Small Man Jiu Jitsu
By Robin Fujimura
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Episodes: 122
Description
Small Man Podcast
The Small Man Podcast is where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu meets real life.
Hosted in Hawaii, each episode features honest conversations with the people who make the Jiu-Jitsu community special—from world champions and seasoned black belts to dedicated parents, first-time white belts, coaches, business owners, and everyday practitioners. These aren't just stories about winning tournaments—they're stories about overcoming adversity, building confidence, strengthening families, and discovering purpose on and off the mats.
You'll hear inspiring journeys of resilience, sacrifice, perseverance, and personal growth, along with practical insights on training, longevity, mindset, leadership, and the life lessons that Jiu-Jitsu teaches.
Whether you're a lifelong grappler, just thinking about stepping onto the mats, or simply enjoy hearing powerful stories from extraordinary people, the Small Man Podcast delivers conversations that motivate, educate, and inspire.
New episodes feature:
- Inspiring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journeys
- Training, mindset, and longevity tips
- Family, faith, and community stories
- Interviews with athletes, coaches, and local leaders
- Lessons that apply far beyond the mats
No matter your size, background, or experience, everyone has a story worth telling.
Train hard. Stay humble. Keep showing up. Welcome to the Small Man Podcast.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Vicky Kim | Never Too Small, Never Too Late for Jiu-Jitsu
|
Nov 03, 2026 |
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From Big Island Living Rooms to Checkmat Black Belt
|
Nov 03, 2026 |
|
More Than Medals: Raising a Good Human Through Jiu-Jitsu
|
Nov 02, 2026 |
|
A Slow-Burning Fire: Alexis Ridela’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Nov 02, 2026 |
|
Mark Heinzer: How His Son Started a Family Jiu-Jitsu Legacy
|
Nov 02, 2026 |
|
I'm Just the Vessel
|
Nov 01, 2026 |
|
From Cleaning Mats to Building Kaizen | Mikey Tengan
|
Oct 30, 2026 |
|
The Best Person to Compare Yourself To Is You
|
Oct 30, 2026 |
|
Jiu-Jitsu, Competition, and Building TribeX with Marino Ginebra
|
Oct 29, 2026 |
|
Everybody Has a Story You Don’t Know
|
Oct 27, 2026 |
|
The Fire Took His Academy, Not His Mission
|
Oct 27, 2026 |
|
Jiu-Jitsu, Family, and the Next Generation | Maka Bredee
|
Oct 26, 2026 |
|
Shama Ko | Jiu-Jitsu, Cancer & Finding Strength in Others
|
Oct 26, 2026 |
|
Hard to Kill: Hieu Duong’s Journey from Hawaii to Jiu-Jitsu
|
Oct 26, 2026 |
|
A Second Home on the Mats: Bruno Pucci’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Oct 24, 2026 |
|
A Second Chance to Breathe: Cliff Lim’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Oct 23, 2026 |
|
Cancer Almost Took Jiu Jitsu From Me | Anthonio "Tony" Bale Jr
|
Oct 09, 2026 |
|
Steve Maxwell: The Untold Story of UFC 1 and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
|
Oct 09, 2026 |
|
Faith, AOJ and the Birth of Roma Jiu Jitsu | Kawika Yoneda
|
Oct 09, 2026 |
|
“I Finally Did Something Right” | DeRoy Lupica
|
Oct 05, 2026 |
|
Jed Uson: Don’t Talk Yourself Out of It | Hawaii Jiu-Jitsu
|
Oct 05, 2026 |
|
The MMA Dream Came With a Price | Nathan Feitosa
|
Oct 05, 2026 |
|
From White Belt to Black Belt With the Same Coach | Ricky Ridela
|
Oct 05, 2026 |
|
The Mat Sheriff Behind X79 Clean
|
Oct 02, 2026 |
|
Jon Ishikawa: Starting Jiu-Jitsu at 41 and Competing at 50
|
Sep 30, 2026 |
|
Jonathan Marrero: From Marine to Freakuency Honolulu Founder
|
Sep 28, 2026 |
|
Casey Kobata: Patience, Longevity and a 20-Year Jiu-Jitsu Goal
|
Sep 25, 2026 |
|
Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa: 33 Years of Competition, Coaching and Jiu-Jitsu
|
Sep 24, 2026 |
|
Always a Student: Mat Lewis on Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Starting Over
|
Sep 23, 2026 |
|
Ian Delizo: From Grappling on Grass to an AOJ Black Belt
|
Sep 22, 2026 |
|
Growing Up on the Mats with Kalani Lizama | Kaeo Lizama
|
