Lex Fridman PodcastB-Team Jiu Jitsu: Craig Jones, Nicky Rod, and Nicky Ryan | Lex Fridman Podcast #363
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:10
Kangaroo chokes, ACL-less knees, and setting the tone with chaos
The conversation opens with absurd but revealing banter: animal fight hypotheticals, stubborn training partners, and Nicky Rod casually admitting he has no ACL. The humor establishes the group dynamic—constant roasting, but grounded in real combat-sports experience and injuries.
- •Craig jokes about kangaroos choking humans
- •Stories of people refusing to tap and the consequences
- •Nicky Rod reveals he has no ACL in his left leg and did no rehab
- •Early hints of rivalry/drama (Texas, “stolen his brother”)
- •Craig’s habit of using humor to cope with hard moments (weight cuts, stress)
- 1:10 – 3:19
Who they are: ADCC silvers, rank, and what ‘black belt’ means in no-gi
Lex introduces Craig Jones, Nicky Rod, and Nicky Ryan and quickly moves into status, belts, and identity. They discuss how belt rank can be decoupled from competition success and why they view rank as a reflection of knowledge and teaching ability.
- •Introductions and ADCC accomplishments (multiple silver medalists)
- •Nicky Ryan’s brown belt status and attitude toward black belt promotion
- •Belt rank as knowledge/teaching ability vs competition results
- •Teaching as a test of understanding
- •Playful roasting about “number one loser” (silver)
- 3:19 – 16:11
Winning vs losing: relief, obsession, and emotional control before matches
They break down what victory and defeat feel like at the elite level, contrasting Craig’s detachment with the Nickys’ competitiveness. The discussion turns to mental preparation: visualization rituals versus Craig’s strategy of mentally blocking competition out entirely.
- •Craig experiences winning mostly as relief; tries not to dwell on outcomes
- •Nicky Ryan describes winning as an intense ‘high’ and hates losing
- •Fear of losing vs fear of embarrassment (Lex’s perspective)
- •Visualization, repetition, and ritual to make competition feel ‘normal’
- •Craig’s minimal warm-up philosophy and “no warmups on the street” mindset
- 16:11 – 21:52
From DDS to Austin: how Craig joined Danaher’s room and why the split happened
Craig recounts training with Danaher Death Squad in New York, the depth of talent, and how that environment accelerated his development—especially in leg locks. He describes the eventual DDS split with opaque ‘jungle’ metaphors, missing some aspects of Danaher while preferring the freedom of B-Team.
- •Craig’s early encounters with DDS and decision to move to the US
- •Why New York’s training depth mattered vs smaller rooms elsewhere
- •Leg-lock influence (Eddie Cummings) and the appeal of effective ‘new’ techniques
- •Puerto Rico as ‘Apocalypse Now’ metaphor; team splitting into New Wave and B-Team
- •Craig misses Danaher’s behind-the-scenes humor but prefers less strict control
- 21:52 – 33:10
Nicky Rod & Nicky Ryan backstories: modeling, dropping out, and the blue basement
Nicky Rod explains how he found jiu-jitsu through bouncer culture, early competition success, and long drives to train with Danaher and Gordon. Nicky Ryan reflects on starting young, dropping out of school, and being shaped inside DDS during its explosive rise.
- •Nicky Rod: bouncer/modeling origins and fast competitive progress
- •Long commute from South Jersey to New York; commitment after ADCC success
- •Nicky Ryan: starting at 13, training at Gary’s gym, summers in NYC
- •Dropping out at 15 to pursue jiu-jitsu full-time
- •Danaher as a strict but formative ‘whip-cracking’ coach/father figure
- 33:10 – 49:45
Gordon Ryan rivalry: flowers, greasing accusations, and the EBI match breakdown
They unpack the public trash talk with Gordon Ryan, including the Valentine’s flowers post and accusations of greasing. Nicky Rod walks through the EBI match mechanics (leg entanglements, toe hold ‘break’ claims) and they critique EBI overtime as both fan-friendly and strategically distortive.
- •Social media trolling as marketing and psychological warfare
- •Greasing accusations vs steroid accusations as ‘rebuttals’
- •EBI match: body-lock passing attempts, 50/50 exchanges, toe hold damage debate
- •How EBI overtime works and why it can reward stalling
- •Takeaways: rule sets shape strategy; definitive outcomes vs ‘realistic’ fighting
- 49:45 – 59:48
Steroids and the Wild West of grappling: ethics, recovery, and performance tradeoffs
The conversation turns bluntly to PED culture in no-gi grappling where testing is limited. They discuss ethical ambiguity, how gear affects recovery and training volume, and why it can both enhance and distort technical development.
- •Assumption: if a sport doesn’t test, many will use PEDs
- •Ethics: still ‘cheating,’ but incentives rise with money and prestige
- •Gear boosts recovery and allows more sessions—an indirect skill advantage
- •Downside: some athletes over-rely on strength and gas out
- •Why people stay quiet: stigma, ambiguity, and competitive consequences
- 59:48 – 1:04:26
What B-Team is: building a modern gym with content, culture, and controlled chaos
They explain the origin and philosophy of B-Team—initially pros-focused, later expanding structure and coaching staff. Beyond training, they emphasize marketing, YouTube, and making the gym welcoming and fun without losing seriousness on the mats.
