Many years ago, I sat across from a martial arts "master" who claimed his punch could burst someone's aorta. That moment taught me everything I needed to know about unchecked ego, and it's a lesson that extends far beyond the dojo.

In this episode, I share 35+ years of martial arts wisdom about ego: what it is, why it's dangerous, when it's useful, and most importantly, how to tame it. From getting destroyed by a secret Brazilian national champion to taking private lessons from a brown belt as a black belt, these stories reveal how ego can either drive excellence or block growth entirely.

What You'll Learn:

1. The difference between healthy ambition and toxic ego • Why ego stops you from learning and improving
2. How to recognize when your ego is blinding you
3. The 7-step framework for taming your ego
4. Real stories from BJJ that illustrate ego's impact
5. Bruce Lee's "lengthen your line" philosophy
6. Why Jonas Salk refused to patent the polio vaccine

Whether you're in martial arts, business, or just trying to grow as a person, understanding ego is critical. It can drive you to achieve greatness or trap you in delusion. The key is learning to use it as a tool, not let it define you.

Links for Show notes:

Bruce Lees “one inch punch”

https://youtu.be/kXwOU5HzTZQ?si=iZ2Rdp6ZLqhXCre2

Way of the Peaceful Warrior book

https://www.peacefulwarrior.com/way-of-the-peaceful-warrior/

“Their pain, our pleasure: stereotype content and schadenfreude”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4472308/

Professor Wally Jay

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Jay

Small Circle Ju Jitsu

https://smallcirclejujitsu.com/

Eddie Bravo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Bravo

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu

https://www.10thplanetjj.com/

Carlos Machado

https://machadomethod.com/

Dr. Jonas Salk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk

Landmark Forum

https://www.landmarkworldwide.com/the-landmark-forum

The Four Agreements book

https://www.miguelruiz.com/the-four-agreements/

Zen in the Martial Arts book

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/424340.Zen_in_the_Martial_Arts

Music:

“Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A

Get in touch!

This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, produced by Robbie Lockie, music kindly provided by Robel Borja.

Many people don't fail because they're mentally weak, they fail because they're mentally rigid.

In this episode, I explore one of the most powerful skills I've learned from decades of martial arts training: the power of adapting. Whether you're in a BJJ match, running a business, or facing life's unexpected challenges, your ability to adapt determines your success.

Key insights covered:
• Why rigidity defines your boundaries, but adaptability is boundless
• The difference between discipline and stubbornness
• How to know when to stay the course vs. when to pivot
• Viktor Frankl's philosophy on adapting your attitude when you can't change circumstances
• Practical examples of adaptation from BJJ, music, and disaster response

As Bruce Lee wrote: "Absorb what is useful, discard what's not, and add what's uniquely your own."

Links for Show notes:

Tom Skeeter, Sound City
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_City_Studios

Carlos Gracie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Gracie

Helio Gracie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9lio_Gracie

Mitsuyo Maeda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuyo_Maeda

UFC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Fighting_Championship
https://www.ufc.com/

Mapquest
https://www.mapquest.com/

Hurricane Katrina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

Viktor Frankl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl

Auschwitz Concentration Camp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp

Eric Ries, The Lean Startup
https://theleanstartup.com/

Bruce Lee
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee

Dan Inosanto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Inosanto
https://inosanto.com/

James DeMile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_DeMile

Professor Wally Jay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Jay

Small Circle Jujitsu
https://smallcirclejujitsu.com/

Winston Churchill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill

Professor David Mitchell
https://www.instagram.com/dmitch442/?hl=en

Professor John Will
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Will_(fighter)
https://www.redcatacademy.com.au/

Music “Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A


🔔 Subscribe for weekly lessons from the Ageless Warrior Lab 💬 Share your adaptation stories in the comments!📺

Get in touch!

This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, produced by Robbie Lockie, edited by Phil Marriott and music kindly provided by Robel Borja.

🥋 In this incredible episode of Dirty Dozen Remembers, Dave Meyer sits down with Professor Bob Bass—the SECOND non-Brazilian to ever receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (1995).

Bob shares never-before-heard stories from the earliest days of BJJ in America, including:

• His first encounter with Rickson Gracie and Royce Gracie in a garage in 1985
• How he convinced Rigan Machado to stay in America and open a school
• Building the legendary training platform in Rigan's backyard with garage doors
• The historic 1995 Pan-American match against Marcio Feitosa (and the bathroom encounter that changed everything)
• Training wars with Craig Cook, the first American black belt
• Gene LaBelle showing up on a motorcycle doing wheelies
• The politics and referee controversies of early BJJ tournaments
• Why he's still rolling at 63 and plans to train until 70

Bob Bass was consistently the top fighter out of the Machado Academy and helped prove that Americans could compete with—and beat—the best Brazilians. This interview is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the roots of BJJ in the United States.

Links from the show:

To contact Bob Bass for seminars, BobBassJJ @ Gmail.com (no spaces)

Rickson Gracie
https://www.ricksongracie.com/

Rorion Gracie
https://www.roriongracie.com/

Royler Gracie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royler_Gracie

Carlos Gracie Junior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Gracie_Jr.

IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation)
https://ibjjf.com/

1995 IBJJF Pan American Games- Bob Bass v. Marcio Fetosa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UauuTMMsJL4

1996 Bob Bass v. Marcio Fetosa
https://youtu.be/7Kii9qrQ7KE?si=gMaJVInvJID1UsA0

Black Belt Legacy
https://blackbeltlegacy.com/

Follow Your Heart restaurant
https://www.theheartmarketcafe.com/

Atama Kimonos
https://atamausa.com/collections/mens-jiu-jitsu-kimonos

Kickskin
http://www.kikskinmartialarts.com/main.asp

The Compound MMA
https://www.thecompoundmma.com/

Gene LeBell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_LeBell

Bart Vale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Vale

Dan Inosanto
https://inosanto.com/

Erik Paulson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Paulson

Music:
“Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A

Get in touch!

This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, produced by Robbie Lockie, edited by Phil Marriott and music kindly provided by Robel Borja.