VERBAL TAP (Episode 113) with Drew Dober

[buzzsprout episode='266051' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Admit it, you kinda missed us.

Don't worry, we missed you, too.  Turns out when we take a four week hiatus, the fight and jiu-jitsu world goes completely nuts.

But more on that later.  This week, we return from our month-long hiatus with a killer episode.

Not only do we recap what took place at UFC 185 with our pal John Evans (who makes a record-breaking 11th appearance on the show), but we also take a look at what happens at this week's UFC 186 show with our pal Dan Hubler, who puts Kevin's picks through the ringer.However, on our first episode back, we get to the bottom of one of the worst calls in UFC history when we speak to UFC Fighter Drew Dober.No seriously.

Google, UFC Worst Call of All Time and his name pops up.

The first three entries when you do come up with the fight that took place in Rio between Drew Dober and Leandro Silva, where a ref pulled a Judge Dredd and decided to take the law into his own hands.

Or maybe he wanted to give the fight to his friend.

Either way, fans of our show may remember my reaction when I was watching the fight live.

If not, here's a refresher.

We get the entire story behind Dober's "loss," including his own reactions, what happened when he met with Dana White after the fight, and the even more insane aftermath that took place afterwards.

Plus, we talk about Drew's next fight and get some insight as to what we can expect when we see him next in the Octagon.I knew I wanted to book Drew the minute I saw this bull shit call happen on TV.  But Kev and I are stoked to call the guy a friend of the podcast.

Despite the unprofessional nature of the incident, Drew handles it in a way that's indicative of a true professional.  We will definitely have him back on the show.

Last Time on Verbal Tap

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We also talk a little bit about how John opened up the doors to his new academy, Breakdown Academy, for me and a few of the folks who flew in for my wedding to come train at.  We have the honor of being the first folks to ever train at the academy and we couldn't be more thrilled.

In addition to that, Kev and I talk a little bit about the groomsmen gift I got him.  A few months back our pal Jon Greek at Kauai Kimonos graciously offered to make a pair of customized gis for both me and Kevin.  Not only was I astounded someone would actually do that for us, but I was beyond thrilled with how it came out.

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The photo here is one I snagged when I picked up the gi from Jon hours before going to give it to Kevin.  On the podcast, Kev describes how surprised he was and I tell him a little bit about the background of how it all came together.  Needless to say, a big thanks to our friend Jon Greek as we've gotten so many compliments for the new gis.

Afterwards, John Evans tells us a little bit about his interpretation of the events that took place at UFC 185 and we discover who won that installments' Over/Under Kevin.

Be sure to check out John's new academy over in North Hollywood, CA.

If you're interested in trying out a class, you can email John at John@BJJBreakdown.com.

UFC 186: Over/Under Kevin

But we don't stop there.  A new PPV means there are more predictions to be had.

This time, noted compulsive gambler (and Dream Jiu-Jitsu tournament director/Newaza Apparel marketing guru) Dan Hubler comes to set Kevin straight.

We go through the entire card and try to figure out why exactly people might want to order this PPV (especially a week out from Mayweather/Pacquiao).

Plus, Dan clues us into the latest from Newaza and Dream Jiu-JItsu.

Grapplethon

I didn't get to talk about this as much as I would have liked to, but I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone over at this weekend's Grapplethon: Victory for Victoria for such a great event.

Once again, our pal, Montay Wiley organized a great event for people to come together for a great cause. You may know Montay Wiley from this #wwebjj gem.

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As always, Montay helped put on a great event.  This time we all came together to raise money for Victoria (Tori), a young girl who was found to have a brain tumor at only three months old.  If you guys get the chance, please stay updated on all the latest about Victoria's fight on their facebook page right here.

Watching Victoria's father, Brad, get out there and do twenty rolls with the community was truly awesome.  He mentioned how participating in the event lifted his and his family's spirits.  It's a great reminder of the good our community does when we all pull together.

Brad and his family will be in our thoughts, and now, we hope all of yours as well.

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That'll do it for this week, folks.  Be sure to listen in and tell us what you thought about this week's episode!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 112) with John Robles

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 111) with Sam Alvey

[buzzsprout episode='251597' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Sam "Smile'n" Alvey joins us [at the 52:10 mark] to talk about the fight life, what he does to blow off steam after big wins, AND even reveals some of advantages he has on other UFC fighters outside of the ring.

But first, our pal, Albert "The Warrior" Morales joins us right up top to review all things UFC 184.  That's right, come on in and listen to a fight recap that's over fifteen times longer than the UFC 184 main event itself.

Listen in and let us know what you think folks!

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 110) with Albert Morales

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 109) Terrion "Flash" Ware and Vince Cachero

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 108) with Joe "The Nose" Wilk

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 107) on UFC 183

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 106) with Ruben Avila

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Raf's Recollection | Coming soon!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 105) with Adam Lamp

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 104) with Javier Vazquez

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 103) with Ali Fuller & Nigel McGuinness

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VERBAL TAP (Episode 102) with Jim Lawson

[buzzsprout episode='233132' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Full write up coming very soon.  Listen in as we preview UFC 182 and chat with our pal, Jon Thomas, from Tap Cancer Out.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 101) with Mark Dickman and Albert Morales

[buzzsprout episode='231955' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Full write up coming soon!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 92) with Justin Rader

[buzzsprout episode='209031' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Justin Rader [30:00] has been on our... podcast's radar for some time (see what I did there?).

Kev and I have been HUGE fans of Justin's jiu-jitsu game for ages.  It's fast, it's aggressive, and it's destructive--a fascinating hybrid that combines the best of jiu-jitsu and wrestling (which has made for some truly impressive highlight-reel matches).

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Justin in person and was truly impressed by his character.  From the many instructionals and interviews we've seen from the guy, we know he's truly passionate about the sport (and isn't afraid to voice a controversial opinion about it every once in awhile).

Sure he's got an intensity to him, but it's never impolite or combative.  In fact, off the mats, he's about as nice as they come.

He's one of the few guys I know who actually says the word "gosh."  Yes, actually says the word "gosh" when he gets asked a good question.  And it just works, cuz that's just the kinda guy Rader is.

Which is why it was awesome to find that the guy who was so relentless in the cage (or on the mats) can have a great laugh with us and crack a few goofy jokes with us in between serious conversations about the current state of jiu-jitsu, his MMA career, and what the future holds in store for him.

We get a cool look at his mindset going into the fight, what made his fight camp so great, and how it felt like to be on the same card with his mentor/training partner, Rafael Lovato Jr.

It's a great time and I wouldn't be surprised if you hear Rader back on the podcast sometime very soon.

Travis Conley: All Around Badass

Travis Conley's passport must be tired as hell.  The dude literally just got back from an awesome overseas trip where he got to conduct some awesome BJJ seminars, only to come back home and lead our friend LC Davis to an impressive win at Bellator 124.

But that's not all.  Travis also got invited to compete on the US Men's Sambo team.

So it seems like Conley may need to bust out that passport again for this unexpected and amazing opportunity.  We wanna help Travis achieve his goal and represent America accordingly, so we're asking for our fans here to help out and donate a few bucks if they can to the cause.

For more info about his trip, head on over to UNGD.tv. And on the podcast, we make some compelling arguments as to why you should help the guy out.

Especially if they mean beating Kevin up.

But wait, there's more!

We also have our pal Steven Briggs back on the podcast to find out if he beat Kevin in this week's installment of Over/Under Kevin.

I don't want to spoil anything, but he stands a good chance of beating Kevin's picks.

We also review all things that took place at UFC 178.

So listen in and let us know what you think!

And be sure to add us and check out our social media.

