Grapple Asia Podcast

Hey everyone, I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mac from Grapple Asia for his podcast (Ep. 32).

We had a great chat about my journey, starting from my days playing high-level basketball in Scotland to what got me into combat sports—initially MMA, which then led me to jiu-jitsu. I talk about what first brought me to Taiwan over a decade ago (mainly to get some heat in my bones!) and my path to eventually opening my own academy, Catch Jiu Jitsu.

We also spent a lot of time digging into my coaching philosophy. I explain why I've moved away from the traditional method of just "spoon-feeding" answers to my students. I've found it's much more effective to present problems and let them discover their own solutions through live, problem-solving scenarios. I believe this makes the techniques "stick" so much better in the long run.

I also shared my thoughts on:

• Why I named my gym "Catch Jiu Jitsu".
• The challenges of building a jiu-jitsu culture in Taiwan, where the sport isn't well-known.
• Why I apply the same coaching methodology to both kids and adults.
• My strategy of "coaching to the bottom 80%" to raise the entire gym's level, not just the top athletes.
• My upcoming goal of competing with my team at the Marianas Open qualifier here in Taipei to win a ticket to Guam.

It was a great, in-depth conversation. I hope you'll give it a listen!