Episodes

Join hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland on Part 2 of "Menagerie on the Mats," a humorous, experience-driven dive into the archetypes you meet at every jiu-jitsu gym. With 40 years of combined grappling experience, they break down personalities, coaching dynamics, and what makes training communities tick. Topics include the "steroid guy" (TRT vs. full-cycle PED use), substitute teachers who interrupt class, the student-of-the-game nerd, teacher's pets, "let-you-work" partners, child phenom...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland (with 40 years of combined grappling experience) discuss Jonah Hill's recent Booth brothers interview and use it as a springboard to explore "blue belt energy" — the thin line between confidence and arrogance in jiu-jitsu. They talk about celebrity training dynamics, the widening popularity of BJJ and how status hierarchies create online posturing, plus advice on how to respond: train more, compete, or simply be chill. The episode also includes personal a...

Welcome back to Fighters Drinking Coffee with Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland. In this episode they launch a playful multi-part series profiling the "menagerie of the mats". The first installment of the many archetypes you’ll find in any jiu-jitsu gym. The hosts riff on dozens of characters, including the "Open Carry" (spats-only guy), "The Chosen One" (naturally gifted newcomer), the "Matt Bully," the "0 to 100" throttle, the "Smelly Guy," "Stoners," cops, straight-edge and subculture athlet...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland (combined 40 years of grappling experience) dig into the theme "comfort vs. discomfort" and how embracing hard, uncomfortable training accelerates progress in jiu-jitsu. They discuss competition as a forced growth environment, practical coaching strategies, and how to turn unpleasant moments into usable takeaways. Topics covered include putting yourself into bad positions to practice escapes and defenses, using tournaments and video review to identify th...

On this episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland talk with Jon Klem of Managed Memberships about his jiu-jitsu journey, starting in 2020, cross-training experiences, training with visiting gyms, and the role jiu-jitsu played in his fitness and family life. The conversation moves into practical gym-business topics: membership pipeline and retention, the importance of check-ins, overcoming resistance to sales and marketing, staffing and seasonality, and how com...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland recap their weekend at the Virginia Open: coaching 15 athletes, guiding first-time IBJJF competitors, and celebrating wins from newcomers to longtime stars like friend of the show Big John. Topics include coaching strategies (simplified in-match cues, tailoring instruction by experience), scenario-based training and performance days, standing takedowns and passing-from-feet gaps discovered at the event, and programming takeaways for future camps. The ep...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland break down Scott’s recent solo trip to the American Nationals and dig into the mental side of competition. They discuss pre-match anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and the unique challenge of competing alone versus in a team environment. The episode covers practical strategies: simplifying focus to the next action, using warm-up routines and mental triggers, writing notes after matches, and reframing value beyond medals. They also touch on coach-athlete feedb...

Join hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland (with a combined 40 years of grappling experience) as they break down the value of internal competition in jiu-jitsu gyms: your battle buddies, accountability partners, and the scrimmages that sharpen both technique and tactical thinking. They discuss how friendly rivalries push consistency, force you to diversify setups and timing, and develop the mental agility required to execute under pressure. Expect practical coaching points on practicing tact...

Hosts Michael Sutherland and Scott Dance dig into a listener’s question: why does the BJJ community sometimes look down on people who don’t compete? They explore hierarchy, ego, social media’s role in amplifying validation-seeking, and whether competitive culture bleeds over from wrestling. The episode covers coaches’ perspectives, the value of hobbyists as essential training partners, how competition can maximize potential, and practical advice for both competitors and non-competitors on respe...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland (combined 40 years of grappling experience) break down how to build and maintain a healthy jiu-jitsu community. They cover the owner’s role in seeding culture, vetting new members, and choosing coaches who extend core values. The episode explores practical systems such as onboarding/induction, coach selection, student ambassadors, and handling difficult personnel decisions; plus, why transparency, safety, and clear values matter for retention and growth....

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland share their 40 years of combined grappling experience with you, the listener. They have done things the hard way in the past and have learned better ways to train, prepare, compete and coach because of it. They plan to convey these experiences and discoveries through this podcast to help you streamline your Jiu-jitsu experience!

Join hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland of Fighters Drinking Coffee, two mat veterans with 40 years of combined grappling experience, as they break down how to flip the mental and physical switch from casual training to competition mode. This episode covers planning, programming, and the small but critical changes that get you competition-ready. They discuss training structure and intensity (how to shift from exploratory mat time to purpose-driven sessions), balancing coaching duties with...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland explore why people fall out of love with jiu-jitsu. Covering stress, anxiety, boredom, injuries, finances, relationship pressures, and toxic gym cultures. They discuss practical fixes like reframing your "why," changing scenery, downshifting frequency, setting timelines for breaks, cross-training, and teaching to regain motivation. The episode also shifts to the coach’s perspective on retention, novelty in class design, and balancing long-term commitment...

Hosts Scott Dance and Michael Sutherland discuss how hierarchy and ego affect learning in jiu-jitsu, and why training with everyone (even lower belts) can expand your game. They introduce practical ideas like the 50/50 split between execution and exploration, intentional rolling, and competing as an outlet for ego expression. The episode also launches a new segment, "Combat Confessions," featuring a wild Reddit open-mat story about a man who lets people choke him, plus instructions on how liste...

In this episode Scott and Mike dive into the psychology of training; why we started jiu‑jitsu, why we keep going, and how to find motivation when it fades. They share origin stories, talk about competition as a tool for learning, and explain how purpose can direct your day‑to‑day training. Topics include the difference between your long‑term “why” and short‑term motivation, using competition to test and measure progress, coaching and business perspectives, and practical habits to stay consisten...

Welcome back to the Fighters Drinking Coffee podcast. In this episode we focus on how to restructure your training to get past sticking points in your jiu-jitsu progression. Hosts discuss practical steps like increasing frequency, changing training partners or class formats, setting measurable goals, and committing to focused, repeated practice. They cover troubleshooting techniques such as using workshops, privates, partner feedback, and situational drilling. Plus, the value of patience: accept...

In this episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee the hosts return from a long road trip and dive into the thin line between productive control and unhealthy obsession around training, competition, and habits. They discuss weight cutting strategies, meal timing, and building systems that reduce last-minute panic. Scott and Mike (with mentions of Kate, Andrea, and Leo) as they break down tape study: what to watch, how much is useful, and how to avoid overthinking match sequences, plus tips for managin...

On this episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee the hosts dig into recent sexual misconduct and abuse allegations rocking the BJJ community — including high-profile cases tied to Atos/Andre Galvão, Melqui Galvão, and reports from 10th Planet and CheckMat. They discuss institutional mishandling, power dynamics, and the ripple effects these revelations have had across affiliations and athletes. The conversation covers why jiu-jitsu’s close-contact, hierarchical culture creates unique risks, the compl...

This episode is coming to you from the road, where we were still joined by Andrea and Kate, while enroute to the Chicago Open. on this episode we discussed training with men vs. women, the value of bigger training partners for building physicality, but the unique benefit of female partners when you want a realistic look at your weight class. We also dive into the mindset of women who train by discussing the experiences of Kate and Andrea on the mats, looking at how men and other members of the ...

On this episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee, hosts and guests Kate, Andrea, Scott and Leo recap the Chicago Open weekend: match results, immediate rematches, and what went right (and what didn’t) on the mats. We dig into match-by-match breakdowns and key takeaways — including tactical adjustments, live coaching captured with mic’d coaches for post-match film review, and lessons learned from running it back. Plus the food stories: our pre-fight steak-and-potatoes ritual, post-fight feasts, and d...

On today's episode we are joined by a few fellow competitors as we were on the road to Chicago. We focused on the topic of managing your weight cut during travel. Using our plan for the ten hour drive we were on. We also get into discussions about the types of food we bring for travel, adhering to the Fighters Drinking Coffee Rules of the Road and Systematically Maintaining the Weight Cut. Hope you enjoy the show and our road rants! Please remember to follow, rate and review! or Support the sh...

In this episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee the hosts discuss how gyms can welcome newcomers and help them become long-term jiu-jitsu students, and how new members—whether white belts or experienced visitors—can fit into a new community. Topics include reading the room, expectations for experienced visitors, how existing members can include and mentor newcomers, preventing injury and burnout, and practical tips to build lasting training relationships. Please remember to follow, rate and review...

On this episode David Bergida joins the show to discuss his transition from Division I wrestling to MMA, his training and fight-week rituals, and how he balances competition with family life. They also dig into health and optimization — David’s experience with a pituitary condition, sleep strategies he uses (including the creation of his Hibernation Honey supplement), diet approaches, travel routines, and the launch of his Farm to Fuel/Hibernation Honey product. Find Hibernation Honey at www.fa...

On today’s episode of Fighters Drinking Coffee we wrap up our Dallas trip, share the "rules of the road" for competing and traveling for jiu-jitsu, and trade practical tips on weight management, pre- and post-competition meals, venue logistics, and in-event rituals. We also announce upcoming stops like Chicago and Nationals, and reflect on travel mishaps, Delilah’s supper club, Terry Black’s barbecue, and lessons learned from competition on the road. Please remember to follow, rate and review!...