Jon Thomas was a blue belt with no school and no following when he decided to build a jiu-jitsu charity in memory of his nephew Michael, who died of leukemia as a baby. He tells Bernardo how Tap Cancer Out went from one T-shirt sold at an MMA show to tournaments across the United States, and why he will give you a bronze medal if you really think you earned it.

In this episode:

• From college volleyball to jiu-jitsu in 2008, and the women's kickboxing gym he walked into first
• His nephew Michael, a half marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the idea that became Tap Cancer Out
• Starting a charity as a blue belt: a year of paperwork and one T-shirt sold at an MMA show
• His instructor's advice to host their own tournament, with handwritten brackets and borrowed wrestling mats
• The fundraising model: raise money, compete for free and earn perks
• Six years as a side project before he went full-time in 2018
• Why a charity tournament has to run better than everyone else's
• Still nervous before every event, and the day a taekwondo tournament shared the venue
• Global Grappling Day on December 12, 2026: one partner, one hour, from any gym in the world, with perks from BJJ Fanatics and Kojo

Jon Thomas is the founder and executive director of Tap Cancer Out, a jiu-jitsu nonprofit that raises money for cancer-fighting organizations. He started training in 2008, earned his black belt in 2018 and went full-time at the charity the same year. Since its first tournament in Stratford, Connecticut, in 2012, Tap Cancer Out has donated more than $7.75 million.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:38 Meet Jon Thomas, founder of Tap Cancer Out
01:11 From college volleyball to jiu-jitsu in 2008
03:58 His nephew Michael and the reason behind Tap Cancer Out
05:55 2010: a blue belt with a big idea
07:39 One T-shirt sold at an MMA show
08:08 "Just host your own tournament": handwritten brackets
09:12 Raise money, compete for free: the first tournament in 2012
10:35 "When's the next one?" Six years part-time, full-time in 2018
11:25 Why a charity tournament can't look low budget
14:31 How many tournaments a year, and why he can't go to all of them
18:05 More than medals: making the tournament a party
20:32 Still nervous before every tournament
21:21 A taekwondo tournament in the same venue, and other surprises
23:32 Are people nicer at a charity tournament?
25:12 Pokémon cards and making every kid feel welcome
26:31 Global Grappling Day: for the people who don't compete
29:40 Global Grappling Day perks from BJJ Fanatics and Kojo

Connect with Jon Thomas and Tap Cancer Out
Website: https://tapcancerout.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tapcancerout/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TapCancerOut/
Global Grappling Day, December 12, 2026: https://www.globalgrapplingday.com

Connect with Bernardo Faria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjj
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkA
BJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.com
Kojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5

New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

Victor Genovesi was born with a rare disease, bullied at school for years, and raised inside Alliance by one of its founders. He tells Bernardo why he was jealous of jiu-jitsu as a kid, how the mat became his safe place, and what the Alliance split looked like from his house.

In this episode:

• Born with a rare genetic bowel disease: five surgeries between birth and age 13, and a doctor who said jiu-jitsu was out of the question
• Bullied from kindergarten until 15, and why the mat was the one safe place
• The fight after school that ended the bullying for good
• Advice for parents: find a safe place and a teacher who cares, in jiu-jitsu or anything else
• Competing with the disease: more injuries, hospital trips and weight cuts he could not make
• Rio vs São Paulo: why he thinks the best jiu-jitsu left Rio after 2000
• Jealous of jiu-jitsu: a father who gave his time to his students, and Tererê living in the house
• The Alliance split seen through a kid's eyes, down to the faces he scratched out of GracieMag
• His career: the line he was not willing to cross, luck, COVID and stepping aside for a teammate

Victor Genovesi is the son of Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva, who founded Alliance with Romero "Jacaré" Cavalcanti and Fabio Gurgel. In 2012 he won the IBJJF World Championship at brown belt, beating Gianni Grippo in the featherweight final, and today he teaches at Alliance East Boise, in Idaho.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:39 Meet Victor Genovesi, son of Alliance co-founder Gigi Paiva
01:14 Born with a rare disease: five surgeries by age 13
02:29 "Jiu-jitsu was my salvation", even when the doctor said no
03:46 Bullied from kindergarten to 15
05:37 The fight after school
07:19 Why a jiu-jitsu kid can still get bullied
09:20 Advice for parents: a safe place and a good teacher
10:42 The best gift his father gave him: the gym
12:34 A rare disease in a pro athlete: injuries and weight cuts
13:53 Rio vs São Paulo: where the best jiu-jitsu went
17:24 Carnival in Rio: empty classes, so he traveled to train
18:29 Growing up inside Alliance and jealous of jiu-jitsu
20:21 The Alliance split, seen from his house
24:06 Scratching faces out of GracieMag
24:36 His competition career: the line he wouldn't cross
26:54 Luck, his condition, COVID and a teammate's last run
28:51 His first BJJ Fanatics instructional

Connect with Victor Genovesi
Alliance Jiu-Jitsu East Boise, Boise, Idaho: https://alliance-east-boise.gymdesk.com

Connect with Bernardo Faria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjj
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkA
BJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.com
Kojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5

New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

Eduardo Benjamin is a police chief in Maine and the founder of Titan Athletics. He tells Bernardo why the mats humble even the toughest cops, why he left a franchise to keep training affordable, and how jiu-jitsu turned a student's life around.

