How To Get The Most Out Of Your BJJ Competitions (Episode 352)
Release Date: 02/24/2025
The Chewjitsu Podcast
On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene are joined by one of the Jiu-Jitsu pioneers in the Midwest, 4th degree BJJ Black Belt James Clingerman. James joins the podcast to discuss celebrating the 25th anniversary of his gym, his biggest marketing mistakes as a new gym owner, taking the risk to start a gym 25 years ago as a BJJ blue belt, how he had to rebuild his gym after losing most of his members, ideas on gym marketing, how to balance being a gym owner and training, the benefits of competing at a lighter weight class, what it was like running regional BJJ tournaments in the...
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On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Olympian, 9X U.S. National Champion, 3X World Medalist, and BJJ Purple Belt Jake Herbert. Jake is a husband, father of four, and business coach. Jake discusses his start in wrestling, how he got his kids to start training in grappling, pros and cons of specialization vs training in multiple sports, "living through your kids,” starting BJJ, the importance of camaraderie, how his training has changed as he has gotten older, training for longevity, making the decision to retire from wrestling, how finding religion was impactful for Jake, the...
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On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by one of Chewy’s first training partners, BJJ Black Belt Daniel Bertina. Daniel is a BJJ Black Belt and coach that lives in the Netherlands. Daniel discusses his early days in BJJ and his training sessions with Chewy, what training sessions were like in the early 2000’s, ideas on decreasing injuries, recommendations for older grapplers, why you should make your BJJ as broad as possible, the optimal training environment, one thing that could be the death of martial arts, cultivating a positive gym environment, thoughts on "gym enforces,"...
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On this episode, Chewy and Eugene have fun with a comment that called Chewy “A Fruitcake That Likes To Play Graba$$”. This troll comment came in response to an e-mail Chewy sent out that stated “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu helps you find yourself and lose yourself at the same time.” We discuss how Jiu-Jitsu can force you look at yourself and derive deeper meaning from life and also can be used as an escape from the stressors of life, the different ways to build confidence, using BJJ to overcome anxiety, how jiujitsu develops skill, and if it's possible to continue to train BJJ without...
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On this episode of the Chewjitsu Podcast, we are joined by BJJ Black Belt and gym owner AJ Clingerman. AJ discusses the start of her "Roll Models" BJJ Camps, the idea behind a women’s only camp and what makes it unique from other camps, the challenges women face in BJJ, the importance of women’s only classes, red flags for women in BJJ, why many women start training, how to grow a women’s BJJ program, and getting more women to compete in tournaments. To learn more about AJ and her gym, check out and use code Chewy50 for $50 off the Roll Models Camp Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Check...
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On this live recording of the podcast, we are joined by Strength & Nutrition Coach Eli Coffey. We discuss Eli's recovery from two shoulder replacements, strength training for grapplers, bulking and cutting weight, how to address common muscle imbalances in grapplers, Sport Specific vs. General Strength training, the "budget" for recovery, fat loss, signs of overtraining, and a Q&A section at the end. You can follow Eli on instagram and reach out for additional information at Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Check out "Grapple Science" at and use the code CHEWJITSU20 for 20%...
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On this episode of the podcast, Chewy and Eugene discuss Imposter Syndrome in BJJ and how to both overcome this and use it to your advantage. We discuss the problem with comparing yourself to others, if a high competitive environment a reason to change gyms, what Chewy looks for when promoting someone to their next belt rank, why Chewy doesn’t prefer a strict curriculum for belt promotions, feeling like you have a target on your back after getting promoted, the “Garry Tonon Approach” to training in bad positions, how becoming a father can make yo better, stress and how you perceive it...
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On this episode, Chewy and Eugene are joined by BJJ Black Belt and Tournament Director of The Chewjitsu Open, Jeff Alexander. Chewy and Jeff discuss the idea behind The Chewjitsu Open, what happened during the first ever Chewjitsu Open, the recipe that's made The Chewjitsu Open successful, why it's more difficult to get brown and black belts to compete, Chewy’s most nerve-racking tournament experience, the biggest lesson learned form running the Chewjitsu Opens, biggest changes and challenges of running the tournaments, the mission behind the Chewjitsu Open, and what sets the Chewjitsu Open...
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On this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss BJJ competitions and how to get the most out of your competition experience. We discuss how competition makes your BJJ better, how competitions can help with training intensity, the realization regarding competition nerves, how to improve on failures in competition, how competition losses can be incredibly motivating, how to improve after good competition performances, the importance of set ups when studying film, when to get back to training after competition, and when to compete again. If you are interested in training with Chewy at one of his...
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Joe Miller is the founder and CEO of “1st Optimal”, a telehealth functional medicine company dedicated to helping high performing men and women optimize their hormones, longevity, and overall health through personalized treatment plans that integrate lifestyle, exercise, supplementation, nutrition, and medications. With a deep passion for evidence-based medicine, functional health, and precision diagnostics, Joe has built a platform that bridges the gap between traditional healthcare and modern, proactive wellness strategies. On this episode Joe discusses how “1st Optimal” utilizes...
info_outlineOn this episode, Chewy and Eugene discuss BJJ competitions and how to get the most out of your competition experience.
We discuss how competition makes your BJJ better, how competitions can help with training intensity, the realization regarding competition nerves, how to improve on failures in competition, how competition losses can be incredibly motivating, how to improve after good competition performances, the importance of set ups when studying film, when to get back to training after competition, and when to compete again.
If you are interested in training with Chewy at one of his camps, check out https://www.chewjitsutraining.com/camp
Thanks to the podcast sponsors:
Check out "Grapple Science" at https://grapplescience.com/ and use the code CHEWJITSU20 for 20% off of your purchase of supplements.
Charlotte's Web CBD.
Head over to https://bit.ly/chewjitsu30 and use the promo code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off of your total purchase.
Epic Roll BJJ.
Check out https://epicrollbjj.com/ and use the promo code Chewjitsu20 to get 20% off of your total purchase.
Check out podcast exclusives including conversations with guests, Q&A sessions, and tons more at https://patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast