The Grappling Monthly Podcast

From Rio de Janeiro to Montreal’s West Island, Professor Marcelo Bonança talks about starting in martial arts, leaving a finance career, reconnecting with jiu-jitsu in Canada, and what it means to teach in a way students can actually absorb.

We also get into Gracie Barra’s structure, the realities of opening a school in Quebec, why principles matter more than information overload, and what a good first jiu-jitsu experience should feel like.

 

About Marcelo Bonança

Professor Marcelo Bonança is the owner and head instructor at Gracie Barra Sainte-Anne in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. 

Marcelo grew up surrounded by martial arts, first in judo, then jiu-jitsu. He pursued a fast-paced career in finance: long hours, endless meetings, constant travel, which meant he took time away from Jiu-Jitsu.

Years later, while living in Toronto, he stepped back on the mats, training alongside world-class names like Bruno Fernandes and Jorge Britto. From that moment, he never looked back. Returning to Brazil, Marcelo began training under Master Leão Teixeira, one of the legendary cofounders of Gracie Barra. He immersed himself in teaching children, community programs, and competitions, discovering that his true purpose wasn’t in boardrooms, but on the mats.

In 2016, Marcelo received his black belt, later earning his degrees directly from Master Carlos Gracie Jr. He has since lived by one clear principle: lead by example. Competing, teaching, and training with unwavering consistency, he proves daily to his students that progress is built through discipline and dedication, no matter when you start.
 

Website: https://gbsainteanne.ca/en/ 

Location: Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, West Island, Montreal

 

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About Grappling Monthly

Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial media brand covering the culture, people, and business of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the grappling arts. Based in Los Angeles, the brand produces in-depth conversations with the coaches, gym owners, competitors, and practitioners shaping the sport. The Grappling Monthly Podcast is the flagship property — a weekly long-form interview series hosted by Sébastien Maniatopoulos, a BJJ black belt with roots in the Southern California grappling community. Past guests include Robert Drysdale, Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller, Alberto Crane, Chris Haueter, Bruno Fernandes, Tinguinha Mariano, and Keith Krikorian.

If you train jiu-jitsu long enough, pain is not the surprise. The real question is whether you know how to recover intelligently and stay on the mats. In this episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Diana and Dr. Kris Martin of Open Mat Physio to talk about injury recovery, overtraining, sleep, inflammation, strength work, nervous system regulation, and why so many grapplers stay stuck in the same cycle of flare-up, rest, and repeat. This is a practical conversation about longevity, not quick fixes.

 

Guests

Diana and Kris are the team behind Open Mat Physio, a physical therapy practice focused on helping jiu-jitsu athletes recover from injury, return to training, and build more durable bodies for the long term. Their work bridges rehab, strength, recovery, and sport-specific understanding for grapplers who want more than generic advice.

Follow Open Mat Physio:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openmatphysio

Website: https://www.openmatphysio.com

 

Timestamps / Chapters

 

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#JiuJitsu #BJJ #NoGi #PhysicalTherapy #SportsRehab #InjuryRecovery #Grappling #OpenMatPhysio #BJJPodcast #JiuJitsuPodcast #Recovery #StrengthTraining #Longevity #GrapplingMonthly

Professor Marvin Castel and Coach K of 10th Planet Torrance join The Grappling Monthly Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, gym ownership, teaching philosophy, women’s training, self-defense, competition, culture, and what it actually takes to build a serious room.

 

Marvin shares how his first exposure to jiu-jitsu came through MMA training in Michigan, how that experience changed the direction of his life, and how he eventually found his way to California, 10th Planet HQ, and Eddie Bravo. Coach K talks about her path from the Bay Area into striking, jiu-jitsu, and eventually 10th Planet, where training and teaching became part of building something bigger.

 

This episode also gets into the realities of opening a gym. Not the romantic version. The actual version. Learning how to teach different kinds of students, balancing intensity with accessibility, creating culture, managing accountability, and trying to build students who are not just coordinated, but capable.

 

We also discuss:

• How 10th Planet developed a distinct identity within modern jiu-jitsu

• Why some students want war and others want community

• The challenge of teaching self-defense without pretending the art is “gentle”

• Women’s training, women-only sessions, and the practical realities of safety on the mat

• Why movement quality, live drills, and positional work matter

• The limits of pure “eco” training without technical explanation

• Belt standards, competition, and Marvin’s grey-belt system before blue belt

• Why gym ownership can make even a black belt feel like a white belt again

• The responsibility coaches have in shaping mat culture

 

If you train, teach, own a school, or care about where grappling culture is going, this conversation has a lot in it.

 

Train at 10th Planet Torrance:

Website: 10ptorrance.com

Instagram: @10thplanettorrance

Marvin: @marvincastel10p

 

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, and share it with someone in the grappling world. That helps more than people think.

 

#JiuJitsu #BJJ #NoGi #10thPlanet #10thPlanetTorrance #EddieBravo #Grappling #MartialArts #BJJPodcast #JiuJitsuPodcast #GymOwnership #SelfDefense #WomenWhoTrain #LegLocks #GrapplingCulture

Mauricio “Tinguinha” Mariano joins The Grappling Monthly Podcast for a conversation on the older generation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the transition from vale tudo culture to modern academy structure, and the changes that helped jiu-jitsu grow around the world.

