The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #129 with Gordon Ryan & Mo Jassim
At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Gordon Ryan, ADCC, and Jiu-Jitsu’s Future: Dominance, Discipline, and Drama
- This episode centers on ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim and grappling phenom Gordon Ryan discussing the evolution of no-gi jiu-jitsu, ADCC’s explosive growth, and what truly drives elite performance. They dive into the origin story of ADCC, the technical and business innovations pushing grappling forward, and why most champions still treat the sport like a hobby. Ryan breaks down his training philosophy, his rivalry with Felipe Pena, his health struggles, and the Danaher system’s obsessive approach to technical development. The conversation also explores broader combat sports topics like bare-knuckle fighting, wrestling, leg locks, and how to make grappling spectator-friendly without losing its purity.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasHard, daily, systematized training separates true elites from ‘talented’ peers.
Ryan trains seven days a week, combines brutal mat time with deep technical study under Danaher, and treats jiu-jitsu as a full-time intellectual craft, not just a workout—something he says most world champions simply don’t do.
Brand-building and talking shit massively amplify earning power—if you can win.
Ryan openly acknowledges that his arrogance and trash talk draw both fans and haters, but all of them tune in; without winning, though, that same strategy just turns you into a clown, as seen with other personalities.
Passive income (instructionals) lets athletes train like real professionals.
Instead of constant seminar tours that destroy training consistency, Ryan built a seven-figure passive revenue stream via BJJ Fanatics, which frees him to prioritize development and competition—something he says almost no one else has solved.
Modern no-gi success hinges on leg locks plus wrestling adapted to rulesets.
Jassim and Ryan emphasize that North American athletes surged ahead by embracing Danaher-style leg locks and wrestling integrated for ADCC rules, while many Brazilians and traditional schools lagged by rejecting or underdeveloping these areas.
Technical ‘superpowers’ define the new generation of stars.
Ryan breaks down why the Ruotolo brothers and Mica Galvão are so successful: they’re good everywhere but have specific, elite weapons (e.g., Ruotolos’ darce game and passing pressure) and insane competition experience backed by very involved parents/coaches.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotes“Most black belt ADCC world champions train three, four times a week… I know hobbyists who train more than them.”
— Gordon Ryan
“He’s really selfless… he doesn’t ask us for anything. No money, no nothing. He just wants you to show up to training.”
— Gordon Ryan on John Danaher
“Technology always wins. The people with the most technology are going to win over X amount of years.”
— Gordon Ryan
“If you can just show up, you’re already ahead of like 90% of people, because most people are just inherently lazy.”
— Gordon Ryan
“The days of just winning is not enough. It’s how you win.”
— Mo Jassim
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