Pete and his professor, Lucas Rubbo, try to make sense of jiu-jitsu's crowded competition scene for anyone used to one Super Bowl champion. Lucas explains how the IBJJF grew out of Brazil, holding its first worlds in Rio in 1996 before moving to the United States in 2007, and why it is still the main stage for high-level athletes. He then breaks down ADCC, the Abu Dhabi Combat Club's every-other-year no-gi event with no points in the first five minutes, a penalty for pulling guard and an open-weight super fight, along with NAGA's skill-level divisions and newer submission-only events like WNO and Third Coast Grappling.

Along the way Lucas tells how BJ Penn, as a brown belt in Brazil, proved himself against three teammates to earn his black belt, then won the worlds days later. Ahead of his fourth tournament, the host describes how his fear of embarrassing his team gave way to excitement, and urges beginners to try one. Lucas, 32 and newly a Master, spent nine months peaking for the Masters Worlds in Las Vegas, then lost his first match on a referee decision after six minutes stuck in closed guard. He sat with it for 20 minutes and moved on, arguing that you have to let yourself grieve at the right time.

In this episode

• 0:00 Welcome
• 2:15 Why jiu-jitsu has no Super Bowl
• 4:21 How the IBJJF went international
• 8:31 BJ Penn's black belt test
• 15:50 ADCC rules and super fights
• 22:13 NAGA and skill-level divisions
• 24:16 WNO and submission-only events
• 27:18 Finding your first tournament
• 32:29 Pete's fourth tournament
• 36:38 Peaking for the Masters Worlds
• 44:09 Competition-day mindset
• 50:20 Grieving a loss, then moving on
• 57:40 Pre-fight music
• 1:00:53 Rhythm, music and jiu-jitsu

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