In this episode of Wash Your Ger-hi, Jack and his guest Priit Mihkelson dive into the development and value of defensive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Priit shares his journey from craft school and multiple traditional martial arts to founding Stoom Jiu-Jitsu in Tallinn, Estonia. He explains how studying Aikido, Wing Chun, Tai Chi and other arts influenced his thinking and led him to prioritize practical, posture-based defenses in BJJ.
Priit discusses his teaching evolution—from information-heavy instruction to Contextual Learning of Actions (CLA)—and why training defense makes practitioners more fearless and adaptable offensively. He breaks down the benefits of prioritizing structure and survival, offers training advice (including the FUN principle: Don’t be Flat, Underhooks are dangerous, Protect your Neck), and explains how defensive strategies foster longevity, better learning for beginners, and a healthier gym environment.
The episode also covers Priit’s approach to transitions (turtle positions, running man concepts), integrating leg locks, differences between gi and no-gi, and coaching philosophy. He finishes by inviting travelers to drop into his gym and promising more defensive BJJ content in the future.
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