Prof. Tinguinha is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a spider guard pioneer, and the owner and head instructor of Tinguinha BJJ in Yorba Linda, California.

In this episode, we discuss:

• what jiu-jitsu training was like in Brazil in the late 1980s and early 1990s

• the luta livre rivalry and the vale tudo era

• how early no-gi and MMA affected jiu-jitsu technique

• why academy structure changed over time

• how kids classes, curriculum, and beginner programs helped jiu-jitsu grow

• the evolution of Spider Guard and technical creativity in BJJ

• the difference between old-school training culture and modern jiu-jitsu schools

• advice for adult beginners starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu later in life

• whether jiu-jitsu belongs in the Olympics

• gi vs no-gi and how each develops different parts of the game

 

This is a useful episode for anyone interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu history, BJJ culture, old-school Gracie Barra, Spider Guard, academy structure, coaching, and the development of modern jiu-jitsu.

Mauricio Tinguinha Mariano has seen jiu-jitsu from multiple eras: from the challenge-fight culture and early tournament scene in Brazil to the growth of organized schools in the United States. This conversation looks at how the art changed, what it kept, and why that matters for students and coaches now.

 

Train with Professor Tinguinha: Tinguinha BJJ Yorba Linda, California Website: BJJOC.com Subscribe to Grappling Monthly for more conversations on the culture, business, people, and history of grappling. #BJJ #JiuJitsu #BrazilianJiuJitsu #MauricioTinguinha #GrapplingMonthly

 

Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial platform covering the culture, community, and business of the grappling arts. Through podcast episodes, articles, and video, it profiles the coaches, competitors, gym owners, and organizers shaping Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling, and submission grappling. The focus is on honest storytelling, thoughtful coverage, and the lived experience of people on the mat.

Professor Anjanette Lima started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in her mid-30s. No athletic background. No grappling experience.

She Googled "gentle martial art" and ended up on a mat in Virginia doing forward rolls until she threw up.Ten years later, she is an instructor at Legacy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Burbank, California, running women's classes, kids programs, and a self-defense curriculum for women (including some whom have experienced trauma). She also works full-time as a nurse, trains seven days a week, and has two sons who grew up on the same mats. In this episode of the Grappling Monthly Podcast, we talk about what actually keeps women training long-term, why jiu-jitsu is specifically useful for self-defense in close-contact situations, how to structure a class for children as young as three, and what it looks like when a gym becomes the center of a family's life.

 

We also get into:

- The Bully Guard system and how it teaches kids techniques without encouraging aggression

- Why Professor Anjanette seeks out the biggest training partners in the room

- How jiu-jitsu created restraint in someone who was previously, by her own description, hotheaded

- Teaching blue belts to coach and why that benefits both sides

- What discipline actually looks like when it becomes a lifestyle rather than a policy

 

If you are a woman thinking about starting jiu-jitsu, a parent researching kids programs, a masters practitioner, or a coach building a women's curriculum, this conversation covers ground that may be of interest.

Professor Anjanette Lima trains and teaches at Legacy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Burbank, California. 330 Victory Boulevard North, Burbank, CA

You can also find her at the weekly Masters Open Mat: Sundays, ages 37 and up Subscribe to Grappling Monthly for more conversations on the culture, people, and business of the grappling arts. #BJJ #BrazilianJiuJitsu #WomenInBJJ #BJJForWomen #KidsBJJ #BJJLifestyle #GrapplingMonthly #BJJPodcast #LegacyBJJ #Burbank #BJJSelfDefense #MastersBJJ #BJJMom #StartingBJJLate #GiJiuJitsu

What can jiu-jitsu actually give you beyond technique and medals?

In Episode 34 of the Grappling Monthly Podcast, we sit down with Professor Thyago Martins — owner and head instructor of TM Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Orange, California for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations we've had on the show.

Thyago's story starts in Manaus, Brazil, where he began training BJJ after being bullied as a kid. That first class gave him something he hadn't expected: confidence. From there, jiu-jitsu took him from the Amazon to California, from local tournaments to coaching UFC and Bellator fighters, and eventually to opening his own academy — with $200 in his pocket and zero English.

This episode goes deep on what it actually takes to build a life through jiu-jitsu. In this episode we cover:

• How training under Ronaldo Jacaré and world champion Gabriel Moraes shaped Thyago's game and mindset
• Why patience is the most transferable lesson from the mat to real life
• The white belt mentality — and why it matters at every level, including black belt
• Gi vs. no-gi: what each develops, and why you should train both
• Why your body type should dictate which athletes you study
• Specific training, drilling, and how to actually retain what you learn
• The "two positions per month" approach Thyago learned from Melqui Galvão
• Teammate closeouts, competition ethics, and what's holding the sport back
• ADCC, CJI, and what makes jiu-jitsu exciting — or frustrating — to watch
• Why English fluency opened more doors for Thyago than almost anything else
• What makes a gym culture real vs. performative

And the stories from inside his academy that will stick with you:

• A student who walked in depressed, overweight, and lost — and walked out a different person.
• A former gang member who is now coaching.
• An 81-year-old student who couldn't open his hands or get off the mat alone when he started — and now drives himself to class and trains independently.

