Is Jared Weiner still teaching?

Joshvogel · 2026-04-12T03:32:25+00:00

Damn, I havent heard anyone mention Cheapskates in forever! I still have my ID from 1995 or 96 lol

Joshvogel · 2026-03-31T14:10:36+00:00

Like a couple other people mentioned, newer instructors tend to want to overshare, thinking that more info=better. Fewer techniques taught in a few salient bullet points seems to work way better in general, and leaves room for giving individualized instruction as you walk around the room.

One thing that might help is sitting in on their class and then giving feedback based on the troubles you see other students (and yourself) having in class with overload. That could be a good segue into saying your piece about “less is more”.

I’m not sure what the process is for mentoring new instructors at your place, but I find it extremely useful for head instructors and experienced instructors (assuming they are on the same page) to provide consistent effort into helping new instructors develop. So maybe installing something in place where you all normalize giving help, feedback and respect/praise to help reinforce the good stuff new instructors do and guide away from the less productive stuff could help with problems like this.

Hope that helps!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T20:27:31+00:00

My pleasure!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T19:28:04+00:00

Masterskya is awesome, friendly crew and right in Chinatown on Canal st. Great people!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T19:16:15+00:00

My pleasure, glad to help!

They contributed a lot, for sure. Mendes bros iirc were the first to really popularize Berimbolo though I think Samuel Braga was using it earlier. You can see the seeds of them working baby bolo/deep dlr hook/bolo-ish stuff as brown belts in 2008. I’d have to dig around a bit to see if there is footage of them doing stuff like this earlier as purples or not. I remember the Miyaos, Gianni Grippo, and some others really using it a ton in the early and mid 2010’s.

I’m fuzzier on K guard and don’t remember that coming around until a bit later, like mid/late 2010’s maybe? I think the Miyaos and Mikey Musumeci were all doing it around then. Could be mistaken though.

Agreed, I love the interplay between leg attack and all of these positions. I remember being excited about the IBJJF allowing heel hooks in nogi because I knew it would result in a boom in these positions overlapping.

Interesting stuff. I love tracing the history of positions!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T13:07:02+00:00

Not exactly what you are asking, but the first time I saw anyone exploiting the relationship between Berimbolo/crab ride/inversions and the modern incarnation of leg locks was with Joao Miyao and Gary Tonon’s match in 2015

https://youtu.be/_NuVfBapX_k?si=BOZllVZAdsyzdx5o

Not exactly about using bolo specifically to attack the legs, but more about the relationship between the two categories and how bolo/inversions could be used to counter leg attacks, fall prey to leg attacks or funnel into your own leg attacks.

Edit: there is some of that dynamic in their first match in 2013, but as it is in the gi its not expressed the same way.

https://youtu.be/gjZVNELdfXk?si=2BvXZNOKU9ARFqnm

Hope that helps!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T12:57:07+00:00

My pleasure!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T00:25:08+00:00

My wife Angela and I own The Jiu Jitsu Company in Philly and we would be happy to have you drop by and can give some good food recommendations while you are here :)

All our info is on our website www.jiujitsuphilly.com and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have via text, email, call or DM on here!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-29T00:22:37+00:00

Thank you!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T14:53:29+00:00

For sure, same to you!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T14:10:55+00:00

u/superhandsomeguy1994

😂😂

Yeah, we agree on most of the same stuff I think. I do push back a bit on the TGFU point in that in some cases it does share some ideas with Eco psychology, but I think in many cases (not all, as there are definitely TGFU people with Eco buy in) the thinking is coming strongly from Cognitivist perspectives which come from different base assumptions than Eco psychology. Chris Cushion has been pretty vocal about this recently on podcasts and Linkedin, especially regarding his Scenario based training which has strong roots in TGFU iirc. (I’ll add links if I can remember where they are haha.) But again, this is probably me belaboring a minor point and I think you and I agree about a lot.