Facebook: /VerbalTapCast

Twitter: @VerbalTapCast

Instagram: @VerbalTapCast

Vine: @VerbalTapCast

All I got for now, later on party people.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 90) with LC Davis

[buzzsprout episode='204537' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Our pal LC Davis drops in [24:02], moments after his big win at Bellator 124.

We chat with LC about his preparation for the fight, as well as rectifying the biggest problem of the broadcast:

The fact that they didn't even give him a chance to talk after his win.

Check it out as LC crushes it, not only in his (deserved) post-fight interview, but also in our exclusive interview with this rising Bellator MMA star.

Oh yeah, also we talk a little bit about our pal Travis Conley (welcome back to the USA, buddy :-)

But Wait, There's More...

A reddit post prompted us to start talking about the nerves people get before training.  As someone who's had their own experiences with anxiety, we decided it'd be a great thing to have a little dialogue about one of the lesser talked-about phenomenon in BJJ.

I also talk a little bit about the amazing experience I had over at the Grapplethon over in Laguna Niguel.

All this and much, much more.

VERBAL TAP (Episode 88) with Mik Milman

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Raf's Recollection | Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous of Mik Milman's photography skills.

As an avid photography enthusiast, I spend a great deal of my spare time researching different photographers and trends within the field.  Which is why it came as a nice surprise when I found there was a photographer taking the time to capture the essence of everyday jiu-jitsu practitioners.

That's right, not the guys you see standing on podiums or shouting out their twenty thousand sponsors.  Nor the guys selling you DVDs, telling you what you need to know about jiu-jitsu.  Not even the people trying to make names for themselves showing you a cool move on YouTube.

In fact, Mik (pronounced "Mick") none of that really seems to matter all that much to Mik Milman.  For him, there's a way bigger interest in the psychology behind why people step foot on a mat.

Mik's passion project, People Who Train, is a photography-based narrative BJJ endeavor that seeks to find out the psychology behind why ordinary people step on the mats.

And the results, thus far, have been fascinating.

I first caught wind of the projects a couple months ago and was intrigued by the quality of the photos.  In each of Mik's still frames you truly get a representation of each interview subject's soul.  And while I've never rolled with any of the people in the photos or heard a single word about their story beforehand, the photos give a great peek into the role jiu-jitsu plays in their life.

It's even more awesome when you see the photos juxtaposed with some of the short narratives that give you a little more insight into these folks' everyday lives.

On the podcast [his appearance starts at the 58:30 mark], Mik describes his process (all the way from the photography sessions, the type of people's he's interested in photographing, and the unexpected narratives that have propelled him to do even more for the BJJ community).

If you're interested in being one of the folks featured in this project (seriously, don't be shy.  We all have cool stories that deserve to be featured), be sure to check out People Who Train and hit up Info@MikMilman.com.

You can also check out Mik's work on Instagram (@retrograding) and give him a like on Facebook.

But Wait, There's More

We talk about Dana White's latest PR fail, some stupid parents on a dumb reality show force their kids to do jiu-jitsu and are pretty extreme about it, the devastation of UFC 177, and Todd Levin [21:11] returns to find out if he beat Kevin on our last installment of "Over/Under Kevin" (spoiler alert, of course he did).

So take a load off and kick back as we help you unwind and make sense of this crazy week in BJJ and MMA.  And don't forget to follow us on our social media stuff as well.

Facebook: /VerbalTapCast

Twitter: @VerbalTapCast

Instagram: @VerbalTapCast

Vine: @VerbalTapCast

Oh yeah, one more thing.  We've got our new Around the Mat episodes coming out (we filmed one episode per Metamoris 4 match).  Check our our first installment right here!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 86) with Karl Penn

[buzzsprout episode='198059' player='true'] Raf's Recollection | Karl Penn is our kind of idiot.

Well, jiu-jidiot to be precise.

In a short amount of time, Karl has made a name for himself as the guy behind some of the funniest jiu-jitsu memes hitting the net.

We've had the pleasure of getting name checked in a couple of his memes as of recently (including the one to the right-hand side here, pronouncing his appearance on this week's show), so we wanted to return the favor by having him on the show.

