202. Turning Pain into Power with Julio Rivera of Internal Jiu Jitsu
Release Date: 10/14/2025
230: Cancer Didn’t Break Him — It Set Him Free
Warriors Unmasked
What if the worst diagnosis of your life became the greatest gift you’ve ever received? When Glenn Sturm got the call at an airport in 2009 telling him he had an aggressive, incurable form of T-cell lymphoma, everything should have stopped. Instead, something unexpected happened — his perspective shifted. Rather than letting cancer define him, Glenn made a decision: he would celebrate life every single day and make someone else’s life better whenever he could. Seventeen years later, still undergoing treatment, Glenn isn’t just surviving — he’s living with purpose, gratitude, and a...
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229: Why Transition Is So Hard — And What Veterans Can Teach Us About Purpose and Identity with Matt Smith
Warriors Unmasked
The hardest battles don’t always happen in combat. For Major General (Ret.) Matt Smith, the real challenge began after the uniform came off. After 32 years of service leading thousands in high-stakes environments, he found himself facing a different kind of question, Who am I now? This conversation goes beyond leadership and into something much deeper. It’s about what happens when your identity has been built around purpose, structure, and mission… and then suddenly, all of that changes. Matt shares what it actually feels like to transition out of military life, why so many veterans...
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228: When You Can’t Carry It Anymore: A Marine’s Story of Burnout, Surrender, and Healing with Keith Cole
Warriors Unmasked
There’s a point where pushing through just doesn’t work anymore. For Keith Cole, that moment didn’t come in combat. It came decades later — after war, loss, responsibility, and years of carrying more than anyone could see. A Vietnam Marine veteran, CPA, husband, and provider, Keith spent over 50 years holding it all together… until one night, alone in his office, everything finally broke. This episode is about what happens when the weight becomes too much to carry, and what can happen when you finally let it go. Keith shares his journey from combat and trauma to decades of silent...
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227: The Cost of War, The Power of Truth: Sean Martin on Trauma, Healing, and Finding His Voice Through Music
Warriors Unmasked
What happens when you come home from war… but your mind doesn’t? Sean Martin didn’t just serve in the military, he went searching for meaning, purpose, and truth at the highest level. What he found came with a cost. After his service, he was left navigating PTSD, disillusionment, and a reality that no longer felt like home. This conversation goes beyond the surface of “life after service.” It explores what it actually feels like to carry those experiences, the internal battles that follow, and the long road back to clarity. Sean shares how he moved from self-medication and breakdown...
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226: How Eric Mazzeo Rebuilt His Life and Now Leads the Next Generation
Warriors Unmasked
Sometimes the life you’re living doesn’t feel like your own. Before becoming a leader in youth substance use prevention, Eric Mazzeo was stuck in a cycle he couldn’t break: addiction, jail, loss, and a constant battle with himself. On the outside, he came from a good home and had real opportunities. On the inside, he was overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, and a deep sense of not feeling like he belonged. What changed wasn’t one single moment. It was a decision to try something different when everything else had failed. In this conversation, Eric shares what it really looks like to live...
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225: What Happens When You’re Forced to Fight for Your Own Life? Shannon Ivey on Self-Advocacy and Survival
Warriors Unmasked
When Shannon Ivey was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer at 42, she was a single mom in a new city with no built-in support system. What followed wasn’t just a medical battle. It was a crash course in self-advocacy, resilience, and learning how to navigate a system that wasn’t designed for someone in her position. In this episode, Shannon shares what it really looks like to face a life-threatening diagnosis while holding everything else together. From recognizing the symptoms she almost dismissed, to building her own medical team, to making the decision to fight when she wasn’t...
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224: How to Finally Build Confidence with Simone Knego
Warriors Unmasked
Confidence is often seen as something you either have or don’t. But what if that’s not true at all? Simone Knego has spent years helping women unpack the stories that keep them stuck in self-doubt, overthinking, and the constant pressure to be “more.” In this conversation, she shares how confidence isn’t built through perfection, achievement, or external validation — it’s built by learning to trust yourself exactly as you are. Chuck and Simone dive into the hidden patterns that quietly shape how we see ourselves, why so many high-achieving women still feel “not enough,” and...