Sep 21, 2026 |
|
Karl Rocco: Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling and Becoming His Daughter’s Coach
|
Sep 21, 2026 |
|
Miguel Pagan: Why a Taekwondo Master Started Jiu-Jitsu at 52
|
Sep 18, 2026 |
|
What 100+ Jiu-Jitsu Stories Taught Me | Rob’s Podcast Reflection
|
Sep 18, 2026 |
|
Grant Miyashiro: Jiu-Jitsu, Family and Preserving Okinawan Culture
|
Sep 18, 2026 |
|
Tourette’s, Jiu-Jitsu and Starting Over in Hawaii | Bruno Rodrigues
|
Sep 16, 2026 |
|
Jesus, Jiu-Jitsu and the Battles Men Face | Pastor Wade Inn
|
Sep 15, 2026 |
|
His Coach Gave Him His Own Black Belt | Jason Calabrese
|
Sep 14, 2026 |
|
Jiu-Jitsu, Everest and an Accidental Ultramarathon | Robert Yray
|
Sep 14, 2026 |
|
Clesson Hiranaka | A Promise, Starting Over, and Uppermost Jiu Jitsu
|
Sep 14, 2026 |
|
Laka Preis: Family, Faith, and Finding Connection Through Jiu-Jitsu
|
Sep 12, 2026 |
|
Aaron Kia: Football, Fatherhood and Finding a New Purpose Through Jiu-Jitsu
|
Sep 11, 2026 |
|
Francis Dimayuga: Jiu-Jitsu, Fatherhood and Starting Again
|
Sep 09, 2026 |
|
Leandro Nyza: 40 Years of Jiu-Jitsu, Hawaii and His Return to Competition
|
Sep 09, 2026 |
|
Two Arts, One Path: Alan Alegre’s Judo and Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Sep 07, 2026 |
|
Stop Comparing Your Jiu-Jitsu to Everyone Else
|
Sep 02, 2026 |
|
Returning to Jiu-Jitsu at 58 | John Agapay
|
Sep 02, 2026 |
|
He Put His Son in Jiu-Jitsu, Then the Whole Family Joined
|
Sep 02, 2026 |
|
His Mom Put Him in Martial Arts. Now He’s Finishing What She Started | Sebastian Lopez
|
Sep 01, 2026 |
|
You Can’t Control the Win | Todd Tokuyoshi
|
Aug 31, 2026 |
|
When Your Child’s Jiu-Jitsu Becomes About You
|
Aug 31, 2026 |
|
He Broke His Neck—Then Earned His Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
|
Aug 28, 2026 |
|
The Mats Are My Medicine” | Lin Wright Murao’s Fight Through Cancer
|
Aug 28, 2026 |
|
Bullied for Years—Then Martial Arts Changed His Life
|
Aug 28, 2026 |
|
He Lost Boxing but Found Jiu-Jitsu at 62 | Rod Shimabukuro
|
Aug 27, 2026 |
|
He Lost Over 100 Pounds—Then Jiu-Jitsu Changed His Life
|
Aug 27, 2026 |
|
She Won Worlds—Then Questioned Everything
|
Aug 26, 2026 |
|
The Mats Were Always Waiting | Brandon Perez’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Aug 26, 2026 |
|
Jiu-Jitsu, Fatherhood, and Learning What Really Matters | Kaleo Naiga
|
Aug 25, 2026 |
|
The Future of Hawaii Jiu-Jitsu? Meet Kansept’s Young Boys
|
Aug 25, 2026 |
|
His Son Brought Him to Jiu-Jitsu | Martin Kasalausky & Martin Jr.
|
Aug 24, 2026 |
|
His Wife Signed Him Up for Jiu-Jitsu at 53—and It Changed Their Family
|
Aug 24, 2026 |
|
It’s Always Me vs. Me | Shayna Kawamura’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Aug 24, 2026 |
|
Don’t Lose Yourself: Gina Bedan’s Journey Through Motherhood and Jiu-Jitsu
|
Aug 24, 2026 |
|
Wrestling Taught Her to Push—Jiu-Jitsu Taught Her to Flow | Haylee Fujioka
|
Aug 21, 2026 |
|
He Ran a Jiu-Jitsu School as a Purple Belt | Kalani Lizama
|
Aug 21, 2026 |
|
She Joined Jiu-Jitsu for Her Son—Then Found Her Own Dream | Amanda Mattos
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
|
No Athletic Background—Now He’s a Purple Belt | Phil Sniffen
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
|
He Had to Become a Savage | Christian Vela’s Road Back to Black Belt
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
|
From Hawaiʻi to UFC BJJ: Jonah Kapihe Is Chasing the Dream
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
|
Born on the Mats: Reef Ewald’s Family Jiu-Jitsu Legacy
|
Aug 17, 2026 |
|
He Learned to Fight. Now He’s Learning to Let Go. | Jayzen Yap
|
Aug 17, 2026 |
|
He Walked Away From Jiu-Jitsu—Then Found His Purpose Teaching Kids
|
Aug 14, 2026 |
|
What Losing Taught Dan Nagata About Being a Father
|
Aug 14, 2026 |
|
He Survived Addiction and Prison—Then Jiu-Jitsu Saved His Life | Mo Fernandez
|
Aug 14, 2026 |
|
Leah Villarin: Surviving a Heart Attack and Fighting Her Way Back
|
Aug 14, 2026 |
|
From 4 Kids to 40: How BFK Built the Nightmare Jiu Jitsu Ohana
|
Aug 12, 2026 |
|
My Kids Started Jiu-Jitsu Before Me. Then Everything Changed.