- •Why it’s called B-Team (self-deprecation and brand identity)
- •Coaching group and class structure: instruction, positional sparring, rounds
- •Modern approach: heavy emphasis on media/merch/YouTube growth
- •Creating a lighter culture vs overly serious ‘no smiles’ rooms
- •Handling weird drop-ins and maintaining a safe training environment
- 1:04:26 – 1:12:52
White belt program & how beginners learn faster: constraint-based games and problem-first teaching
With B-Team opening more to beginners, Craig outlines a learning philosophy built around constraints and discovery. Instead of memorizing moves, beginners face a problem in a simplified game, then receive targeted coaching based on the failures that naturally appear.
- •Why beginners change gym dynamics; separating white belt classes
- •Curriculum goal: 33% top game, 33% bottom game, 33% wrestling from day one
- •‘Show up’ matters, but so does training with intention vs death-matches
- •Constraint-based learning: create a game that exposes a problem, then teach the fix
- •Examples: posture games for wrestling, side control retention, 50/50 constraints
- 1:12:52 – 1:32:15
Volkanovski vs Makhachev: fight analysis, cage wrestling, and ‘Just Stand Up’ principles
Craig details how he helped Volkanovski prepare for Islam, emphasizing cage work, stand-ups via turtle/wrestling, and submission defense. He also shares post-fight interactions with Islam and explains why MMA grappling requires different priorities than pure jiu-jitsu.
- •Scoring debate and why Round 2 was controversial
- •Islam interaction: hug, playful throw, and ‘escape the body triangle’ jab
- •Cage as equalizer: different wrestling dynamics, trips/throws, reduced sprawl effects
- •‘Just Stand Up’: turtle/wrestling-based stand-ups vs old-school technical get-up
- •MMA coaching pressure: athlete safety and responsibility beyond tapping
- 1:32:15 – 1:38:36
MMA GOATs and styles: Volk, Jon Jones, Khabib, Dagestani pressure, and Conor’s spectacle
They nominate MMA greats and explain what qualities matter most: versatility, dominance, and mental breaking ability. The discussion expands to Dagestani training culture and the value—and danger—of comedic trash talk popularized by Conor McGregor.
- •Craig’s GOAT pick: Volkanovski for striking + wrestling defense + survival
- •Nicky Ryan’s pick: Jon Jones for blending striking/grappling at elite level
- •Nicky Rod’s pick: Khabib for undefeated dominance and finishing rate
- •Dagestani edge: wrestling base + relentless pressure that breaks opponents mentally
- •Conor’s early banter vs later excess; spectacle as a tool that can backfire culturally
- 1:38:36 – 1:51:01
Strength training, injuries, and competing hurt: ACL tears, biceps blowouts, and rehab denial
They debate the value of lifting for grappling performance and injury resilience, then pivot to injury stories and prevention. Nicky Rod describes tearing his ACL right before ADCC and still competing; Nicky Ryan tells a biceps-tear story tied to poor warm-up and bodybuilding habits.
- •Strength as a tie-breaker at elite level; muscle as ‘armor’ for hobbyists
- •Nicky Rod’s ADCC injury story: pop during wrestling, lost prep week, altered tactics
- •MRI surprise: full ACL tear; decision-making under uncertainty
- •Nicky Ryan’s biceps tear: heavy arm day + late practice + no warm-up
- •Prehab/rehab importance vs the common athlete tendency to ignore it
- 1:51:01 – 1:57:34
Pre-match rituals and mental approach: visualization vs none, controlling sensory input
Nicky Ryan outlines a structured pre-match ritual spanning weeks of preparation down to minute-by-minute warmup timing. Craig rejects rituals almost entirely, aiming to stay relaxed and treat competition like a normal day, highlighting the team’s contrasting mental styles.
- •Ritual planning: training/nutrition/sleep weeks in advance
- •Arrival timing and minute-by-minute warmup structure
- •Visualization of arena, crowd, opponent’s best positions, and winning sequences
- •Limiting sensory input to preserve ‘decision-making’ bandwidth
- •Craig’s counter-approach: no visualization, minimal routine, prioritize calm
- 1:57:34 – 2:07:59
Hardest matches, positional sparring culture, and avoiding ego-based training traps
They reflect on defining matches and the grind of elite training rooms, including brutal positional sparring (mount/turtle cycles). Positional training is framed as essential for exposing weak links, especially for ‘big fish’ athletes who otherwise avoid bad positions and risks.
- •Nicky Rod’s toughest moment: ADCC exhaustion and backstage medical scare story
- •Craig’s ‘annoying’ match story: letting go of an armbar when opponent won’t tap
- •Training-room wars during COVID with a tiny group of elite grapplers
- •Why mount/turtle rounds build toughness and emotional control
- •Positional sparring as ego management: forcing exposure to bad positions to grow
- 2:07:59 – 2:50:02
Perfect training weeks, overtraining, and practical advice for hobbyists to improve
They compare ideal weekly schedules, how intensity shifts pre-competition, and how to experiment with new ideas safely. For non-pros, the core advice is consistency, smarter rounds (not constant redlining), and using video review to identify repeatable problems to fix.
- •Baseline schedules: multiple daily sessions vs reduced volume pre-comp with higher output
- •Experimentation strategy: bring one idea to a session and choose partners accordingly
- •Overtraining is real: mind sharpness, sleep/food, and managing hard days matter
- •Hobbyist improvement: consistent schedule over years beats sporadic intensity
- •Film your rounds, review daily, and build positional training around your recurring mistakes
