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.