If you haven't seen some of his work, allow us to share a few of our favorites:

And my current favorite...

On this week's episode, we find a little bit about Karl's jiu-jitsu evolution, what he did before BJJ, and even get him to explain a few of his most recent status updates.

We love supporting folks like Karl who help put a smile on our face in this crazy world of BJJ.  For a sport that can sometimes take itself a little too seriously, we love having an ally like Karl Penn who gets that a simple meme can help us make sense of the more ridiculous aspects of BJJ.

Be sure to follow Karl and his facebook page, Jiu Jidiots, and tell 'em your friends at Verbal Tap sent ya.

Where'd I Train This Week?

I made a stop over to train with the guys over at The Warrior's Club this week.

As some of you may recall, our pal Jim Lawson publicly put me on blast on last week's podcast and told me a beating was in in the foreseeable future.

He was certainly right.

A beating did happen, just not at my expense.  As the picture on the right demonstrates, Jim may have pushed this white belt a little too far.

That aside, Jim teaches a really cool class, helping me lay a strong foundation for my footlock game (don't worry, I can't do any of it remotely well, so you're all safe for the time being).

What I appreciate was that as I struggled to grasp the proper grips and technique, Jim really made an effort to make sure I understood the concepts (even going as far as to blame himself for me not getting the techniques right).  I assured him it's my general stupidity (or jiu-jitsu dyslexia I've diagnosed myself with that renders me incapable of even the simplest of BJJ moves), but I sincerely appreciated his efforts to go above and beyond helping me better understand the techniques of the day.

Those are the kinds of instructors you want in your corner, the people who make it their mission to make you better (and feel like they're letting you down if you don't quite get it).  I can assure Jim that his help is greatly appreciated and will one day pay off.

Great rolls and fun times.  I look forward to giving Jim his well-deserved rematch any time he likes, but let this be a lesson to all: it's not polite to call out your podcast host.

They might get angry.

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

... or hungry.  Now that I think about it, that's probably worse: hangry.

Nonetheless, my thanks to all the good people at The Warrior's Club and I look forward to getting beat up by you all again sometime soon.

Oh and BTW

If you haven't watched it yet, please go check out the first technique video from your pals here at Verbal Tap.  That's right.  Our pal Travis Conley identifies a problem in my current game.  Please feel free to like and share, and let us know if you want to see more of these in the future!

Let us know what you thought about this week's episode on our social media:

Facebook: /VerbalTapCast

Twitter: @VerbalTapCast

Instagram: @VerbalTapCast

Vine: @VerbalTapCast

Until next time, folks!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 84) with Mike Jasper

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Raf's Recollection | More about our conversation with our pal Mike Jasper coming soon!

VERBAL TAP (Episode 82) with Joey Diaz

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Raf's Recollection | Joey Diaz is a real motherfucker.

There's an old adage that says "never meet your heroes." The saying implies that you'll only set yourself up for disappointment when you finally meet the person you admire.

In entertainment, that saying consistently true.  But not with Joey Coco Diaz.

I've always been a fan of his style of comedy and over the past year I've had the pleasure of getting to know Joey as both a stand up comic and a BJJ training partner.

On stage or on his podcast (The Church of What's Happening Now), Joey is ferocious, uncensored.  A beast.  He has this great old school energy that is severely lacking in this PC sensitive world.

Off stage, Joey is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  The dude's selfless and has gone out of his way to do nice things for his friends on numerous occasions.  He's offered to do my talk show, he did this podcast, and he even offered to help me out with a new project that I'll be sharing with you all very soon.

On the podcast this week, we ask Joey about his training in BJJ, why MMA audiences gravitate toward his sense of humor, and get some fun stories about his time working with Robert DeNiro in the movie Grudge Match.

It's a great conversation that is truly an extension of the great vibe that Joey brings to my gym, Valley Martial Arts Center.  And I can honestly say that our gym is all the better having him there.  Our thanks to Joey D. for one of our favorite conversations.