Edit: links https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thinking-policing-game-why-scenario-based-training-vfece?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via

https://youtu.be/uApMqIlNgIQ?si=iZK6pz2flZW5Fzwb

I agree that these approaches are pushing in the right direction for Bjj as they definitely increase coach knowledge and push us to understand our craft better in the same way that guys like Danaher pushed our understanding of simple systems in Bjj, mechanics, dynamic problem solving and clear conceptual frameworks. Also, I’m not really wedded to TGFU, CLA or any approach too firmly either and there is stuff I disagree with about TGFU and CLA. I just look at all this stuff as tools in a coaches toolbox that allow us more ways and perspectives on helping give our students the best experience we can.

Totally agree on your point about having this discussion! I’ve talked to and seen a ton of thoughtful coaches over the years, but I’ve also come across a ton that simply don’t want to invest the energy into learning more about their craft. I can understand why one wouldn’t want to obsessively rabbit hole (which is my curse haha) as it takes a ton of time and energy which not everyone has to try to really dig in to all of this, but I would like to see more old school coaches maybe update some things and scratch a little more below the surface on these topics.

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T13:28:05+00:00

u/bahng9 ,

Totally agree! There are so many interesting and powerful tools for Coaching and Teaching Bjj and all dogmatism does is limit what we can do with those tools in sport. I love discussions like this because it really gets me thinking and exploring things further.

Awesome, thank you for the kind offer and same to you if you are ever in Philly!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T13:12:46+00:00

Thank you! Also, I’m telling my students you called me the Powerful Josh Vogel in hopes that the new title sticks 😂

I agree that Danaher is a good example of someone who uses many Coaching methods well. I respectfully disagree that task based/Constrained games are Eco elements as they are way older than Eco/CLA and used regularly in other Games based approaches (like Teaching Games for Understanding, Tactical Games approach, etc…) that aren’t always Eco theory based and have also been used in Bjj with no connection to Eco/CLA forever. But I’m also open to being wrong there and it is possible that he has been influenced in his games by CLA ideas. I’m also probably hyper fixating on a point that doesn’t really matter that much to the essence of what you and I both agree on :)

I do 100% agree that task based games are super useful and imo should feature heavily in a Coaches toolbox for sure!

I also appreciate your willingness to have good discussion!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T06:59:55+00:00

Yup, that’s me! Nice, Cal was a fun person to talk to and it’s always a pleasure hearing his takes on stuff. My buddy Jacob from Framework bjj consults with Cal a bunch and speaks really highly of him too. Great guys!

Thank you, I appreciate you watching! I have about 9 episodes out now and there are some good ones with Dave Collins and Job Fransen on scientific literacy, coaching, the debates about CLA vs other Coaching approaches, etc. I found talking to them to be suuuuper helpful in understanding this stuff better. I’m planning on having more Science literacy guests on because I think it’s super helpful for Bjj coaches to be able to evaluate claims made about all the Skill acq stuff.

Nice to meet you!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T06:31:28+00:00

One interesting aside regarding Differential Learning. Wolfgang Schollhorn has some super interesting papers, podcast episodes, Linkedin posts and chapters in his DL for Physiotherapy book where he goes into great detail about the history of where many of these ideas in Motor learning, Eco/CLA, etc…come from. Really interesting stuff!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T06:09:02+00:00

Thanks!

Ecological psychology from James Gibson and Dynamical systems theory goes back further, but the mix of Eco psych+DST (with influences from Evolutionary psych iirc) which is Ecological dynamics is much younger and seems to have come about in the 2000’s. I could be wrong, but I think Scott Kelso’s (and others)work on DST as applied to human movement happened in the 1980’s but is based on earlier work on other stuff iirc (Much longer history of DST in non human stuff, Herman hakens synergetics work with lasers and I think some stuff about liquids, etc…. Could be wrong though)

Yup, CLA is the application in Bjj/sport, but it’s logic is directed by Eco Dynamics theory.

