130 | How to "Let People Work" in Jiu-Jitsu
Mar 10, 2026
E129 | Positional Playbook: The Turtle
Mar 08, 2026
E128 | Bonus | Doors That Open With Reputation
Mar 05, 2026
E127 | You Don’t Need a Super Gym. You Need a Solid Bjj Guide
Mar 03, 2026
E126 | Positional Playbook: North South
Mar 01, 2026
E125 | Bonus | The Life of a Bjj Instructor
Feb 27, 2026
E124 | Bonus Ep | The Hidden Upside of Being the Uke In Bjj Class
Feb 26, 2026
E123 | Jiu-Jitsu's Dirtiest Moves
Feb 24, 2026
E122 | Positional Playbook | The Kimura
Feb 22, 2026
E121 | Bonus | Who’s Left Standing: The Real Test in Jiu-Jitsu
Feb 19, 2026
E120 | What 45 Years Taught Me About Jiu-Jitsu and Life
Feb 17, 2026
E119 | Positional Playbook: CLA - Constraint Lead Approach
Feb 15, 2026
E118 | The Modern Mat Enforcer
Feb 12, 2026
E117 | Four Tools I'm Using in 2026
Feb 10, 2026
E116 | Positional Playbook: Octopus Guard
Feb 08, 2026
E115 | Bonus | The Biggest Leadership Blind Spots in Jiu Jitsu
Feb 06, 2026
E114 | Bonus | JiuJitsu Is A Decision Making Game
Feb 05, 2026
E113 | When You Discover an Abuse of Power at Your Gym
Feb 03, 2026
E112 | Positional Playbook: Chasing The Apex
Feb 01, 2026
E111 | Why Leaders in Jiu Jitsu Cannot Stay Silent About Politics Anymore
Jan 29, 2026
E110 | When Losing Pays Off
Jan 27, 2026
E109 | Positional Playbook: The Underhook
Jan 25, 2026
E108 | Bonus | The Pause as a Weapon
Jan 22, 2026
E107 | Knowing Your Capacity for Learning
Jan 20, 2026
E106 | Positional Playbook: Reverse De La Riva
Jan 18, 2026
E107 | Short | No Reset Required | When It Stops Being Fun
Jan 17, 2026
E106 | Short | No Reset Required: Comparison Will Wreck Your Year
Jan 16, 2026
E105 | The Guard - Offensive or Defensive
Jan 15, 2026
E104 | Short | No Reset Required: Consistency Is Boring
Jan 14, 2026
E103 | There Has Never Been a Better Time to Do JiuJitsu Than Now
Jan 13, 2026
E102 | Short | No Reset Required | No New You
Jan 12, 2026
E101 | Positional Playbook: Chest Over Chest Passing
Jan 11, 2026
E100 | Bonus | The Real Magic Happens After Class
Jan 08, 2026
E99 | When You’re Injured and Can’t Train
Jan 06, 2026
E98 | Position Playbook | Pit Stop
Jan 04, 2026
E97 | Bonus Ep | Controlling Your Controllable
Jan 01, 2026
E96 | Are Private Lessons Worth It?
Dec 30, 2025
E95 Positional Playbook: Escaping in Transition
Dec 28, 2025
E94 | The Power of Peer Mentoring in Jiu-Jitsu
Dec 25, 2025
E93 | What Toughness Is and Isn’t in Jiu-Jitsu
Dec 23, 2025
E92 | Positional Playbook: Cooking People
Dec 21, 2025
E91 | Bonus Ep | Chasing Belts
Dec 19, 2025
E90 | Bonus Ep | The Real Win As a Coach
Dec 18, 2025
E89 | Jiu-Jitsu Rules I Often Break
Dec 16, 2025
E88 | Positional Playbook: Ankle Pick
Dec 14, 2025
E87 | Bonus Ep | The Benefits of Side Quests
Dec 11, 2025
E86 | Revisiting Your Game with a More Experienced Self
Dec 09, 2025
E85 | Positional Playbook: Adapting to Each Partner
Dec 07, 2025
E84 | Bonus Ep | Why Blue Belts Quit & How Not To
Dec 04, 2025
E83 | The Scalpel and the Shield
Dec 02, 2025
E82 | Positional Playbook: The Bridge
Nov 30, 2025
E81 | Bonus Ep | Action Over Doubt
Nov 27, 2025
E80 | Don't Quit On Your Worst Day
Nov 25, 2025
E79 | Positional Playbook: Collar Sleeve Guard
Nov 23, 2025
E78 | Bonus Ep | Your Best Doesn’t Always Look the Same
Nov 20, 2025
E77 | Do You Really Need to Train Both Sides?
Nov 18, 2025
E76 | Position Playbook: The Guard
Nov 16, 2025
E75 | Bonus Ep | My Competition Prep Update
Nov 13, 2025
E74 | Identity and Language in Jiu-Jitsu
Nov 11, 2025
E73 | Positional Playbook: Kuzushi
Nov 09, 2025
E72 | Bonus Ep | Returning to Competition After Years Away
Nov 06, 2025
E71 | How to Study Jiu-Jitsu Instructionals Like a Pro
Nov 04, 2025
E70 | Positional Playbook: Closed Guard
Nov 02, 2025
E69 | Inside the Coach’s Mind on Competition Day
Oct 30, 2025
E68 | Stick to the Plan, Not Your Mood
Oct 28, 2025
E67 | Positional Playbook: Butterfly Guard
Oct 26, 2025
E66 | The Aging Grappler: Training Smarter, Not Harder
Oct 23, 2025
E65 | What It Really Takes to Earn That First Stripe
Oct 21, 2025
E64 | Positional Playbook | Back Control
Oct 19, 2025
E63 | Bonus Ep | The Practitioner’s Journal Review
Oct 16, 2025
E62 | Winning the Inner Round
Oct 14, 2025
E61 | Then vs Now: How Jiu-Jitsu Has Changed Since I Started
Oct 12, 2025
E60 | Bonus Ep | Weaponized Loyalty
Oct 09, 2025
E59 | How I Use Open Mats To Get Better
Oct 07, 2025
E58 | Five Concepts Every White Belt Should Know
Oct 05, 2025
E57 | Bonus Ep | The Hidden Victory of Competition Prep
Oct 03, 2025
E56 | Gentlemen's Agreements That Hold You Back
Sep 30, 2025
E55 | Why Your Best Coach Might Be a Purple Belt
Sep 28, 2025
E54 | Bonus Ep | Don’t Fight Fire with Fire
Sep 26, 2025
E53 | The Designated Winner Concept
Sep 23, 2025
E52 | The Dark Arts: The Hidden Value of the Wrist Lock
Sep 21, 2025
E51 | Bonus Ep | If I Had To Restart Jiu-Jitsu
Sep 19, 2025
E50 | Fifty In: Why I Started, What I’ve Learned, & More
Sep 16, 2025
E49 | Your Inner Bjj Coach
Sep 14, 2025
E48 | Rolling with the New/Trial Students
Sep 09, 2025
E47 | What You Need To Start, It's Less Than You Think
Sep 07, 2025
E46 | Bonus Episode | Beyond the Pit Of CJI 2025: What I Liked & Disliked
Sep 05, 2025
E45 | No More Free Grips
Sep 02, 2025
E44 | You’re Not Failing, You’re Just Too Close
Aug 31, 2025
E43 | Bonus Ep | Story Time: 3 Moments That Stuck With Me
Aug 29, 2025
E42 | Stop Collecting, Start Applying
Aug 26, 2025
E41 | Sneaky Things Older Grapplers Do
Aug 24, 2025
E40 | Fix The Leverage Points, Not Everything
Aug 19, 2025
E39 | My Biggest Mistakes
Aug 17, 2025
E38 | When A Lower Belt Taps You
Aug 12, 2025
E37 | White Belt? Try This!
Aug 10, 2025
E36 | Bonus Ep - My Worst Injuries
Aug 08, 2025
E35 | The Power of Coachability
Aug 05, 2025
E34 | Your Jiu-Jitsu DNA
Aug 03, 2025
E33 | The Self Coached Grappler
Jul 29, 2025
E32 | The Secret Sauce Behind Every Good Sweep
Jul 27, 2025
E31 | Bonus Ep - The Weight I Finally Learned To Carry
Jul 25, 2025
E30 | The Three Guards I Love To Play
Jul 22, 2025
E29 | Loyalty Without Manipulation
Jul 20, 2025
E28 | Bonus Ep - So You Want to Blog/Podcast
Jul 18, 2025
E27 | Audio Companion: The New White Belt
Jul 15, 2025
E26 | On Teaching Kids
Jul 13, 2025
E25 | Bonus Ep - Trends Vs Effectiveness
Jul 12, 2025
E24 | Audio Companion: Let's F**k Up Someone's Jiu-Jitsu
Jul 08, 2025
E23 | Gym to Gym Community
Jul 06, 2025
E22 | Bonus Ep - UFC Bjj 1 Review
Jul 04, 2025
E21 | Red Flags In Jiu-Jitsu
Jul 01, 2025
E20 | Audio Companion: Don't Be The Reason Someone Quits
Jun 29, 2025
E19 | Audio Companion: Live, Die, Repeat
Jun 24, 2025
E18 | What Kind Of Training Partner Are You?
Jun 22, 2025
E17 | Audio Companion: The Best Belt - Purple
Jun 17, 2025
E16 | When The UFC Meets Bjj
Jun 15, 2025
E15 | The Plateau is a Lie
Jun 10, 2025
E14 | Audio Companion: Chest Over Chest
Jun 08, 2025
E13 | Audio Companion: The Pregnant Pause
Jun 03, 2025
E12 | Tag Team Jiu-Jitsu
Jun 01, 2025
E11 | Audio Companion: Taps, Traps, and Drop Outs
May 27, 2025
E10 | The Danny Episode
May 25, 2025
E9 | Audio Companion: Things They Don't Tell You
May 20, 2025
E8 | Positional Breakdown: The Mount
May 18, 2025
E7 | Audio Companion: First Fight Jitters
May 13, 2025