Professor Mike Diaz came back to Utah from the military at 27, in 1997, by his own account on a destructive path, and walked into Pedro Sauer's academy half afraid of the man he had heard was testing every gym in the state. Instead he found one of the kindest people he had ever met, and with him the realization that he could stop acting tough and simply be tough. Talking with Pete, he describes earning his black belt under Master Sauer, the lineage printed on his certificate, and leaving a construction business for a life on the mat he says no longer feels like work.

Mike admits wrestling was his worst sport in high school and that his real strength is being "too stupid to know when to quit." He lays out how he teaches skill in three stages, from primitive movement to mechanical drilling to spontaneous reaction, and why people who only want to spar should drill more. He wants every student to compete at least once at each belt, and remembers the bullpen at the Masters Worlds in Brazil, a tournament he had dreamed about since seeing it in magazines. He closes with two shy high school sisters who found their confidence on the mat.

In this episode

• 00:00 Introduction and Host Update
• 00:38 Guest Introduction: Professor Mike Diaz
• 01:12 Meeting Master Pedro Sauer
• 04:42 Life Before and After Jiu Jitsu
• 14:56 Teaching Philosophy and Training Methods
• 19:39 The Value of Competition
• 22:23 Memorable Competitions and Experiences
• 26:31 Impact of Jiu Jitsu on Students
• 30:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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