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223: Healing From the Inside Out — Trauma, the Body, and the Power to Recover with Bob Ross
Warriors Unmasked
What if the body already knows how to heal, and the missing piece is learning how to get out of its way? Bob Ross has spent a lifetime at the intersection of science, medicine, emergency response, and human potential. With a background in physics, medical research, and decades of hands-on experience helping people survive trauma, Bob has seen firsthand how unresolved emotional shock can quietly shape physical health, behavior, and identity. In this episode, Bob Ross and Chuck Thuss explore the deep connection between emotional trauma and the body’s biological responses. From cancer research...
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222: A Second Chance at Life — Identity, Resilience, and Rebuilding After Hockey with Robert Pallante
Warriors Unmasked
Losing your way can sometimes be the beginning of finding who you really are. Robert Pallante’s life revolved around hockey from a young age. Growing up in the Toronto area, he played at the highest levels, earned a college scholarship, and chased the dream so many young athletes believe defines them. But when his hockey journey didn’t unfold the way he expected, Rob was left struggling with identity, confidence, and unanswered questions that followed him long after he left the game. Years later, a near-fatal motorcycle accident forced Robert into stillness, reflection, and a complete...
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221: When the Uniform Comes Off — Identity, Purpose, and Hope After Service with Jeremy Stalnecker
Warriors Unmasked
When the mission ends, the questions often begin. Jeremy Stalnecker spent years building his identity around service, leadership, and responsibility as a United States Marine infantry officer. But when combat ended and the uniform came off, Jeremy found himself facing a different kind of battle, one marked by anger, isolation, loss of identity, and a quiet belief that he was completely alone. This episode traces Jeremy’s journey from combat leadership to personal collapse, and ultimately to clarity. Through painful self-reflection, accountability, faith, and community, Jeremy discovered that...
info_outlineThis week on Warriors Unmasked, Julio Angel Rivera, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo and Japanese Jiu Jitsu black belt, World Master Champion, author, and founder of Internal Jiu Jitsu, shares his incredible journey from witnessing trauma as a child to building a life of healing, mindfulness, and purpose.
At eight years old, Julio witnessed a murder that changed his life forever. What followed were decades of suppressed pain, anger, and depression, until he found his path through therapy, writing, bodybuilding, and the discipline of martial arts. Through his philosophy of Internal Jiu Jitsu, Julio shows how we can channel resistance into growth and find peace in the midst of chaos.
You’ll hear about:
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How a childhood trauma shaped Julio’s mental health journey
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The healing power of movement, writing, and community
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Why facing pain requires faith, and why asking for help is the first step to strength
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The connection between martial arts and mindfulness and how stillness can quiet a racing mind
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Julio’s two books (Broke Down Sensei and Internal Jiu Jitsu) and his mission to empower others through mental health awareness
Whether you’re fighting battles on the mat or in your mind, Julio’s story is a powerful reminder that healing takes courage, community, and the willingness to “just give it another day.”
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: From Trauma to Triumph
02:15 – Growing Up in the Bronx: The Early Years
05:45 – Addiction, Incarceration & Military Life
09:30 – Finding Recovery Through Peer Support
13:10 – The Power of Storytelling in Mental Health
16:20 – Building Mental Health First Aid USA
20:00 – National Advocacy and White House Influence
23:30 – Challenges of Behavioral Health Policy
27:15 – Leading with Lived Experience
30:00 – Faith, Leadership, and Family
34:15 – Julio's Advice to Aspiring Changemakers
37:20 – Chuck’s Challenge: Reclaiming Your Power Through Service
Chuck’s Challenge:
When life feels too heavy, pause and breathe. Tell yourself to just give it one more day and take one step forward. Sometimes that’s the bravest move you can make.
Connect with Julio Rivera:
Website: Internal Jiu Jitsu
Instagram: @InternalJiuJitsu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/internaljiujitsu/
Medium: @julioangelrivera1
YouTube: Internal Jiu Jitsu
Connect with Chuck:
Check out the website: https://www.thecompassionateconnection.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-thuss-a9aa044/
Follow on Instagram: @warriorsunmasked
Join the Warriors Unmasked community by subscribing to the show. Together, we’re breaking stigmas and shining a light on mental health, one story at a time.