Consistently Above Average

Recorded in the middle of the night in a room terrified of waking people up above and beside me. This is episode 54 of Consistently Above Average. Following the public shame, humiliation, embarassment, betrayal and possible hyperbole. I have fled to France after losing on Polaris nearly 2 weeks ago. Perhaps, not the audio conditions you are usually all treated to, but have been enjoying the downtime and some reflection so what a better way than to finish off the holiday than by staying up all night before a flight recording an episode. Small appreciation of the overall UFC White House shout at the end, brace yourselves for a unwanted MMA podcast in the next couple of days as well.

It's been 43 days since I wrote a podcast bio description after recording an episode and I do admit I missed it a little bit more than I thought I would. Quick catch up and chat about what's been going on the last little while and why there's not been an episode, hard to act like everythings going great for your training when you're not able to do it the way you would like to. That's probably a sign to have the back up plans ready in terms of the longer form guest interviews from the last little while but we will see how the next few months goes now after that. We couple of thoughts on CJI as well within the debate of making it a spectator sport vs the competitors trying to win no matter what because the prize money is very lucrative. As well as why it seems like there are two (maybe more) versions of Craig Jones we should be aware of and how this could lead to what CJI 3 could (or could not) look like.

It's a shorter episode this week but the whole world is now aware of some random CEO from an American company and the alleged HR worker who may or may not have been having an affair. At a wider look, it's insane to think something that's happening every day, with little to no consequences at all can just be amplified to life altering effects with just one thing being recorded and going viral. On the JiuJitsu discussion we have a small follow up from last weeks tournaments changing dates, a local tournament coming to a place with no effort of interacting with the local customers base, a very exciting weekend ahead of packing all your t-shirts and the deliberation of maybe, after giving off about them so much, that I should run a tournament next year myself. We also have a voice note from a listener requesting a correction from last weeks episode and announce the next guest on the podcast which should be the very next (if not the one after) episode of the podcast.

Audio-only return of Consistently Above Average – Episode 37. In this episode, I talk about the recent absence, where real life basically jumped right in front of the car that is this podcast and forced a little break.This is one of two episodes dropping this week, so keep an ear out for Friday's release as well. Today, I ramble on about the concept of sonder, why I’ve always wanted to be a conduit for interviewing, the overwhelming urge I had to take a photo of a wall in an Airbnb in Poland a few years ago, and a couple of other things.T-shirt orders close this evening – or at the latest, tomorrow morning. You can order for collection or delivery using the link below: 👉 http://linktree.com/consistentlyaboveaverage

It’s been a while since the last episode, but trust me—this one’s worth the wait.This is part one of a two-part conversation. The full, uncut version (around 3 hours) is up on YouTube.Dan Lukehart is a third-degree BJJ black belt under Beneil Dariush, owner of Brea Jiu-Jitsu in California, and co-owner of IBJJFRankings.com. He’s known for his deep understanding of IBJJF rules, his old-school training logs, and his detailed athlete breakdowns.Dan also coaches Nolan Stuart, who—in his first year as a black belt—won the IBJJF Pan Ams and placed second at both the Brazilian Nationals and the Worlds, losing only to Erich Munis, the current #1 pound-for-pound black belt.Part two dives more into athlete development and building competitive teams.There’s a slight echo on my voice in this episode due to a speaker issue—it won’t happen again. Thanks for listening!

We've kicked off episodes with some wild topics before, but I didn’t think the 100-year-old plans for a Metro in Dublin — complete with a hub at Dublin Airport — would come up this soon.After a three-week hiatus, I’m back following a run at the IBJJF Masters Europeans, the Rome Spring Open, and a short holiday in France.This is one of two episodes dropping this week. I wanted to get something out before the Irish Open — no doubt — but didn’t want to cram everything into one episode. That would’ve meant bouncing between two competitions, slightly annoying weight cuts, and everything coming up this weekend at the Irish Open.

It’s WrestleMania Weekend, and the WWE is now part of one of the most valuable sports entities on the planet—TKO Group. This powerhouse also includes the UFC under its umbrella, along with a soon-to-be-launched boxing league.Dana White has announced a major investment into the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and it’s not a stretch to suggest that Fight Pass Invitational and the UFC brand could become the premier platform for No-Gi submission grappling in the coming years.How much could this kind of exposure fundamentally change the way top athletes behave and market themselves, as the sport shifts from niche to something with a broader audience?We tackle a lot of interesting questions this week, including one listener wondering if the Irish Open isn't quite as big of a deal as it used to be.

Earlier this week, I posted a photo that got a lot of interaction and feedback. It was taken moments after the NoGi European final in 2022 in Rome. I've been sitting on this photo for a couple of years, and when I was deciding what to feature in this week’s episode, I figured it was time to share it.Thanks to keeping notes of my training throughout that year, I was able to look back at my tournament results, how I felt leading up to that tournament, and how I felt afterward.Looking back now, I'm grateful not only for having the photos from the event but also for the written thoughts I captured—especially considering how my perspective shifted over time.In this episode, I'll walk you through my thoughts from that time and even read some of my unhinged, chicken-scratch notes—gotta love the perks of being left-handed!