Ten Competitions before Blue Belt with 49yo Johnny Cheng

Ten Competitions before Blue Belt with 49yo Johnny Cheng

In this episode, I sit down with a 49-year-old three-stripe white belt who has packed a lot into just two years of training. Despite being relatively new to jiu-jitsu, he's already competed seven times and has set a personal goal of reaching double digits before earning his blue belt. We talk about what drives him to compete so often, his evolving game, and how he somehow seems to know the name of every guard—from octopus and rubber to williams and coyote. If you enjoy hearing a lot of white belt insight, this episode is packed!

Rolling Clean: The Fighter, The Cleaner, and the CLA with Scott Boehler

In this episode, I sit down with a longtime practitioner whose jiu-jitsu journey has taken him all over the country. After beginning his martial arts career in Montana more than 15 years ago, he stepped into the cage for several MMA fights before ultimately deciding to focus exclusively on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along the way, he took an unconventional path, spending a year living out of his van and traveling across the United States, visiting and training at gyms of all styles and affiliations. His journey has taken him from Montana to Arizona and eventually to San Diego, where he found the academy he now proudly calls home. Outside of training, he is also the owner of Combat Sports Cleaning, a specialized deep-cleaning company that serves martial arts academies and combat sports facilities. We discuss the realities of running a business within the martial arts community and how his experiences as both a practitioner and entrepreneur have shaped his perspective. We also take a deep dive into the increasingly popular Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) to training, why he's become such a strong advocate for it, and how it differs from more traditional methods of instruction. We discuss the value of learning through experimentation, the evolution of coaching methods, and how different training environments can dramatically influence a practitioner's development. Whether you're interested in the evolution of jiu-jitsu training, the business side of martial arts, or hearing stories from someone who has spent more than 15 years immersed in the art, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Never Too Late: Starting at 52 and Winning Gold with Mark Alexander

In this episode, I sit down with 56-year-old blue belt Mark Alexander. Although Mark didn’t begin his journey until his early 50s, he has already made a serious impact on the competition scene. In a relatively short time, he’s gone on to win gold at multiple major competitions around the world, proving that it’s never too late to begin. Outside the gym, Mark is a father of six, with kids ranging in age from 9 to 30, and a former Marine who served in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He brings that same discipline, resilience, and mindset into his jiu-jitsu journey. We talk about his approach to “big guy” jiu-jitsu, his experiences competing at a high level, and the mental side of training; especially when it comes to managing ego and staying focused. Mark also shares what drives his competitive edge and what it really means to have a winner’s mentality, regardless of when you start. I have to say this was one of my most inspirational episodes.  Hope you enjoy!

More Than Training: Building a BJJ Community Beyond the Gym with Vince Pacleb

Welcome to Episode 24 of RO40 with Vince Pacleb. Vince is a 49-year-old brown belt who’s been in the martial arts world for over 20 years, works in the fitness industry, and runs his own (much more established) BJJ podcast called the Bizjitsu Podcast.  We got into: * His journey through jiu-jitsu as an adult and what’s kept him training for decades * The crossover between podcasting, business ownership, and jiu-jitsu * Why he focuses on interviewing not just grapplers, but grapplers who run businesses * His vision of building a real community within BJJ to help people connect, network, and grow outside the gym One of the coolest parts of the episode was hearing about a major “aha” moment he had as a blue belt that still shapes his game today as a brown belt, especially around patience and control when taking the back which he calls, “Going for a ride.”  If you’re into jiu-jitsu, business, or just trying to stay consistent on the mats long-term, there’s a lot in this one. Hope you enjoy!

BJJ, Bands, and Bangkok: The Journey of Blas Carrasco

In this episode, I sit down Brown Belt Blas Carrasco. Blas has been immersed in martial arts, self-defense, and jiu-jitsu for nearly 30 years — and at almost 50 years old, he brings a level of perspective that only time on the mats can produce. We first met over a decade ago at a mutual friend’s wedding, but this conversation dives far deeper. He shares the story of buying a one-way ticket to Thailand, spending six months training Muay Thai, and how that experience shaped his understanding of discipline, culture, and violence. We talk about his fascination with human behavior — how he studies the psychological cues that signal danger, and how he teaches self-defense starting with awareness long before technique. He also tells the wild story of opening his own BJJ academy as a blue belt almost 20 years ago, long before jiu-jitsu exploded in popularity. And outside the martial arts world, we explore his creative passions in music and art, including the bands he’s been part of and the new one he recently launched. This conversation is packed with wisdom, stories, philosophy, and humor — the kind of insight that only comes from decades of learning, teaching, and living fully both on and off the mats.