Beyond the Belt
Welcome to Beyond the Belt, a podcast that explores the intersection of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and everyday life. In each episode, we sit down with black belts who don’t have Jiujitsu as their primary source of income. They are practitioners (and sometimes also coaches) who balance their love for BJJ with successful careers, family life, and personal passions. In each conversation, we dive into how BJJ has helped their life, share stories that represent who they are as a person and show that there is more to them than just jiujitsu. We nerd out about the things important to them on and off the mats. Whether you’re a BJJ enthusiast, someone curious about the sport, or just looking for inspiration in balancing your passions with life’s demands, Beyond the Belt offers insights and stories that resonate on and off the mats.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
"Crash Test" Tommy Dowdall is a black belt out of Canada. He is a mental health crisis counselor with over 30 years of experience. He has also fostered over 50 children.
Episode Links:
Crash Test Tommy's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@crashtesttommy-ge4bn
Jerk Chicken Sauce: https://friendlybutchershop.com/products/jerk-in-a-jar
Tommy's Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIAD4nKIRfM
Beltchecker: https://www.beltchecker.com/profile.php?id=42858
Additional Notes:
* Teaching at BJJ Globetrotters Heidelberg 2025
Outline:
00:00 Journey to Black Belt
04:24 Patterns of Learning in Jiu-Jitsu
10:23 Mental Health and Jiu-Jitsu: An Intersection
21:42 Crisis Counseling: Daily Challenges and Insights
26:09 Pattern Matches and Not Rolling Hard
29:30 Mat Culture and Safe Spaces
35:35 Fostering Children: A Compassionate Life
40:33 Culinary Adventures: The Jerk Chicken Sauce Story
45:05 Balancing Life: Jiu-Jitsu, Counseling, and More
49:09 Understand Your Dog
53:00 Walkout Music
54:22 Outro
Podcast Links:
Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/
Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple
RSS: https://btb.fan/rss
Social:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Missy Baize is a black belt from Wenona, Illinois, USA out of War Horse BJJ. She is a medical technician and studying to become a paramedical tattoo artist.
Episode Links:
War Horse BJJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warhorsebrazilianjiujitsu/
War Horse BJJ Instagram: https://instagram.com/@warhorsebjjwenona
Teaching at Rough Hands Camp in April: https://roughhandsbjj.com/spring-camp
Beltchecker: https://www.beltchecker.com/profile.php?id=21522
Outline:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Journey to Black Belt
03:07 Overcoming Haters and Self-Doubt
06:35 Learning and Dealing with Frustration
09:33 Lessons for Women
14:14 Teaching and Coaching People with Special Needs
16:19 What's It Like Being a Medical Technician
19:46 Working in Emergency Medicine
22:51 Anatomy and Physiology
24:16 Handling Pressure
26:29 Leadership Off the Mats
28:41 Misconceptions about Med-Techs
30:26 Exploring Paramedical Tattooing
32:16 Studying to be a Paramedical Tattoo Artist
36:45 Parallels in Skill Building
38:15 Having a Lot of Irons in the Fire
39:16 Breaking Down Problems as a Skill
40:59 Any Advice
42:16 Long Breaks from Jiujitsu
45:25 Advice for Long Layoffs
46:04 Advice for Non-Jiujitsu People
48:43 Promotions from Missy
49:47 Outro
Podcast Links:
Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/
Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple
RSS: https://btb.fan/rss
Social:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Wednesday Oct 30, 2024
Sebastian Elmenhoff is a Swedish black belt who gave up a good corporate job to live on a farm and raise his family.
Episode Links:
Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/@elmenhoffs
Beltchecker: https://www.beltchecker.com/profile.php?id=12869
Outline:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Journey to Black Belt
05:52 Proving You're A Black Belt
08:57 Life Lessons from Jiu Jitsu
10:00 Buying the Farm
13:27 Lessons From the Farm
15:14 Not Everyone Burns Out to a Farm
16:00 Jiujitsu's Role in your Life Today
18:11 BJJ with a Physically Intense Job
22:17 Foundation from Jiujitsu
24:27 Raising Air Force Dogs
27:12 Training Dogs: Bridging Passion and Purpose
31:57 Giving Up Your Fostered Dog
35:45 Dog and Human Psychology
37:29 Relating it back to BJJ
38:36 2 Weeks as a Black Belt
40:41 Favorite Jiujitsu Memory
42:19 Learning to Trust Yourself
43:54 Thank You
44:43 Outro
Podcast Links:
Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/
Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple
RSS: https://btb.fan/rss
Social:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod
Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb