Chokes And More Podcast

Miko Hytönen

In this show we talk about jiu-jitsu, life and everything in between. We capture the magic moment after a hard jiu-jitsu training. If you don't roll, You don't know.

  1. Jun 9

    #021 with Manolo Reyes - Van Halen Pawn Shop Auditions, Fast Thrash Tricep Grinds, & The Wet Towel Judo Blueprint

    Miko captures the raw magic right after a gruelling training session to sit down with a powerhouse of the local scene, thrash metal guitarist, and Scramble Academy blue belt: Manolo Reyes. Fresh off a massive weekend gig in Sevilla, Manolo dives into the parallel universes of heavy music and competitive grappling. In this high-energy conversation, they break down using a guitar as a psychological shield, the absolute grind of fast-tempo down-picking, navigating the early "fat boy" days of childhood sports, and how decades of high-level Judo fundamentals seamlessly translated into a ruthless top-game pressure system on the BJJ mats. What's Inside the Episode: The Van Halen Pawn Shop Audition: Manolo shares a hilarious story about trying to upgrade his first guitar—a budget Flying V clone. To get his exact asking price from a local pawn shop, he plugged into an untuned amplifier and ripped a blistering Van Halen-style solo across the entire fretboard until the manager walked out from the back with a stack of cash. The 14-Hour Bus Ride to Viveiro: A retrospective look into the legendary Resurrection Fest 2015. Manolo structures the absolute chaos of travelling 14 hours by bus from Malaga to Galicia, arriving on the wrong side of the river with tents and gear, and waiting out the night at a closed campsite just to chug a beer and rush straight into the last-ever Motorhead show in Spain. The Fast Thrash Tricep Grinds: A peek into rebuilding a fast-paced thrash metal unit alongside Manu Núñez (Manu the Black Belt). Manolo details the physical conditioning required to survive high-speed sets, where every single live gig left their triceps completely swollen and burning from relentless grinding tempos. The Soul-Crushing "Soulfly" First Class: Manolo recounts his early transition into grappling under Jairo's roof. He shares the brutal reality of stepping onto slippery plastic mats on a boiling summer day, fresh off quitting smoking, only to get trapped under a ruthless knee-on-belly pin that felt like his actual soul was exiting his chest. The Wet Towel Positional Pyramid: Mapping out the Scramble Academy daytime blueprint. Manolo breaks down why he prefers technical morning sessions over chaotic evening wars, utilising "dead weight" pressure to systematically advance through the closed guard, half-guard, and side-control hierarchy to make opponents cook. Memorable Quote: "When I step on stage and grab my guitar, it acts as a literal shield protecting me from a thousand people in the crowd. But when you step onto the competitive mats, the shield is gone. You don't have an instrument to hide behind—you are the instrument. It is just your mind, your limbs, and the raw technical hours you sacrificed to survive." — Manolo Reyes Times of War: Check out Manolo's hardcore metal band on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimesOfWarOfficial/Bandcamp: https://timesofwarofficial.bandcamp.com/ TitanFall: Follow Manolo's latest metal project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanfallband/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Fr0r6X3nv9vt37GwWuqGz Miko's BJJ Fanatics Instructionals:NEW Lapel Chokes from Everywhere Vol 2: Get the Brand New Release Here: https://bjjfanatics.com/products/lapel-chokes-from-everywhere-by-miko-hytonen-1Lapel Chokes from Everywhere Vol 1: Stream the Bestselling Original: https://bjjfanatics.com/products/lapel-chokes-from-everywhere-by-miko-hytonen Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 21 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  2. Mar 11

    #020 with Stephane Navarro - Surviving Great Whites Solo, Shifting Joint Geometries, & The 100-Ceremony Ayahuasca Blueprint

    Miko captures the raw magic directly after an intense training session to sit down with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, real estate entrepreneur, and dedicated spiritual seeker: Stéphane Navarro. Recorded live following a powerful training block at Scramble Academy in southern Spain, Stéphane opens up about completely re-engineering his movement patterns around a persistent knee injury. In this wide-ranging and deeply personal dialogue, they map out the high-stakes physical mechanics of hunting abalones solo inside Tasmanian great white shark sanctuaries, using intentional internal medicine to dissolve severe physical and emotional blockages, and why structured physical discipline serves as the ultimate mirror for personal evolution. What's Inside the Episode: The Structural Furniture Gap: Stéphane details navigating a complex twisting knee modification on the mats. He shares a powerful lesson about learning to tap sooner and compares his joint recovery path to the loosened tolerance gaps left behind when repeatedly assembling, dismantling, and resetting a piece of wooden furniture. The Friday Circuit "Amputation" Sparring: Miko takes a nostalgic look back at his early developmental training roots inside Gaijin Academy. He details an old-school Friday circuit method where coaches physically bound a student's dominant arm to their body using a BJJ belt, forcing them to calculate entirely non-standard leverage configurations against fully resistant partners. The Tasmanian Great White Hunting Grounds: Stéphane shares an unhinged, retrospective story about free-diving for abalones at the Bay of Fires in Tasmania. He recounts diving solo down to depths of 12 meters for hours without a license or support vessel, only to be informed by a tracking group of local campers that he was swimming unshielded inside a dense breeding ground for apex great white sharks. The 100-Ceremony Ayahuasca Brain Calibration: Stéphane structures his extensive spiritual track across South America, including deep isolation blocks inside the Putumayo jungle of Colombia. He maps out the gruelling 30-day dietary restrictions required to approach the plant, how the medicine acts directly on neuroplasticity to clear somatic cellular trauma, and his vision to build a dedicated training retreat merging BJJ with traditional Amazonian medicine. The 1.2-Kilo Cushion Constraint: Miko cracks open his hyper-consistent nutritional layout, revealing a massive intake of 1.2 kilograms of organic chicken every single day. He explains why standard commercial store-bought meat triggers an immediate inflammatory reaction in his system, and how packing his frame up to 84 kilograms successfully built an unshakeable structural cushion to protect his shoulders from past injuries. Memorable Quote: "When you are winning on paper according to the metrics of standard society—running a company, pulling in numbers, owning real estate—it is very easy to convince yourself that you are successful. But internally, you can feel completely hollow and sick. I had to step out of that loop, strip away the masks of my own ego, and use medicine to completely recalibrate the internal conversation happening inside my cells." — Stéphane Navarro Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 20 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  3. Feb 19

    #019 with Vispy Kharadi - Breaking 17 Guinness Records, The 261kg Hercules Pillar Shock, & The Clean Label Revolution

    Miko captures the raw magic directly after a gruelling training session to sit down with a multi-disciplinary force of nature, martial artist, father, and the "Steel Man of India": Vispy Kharadi. Recorded live at Vispy's multi-sport facility in Surat during week three of Miko’s historic pioneering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expansion into India, this episode bridges raw physical fortitude with elite lifestyle science. They strip back the layers on Vispy's 17 Guinness World Records, surviving a brutal 261-kilogram Hercules Pillar grip test, the hidden link between gut microbiome and cognitive performance, and the international rollout of GP Life—the world's first entirely clean-label anti-ageing supplement company. What's Inside the Episode: The 10-Layer Human Sandwich Stunt: Vispy breaks down the terrifying physical parameters of his first Guinness World Record, detailing a five-layer human-and-nail-bed sandwich stunt that systematically crushed international metrics—and how he scaled it to an unshakeable 10-layer bottom-most hold last year. The 261kg Hercules Pillar Slipped Grip: Inside the raw, non-televised reality of Vispy's elite strongman operations. He walks through an intense record attempt at the Attari border, dealing with a right-hand slip that halted his first attempt in 4 seconds, and why executing a massive 1-minute-and-7-second hold just 10 seconds later proved the ultimate power of Indian genetics. The 20-Year Anti-Aging GP Life Secret: A deep look into the January 2026 launch of GP Life—the top 40 contender in Elon Musk’s global XPRIZE age-reversal contest. Vispy describes how his team of 60 scientists spent 20 years extracting raw phytoncides like Saponin from fenugreek and fine-tuning entirely pure, preservative-free capsules designed to act as a preventive barrier between patients and doctors. The 2007 AI Pathology Engine: Vispy reveals an innovative, data-driven medical app his team published the foundational blueprints for back in 2007. He walks through a system where users download raw blood reports to calculate precise organic damage percentages, mapping out measurable organ healing metrics across a 30-day supplementation cycle. The Gut-Microbiome "Brain Fog" Metric: A masterclass on sports physiology—exploring the physiological connection between a clear cognitive state and gut health. Wispy structures why standard processed food chemicals trap modern children in a perpetual loop of obesity and brain fog, and why he practices eating an entire salad bowl before touching a single carb to prevent insulin spikes. Memorable Quote: "When you are genuinely in love with what you do, the word 'risk' completely loses its meaning. I spent 11 years working inside a banking institution, coming home long after dinner to teach a martial arts class of three students who warmed up while I ate. Squeezing my life between corporate hours was a mess. Leaving that safe track to follow my passion wasn't a gamble—it was a necessity to give my sons their father back." — Vispy Kharadi More about GPLife and Wellness can be found on their website: Here Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: Episode 19 on YouTube⁠ Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  4. Jan 27

    #018 with Eugene Robinson - Pissing Off Samuel L. Jackson, 12-Hour GQ Guillotines, & Twin-Engine Life Fortitude

    Miko captures the raw magic right after a gruelling training session to sit down with a multi-hyphenate force of nature, martial artist, writer, musician, and BJJ black belt: Eugene Robinson. Fresh off a heavy sparring block at Scramble Academy in southern Spain, Eugene strips back the layers of a wild life lived on the absolute edge. In this unhinged, electric conversation, they map out the high-stakes reality of elite celebrity journalism, surviving a literal 12-hour neck-cranking photo session for GQ, the dark underbelly of early American "No-Holds-Barred" smokers, and why the physical resilience of the tatami serves as the ultimate anchor for creative survival. What's Inside the Episode: The 3-Minute Samuel L. Jackson Stonewall: Eugene drops an incredible, play-by-play look into his first issue as an LA men's fashion magazine editor-in-chief—detailing how a casual, throwaway comment about "pretty stuff" completely tanked his pacing, fractured Hollywood height illusions, and forced him to drop a nuclear "Hail Mary" question about racial typecasting just to save the print interview. The 12-Hour GQ Head-and-Arm Torture: A brutal look back at a historic 1994 GQ photoshoot—one of the first national mainstream media pieces on modern MMA. Eugene breaks down being systematically guillotined for 12 straight hours under a hyper-anxious photographer and the wild board meeting political standoff behind Sean Penn’s iconic cover execution. The 130kg Steroid Pipeline Epiphany: Eugene opens up completely transparently about his early 1990s bodybuilding obsession in San Diego—detailing navigating a polygraph test for the "California Naturals," running border gear packages through Tijuana, and the harrowing hospital-room stroke of a 19-year-old peer that forced Eugene to completely drop a 130-kilogram chemical frame and look for functional reality. The 7-Minute Brian Johnston Savage Beatdown: A raw look at the lawless parameters of late 90s American "combat wrestling" exhibitions. Eugene recounts stepping into a ring un-mouthpieced against early UFC powerhouse Brian "The Fury" Johnston over a critical magazine commentary—resulting in a savage, 7-minute head-pounding that completely redefined his understanding of physical boundaries. The Spy-Bass Playing Stasi Dossier: Eugene breaks down the bizarre fallout from his podcast, The Eugene S. Robinson Show Stomper. He reveals how a public broadcast about his late Cold War Air Force intelligence father triggered a mysterious piece of mail containing a folded page on the East German Stasi—confirming that the sender's father was his own dad's station chief in 1957. Memorable Quote: "When you are dealing with a professional cage fighter on the mat, you understand exactly what you are getting into. But the sidewalk is entirely different. People out there think they can fight because they 'see red,' but they have zero situational awareness. If a guy doesn't have a blade or a firearm, I am completely comfortable. But if you think your cage accolades will protect you from a chaotic street ambush, you are going to get your head cracked open." — Eugene Robinson Connect, Read, & Toughen Your Frame Are you ready to dig into the raw, un-technical philosophy of interpersonal conflict and read the hidden monographs of CIA operatives, outlaws, and real-world fighters? Grab Eugene's acclaimed books, including A Long Slow Screw, directly via Amazon, or slide into his DMs at @MrSleep3 on Instagram to secure a personally signed copy. Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 18 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  5. Jan 8

    #017 with Vitalii Stasiv - Escaping Volatile Transitions, The Subfloor Innovation, & Transforming 28 Nationalities into a BJJ Unit

    Miko captures the raw magic right after a gruelling training session to sit down with a true servant of the art, co-founder of the International Jiu-Jitsu School in Cyprus, and black belt powerhouse: Vitalii Stasiv. Vitalii traces his martial arts lineage back to childhood judo and a three-year stint in Aikido before introducing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his home region in Ukraine. In this cross-continental conversation, they map out the deep logistics behind expanding a youth mega-academy, building custom subfloor tatami frameworks to save long-term joint health, and the distinct philosophy required to handle 150 international students from 28 different countries. What's Inside the Episode: The 30-Year Ballet Re-engineering: Vitalii recounts the high-stakes physical process of acquiring their academy space in Paphos, Cyprus—revealing how they completely gutted a historic 30-year-old ballet school to build a modern martial arts portal. He details the sleepless, 20-hour grinds with a Polish installation team to construct a custom floating subfloor framework to protect the spines and knees of their students. The 28-Country Immigrant Collective: Inside the global network of Cyprus, Vitalii explains the core philosophy behind building a multi-cultural haven. He maps out how they systematically scaled a room to 150 active practitioners from 28 different nationalities, transforming diverse outside backgrounds into a unified competitive unit. The Parenting Motivation Loop: A look into specialised youth training metrics. Vitalii explains why focusing heavily on high-quality kids' programs naturally draws in parents—detailing how a father sitting on the mats to train serves as the ultimate subconscious mirror to ignite an ironclad work ethic in a child. The 80% Early Prevention Metric: A deep technical look at modern class curriculum architecture. Vitalii structures why his defensive modules focus 20% on late-stage escapes and a massive 80% on early prevention—exploring how mapping out macro-scenarios keeps kids from ever conceding a side-control pin or a tight heel hook grip. The Exhausted 5 PM Tournament Gamble: Vitalii goes completely transparent on his early competitive career in Ukraine. He breaks down the brutal mental tax of coaching 40 youth competitors through chaotic brackets all day, only to strip off his coach's shirt at 5 PM, step on the mats completely starved of energy, and fight his way into deep absolute division wars. Memorable Quote: "A great coach shouldn't simply copy and paste templates from an instructional video into their room. You have to dissect the individual character and soul of each student to help them uncover their natural game. When an athlete finally breaks free from mimicking others and embraces their true personal style, jiu-jitsu becomes effortless." — Vitalii Stasiv Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 17 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  6. 12/24/2025

    #016 with Andrew Forson - The Corporate Matrix, 6-Kilo Sauna Grinds, & The 1.5 Billion Indian BJJ Market Blueprint

    Miko captures the raw magic directly after a gruelling training session to sit down with a corporate tech innovator, Taekwondo Black Belt, and newly minted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt: Andrew Forson. Andrew just wrapped up an analytical class at their home gym, Scramble Academy, in southern Spain. In this massive, high-pressure dialogue, they bridge the gap between high-level international corporate leadership and mat mechanics—dissecting why managing a NASDAQ-listed cryptocurrency asset firm mirrors deep positional survival, the physical tax of cutting 6 kilos in a single day, and the macro-logistics behind Miko's upcoming historic 6-week pioneer expansion into India. What's Inside the Episode: The Corporate "Status Quo" Blueprint: Andrew details his intense executive routine as the president of a NASDAQ-listed cryptocurrency asset manager. He maps out the striking analytical parallels between financial market engineering and high-level grappling strategy—revealing why overreacting under boardroom stress mirrors a panicked white belt getting systematically trapped in a submission. The 6-Kilo Sauna Reality Check: An inside look into the physical toll of extreme weight cuts. Andrew and Miko break down the brutal reality of shedding 6 kilos in a single day inside a sauna before the ADCC Trials, leading to a raw discussion about why standardising weight distributions long-term is critical for career longevity. Real-Life Narcos & The 130kg Unit: Andrew recounts returning to the mats after a months-long corporate hiatus, handling the heavy mental anxiety of rolling with a 130-kilogram training partner, and why choking out fully resistant human beings provides the ultimate biological "reset" from high-stakes venture capital stress. The 1.5 Billion Pioneer Indian Matrix: Miko opens up about his upcoming, massive 6-week developmental expansion across India. He details the macro-logistics of establishing a standardised blueprint curriculum for local judo and kudo academies across a market representing 20% of the world's population. The 10% Brain Cell Baseball Choke: Miko and Andrew share a hilarious, unfiltered historical gym story about the exact moment Miko trapped Andrew in a deep, rolling baseball choke from bottom mount, sending him completely unconscious on the mats. Memorable Quote: "In a high-stakes corporate meeting, when shareholders are blustering and making threats, I just sit back and look at them. If you carry the physical education of the mats, you understand the exact limits of power. You realise that outside of a firearm or a knife, you can completely handle the person in front of you—and that realisation brings an unshakeable, smiling calmness to your business decisions." — Andrew Forson Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 16 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  7. 12/12/2025

    #015 with Jürgen Nikolaus - Rebuilding After a 1968 Tokyo Robbery, Training with Judo Gods, & The 76-Year-Old Black Belt Blueprint

    Miko captures the raw magic right after an intense training session to sit down with a monumental pillar of the mat, a true judo legend, and a 76-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt: Jürgen Nikolaus. Born in 1949, Jürgen's martial arts path dates back to post-WWII Europe, where he first stepped onto the mats for children's wrestling before discovering judo during the French occupation. In this profoundly inspiring conversation, they dissect Jürgen's journey travelling to Tokyo's historic Kodokan in 1968, navigating the strict and insular world of traditional Japanese universities, running thousand-square-meter mega-gyms, and rewriting the definition of athletic longevity following four major heart operations. What's Inside the Episode: The Post-War French Occupation Catalyst: Jürgen shares an incredible story from 1955 about his father, a jaw surgeon who operated on a French General's severe post-war facial injury. The successful operation earned the family a restriction-free card to a French military supermarket, leading a young Jürgen to spot children practising judo through a wooden window. The 1968 Tokyo Speculator Scam: Jürgen recounts packing up his life at age 18 to travel to Japan under the recommendation of European legend Guy Peltier. He opens up about returning from a hard day at the Kodokan to find his entire apartment stripped clean—losing all his money, clothes, and his bed, leaving him with nothing but 15,000 yen and a subway ticket. The 180,000-Yen Honour Crowdfund: How a bilingual policeman published Jürgen's robbery story in the Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo's largest newspaper), generating a wild 180,000-yen public donation in just two days. Jürgen details the true code of Bushido—taking only what was stolen to survive and donating the massive excess directly to a children's cancer ward. 400 Push-Ups and Kendo Sticks at Waseda: A peek inside the gruelling training blocks at Waseda University in 1968. Jürgen breaks down a punishing three-and-a-half-hour daily regimen where missing the speed of a drill meant catching a shocking reminder from a coach swinging a wooden shinai stick. The 30-Second Newaza Control Metric: Jürgen maps out the structural evolution of judo rules over the last 60 years. He breaks down the era when leg-grabbing was fully allowed and explains the distinct mental and physical difference of defending a newaza (ground pin) under the old 30-second rule versus modern grappling parameters. Memorable Quote: "Many people my age struggle simply to stand out of bed or tie their own shoes without taking ten heavy breaths. I have survived four heart operations, and the doctors told me they can do nothing more for my body. But I don't train to chase gold medals anymore—I train to stay alive. When I see the young competitors pacing the mat, it gives me a reason to wake up with a smile." — Jürgen Nikolaus Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 15 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

  8. 12/05/2025

    #014 with Cristian Amador - Escaping Cartel Insecurity, Outworking Raw Talent, & Beating Black Belts at 16

    Miko captures the raw magic right after an intense training session to sit down with one of the most dominant, rapidly rising lightweight competitors in professional grappling: Cristian Amador. Cristian is a double ADCC Spanish Champion, juvenile IBJJF European Champion, and one of the most dangerous brown belts on the European circuit. Just days away from competing at the No-Gi Euros in Rome, Cristian opens up about his childhood path from Venezuela to Ireland and Spain, the psychological trap of relying purely on natural talent, coping with aggressive adult "man strength" as a teenager, and the technical breakdown behind his most viral back-take. What's Inside the Episode: The Over-Reliance on Pure Talent: Cristian handles the deep philosophical debate on hard work versus natural capability. He opens up honestly about becoming a victim of his own early success as a teen, realising the hard way that effortless skill will only carry an athlete to the baseline of elite divisions like the Euros or Trials before a structural work ethic must take over. The 16-Ounce Glove "Castle" Fight: Cristian shares a wild, unfiltered piece of Amador family lore. He details watching his older brother Joel (at age 24) officially challenge their 40-year-old, ultra-old-school hockey dad to a full-scale boxing match at Combat Academy of Finland—featuring professional referees, a crowd of betting hockey veterans, and an illegal pair of razor-thin 8-ounce gloves smuggled into the ring. Real-Life Narcos & Adult "Man Strength": Transitioning from the kids' division in Dublin to competing against fully grown adult men at age 15 in Valencia. Cristian recounts his first technical shock handling the mean, hyper-aggressive pacing of adult competitors, including an out-of-the-ballpark story of a black belt biting his arm during a deep rear-naked choke attempt at the ADCC Spanish Championship. The John Danaher Specifics Miracle: Why Cristian completely changed his training philosophies after experiencing the blue basement in Austin, Texas. He details why Danaher completely outlaws traditional sparring rounds in his room, forcing elite competitors to develop unshakeable positional mechanics by cycling relentlessly through back, mount, and saddle configurations without a timer. The Sambo Ankle-Lock & The Flying Matrix: Cristian gives a masterclass on lower-limb leverages, breaking down why classical jiu-jitsu ankle locks fail against elite guards and how a training camp with Mateusz Szczeciński taught him to capture knee alignment range. Plus, a play-by-play analysis of his viral, left-handed matrix jump to the back that lit up social media feeds globally. Memorable Quote: "When you are a kid, you don't really carry an ego on the mats. If an adult black belt beats you up, you just look at them with pure curiosity to reverse-engineer exactly what they did to you. But when you are a 16-year-old blue belt, and you take an adult black belt's back in 30 seconds, their ego completely fractures. They will resort to using raw 'man strength' or doing something crazy just because they cannot handle losing to a child." — Cristian Amador Enjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast. Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 14 on YouTube Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies. Manto 🥋 www.man.to/chokes Code: Chokes -15% Find me on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠ BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠

See All (21)

About

In this show we talk about jiu-jitsu, life and everything in between. We capture the magic moment after a hard jiu-jitsu training. If you don't roll, You don't know.

Information