On today's episode, I welcome Sensei Thompson to the podcast. Sensei Thompson is a traditional martial artist that is involved heavily in spreading the wisdom and spirit of martial arts. We sit down and have a great conversation about philsophy, our journeys, and ways we can spread martial arts. #grapplinglife #martialarts #judoblackbelt #bjj #judocoach #judo #student1stmartialarts #sensei #senseiexplains #jiujitsu #podcast #martialartspodcast #judopodcast #nidan #karate #kenpo #kenpokarate #grappling #fightpodcast #fighter #philosophy #talk #talking #conversation #meaningful #traditionalmartialarts #spreadtheword #enjoyment #fun #cool #technique #philospher #sitaroundthefire #likemindedpeople #martialartsjourney #martialartsbusiness #grow #growyourchannel #growyourbusiness

On today’s episode, I’m excited to welcome back my friend, Rob Tate.Rob is a standout athlete with a deep North Carolina wrestling pedigree. He was a state champion for East Gaston High School, a three-time state placer, and later went on to wrestle Division I at Gardner-Webb University.During his collegiate career, Rob qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament, became an East Regional Champion and two-time finalist, earned East Region Wrestler of the Week multiple times, and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 2007 Pembroke Classic.Rob later served as the head wrestling coach at Queens University in Charlotte before the program was dissolved. Today, he works with USA Wrestling in Utah, continuing his commitment to growing the sport at a national level.On top of all that, Rob is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under John Piper— and most importantly, he’s a good friend of mine.Check out this episode and more on Well Rounded Grappler, found on both Spotify and Youtube. #WrestlingPodcast #BJJPodcast #CombatSportsTalk #WrestlingLife #CollegeWrestling #NCAAWrestling #DivisionIWrestling #HighSchoolWrestling #WrestlingCommunity #WrestlingFamily #WrestlingNation #BJJLife #BrownBeltBJJ #GrapplingTalk #GrapplingNation #CombatSportsPodcast #WrestlingCoach #WrestlingLegacy #USAWwrestling #USAWrestling #GardnerWebb #QueensUniversity #WrestlingHistory #EastGaston #NorthCarolinaWrestling #NCWrestling #BJJCommunity #GrapplersUnite #GrapplingArts #FightTalk #AthleteSpotlight #PodcastInterview #SportsPodcast #CombatAthlete #GrapplingCulture #ChampionMindset #WrestlingJourney #BJJJourney #GrapplingLife #MartialArtsPodcast

Episode 53 of The Well Rounded Grappler features a deep-dive with one of the most technical minds in modern Judo – Shintaro Higashi. 🥋🔥

Shintaro is a 6th-dan Judo black belt, 2x USA Judo Senior National Champion, former World Team member for Team USA, and climbed as high as 43rd in the IJF world rankings at 100 kg. He’s a Sambo Pan-American champion, BJJ black belt, and All-State wrestler, and he runs the legendary Kokushi Budo Institute in NYC as well as a massively popular Judo YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

In this conversation we get into what really makes Judo work for Jiu-Jitsu and modern grappling – not just theory, but details you can take straight to the mats. We talk about grip fighting, low-risk throws for BJJ, leg grabs, transition to newaza, and how to blend Judo, wrestling, BJJ, and Sambo into a complete takedown game.

In this episode:

Training under his father Nobuyoshi Higashi and inheriting Kokushi Budo Institute in New York City

How he designs Judo for BJJ systems: safe entries, posture, and breaking stubborn stiff-arms

The truth about leg grabs, rule changes, and what still works for Jiu-Jitsu & MMA

Building one of the internet’s biggest Judo education platforms and what he’s learned as a coach, professor, and entrepreneur

If you’re a BJJ player who hates pulling guard, a Judo player trying to adapt to new rules, or just a grappling nerd who loves high-level strategy, this episode is loaded with concepts, stories, and drills you can plug into your training right away.

👇 Support the show

Hit LIKE, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway, and SUBSCRIBE for more high-level grappling conversations.

Share this episode with a training partner who needs better takedowns!

