Breaking The Guard Podcast

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Episodes

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

May 26, 2025

BTG 140 - What's better, a big team or a small team?

May 26, 2025

35 min

I talk about the pros and cons of big teams versus small teams, making the case that small teams are usually better. However, it is a bit more nuanced than an objective yes or no answer, so I take a deep dive to explore the differences.

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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.

Follow me on Facebook: https://Facebook.com/DavidAvellan
Follow me on Instagram: https://Instagram.com/DavidAvellan
Follow me on X: https://X.com/DavidAvellan
Tag us on Social Media with #BreakingTheGuard

May 19, 2025

BTG 139 - Relearning the Basics

May 19, 2025

21 min

Many people think that once they "learned" something, they never have to revisit the topic ever again. From my experience with life and the martial arts, this is nearly never true. I'm constantly learning new things from something I "knew" decades ago, and some of my best breakthroughs were learning new tidbits about something I'm an expert in.

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May 12, 2025

BTG 138 - It's okay to just be a champion

May 12, 2025

23 min

After UFC 315, the topic of double champions becomes an even bigger distraction, as 3 champions are moving towards achieving a double champion status, instead of defending their division. I make the case for why it's better for a champion to stay in their division, instead of trying to grab as my titles as possible.

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May 5, 2025

BTG 137 - Monday Morning Quarterback

May 5, 2025

32 min

I become a big critic of fighters and coaches after watching UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo, so I fully aware of my Monday morning quarterbacking. Nonetheless, there is plenty to criticize here, as the main event had one of the worst game plans I have seen in recent history.

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Apr 28, 2025

BTG 136 - UFC and BJJ Stars and the Future of New Wave

Apr 28, 2025

39 min

Hot off the heels of BJJ Stars 15 and UFC Fight Night: Machado vs Prates, I give a review of the matches that took place and my thoughts on them. I explore the ideas of retiring on your own terms, and the athlete vs warrior mindset. I also discuss a new development with New Wave, which might be a thing of the past.

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Apr 21, 2025

BTG 135 - Who is the best Heavyweight in BJJ?

Apr 21, 2025

31 min

I review the aftermath of the matches from WNO 27: Duarte vs Rodriguez, and their implications on the heavyweight grappling scene. I can't recall a time where I was more excited about the match ups in heavyweight BJJ, as the top 5 active heavyweights have nearly all traded wins and losses. With Gordon out of the picture, we have chaos, and that makes for some exciting match ups where it's harder to pick winners - even though I did pick this card 100% correctly, I was doubting a few of my picks mid-match.

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Apr 14, 2025

BTG 134 - Fighting Smart

Apr 14, 2025

37 min

I just got back from my trip to the Turks and Caicos, just in time to watch UFC 314. It was a great night of fights. I break it down, and vent some frustration at fighters that are fighting dumb that if they fought smart, could be winning their fights more.

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Apr 7, 2025

BTG 133 - My Bloody Best Fight

Apr 7, 2025

49 min

My fight in BodogFIGHT Season 4 was my best MMA fight, and also the most consequential to my whole life. I took the fight on 2 weeks notice, with no training camp prior, with a popped rib and a torn knee. I had every reason not to do it, yet I persisted.

I'll share my story, how I trained alongside future big names like Chael Sonnen, Roy Nelson, Cain Velasquez, Jake Shields, how this helped me get into ADCC 2007, and made the Kimura Trap System possible.

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Mar 31, 2025

BTG 132 - The Ultimate Submission Showdown

Mar 31, 2025

38 min

I was finally able to watch a match that my brother and I have been trying to see for decades: David Avellan vs Rener Gracie! I was able to find it online (I will post the link below), but I decided to talk about the whole event and my experience with it:

https://tubitv.com/movies/577551/the-ultimate-submission-showdown

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Mar 24, 2025

BTG 131 - Don't be a distraction

Mar 24, 2025

36 min

I open this episode reviewing UFC Fight Night Edwards vs Brady, before diving into what it means to be a good fan and supporter of a competitor. I was drawn to this topic after watching a video of a spectator that was completely out of control, and becoming a distraction that I felt was a negative influence. I talk about this from the spectator, athlete, and coach's perspective.

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