First, I want to thank you for being a loyal reader of the Order & Progress newsletter. I put a lot of effort into creating content each and every week ,and it means a lot to know that thousands of grapplers are consuming these articles.
The goal is to always evolve as a grappler, and ultimately, a person, by committing to educate myself with the best methods for human performance.
As a result, I aim to help as many people as possible to create stronger, more resilient bodies and minds for BJJ and for life.
I have a free video course with high-value, minimalist methods linked for you below that will kickstart your journey towards more grappling resilience.
But before that, I want to hear more from you! To create better content and continue to provide as much value as possible in 2025.
Could you please complete this short from so I can better serve you in this newsletter?
My Plan For 2025
As cliche as it sounds, the “white belt mentality” can serve you well far beyond the mats. At age 35 I was riddled with pain and injuries and had to reevaluate everything I knew about training, performance, recovery, and pain.
After 10 years on the mat, I had lost my beginners mindset and believed I knew most of what I needed to to maintain resilience for grappling as I aged.
The daily pain, and finally the double disc herniation, was the wake up call I needed to humble me back to the white belt mentality.
So I threw my convictions out the window and committed to researching as much as possible about building optimal movement and performance for athletes past age 35.
That’s what I write about each week in these articles.
But there is so much more to learn.
And I’m committed to expanding my knowledge not just in the new year, but indefinitely.
Order & Progress is a commitment to continued self-progress, forever.
Here is what I plan to deliver in 2025.
1. Conditioning
Over the last 18 months of weekly articles I’ve mostly focused on strength, mobility, and building resilience for BJJ longevity. However, conditioning is actually the factor most directly tied to long term health.
Plus, I’ve always personally believed that the fighter who can keep fighting the hardest will usually have the greatest shot at winning. Strength is important no doubt, but endurance is just as important for performance, and ultimately, health.
2. Plyometrics
Plyometrics are sometimes referred to as the fountain of youth for their ability to maintain athleticism and build resilience in bones and connective tissues.
I’ve written about their benefit for BJJ here, but I plan to dive much deeper in 2025, including the various types of plyometric training, how to progress safely, and how to program them best for BJJ performance.
3. Power Training
Power is often thought of as the first quality we lose as we age, as it has to do with ability to deliver speed with our strength. But with the right programming, this decline can be dramatically reduced. Plus, power training works directly with plyometrics and conditioning.
In fact, some of the research Im most interested in is anti-glycolytic training, which improves your power output and strength endurance at the same time – exactly what you need for sustained high-level grappling.
4. Neck Training
The neck is a highly vulnerable area, especially in combat sports. I haven’t written much on neck training, but I plan to deliver high-value methods to forge resilience in the neck for injury prevention.
A lot the methods I see online focus on direct neck training, which works, but I’m more interested in how the neck integrates with the shoulders, jaw, and back. As we know, the body never works in isolation.
5. Brain Training
Finally, I started researching brain training methods in 2024 and have been fascinated by its application to human performance and pain management. I’ve written on the importance of central nervous system management here and here, but there is so much more to explore.
Your brain uses three systems to organize itself – the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive system, with the visual being the most important and proprioceptive being the least.
Yet, most athletes and coaches focus on the proprioceptive the most for performance.
There is a huge opportunity for building resilience, performance, and longevity by targeting the other two.
Final Thoughts
I’m committed to the process of expanding my knowledge and resilience for BJJ, and I thank you for joining me on the journey.
I would love to hear more from you, so feel free to share your feedback here, or reply directly with your thoughts.
You can access your free BJJ resilience video course here.
Getting older isn’t fun, but with the right mindset and effort it doesn’t have to be the downward spiral so many people suffer.
It’s about order and progress.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
1. Start improving your BJJ durability and performance with Foundations of Rotational Strength.
2. Fortify your body for BJJ with this free course on BJJ Resilience.
3. Join the free weekly newsletter here.
