Breaking The Guard Podcast

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A Mixed Martial Arts talk show featuring Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belts David Avellan (creator of the Kimura Trap System and ADCC 2009 Bronze Medalist) and Robert Drysdale (2005 IBJJF World Champion, ADCC 2007 Absolute Champion, co-founder of Zenith BJJ). Both of them have extensive backgrounds in MMA and BJJ as students, competitors, coaches, and school owners - pulling on their combined experiences to discuss the mental aspect of training, proper preparation, championship mindset, and more.

Episodes

Monday Feb 23, 2026

BTG 179 - Measured Chaos

Monday Feb 23, 2026

Being chaotic is a dangerous state of mind, as there is no telling what you will do and the consequences they will render. However, measured chaos is brilliant for precisely that reason. Sean Strickland utilizes this concept very well on and off the microphone. We will discuss the main card of UFC Fight Night 267, and delve in the potential future of the UFC Middleweight division.

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DavidMMA.com - David Avellan's new website, where he is posting new articles daily, new courses being posted frequently, covering techniques, news, fitness, breakdowns, and much more. You can join as a guest for free to see what the site has to offer.

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Monday Feb 16, 2026

BTG 178 - Quick Sand

Monday Feb 16, 2026

In this constantly evolving game, it can be tempting to always try to do move into the next new thing. That isn't always prudent, as you can rush into a mistake and start to sink. I'll discuss this in context to grappling and MMA, UFC's new stance on cutting athletes, and why a champion shouldn't rush to defend their title.

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Monday Feb 09, 2026

BTG 177 - Being on the Cutting Edge

Monday Feb 09, 2026

After a quick review of the latest UFC Fight Night, I discuss being on the cutting edge. Whether it is technology or ideas, it is a risky game. Lots of people will question, discredit and even hate you for entertaining innovate ideas. But without bold men and women, we would stagnate as a culture. I share my views on this in regards to the latest spat between Craig Jones and Gordon Ryan, arguing about a position I have dabbled in for over 10 years now.

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Monday Feb 02, 2026

BTG 176 - Adapt or Die

Monday Feb 02, 2026

I start off reviewing Polaris 35, which in my opinion was not that fun of a watch. Once again, bad rulesets seem to have removed the incentive from athletes to go after submissions and make for boring match ups.

I then dig into UFC 235, which had some fun match ups and finishes. But on a few of the match ups I see a common theme - fighters not adapting or getting stagnate.

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Monday Jan 26, 2026

BTG 175 - UFC on Paramount Delivers

Monday Jan 26, 2026

After what seems forever without a UFC, we had a solid card with lots of great action, with the main event being a great fight. I recap the card, talk about the new bonus structure of the UFC, and old problems that are still lurking.

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Monday Jan 19, 2026

BTG 174 - I need a taste of my own medicine

Monday Jan 19, 2026

I just realized that I am not holding myself to the same standards as a serious student and instructor with my own progression in the martial arts. That has to change, and I'll outline how I plan to tackle this problem.

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Monday Jan 12, 2026

BTG 173 - Kill or be Killed

Monday Jan 12, 2026

We are still in a drought for MMA events, but we did have a real professional wrestling event with some interesting match ups and MMA crossovers. I then talk about the importance of having the warrior mindset when competing - even if you are an amateur.

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Monday Jan 05, 2026

BTG 172 - Looking Back

Monday Jan 05, 2026

With little news in combat sports, I take a look back over the past year and reflect upon things I have done and learned. I then look forward to what I wish to do next.

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Monday Dec 29, 2025

BTG 171 - Character over Talent

Monday Dec 29, 2025

There has been more headlines this year about either unethical or immoral actions from athletes versus achievements or wins. I think that should say a lot about what we should be valuing in an athlete as a coach, but just in case, I will layout my case in detail.

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Monday Dec 22, 2025

BTG 170 - When to call it quits

Monday Dec 22, 2025

We had a strange mix of crossover fight sport events, from MMA to boxing and BJJ to wrestling, with a crossover of ages of 20-30 year old competing with 40+ athletes. Oddly enough, the older athletes were winning, which leads one to ask when is the right time to stop?

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