Season 3 Premiere · Oct 6
Two Companies. One Mat.
"You train, and you try to kill each other. You become friends." (placeholder attribution: Smoothcomp co-founder; the quote is confirmed against the final cut before it ships)
Start small. A few short clips will tell you if this is your kind of thing.
Then pick a full episode when one grabs you.
Latest episodes
How Grapple Zone Built a Competition-Ready Academy From Scratch in Central London
In this episode, we visit Grapple Zone in London to see how Courtney Anderson built a competition-focused, community-driven jiu-jitsu academy in just three years.
How KingJiuJitsu Grew from 2 Students to 5 Locations Across the GTA
In this episode, we visit KingJiuJitsu's Thornhill HQ to meet Professor Gregg King—the first Armenian BJJ black belt in Canada—and hear how a bodybuilder-turned-practitioner built a five-location competitive academy from the ground up.
How Tanuki Martial Arts Made Toronto's Greektown a BJJ Home
In this episode, we visit Tanuki Martial Arts in Toronto's Greektown to see how Seiji Sugiman-Marangos and Marianna Zafiroudis built a low-ego, community-first BJJ gym from a pandemic-era lease.
How a 24-Year-Old Karate Instructor Built Ancaster's Most Family-Focused Martial Arts School
In this episode, we visit Lion's Heart Family Martial Arts in Ancaster, Ontario to see how Mersina Giampapa built a neurodiversity-friendly karate school rooted in community, play-based teaching, and the belief that every kid deserves a place on the mat.
Building a Championship Culture: Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Charlotte's 9,000-Square-Foot Flagship
In this episode, nine-time world champion Lucas Lepri unveils his 9,000-square-foot flagship facility and shares how he built a welcoming culture over 11 years in Charlotte.
How Two Partners With Different Paths Built King Tiger Harrisburg Into a Taekwondo Community
In this episode, we visit King Tiger Taekwondo of Harrisburg to see how Master Chris Knight and Master Brian Foster built a thriving multi-discipline martial arts academy from a single room.
How a Brazilian Champion Found His Calling Teaching Kids in Fort Mill
In this episode, we visit Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Fort Mill to see how head instructor Frederico Silva transformed his competitive career into a mission teaching kids the discipline that saved his life.
How Two Experienced Instructors Built NC Budo Into Gaston County's Karate Community
In this episode, we visit NC Budo in Belmont, North Carolina, to see how two experienced martial arts instructors transformed their passion into a thriving community karate school.
How Nova Jiu-Jitsu Built a Community That Outgrew the Mats
In this episode of Gymdesk Originals, Nova Jiu-Jitsu owner and third-degree black belt Jason Plaisted shares how he built a high-level training environment rooted in community, shared knowledge, and a deep love for the art.
I started jiu-jitsu in the park. I take a piece of mat like this and put it in the park. And we train, the Brazilians train together. One guy brings a beer, the other guy the sounds. And you train.
Alex Cuevas
Your host
Someone who’s actually on the mat.
Alex started teaching Taekwondo as a teenager. He’s a black belt in it now, and still trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“We’re stepping out from behind the website to hear your stories and learn what makes a gym thrive.”
Find a gym near you.
56
episodes across
40
cities and 7 countries. Hover a pin for the gyms there, or open an episode straight from the map.
Your gym could be the next one.
Every episode is a real gym and the person who built it, filmed where they teach. If that’s you, tell us how you got here. Alex reads these himself.