|
Aug 12, 2026 |
|
He Was Ready to Quit Jiu-Jitsu… Then Everything Changed | Vincent Tabaquin
|
Aug 12, 2026 |
|
Run Toward Your Giants | Brandon Gross
|
Aug 11, 2026 |
|
He Left Hawaii at 17 — But Never Left His Roots | Kalo Lopez
|
Aug 11, 2026 |
|
At 60, Jiu-Jitsu Became About Something Bigger
|
Aug 10, 2026 |
|
Jiu-Jitsu Found Me When I Needed It Most | Chris Agonoy
|
Aug 10, 2026 |
|
She Refused to Lose Herself | Sarah Medoff’s Jiu-Jitsu Story
|
Aug 08, 2026 |
|
She Kept Her Promise | Sara Mantz's Jiu-Jitsu Journey
|
Aug 08, 2026 |
|
The Next Generation of Hawaii Jiu-Jitsu | Chase Mizoguchi
|
Aug 08, 2026 |
|
The Mindset Every Jiu-Jitsu Competitor Needs | Ted Kaneda
|
Aug 08, 2026 |
|
When it's time to go
|
Aug 07, 2026 |
|
He Could Throw Everyone… But Chose Not To
|
Aug 06, 2026 |
|
They Left Japan to Chase Greatness... Then Came Home
|
Aug 04, 2026 |
|
How Jiu-Jitsu Helped Her Heal After Trauma | Brooklyn Olegario
|
Aug 04, 2026 |
|
Enjoy Jiu-Jitsu. Everything Else Will Follow.
|
Aug 04, 2026 |
|
The Version of Me Before Jiu-Jitsu Is Unrecognizable
|
Aug 03, 2026 |
|
Why Justin Never Stopped Coming Back to Jiu-Jitsu | Army Veteran & BJJ Black Belt
|
Aug 03, 2026 |
|
Bullied as a Kid. Now He's One of Hawaii's Best Grapplers
|
Jul 31, 2026 |
|
I Was Too Scared to Start Jiu-Jitsu
|
Jul 29, 2026 |
|
Why Most People Quit Before Jiu-Jitsu Gets Fun
|
Jul 29, 2026 |
|
He Built a Jiu-Jitsu Academy While Rebuilding Himself
|
Jul 29, 2026 |
|
How One Dad Built a Jiu-Jitsu Family
|
Jul 27, 2026 |
|
He Was Homeless… Now He Teaches Others Never to Quit
|
Jul 27, 2026 |
|
Why Getting a Black Belt Felt Like Starting Over
|
Jul 27, 2026 |
|
She Walked Into a Living Room… It Changed Her Life
|
Jul 26, 2026 |
|
The Mindset Shift That Changed My Jiu-Jitsu Forever
|
Jul 25, 2026 |
|
How Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life (Twice)
|
Jul 24, 2026 |
|
She Said "No" To Jiu-Jitsu… Now She's a Black Belt
|
Jul 23, 2026 |
|
Marcelo Garcia Changed Everything
|
Jul 23, 2026 |
|
She Walked Out of Jiu-Jitsu—Then Became a Purple Belt
|
Jul 22, 2026 |
|
The Future of Hawaii Jiu-Jitsu Starts With the Kids
|
Jul 22, 2026 |
|
The Real Reason People Stay in Jiu-Jitsu | Dane's Story of Community, Family & Faith
|
Jul 21, 2026 |
|
Why I Didn't Want My Black Belt
|
Jul 21, 2026 |
|
He Walked Into a Jiu Jitsu Gym and Everything Changed
|
Jul 20, 2026 |
|
She Started Jiu Jitsu at 48… and It Changed Everything
|
Jul 20, 2026 |
|
Jay Penn Changed My Life | Wes' Journey from Student to Grappling Industries Director
|
Jul 18, 2026 |
|
30 Years of Jiu Jitsu: What the Early UFC Was REALLY Like | Wyman Toki
|
Jul 18, 2026 |
|
Most Grapplers Quit. Here’s Why He Didn’t - Small Man Podcast Episode 1
|
Jul 17, 2026 |
|
Why I Drive Nearly an Hour Just to Train Jiu-Jitsu
|
Jul 17, 2026 |
|
Why Most People Never Get Good at Jiu-Jitsu (And How to Fix It)
|
Jul 16, 2026 |
|
Why Family Comes Before Jiu-Jitsu
|
Jul 15, 2026 |
|
He Moved to Hawaii for One Year... It Changed Everything
|
Jul 13, 2026 |
|
Why I Quit Jiu-Jitsu... Then Found It Again in Japan
|
Jul 13, 2026 |
|
He Didn't Build a Jiu-Jitsu Gym… He Built a Community
|
Jul 13, 2026 |
|
I Learned Jiu-Jitsu Before Going to Prison... It Changed Everything
|
Jul 12, 2026 |