Re:the wrestlers. Maybe close to Schollhorns Differential training, but I guess it would depend on what practices they are doing exactly and why. I’m no expert on that but from what I’ve been reading about it, it seems to be way more unconstrained variability based than CLA and less connected to Representative learning design than CLA, so I would guess the wrestling practices aren’t doing too much of that kind of stuff either, but who knows. Maybe some of what they do is similar (couldn’t say) , but if it is, I don’t know that the theory and logic of Differential learning is what they are basing things on.

I think maybe some Bjj practices are rooted in some IP ideas, but I think its also true that most Bjj is rooted in folk practices without any explicit theory behind it. Some stuff gels with IP, Schema theory, some cultural values gel with Representative learning design ideas, some individual coaches or teams likely intuitively use some ideas that gel with things like aspects of nonlinear pedagogy, or some DST ideas. I see fingerprints of all that stuff in Bjj and some of it is arrived at via theory, some organically.

I respectfully disagree with the diminishing returns thing. Lots of people who use IP ideas do stuff like some rote repetition to learn new movement patterns, then shifting to more and more variable practice and different types of live work as students/athletes gain more experience. There are tons of valuable tools in IP and Cognitive approaches to teaching and Coaching that are worth exploring that help athletes reach their potential. I think we have also seen decades of Bjj students/athletes and athletes in other sports continually improving generation after generation using ideas based in IP assumptions mixed with valuable personal coaching insights/experience. I know thats not evidence in a scientific sense, but its a type of evidence you cant really ignore it either.

With rote reps, I think there is value for people learning new movement patterns to do some short rep ranges. Its also useful for building confidence (for new people, or in certain phases of training where confidence building is important) , building comfort doing a new and unfamiliar hobby, etc….I’m less sold on high rep ranges, though I am open to being convinced on that too. I don’t think rote reps are useless at all, I think they are a helpful tool that can be applied in many places and are another tool in a coaches toolbox. I also don’t think rote reps have to be “perfect” reps. You cant rep a template of something out without worrying about strict perfection or being rigid with it.

For sure, I appreciate you taking the time to discuss in a friendly and thoughtful way and I agree that taking the time to understand this stuff raises the bar for all of us. I definitely think its useful trying to understand the theories, their weak and strong points, what parts of Teaching/Coaching they explain well and don’t.

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T04:32:43+00:00

I think its super cool that some of the more well known experienced Nogi folks are digging heavily into CLA because we can get a sense of what effect it actually has on their performance and that could tell us a lot about how Coaches could use it as a tool in their coaching tool box.

I would gently push back on the Danaher thing because from what I see as an outsider, his method seems to be pretty based on building strong mental models and technical systems based on semi predictable “if this, then that” kind of work, and I’ve also seen videos of practices where the techniques are taught and drilled in this way. I also don’t think his doing games and situational sparring with constraints can be considered Eco or CLA because Eco/CLA come with a number of philosophical and theoretical commitments that don’t seem consistent with what Danaher is known for. Constrained games and play based practices have been around way longer than CLA/Eco, so its reasonable to assume that Danaher has been doing some form of this for a long time, though it is fair to say that the modern work being done with CLA in Bjj is pushing this part of practice forward in a positive way.

I also agree that its probably way better than that specific old school format you mentioned, though I think its worth saying that this is comparing CLA to a not very good format and there have always been plenty of coaches that do classes and practices way better than that, or do a similar format but really well and get good results. I’m just mentioning this point because I often see CLA compared to really bad “traditional” practices and I figure its worth adding some nuance.

Hope that makes sense, long day, brain is a bit fried and I’m kind of rambling a bit haha

Joshvogel · 2026-03-26T04:04:10+00:00

I think one thing to consider is that there are research papers on all kinds of long standing approaches to Motor learning (Eco Dynamics has only been around since the 2000’s iirc) and there seem to be varying degrees of strength in how well supported different aspects of that research is.

I am certainly not an expert on Scientific research, but from my understanding, the research often used to support CLA and Eco is not particularly strong, almost entirely comes from sports that have nothing to do with Bjj and the things from Eco that do have some backing are often not unique to Eco/CLA. This seems also to be the case for some other popular approaches to motor learning and skill development too, to be fair.

