BJJ Balance

Can UFC BJJ keep growing — or does PGF have the better long-term model for professional jiu-jitsu?
On Episode 156 of the BJJ Balance Podcast, Kenny and Matt get into the future of professional grappling, UFC BJJ’s move behind a paywall, and why PGF’s team-based format, franchises, trades, free agency and city-based teams could eventually turn jiu-jitsu into something that looks much more like a traditional professional sport.
But before we get there, Matt has another idea: Judo needs to be Americanized.
Not changed. Not renamed. Not stripped of its history. Just given the same American flavor that helped Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu evolve in the United States. Less worrying about what everything is called and a little more “can we just toss somebody?”The guys also discuss the controversy surrounding a UFC BJJ competitor celebrating after an opponent’s arm was injured, why competitors are responsible for tapping, and whether combat sports athletes sometimes need a little showmanship to separate themselves from everyone else.Then things go completely off the rails.Matt explains how a normal round of jiu-jitsu somehow ended with him getting thrown out the front door of the gym, receiving another black eye, and immediately turning the injury into content. That somehow leads to combat-sports injuries, Noah’s Ark, internet trends, Sydney Sweeney, No-Gi Worlds, and Kenny once again reminding Matt about the time he took him down.Just another completely normal episode of BJJ Balance.🥋 IN THIS EPISODE:• Why Judo hasn't caught on in America like BJJ• Should Judo get an “American” makeover?• What Eddie Bravo got right about branding techniques• UFC BJJ moving behind a paywall• The controversy over celebrating after an arm break• Why fighters sometimes need to be the villain• Matt gets thrown OUT OF THE GYM during a roll• 15 years of black eyes from combat sports• Noah’s Ark somehow enters the conversation• UFC BJJ vs. PGF• Why team-based professional jiu-jitsu could be the future• How UFC BJJ could instantly improve its live atmosphere• “DON’T STAND THEM UP” is born• No-Gi Worlds in Las Vegas• The BJJ Balance guys volunteer themselves for Hero Retreat• Kenny vs. Matt gets brought up… again• Matt prepares for another competition seasonSubscribe to BJJ Balance for weekly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu conversations, current events, terrible opinions, life, training, competition, and everything happening around the sport.Follow BJJ Balance on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and social media.#BJJ #JiuJitsu #BrazilianJiuJitsu #UFCBJJ #PGF #Judo #Grappling #BJJPodcast #NoGi #JiuJitsuPodcastPlease Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @KennyDoesBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj

#BJJ #JiuJitsu #PGF
PGF is changing — and the new format might be exactly what professional jiu-jitsu has been missing.
On Episode 155 of BJJ Balance, Kenny and Matt break down the evolution of the Professional Grappling Federation, the move toward true TEAM competition, the new playoff structure, the possession arrow, All-Star weekend, performance money, and why creating actual team loyalty could completely change the way fans follow professional jiu-jitsu.
Could PGF eventually become something that every elite grappler NEEDS on their résumé?We also somehow go from ringworm and peptides to Matt telling one of the wildest stories we've ever heard about hiding a high-school hickey, why jiu-jitsu might be the answer for dudes who need confidence, and Matt discovering that his mom may have faked personalized autographs from Budweiser girls when he was a kid.Yeah. This one goes places.Later, we get serious about why women should train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense, the false confidence untrained people can carry around, and what BJJ can realistically give someone during a dangerous encounter.Then we answer listener questions, including how to train when all you have is a grappling dummy, what to do if a normal BJJ membership isn't financially possible, finding open mats, becoming a temporary “jiu-jitsu nomad,” and building your own group of training partners.🥋 BJJ Balance — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, culture, competition, and everything that happens when the conversation goes completely off the rails.Follow BJJ Balance on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram and Discord.Train this week.Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @KennyDoesBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj

Shawn Melanson joins the BJJ Balance Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on everything going on in grappling right now. He gives his honest take on the viral ADCC biting incident and the chaos of a stalled-out match with zero action, breaks down why he thinks jiu jitsu will never turn into serious money no matter how viral moments like knockouts and slams get, and predicts the next generation of teenage prodigies is about to change the sport in the next decade.
From there Shawn goes deep on his side of the PGF Phenoms fallout — becoming a team leader, the disrespect he says happened behind closed doors, the ask for better pay and recovery support that got turned down, and why he still thinks he's worth picking up as a free agent this season. He talks openly about wanting to coach and build a fly-fishing-guide future, running his Precision Jiu Jitsu gym in New Hampshire, his upcoming match against Owen, his brutal reverse omoplata story from a 15-year-old at a seminar, his reptile collection, and how he's grown his social media brand past half a million followers through pure daily consistency.
This episode is brought to you by Optiva Wellness. Head to OptivaWellness.com and use code BJJBALANCE10 to save 10% on your entire order.Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @FreakPartyBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj

On episode 153 of the BJJ Balance Podcast, Mat and Kenny open up about the wild growth of this show — three and a half years of grinding, doubters turning into supporters, and finally meeting longtime listeners face to face at World Masters Worlds in Las Vegas. They break down the shoutout-worthy moments from the trip: legends like Marcelo Garcia, Xande Ribeiro, and Robert Drysdale in the building, a brutal arm injury on the mats, and Kenny's very on-brand souvenir choice (squishy toys for the kids over a night of gambling). From there the conversation turns real: Mat challenges Kenny on how much he's evolved over the last three years — as a competitor, a father, a husband, and a man of faith — and they dig into why staying stagnant is the real enemy, how seasons of friendship (and relationships) naturally end, and why "going blind" toward a goal nobody else can see yet is the whole game. It's not all heavy, though — they get into practical jiu jitsu talk on go-to submissions and the importance of building a favorite move set, debate the best way to get your boss addicted to jiu jitsu for the ultimate long-term flex, and close out with an all-time riff on which billionaire or celebrity they'd fight for the right price. If you're into BJJ podcast content, competition recaps, jiu jitsu mindset and mental health talk, and grappling community stories, this episode has it all.This episode is brought to you by Optiva Wellness. Head to OptivaWellness.com and use code BJJBALANCE10 to save 10% on your entire order.Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @KennyDoesBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj

On episode 152 of the BJJ Balance Podcast, Mat shows up to the soccer field mohawk and all, and the guys open up about the side-eye he gets from suburban dads, his wife's reaction to the new look, and why 42 felt like the last chance to try it. From there they get serious fast, breaking down a viral video of a grappler getting stacked in a triangle and reportedly left paralyzed, and Mat lays out his hard rule for staying safe when your legs go over your head. That leads into a genuine, respectful tangent on why older jiu jitsu athletes — the "jiu jitsu dads" sacrificing family time and health to keep training — deserve more credit than they get, and how context gets stripped out of viral clips to manufacture outrage. Mat and Kenny dig into the messy business side of the sport too: whether mega gyms and 30-40 school empires like Eddie Bravo's or Tom DeBlass's are smart business when an affiliate's scandal can blow back on the whole brand, the ongoing "poke the bear" beef around online jiu jitsu credibility, and Mat's own personal story of splitting from one team to follow his black belt lineage to a different professor. They talk ADCC's uncertain future and why Saudi money could bring it roaring back, ADCC-style, the culture clash between mega gyms and boutique schools, and ongoing "exposing" callouts in the jiu jitsu community that require better vetting before piling on. Later, Mat shares his most embarrassing white belt story — losing his cool and slamming the mat rolling with an ADCC champion who was barely trying — plus real talk on why competing (not just rolling in the gym) is the fastest way to get better, why there's no timeline on skill, and a rapid-fire top five clowns list to close it out. If you're into BJJ podcast content, jiu jitsu safety talk, gym business and culture debates, and grappling community stories, this episode has it all.This episode is brought to you by Optiva Wellness. Head to OptivaWellness.com and use code BJJBALANCE10 to save 10% on your entire order.Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @KennyDoesBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjj