Professor Philipe Della Monica, a fourth-degree black belt who leads the Gracie Barra academy in Irvine and coaches professional MMA fighters, joins Pete and Professor Lucas Rubbo. He started jiu-jitsu at 13 in Brazil after watching a kickboxing class where nobody spoke to him, then a jiu-jitsu class where the students invited him straight onto the mat. Competition shaped his early years, but when family pressure grew to choose a career, he started teaching, earned his black belt at 20 and accepted an invitation to teach in Germany, set on proving that jiu-jitsu could be a life's work.

Philipe talks about the time he spends with Carlos Gracie Jr., from Sunday stair climbs in Laguna Beach to the master still asking technical questions and studying every UFC fight for new details. At 38 he says he is more disciplined than when he competed, paying attention to sleep, recovery and even the pillow he buys. He explains how 13 years of coaching UFC fighters, which began by helping a childhood training partner, pushed him from guard player to a complete top game, and why he gave up alcohol entirely when his children were born, noting that the person who benefits most from setting an example is himself.

In this episode

• 0:00 Welcome
• 1:05 Meet Philipe Della Monica
• 4:16 Starting jiu-jitsu at 13 in Brazil
• 7:31 Why jiu-jitsu people connect
• 9:33 From competitor to coach
• 11:38 Proving a career to his family
• 15:48 Learning from Carlos Gracie Jr.
• 21:07 What teaching gives back
• 24:15 More disciplined at 38
• 28:25 Staying calm in bad spots
• 34:42 Coaching UFC fighters
• 40:59 How MMA changed his game
• 45:17 A master who never stops studying
• 49:28 Leading by example

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