Jared Sinclair sits down with Adam Schmaltz, a black belt in jiu-jitsu and judo and owns Mission Grappling Club in San Marcos, California. He grew up in San Diego County and holds kinesiology degrees. They cover how he started training, what to look for in a legitimate school, and why he built his gym around accountability. Key takeaway: Build systems that keep you honest, and be willing to fail in front of others and keep going.
Episode Highlights
How it started: Adam's first jiu-jitsu exposure was a box set of Gracie VHS tapes from a garage sale around 2002. He and his friends practiced on an upside-down trampoline in the backyard.Early training: A gym was too far away and too expensive on a minimum-wage job. When one finally opened in his neighborhood, he trained constantly, and a sparring round ended in a choke.
Adding judo: A visiting judo leader urged him to get ranked. About two years of extra work later, he earned his judo rank.
Spotting a legitimate school: He explains what to look for, including federation certification, background checks, CPR and safe sport courses. He also covers why he's wary of instructors who discourage cross-training or competing.
Rethinking how jiu-jitsu is taught: Kinesiology and motor-learning research showed him how far jiu-jitsu lags behind other sports in practice methods, which led him to open his own gym.
Rankings beyond belts: He and a student built a patented, chess-style performance rating system called Casual Rankings. It pairs people by skill instead of belt color.
Accountability by design:
Links:
Website: www.missiongrappling.com
Instagram: @MissionGapplingClub
Adam's personal Instagram: @jmny_crkt