Check out Shintaro's Socials:

https://www.youtube.com/@UC70qwffU7qQvTVm26wziD8A

#wellroundedgrappler #ShintaroHigashi #judo #bjjfamily #judoforbjj #grappling #jiujitsu #nogi #mma #combatsports #takedowns #throws #newaza #SubmissionGrappling #WrestlingForBJJ #sambo #martialarts #olympicjudo #teamusa #blackbelt #KokushiBudo #GrapplerLifestyle #judothrows #GripFighting #LegGrabs #TakedownTips #bjjtechniques #bjjwhitebelt #bjjbluebelt #BJJBrownBelt #bjjblackbelt #dojolife #TrainHard #coachlife #martialartspodcast #grapplingpodcast #JudoInstruction #BJJInstructionals #selfdefense #fightiq

🥋🔥I sat down with 2x Judo Olympian & Multiple-Time National Champion, Colton Brown, at his dojo — The Colton Brown Training Center in Warren, NJ.

I spent two days training with some of the top Judoka in the U.S., including international competitors, and this interview did not disappoint.

🙌Colton shared incredible insight about:

💪 How he started his dojo from the ground up

🔥 The struggles and mindset of a gym owner

🥇 What it takes to compete at the Olympic level

🌎 How his program became one of the largest Judo clubs in the country. Colton is an amazing athlete, coach, and host — and this conversation gives real perspective on what it takes to build champions on and off the mat.

👊🎧 Watch & listen now on YouTube and Spotify!

📺 Search: Well Rounded Grappler Podcast

📲 Follow Colton Brown on Facebook, Instagram, & YouTube📍 Visit Colton Brown Training Center – Warren, NJ

#WellRoundedGrappler #ColtonBrown #ColtonBrownTrainingCenter #JudoPodcast #bjjpodcast #JudoOlympian #olympicjudo #judolife #judotraining #usajudo #bjjcommunity #GrapplingPodcast #martialartspodcast #grapplinglife #judoclub #bjjforlife #combatsports #judonation #bjjlifestyle #TrainHard #martialartsjourney #blackbeltmindset #grapplingarts #dojolife #trainwiththebest #judofamily #OlympianMindset #combatathlete #judothrows #martialartist #grapplers #WellRoundedAthlete #bjjtraining #judochampionship #martialartsmotivation #GrapplingWorld #fightculture #TrainJudo #TrainBJJ #neverstoptraining #OlympicMindset

In this episode of The Well Rounded Grappler, I sit down with Kim Rice, black belt head instructor and co-owner of Bull City BJJ in Durham, NC. Kim’s been rolling since 2010 and earned her black belt in June 2021 under Jason Culbreth.

Kim is a decorated competitor and coach. Her accolades include:

• 2× adult world champion

• 10× masters world champion

• Abu Dhabi silver medalist

But her mission goes beyond medals. Kim is passionate about making jiu-jitsu accessible, especially for women and underrepresented groups. She treats BJJ as self defense first, sport second, and works to build a safe, welcoming environment at her school.

On this episode we dive into:

• Her journey from purple/brown belt to black belt

• How she balances competitive ambition with serving her students

• The challenges and opportunities of running a female-led gym in a male-dominated sport

• Stories of transformation from her students

• Lessons in leadership, growth, and community building

If you want inspiration from someone who pushes hard on and off the mats, this is one you don’t want to miss.

📲 Tune in now — share this with your training partners!
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#WellRoundedGrappler #BJJ #WomenInBJJ #BullCityBJJ #KimRice #GrapplingPodcast #JiuJitsuLife #MartialArts #CommunityOverCompetition #BJJLeadership #DurhamNC #RollWithPurpose

Skyler Cummings: 14x National Judo Champ, Top Game Martial Arts owner, and Wrestling Coach.

https://topgamemartialarts.com/

On today's episode, I welcome Sensei and Professor Joshua Page to the podcast. Josh is a 20 year martial arts school owner, has multiple black belts, has world and national titles, and is a Pedro Sauer affiliate. We talk about a wide range of things including: his story, his school's history, what is a martial artist, the difference between a martial artist and a fighter, the UFC, and some philosophy.

Links;

https://www.instagram.com/hickoryacademy/

https://www.hickorykarate.com/

Today, I welcome Jake Whitfield to the show. Jake is the head bjj instructor at Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. We discuss his well rounded grappling experience, the UFC's beginnings, his professor Royce Gracie, and his experiences owning a school.

Links:

https://www.patreon.com/trianglejake?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3OpX3NVQNtBFSyAr6O1PXu_5iWpmWYXyggBfzo8XHkzj1iS9UQwYRa2-g_aem_TCo5aLv1DCTmB-nc8Wsl4g

https://www.instagram.com/chapelhill_gjj/

https://www.instagram.com/trianglejake/