BJJ Balance

Fresh off our massive episode with Craig Jones, BJJ Balance is back to business—and Episode 146 goes exactly where you'd expect: completely off the rails before somehow finding its way back to jiu-jitsu.
Matt and Kenny kick things off recapping the Craig Jones episode before breaking down what they believe was a massive missed opportunity in the UFC. From there, we discover that Kenny apparently doesn't believe in wearing socks, Matt is forced to address the ongoing accusations about his appreciation for feet, and the conversation somehow gets even worse from there.
Eventually, we actually talk Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Matt reveals that his rib injury is officially a broken rib, putting him out of training for several weeks and potentially jeopardizing his plans to compete at Worlds. The guys also discuss Kenny getting back into training, possible future superfights, competition intensity, and why you need to stop lowering your level when you roll with your teammates.
Then we get into the big debate of the episode:
Is the BJJ brown belt the ultimate villain belt?
Matt explains why he believes a brown belt's job is to become an absolute problem in the gym, smash the lower belts, push toward black belt at all costs, and stop worrying about being everyone's favorite training partner. But does that philosophy change when you're the highest-ranked student at a smaller academy?
The guys also talk about Matt's own brown belt experience, his regrets from that stage of his jiu-jitsu journey, how to build a successful kids BJJ program, opening your own jiu-jitsu academy, loyalty to your team and coaches, gym drama, washing your jiu-jitsu belt, and why controlling someone in MMA is completely different from controlling someone in a normal BJJ round.
And because this is BJJ Balance, there's also Yankees vs. Dodgers talk, Raiders fans, Taco Bell, being broke, growing up on the wild west internet, and several conversations that probably should have never been recorded.
Welcome to Episode 146.
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Let us know in the comments: Is brown belt really the villain belt—and should brown belts be trying to smash everyone in the gym?

Please Follow BJJ Balance on all of our socials:IG: @BJJBalanceDiscord: discord.gg/bjjbalanceTik Tok: @BJJBalanceYouTube: YouTube.com/@BJJBalanceKenny IG: @KennyDoesBJJMatt IG: @oss_nation_bjjBJJ Balance, BJJ podcast, jiu jitsu podcast, Brazilian jiu jitsu podcast, BJJ, jiu jitsu, Brazilian jiu jitsu, jiujitsu, grappling, BJJ news, jiu jitsu news, brown belt BJJ, BJJ brown belt, brown belt jiu jitsu, BJJ black belt, road to black belt, BJJ belt rankings, jiu jitsu belts, BJJ training, jiu jitsu training, BJJ competition, jiu jitsu competition, BJJ Worlds, IBJJF Worlds, BJJ injuries, broken rib BJJ, rolling in jiu jitsu, BJJ training partners, BJJ gym culture, jiu jitsu gym, opening a BJJ gym, kids jiu jitsu, kids BJJ, MMA jiu jitsu, MMA grappling, cage wrestling, wall wrestling, Craig Jones, UFC, Paddy Pimblett, Max Holloway, BJJ comedy, martial arts podcast

Craig Jones joins BJJ Balance from Mexico for the biggest and wildest episode we have ever recorded.
Craig tells the unbelievable story of filming with cartel members in Mexico before opening up about CJI 3, what went wrong at CJI 2 and how he plans to bring the original Craig Jones Invitational “fever dream” energy back. He discusses athlete contracts, promotional politics, the future of professional grappling and why some of the sport’s biggest competitors do not understand the leverage they possess.
We also talk about the return of B-Team, his ongoing rivalry with Gordon Ryan, the genius of John Danaher, Gabi Garcia’s transformation into a CJI star and the Leandro Lo upset that completely changed Craig’s career.
Craig explains how heel hooks allowed him to defeat more technically complete grapplers, what really happened during his match with Chael Sonnen, his plans for the Gable Steveson matchup and why controlling his own content became one of the smartest decisions of his career.
Plus, Craig discusses sponsorships, Moneyberg, social-media censorship, rich friends, Masters Worlds, B-Team Mexico, the Zamaya training resort and several stories that probably should never have been told publicly.
This is Craig Jones completely unfiltered.
Explicit language and adult humor throughout.
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

Episode 144 of BJJ Balance starts with Fourth of July chaos, AI photo edits, old-school road trip memories, Game Gear nostalgia, e-bikes, childhood stories, and the kind of random tangents only this podcast can produce.
Then the boys get into Craig Jones potentially building a jiu-jitsu destination in Mexico, whether it could become a BJJ retreat-style hub, what that might mean for CJI, and why now might be the perfect time to finally get Craig Jones on the podcast.
The episode also gets serious for a bit as Kenny talks about a recent health scare, what it felt like for the people around him, the reminder to appreciate family and the life you already have, and the nerves that can come with returning to jiu-jitsu after something scary happens.
From there, the listener questions take over: big guys avoiding other big guys, why smaller grapplers may have a harder road to black belt, calling out tough rounds, Gordon Ryan vs Kron Gracie in MMA, why the teepee choke and gogoplata comments are getting out of control, flow rolling, purple belts giving stripes, knee on belly escapes, traditional jiu-jitsu warmups, and more.
This one has everything: comedy, jiu-jitsu debates, life perspective, Craig Jones talk, Gordon Ryan talk, listener questions, and classic BJJ Balance chaos.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

In Episode 143 of BJJ Balance, Kenny and Matt open with one of the most important questions in modern jiu-jitsu:
How long are you allowed to wear your medal after winning a tournament?
From there, the conversation goes exactly where you’d expect — gi vs no-gi, why Matt is officially “gi till I die,” Kick livestream plans, Craig Jones being back around the B-Team, ADCC/CJI rumors, internet criticism, Dana White on the mats with shoes, Sean Strickland being Sean Strickland, gym drama, relationships inside jiu-jitsu schools, fake glory from empty brackets, and why the respect of your training room matters more than social media followers.
This one gets wild, honest, uncomfortable, and very BJJ Balance.
Follow us on all socials and subscribe for more jiu-jitsu talk, podcast chaos, and weekly episodes.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

This week on BJJ Balance, Matt and Kenny start with the World Cup and somehow turn it into one of the most honest conversations about culture, America, jiu-jitsu, and why people are not as divided as the internet wants us to believe.
The guys talk about how the World Cup brings countries together, how jiu-jitsu does the same thing inside the gym, and why shared struggle can break down walls between people from completely different backgrounds.
Then the episode goes exactly where you’d expect: action movie legends, old video stores, N64 GoldenEye, magician riz, Father’s Day strategy, marriage, listener questions, wives training jiu-jitsu, beginner classes, live sparring, cutting weight, competing as a master, what it really means to be a world champion, and the emotion of watching someone receive their black belt.
This one has jokes, real talk, BJJ advice, and a lot of chaos.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