Subconscious Jiu-Jitsu

Last week, I had the chance to train over at Subconscious Jiu-Jitsu over in North Hollywood.  Friend of the podcast Brent Burniston teaches a hell of a class.

At the end of the podcast, I talk a little bit about what it was like to watch an instructor teach the counter to one of your go-to's (and love every second of it).

I was stoked to finally get to train there and I look forward to visiting Brent's academy sometime soon again!

VIDEO: Rafael Lovato Jr. Interview (Post-Seminar, Cobra Kai, Las Vegas)

Raf's Recollection | When it comes to birthdays, I'm really just a simple guy.  All I need are some good friends, some great company, and a fantastic seminar hosted by one of the most decorated BJJ practitioners in the greater United States.

Is that too much to ask?

Fortunately this year, one of my best presents came in the gift of a fantastic seminar hosted by our pal, Rafael Lovato Jr. (ya know, that other Rafael who happens to do jiu-jitsu).

When I discovered that Rafael would be in Las Vegas the same weekend I would be in town, I couldn't think of any better way to mark the birthday than learning some new pressure passing techniques.

While I've been fortunate enough to get to see Rafael compete, I've never had the opportunity to watch how he teaches the art.  We've heard so many great things from his students and fellow BJJ practitioners over the years, it was truly a pleasure to watch him break down the subtlest intricacies of his strong ground game.

On Saturday, June 28th, I headed on over to Cobra Kai (http://www.ckjj.com/) to absorb as much as I could from Professor Lovato.  I've long been a fan of his game and have been eager to try and implement some of the techniques I've seen him post on his website (lovatojr.com), his matches or even the cool things I've seen him teach on some of his online seminars.

The only problem being: I roll nothing like him.

Whereas Lovato is one to push the action, my game is a lot more reactionary.  While he's known for his offense, my greatest skill (at present) is my defense.  And while he is tall and lanky, I roll at an average height and weight.  Knowing these differences up front, I walked into the seminar hoping to make some slight adjustments to my arsenal and hear him discuss the finer parts of his technique.

I was not disappointed.

What you find instantly at a Rafael Lovato Jr. seminar is the scope and breadth of the techniques.  There were four concentrated areas that were detailed, drilled, and demonstrated at the seminar (that can chain together quite nicely).

And while I can tell you that the seminar included tips for side control, half-guard passing, and finishes from the mount, it would fail to properly describe the impressive array of instruction and options presented for each of those areas.

It's the small things, the details that make so many of the techniques that Rafael does so unique.  With Rafael, there's a strong love for the basics with an appreciation and acknowledgement of the modern game.

After the seminar I got the chance to witness Rafael roll with some of Cobra Kai's upper belts and watch as he practiced the very jiu-jitsu he preached during the seminar. It was a refreshing supplement to the instruction that showed what can happen with a mastery of each minute correction (you can check out footage from that roll on the video up top).

Post-roll, I got the chance to catch up with Rafael (video embedded up top) and ask him about his plans for MMA, the rationale and impact of his Save Jiu-Jitsu podcast (listen to it obviously after you listen to the latest episodes of Verbal Tap), and even got him to play a 2 Minute Drill lightning round game with us.

I also got the chance to speak with Cobra Kai owner, Sim Go, about the seminar, the origin of his gym's bad ass name, and about what killers we need to be on the lookout from Cobra Kai.

Overall, Rafael teaches a mean seminar and the nice folks over at Cobra Kai are a great set of people to roll with.  A week removed and I'm still working to implement the exact notes Rafael gave all of us into my game.  I'm a slow learner (even slower implementer), but I like having a better understanding of the concepts behind the moves, as well as an appreciation for a game that—while I can't exactly emulate right now—can potentially be implemented into my arsenal with the proper practice and patience.

My thanks to all for a great seminar and experience, and the best way I could have possibly spent a birthday.