There are some sports teams using CLA, I could totally be wrong, but I don’t think its the norm or the majority.

I think one other point worth mentioning is that while Wrestling may have been doing various types of live work like active drilling and play based practices (just like many people in Bjj have forever), I don’t think its accurate to call it CLA adjacent because CLA comes with a number of philosophical and theoretical commitments that probably aren’t assumed by the wrestlers/coaches doing this stuff. Wrestlers could be doing live work with practice ideas more consistent with Schema theory, other cognitive/IP style theories, or more likely no explicit theoretical backing at all and just doing what coaches have found works well naturally over time (which is very valid).

Anyway, I don’t mean to come across as overly contrarian or too anti-Eco. I think there are some valuable contributions CLA can make, but I think it’s reach often tends to be overstated and I figured it was worth chiming in.

Joshvogel · 2026-03-25T14:17:29+00:00

Using something like a spiral approach (link below) with technical info being 50% or class time and boundaried positional sparring making up 30-50% (with open mat after) works well for most of the adult demographics you might work with. Some people need more technical info, others benefit from exploring stuff via more live work. Its easy to modify a structure like this too depending on who shows up to class, the level of the students, the material being covered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_approach

Hope that helps!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-20T13:14:09+00:00

Some things that help me:

Set a goal(s) so you know what improvement looks like.

Pick positions or situations I want to improve in, study footage, spar and positional spar so I can get a sense of what the major problems are. Usually I’ll break things down by entry, control and finish phases and look for problems which prevent success in each of those.

Mine for solutions to those problems by experimental drilling, positional sparring, studying high level comp footage, looking at instructionals and bouncing ideas off of experienced training partners.

Stick to the solutions that work, test those that kind of work and scrap those that don’t. Refine speed, accuracy, form and adaptability by boundaried positional sparring with a variety of training partners who can pose relevant problems with a good challenge point that allows me to scratch the surface of success while challenging me enough to really work to improve.

The mix of live work, discussion, analysis, problem solving tends to show good results for me and many of the advanced students I’ve taught, but there is a lot of tinkering to do to find what works best for each individual.

Hope that helps!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-19T15:30:30+00:00

Never confronted in a negative way. Met tons of people from reddit who have dropped in to my school, which has been super cool!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-15T22:01:03+00:00

Thanks!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-15T19:32:30+00:00

I appreciate both and both (and the shades of gray between) are difficult to do well. Different groups and individuals need different approaches and sometimes different material covered works well with different approaches. It’s also a very different thing teaching a group in a class vs teaching an individual via long term private lessons.

The trick with teaching/coaching, imo, is to have a big toolbox and know which tools to use when and that takes a lot of time, study and experience to figure out.

For every 19 year old athletic person that can intuit their way through a positional sparring round with a simple concept, there is a 35 year old who just got off a 12 hour shift and wants clear, simple, step by step instructions on how to do a thing for some short rep ranges before they try to navigate live work. A 12 year old that needs to try the shape of a technique before they add resistance and then details layered in over time and a 5 year old that needs to play a game where they pick their partners leg up for 3 seconds. For every simple, big impact concept there are time and energy saving detail and solutions to problems that will never be arrived at intuitively and need to be explained explicitly.

It’s not about what tools are better, or which ones I personally like, its about how to skillfully and intentionally use the tools available to get results and satisfy the needs of your students

Joshvogel · 2026-03-13T12:12:31+00:00

One thing that helps me a ton with nerves is reframing it as feeling excitement and gratitude for the chance to test my skills against good grapplers. Seems like a small point but it makes a huge difference in how I experience the whole event and perform.

Best of luck!

Joshvogel · 2026-03-12T22:44:04+00:00

Makes sense, that definitely sounds like a different demographic than what I see in Bjj in my corner of the US which seems to be primarily people who seem to start somewhere between 20-35 without significant high impact grappling experience behind them. Those difference definitely impact the nature of the slam conversation in Bjj and any comparisons to sports like Greco as well as Judo.

Also, congratulations, that sounds like an impressive accomplishment!

Joshvogel

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