Craig Jones, Nicky Rod and Nicky Ryan, together with Ethan Crelinsten are founders of the B-Team, a legendary jiu jitsu team based in Austin, TX. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings - Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex to get 1 month of fish oil - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off EPISODE LINKS: B-Team's Instagram: https://instagram.com/bteamjj/ B-Team's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/bteamjiujitsu B-Team's Website: https://bteamjj.com/ Craig Jones's Instagram: https://instagram.com/craigjonesbjj/ Nicky Rod's Instagram: https://instagram.com/nickyrod247/ Nicky Ryan's Instagram: https://instagram.com/nickyryanbjj/ Craig Jones's Instructionals: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/craig-jones Nicky Rod's Instructionals: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_nick-rodriguez Nicky Ryan's Instructionals: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_nicky-ryan PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (06:21) - B-Team (11:57) - Winning and losing (19:43) - Danaher Death Squad (DDS) (37:13) - Nicky Rod vs Gordon Ryan (53:47) - Steroids (1:08:31) - White belts (1:16:40) - Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev (1:36:15) - Greatest MMA fighter of all time (1:38:43) - Dagestani fighters (1:40:00) - Conor McGregor (1:42:39) - Strength training and injuries (1:55:03) - Pre-match ritual (2:01:34) - Toughest match (2:05:25) - Positional training (2:11:59) - Perfect training week (2:14:49) - Overtraining (2:17:08) - Advice for beginners (2:25:17) - Takedowns and submissions (2:30:55) - Ego (2:35:24) - Lion vs bear (2:40:15) - Street fights (2:42:17) - Money and friendship
Chapter 1: What is the B-Team and its background?
The following is a conversation with Craig Jones, Nikki Rodd, and Nikki Ryan, who together with Ethan Crelliston and others make up the B-Team, a legendary jiu-jitsu team here in Austin, Texas. It was formed after the so-called Donaher Death Squad, the team headed by John Donaher, split up into New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, both located here in Austin, Texas.
There has been a lot of trash talk back and forth, including accusations of greasing and steroid use. And I, as a practitioner and fan of grappling, jiu-jitsu, and martial arts in general, am here for it. To see the best grapplers in history, go at it, both on the mat and on Instagram. I like the people on both teams and train with both.
And I'm really happy to see the exciting rapid evolution of the sport that these athletes and coaches are catalyzing. And now a quick few second mention of each sponsor. Check them out in the description. It's the best way to support this podcast. We got BetterHelp for mental health, Eight Sleep for naps, and Athletic Greens for daily multivitamins.
Chapter 2: What are the dynamics of winning and losing in jiu-jitsu?
Choose wisely, my friends. And if you want to work with our amazing team, we're always hiring. Go to lexfriedman.com slash hiring. And now onto the full ad reads. As always, no ads in the middle. I try to make this interesting, but if you must skip them, please still check out our sponsors. I enjoy their stuff. Maybe you will too.
Chapter 3: How did the Danaher Death Squad influence the B-Team?
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp, spelled H-E-L-P, help. There's that quote from Jack Kerouac, the book on the road that I recently finished reading, rereading. Rereading for like, I don't know, the 10th at least time in my life. And there's a quote in there about the Mad Ones. the main character, Sal.
It's strange how bad my memory is, but something tells me that his last name is Paradise, Sal Paradise, and Dean Moriarty. And Sal is Jack Kerouac, and the real-life name of Dean Moriarty, I don't remember, but the character name is Dean Moriarty, and he represents sort of the weird, the crazy, the chaotic friend
shaman guide through life, the drop of poison in a perfectly calm drink or a perfectly calm pond or town like Tom Waits says. Anyway, those people and that part of ourselves is really powerful, that weirdness, that darkness, that chaos. You have to have control of it, I think.
I think being self-aware and introspective about that and bringing it to the surface and knowing that that part of you exists. Check them out at betterhelp.com slash Lex and save on your first month. This episode is also brought to you by 8sleep and it's pod three mattress. As I record these very words, it is extremely late at night. It has been a long night before then and a long day.
And the thing that carries me through is a beautiful power nap. or a couple of those. When I'm deprived of sleep, because of various curve balls that life throws at me, as it does for everybody, I think I at least maintain my sanity and my well-being by taking power naps.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of steroids in grappling?
Sometimes I'll actually drink a coffee right before the nap, and I take that nap, and about 30 minutes after, I pop up all refreshed, ready to go. Not like now. Actually, physically, mentally, spiritually refreshed. Now I'm more calm and zen. Ready to take on the darkness that waits for me when I finally close my eyes. And I'm laying on that eight sleep bed as I'm ready to very soon.
It is a source of happiness for me. A cold bed with a warm blanket. It's a peaceful escape from the chaos of life outside. It's a weird little feature of biology that we get to sleep. And that is both necessary and it's just wonderful. Anyway, check it out and get special savings when you go to 8sleep.com.
This show is also brought to you by Athletic Greens and its AG1 drink, which is an all-in-one daily drink to support better health and peak performance. It is delicious. I've drank it twice today because I'm traveling. I packed a few travel packs to go with me, like little travel companions.
that represent home, and then I get to the hotel, and I unpack it, and that's a little reminder, a little habit that I get to carry with me that represents home, that makes me feel like I'm at home, because what is home after all but a set of habits and a set of people that bring joy to our lives, and a set of habits that bring joy, and a set of greens is that. It brings joy to my life.
above all the nutritional excellence it does for me, above all of that, it just makes me happy. A lot of things in my life make me happy. This is one of the consistent ones. They'll give you one month's supply of fish oil, one of the only supplements I take, when you sign up at athleticgreens.com. This is the Lex Friedman Podcast. To support it, please check out our sponsors in the description.
And now, dear friends, here's Craig Jones, Nikki Rod, and Nikki Ryan. Craig, can you introduce everyone?
Yep, so we got Nicky Rudd here, brown belt, two-time ADCC silver medalist. Nicky Ryan here. That's it. Who are you? And I'm Craig Jones, also two-time ADCC silver medalist.
Silver medalist, so the number one loser.
Number one loser.
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Chapter 5: How can jiu-jitsu practitioners safely get back to their feet in MMA?
Don't ever expose your back. I think jiu-jitsu is a terrible way to get back to the feet because if you were to retain guard and go half guard or closed guard, super hard positions to get up. You're basically putting yourself in a leg tuck for wrestling. So I think you need to borrow from wrestling to learn how to get up in an MMA fight.
So basically how to safely expose your own back while not allowing them to get hooks. and use that to get back up, or at least not allow them to get two hooks.
Chapter 6: What are the pros and cons of playing bottom guard in jiu-jitsu?
And that applies for MMA especially? For MMA especially, because obviously striking is a factor, but if they are striking, they don't have locked hands around your body, means you are able to move. You are able to make an attempt to get back up. They have to choose between control, submission, or strikes.
Post from Reddit, why does Craig Jones push so hard for a bottom is bad jiu-jitsu? What is so bad about playing bottom guard such as half guard or De La Rhea? Those are the two options. No one likes the bottom. Why would I want to get up? It's the question for all of you. Is the bottom a bad place to be?
I mean, the bottom's bad if you don't want that guy on top of you.
That's the way I look at it, you know? That sounds like something a cowboy would say, but I don't know if there's much meaning. I think the point of jiu-jitsu is both are dangerous, being on bottom and on top.
I think the longer the match is, probably favorites the top guy more just because every movement the bottom guy makes is probably carrying your weight, carrying that gravity on top of you. So I think it's a bit more efficient passing from the top as opposed to sweeping from bottom.
Bottom's reactive. Top is active. The top player decides how to engage, how to approach the guy. They can use angles. They can use footwork. They can throw people, throw the legs by. So it's an active position.
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Chapter 7: What are the challenges of coaching MMA fighters compared to jiu-jitsu?
Bottom's reactive. Reactive, you're going to get fatigued.
Yeah, I think it's very difficult to gas somebody out while playing guard, but I think it's very easy to gas somebody out when attempting to pass it.
Well, you guys are talking about gassing people out, but is there more dangers from the bottom, like in terms of submissions and all that kind of stuff, or no?
I'm back and forth because I'm a top player, but I understand the value of being on bottom. Like when I do play guard bottom, I feel like the submissions come much easier. And when I'm on top, they come also pretty easy, but maybe I just take a different route.
Top on the straights, bottom in the shades. Yeah, there you go.
What was the hardest part of the training for the training camp for Volkanovski? Like you're just experiencing world-class MMA fighters training and giving your approach to jiu-jitsu of not trying too hard no matter what. Yeah, yeah.
I mean, from my perspective, there's a lot of pressure for that. You know, like that's a... That's a lot of pressure for me to go in and think that I could possibly figure out a way to help this guy address this guy that's basically never been beaten. I think he got knocked out once, but basically not really even been put in bad positions. You know what I mean?
So that's a lot of pressure on me, especially because Volkanovski is such a great guy.
Yeah.
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Chapter 8: How do injuries impact training and competition in jiu-jitsu?
You coach a guy who loses, he has time to tap. But in MMA, you could get severely hurt. There's a lot more weight in what you need to do as a coach. You have a greater sense of responsibility to their health and well-being. Obviously, I know Fogg's kids. I know his wife. They're putting faith in you to not just win the fight, but keep this man safe.
From my perspective, a hell of a lot more pressure coaching him as an MMA fighter.
So almost like the psychological aspect of doing the best you can for him.
Exactly, yep, yep.
What was the hardest about the actual training? Was it the technical aspect of trying to figure out the puzzle of Islam, or was it being a good training partner in figuring out how the grappling would work, basically playing your best impression of Makachev? Were you trying to actually impersonate him? Like not just visually, but like in style. Yeah, definitely. Definitely visually.
You're not as good looking, but go ahead.
A little taller, but no. In terms of the training, yeah. I mean, Islam's known as incredibly strong guys. So obviously I'm heavier physically. than Islam. So theoretically I should be able to replicate that strength difference.
And then in terms of grappling, targeting those submissions that Islam does, like focusing on those in the training room, focusing on the way he holds half guard and really in the grappling sense, trying to replicate him on the ground.
And then, yeah, I wrestled with him on the wall a ton, trying to replicate, obviously to the best of my ability, a lot of the stuff he does on the wall, body lock heavy, inside trip, Uchimata's. And just constantly putting the work on Vox, you know what I mean? Like, constantly chaining attacks against him.
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