That's what Thyago keeps coming back to: a gym isn't just a place where people learn moves. It's a place where people figure out who they are.

Connect with Professor Thyago Martins: 🔗 tmbjjacademy.com 📍 City of Orange, Orange County, California If you're in Southern California, the academy is open to visitors. I highly recommend you visit.

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Grappling Monthly for more conversations on the culture, lived experience, and real stories behind the grappling arts. Like, comment, and share, it genuinely helps us tell more stories like this one.

Grappling Monthly covers the people, culture, and community of the grappling arts. from practitioners and coaches to creators, competitors, and entrepreneurs.

Our goal is simple: tell the real stories of jiu-jitsu. #BJJ #BrazilianJiuJitsu #JiuJitsu #Grappling #GrapplingMonthly #BJJPodcast #JiuJitsuPodcast #OrangeCounty #BJJLifestyle #NoGi #GiJiuJitsu #JiuJitsuCulture #BJJCommunity #MartialArts #BJJCoach #JiuJitsuLife #ADCC #BJJCompetition #TMBJJAcademy

In Episode 33 of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, Professor Laercio Fernandes of Alliance Laguna Hills shares his journey from São Paulo, Brazil to building a structured, system-driven academy in Southern California.

Professor Laercio began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1993 in São Paulo. What started as a way to stay out of trouble evolved into a lifelong pursuit that included earning an engineering degree from the University of São Paulo, competing internationally, and eventually relocating to the United States to test himself against the highest level of competition.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Training in Brazil during the 1990s Vale Tudo era

• The transition from hobbyist to professional competitor

• Moving to the United States with limited English and no clear roadmap

• Training at Alliance under Cobrinha and adapting to a structured system

• Winning IBJJF titles including Pan Ams, No-Gi Worlds, and Europeans

• Building a gym in Orange County after competition success

• Why curriculum and weekly planning matter in modern academies

• The difference between improvisation and intentional adaptation

• Competition mindset: “doer brain” vs. “talk brain”

• Preparing for IBJJF tournaments without overcorrecting fight week habits

• Teaching mixed-level classes (white belts to black belts) in the same hour

• Managing roles as instructor, business owner, parent, and entrepreneur

 

Professor Laercio speaks directly about the evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — from early pressure-heavy training environments in Brazil to the more structured, curriculum-based academies operating in the U.S. today. He explains how systematic training, weekly instructor meetings, and clear segmentation inside classes support long-term retention and safer training environments.

 

We also discuss:

• Gi vs No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu

• IBJJF rules and competition structure

• The growth of professional grappling

• Engineering mindset applied to training and business

• The importance of aligning body preparation and mental preparation before competition

• Why adapting systems does not mean abandoning fundamentals

 

If you train in Orange County, Professor Laercio welcomes visitors at Alliance Laguna Hills.

 

Subscribe for more long-form conversations on the business, culture, and lived experience of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

A jiu-jitsu gym is supposed to be the safest room you walk into all week. The recent allegations involving some of the biggest names in our sport pushed a harder question into the open: what does real safety look like in a sport built on trust, proximity, hierarchy, and access to people’s bodies?

In this special Grappling Monthly episode, I’m joined by Lindsay Kreighbaum and Professor Bryan Gregerson, owner and head instructor of Legacy BJJ in Pasadena, CA, for a direct conversation about abuse of power in jiu-jitsu. We talk about the conditions that make violations easier to hide, why people often stay silent for years, and what gym owners, coaches, and teammates can do to reduce risk without turning the academy into a paranoid workplace.

Losing a gym, losing training partners, and becoming the center of attention is not a “benefit” or a revenge fantasy. It’s frequently a painful tradeoff that people avoid until they cannot anymore. The episode breaks down why naming an experience can be difficult in real time, how authority and “hero culture” distort judgment, and why outside validation is often the moment things finally become clear.

From an academy leadership perspective, this conversation gets practical. It covers concrete guardrails gyms can implement to reduce risk, including policies around private lessons with minors, avoiding situations where a single adult has unobserved access, and building a culture where reporting concerns is normal and protected. It also addresses what to do when someone confides in you, including the difference between adult disclosures and situations involving minors where reporting obligations may apply. We also get into accountability and culture. “Different norms back home” is not a defense. If you move into a new community, it’s on you to learn its boundaries and laws.

Finally, this episode challenges a jiu-jitsu blind spot: belts and titles measure skill, not character. Respect the craft, but do not confuse rank with moral authority. This is not an episode about internet drama. It’s about standards, leadership, and building gyms where people can train hard without being put at risk.

#GrapplingMonthly #JiuJitsu #BJJ #BJJCommunity #GymCulture #SafeSport #AthleteSafety #Safeguarding #CoachEducation #TraumaInformed #Leadership #PowerDynamics #SportsPsychology #MartialArts #LegacyBJJ