Leandro Nyza began training jiu-jitsu as a child in Brazil in 1984. He earned his black belt in 1997 and moved to Hawaii three years later without knowing English, carrying a Portuguese-English dictionary as he began building a new life.

In this episode, Leandro talks about his early years around the development of Nova União, teaching on the Big Island and Oahu, and watching Hawaii’s jiu-jitsu community grow.

He also shares the personal story behind his return to competition. After years of teaching, running a school, and losing his own motivation, the Honolulu Open gave him a reason to make a change. He stopped drinking, lost approximately 40 pounds, returned to the mat as a competitor, and rediscovered an important part of himself.

We also discuss longevity, developing students from white belt to black belt, adapting jiu-jitsu for people with careers and families, and why the first step into a gym is often the hardest.

Leandro is a sixth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and the owner and head instructor of Masters Martial Arts in Hawaii.

Alan Alegre’s grappling journey began with wrestling at Pearl City High School, continued through judo and eventually led him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at UFC Waikele. Along the way, military service interrupted his training, competition tested his confidence and repeated losses forced him to take a closer look at how he was preparing.

Alan shares what he learned from a 10-to-15-match losing streak, how he turned things around and why competing in Japan helped accelerate his development. He also talks about coaching wrestling, staying calm in bad positions, protecting his body for longevity and the importance of keeping training fun.

More than anything, Alan wants to help bring Hawaii’s judo and jiu-jitsu communities closer together. His story shows how the two arts can strengthen one another and how progress often begins with leaving your ego at the door, trusting the basics and remaining willing to learn.

It’s easy to question your progress when younger, faster, or more athletic teammates keep getting the better of you. But comparing yourself to them may not give you an honest picture of where your jiu-jitsu is.

In this episode, I talk about age, athleticism, belt levels, and why two students wearing the same belt can be at very different places. Getting your guard passed or being submitted by a lower belt doesn’t mean you’re not improving.

Your real measurement is who you were a week ago, six months ago, or a year ago. Ask your coaches and teammates for honest feedback, recognize your own progress, and stop letting unfair comparisons take away the joy of training.

John Agapay started jiu-jitsu in his late 40s after enrolling his children. Over the years, Navy deployments, work, and family responsibilities repeatedly pulled him away from training, but he never lost his love for the sport.

Now retired from the Navy, nearly 30 pounds lighter, and back on the mat at Kansept Academy, John talks about the mental challenge of returning, competing as an older practitioner, and why he still believes he has a lot left in him.

At 58, John’s goal is simple: keep challenging himself and continue doing jiu-jitsu until he physically can’t anymore.

Adam Kenney started his jiu-jitsu journey because he wanted his son to learn discipline, respect, and self-defense. After watching from the sidelines, Adam worked up the courage to join him at Grappling Unlimited.

Starting around 40 years old, Adam went from attending one fundamentals class per week to training as often as five days a week. He lost more than 30 pounds, began competing, and discovered a healthier direction for his life.

Adam talks about the nerves of competing, being put to sleep during an IBJJF match, and why he continues studying his losses even when they are difficult to watch. He also shares his goal of competing at every belt level and eventually earning his black belt.

The family journey grew even more when Adam’s 61-year-old mother began training. Now Adam, his mother, and his nine-year-old son represent three generations of one family sharing the mats.

This is a conversation about starting later, working through fear, learning from setbacks, and finding something meaningful that a family can experience together.

Sebastian Lopez first experienced martial arts as a child when his mother enrolled him in MMA to help him build confidence after being bullied. The training did not last long, but years later, he found his way back through jiu-jitsu.

After joining the Navy and completing nuclear power school, Sebastian was stationed in Hawaii. He began training locally, discovered a passion for competition, and eventually found a home at United BJJ under Bruno and Angela.

In this conversation, Sebastian shares why he stopped chasing belts, how journaling helps him improve, what he learned from changing gyms, and why supporting his teammates can sometimes be more rewarding than competing himself.

Sebastian wants to compete at No-Gi Worlds and test himself at the highest level. His bigger goal is to eventually open a gym and provide scholarships for children who need confidence, community, and positive people around them.

This is a conversation about competition, loyalty, purpose, and recognizing that jiu-jitsu can become much bigger than winning.

Todd Tokuyoshi is a black belt under Professor Kawika Yoneda and an instructor at Roma Jiu Jitsu in Hilo.

Todd shares how he went from wrestling in high school to finding jiu-jitsu during a difficult period in his life. He talks about being humbled in his first class, rebuilding his game under Kawika, competing through the colored belts and learning that winning does not always mean you accomplished what you set out to do.

He also shares the story of receiving his black belt and proposing to his wife during the same promotion. After becoming a husband and father, Todd’s purpose in competition began to change. It became less about proving himself and more about setting an example for his son, honoring his commitments and helping guide Roma’s next generation.

We also discuss teaching children, preparing for the best person in the bracket and separating the things a competitor can control from the things they cannot.

Todd’s story is a reminder that you can control your preparation, effort and willingness to follow through, but you cannot always control the win.

When does supporting your child in jiu-jitsu cross the line into making their journey about you?

In the first Small Man roundtable, Robin is joined by BFK, Brandon Salvador and Triston for an honest conversation about parenting, coaching and growing up through jiu-jitsu.

Each guest brings a different perspective. BFK is an academy owner, coach and parent. Brandon began as a parent watching from the sidelines before stepping onto the mat himself. Triston is a kids’ coach preparing to become a parent.

They discuss what a healthy kids’ program should look like, balancing discipline with fun and knowing when parents need to step back and let the coaches coach. Brandon also reflects on realizing that his son’s jiu-jitsu journey had started becoming too much about his own expectations.

The conversation explores competition pressure, children’s social-media accounts, homeschooling primarily for training, coaching your own child and the danger of allowing jiu-jitsu to become a child’s entire identity.

Jiu-jitsu can teach courage, patience and how to recover from failure. The challenge for the adults is remembering whose journey it really is.