In this episode:

- Running a police department and a jiu-jitsu gym at the same time, and why the gym is his mental health

- Lifelong learning: an MBA, a second master's in criminal justice and the FBI National Academy

- Franchise or independent: why he left Gracie Barra in 2017 and lowered his prices

- Jiu-jitsu for law enforcement: safer arrests for the officer and for the person being arrested

- The ego problem: when a 130-pound kid controls a 200-pound cop, and how he prepares new officers for it

- The hardest belt in jiu-jitsu is the white belt

- Why his mostly no-gi gym has an older crowd than most

- The 25 Days of Kindness program at his police department

- From heroin to black belt: the student who got a second chance

Eduardo "Eddie" Benjamin is the police chief of Holden, Maine, and the founder of Titan Athletics in Brewer. Born in Salvador, Bahia, he moved to the United States in 2003, opened his jiu-jitsu school in 2006 and joined law enforcement in 2010.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:41 Meet Eduardo Benjamin: police chief and gym owner

01:39 Running a police department and a jiu-jitsu gym

02:43 Lifelong learner: two master's degrees and the FBI National Academy

04:35 Franchise or independent: why he left Gracie Barra

06:30 Cops on the mats: jiu-jitsu for law enforcement

08:01 Ego: when a kid controls the cop

10:27 The hardest belt is the white belt

12:26 From Salvador to Maine: long winters and fighting depression

13:28 MMA, boxing, pro fighters and his black belts

14:29 Why his no-gi crowd is older

16:39 Acadia, the winter and a white belt in skiing

18:19 "The day I'm not learning, I'm dead": training his officers

19:03 25 Days of Kindness: the police department's program

20:35 Immigrants who give back

21:17 From heroin to black belt to a governor's pardon

23:06 What's next

Connect with Eduardo Benjamin

Titan Athletics, Brewer, Maine

Connect with Bernardo Faria

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjj

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkA

BJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.com

Kojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5

New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

On the drive to a seminar, Rafael Lovato Jr tells Bernardo how to keep doing jiu-jitsu for the rest of your life, why he is wrestling college kids at 43, and how to beat the young guys: make them tired.

In this episode:

- Timeless Jiu-Jitsu: keep doing what you love for as long as possible, and build a game that lasts

- Why he never saw himself as "just a jiu-jitsu guy", and the difference between an athlete and a martial artist

- Wrestling college kids at 43, and his plan to medal at the Masters Worlds in wrestling and judo

- Coming up in Oklahoma with no black belt in the state, learning side by side with his dad

- Bruce Lee, jeet kune do and "take what is useful"

- Going to Brazil at 16, getting beaten up over and over, and how he met Saulo

- Getting beat up and coming back the next day: find your why

- How an older grappler beats a 20-year-old: slow the game down, stay on top, keep them flat, make them carry your weight

- What MMA taught him, and why he thinks it is what he does best

- Why he calls a basic game the most powerful one, and the Roger Gracie comparison

Rafael Lovato Jr is the 2007 IBJJF World Champion at black belt and the undefeated Bellator Middleweight World Champion. He runs his academy in Oklahoma City and teaches the Timeless Jiu-Jitsu approach: a game you can keep using as you get older.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:35 Timeless: keep doing what you love for as long as possible

02:40 From Worlds champion to wrestling college kids at 43

03:58 Not just a jiu-jitsu guy: living as a martial artist

08:57 The next goal: Masters Worlds in wrestling and judo

10:45 Want to get good at something? Compete in it

13:45 Oklahoma, no black belt in the state, learning with his dad

14:47 Bruce Lee and jeet kune do: take what is useful

15:58 Brazil at 16, sleeping on mats, and fighting Saulo

18:15 Starting over again and again

19:44 Why he took a match against a 22-year-old

21:01 Getting beat up and coming back: find your why

24:45 Everything great is hard

26:29 Putting on a singlet in his 40s

29:18 How to beat the young guys: "Make them tired"

32:24 Keep them flat: why he wants to be on top

34:29 What he's best at: MMA, 11-0 and the cage door

37:09 Give it all back: why teaching drives him

39:21 The American Roger Gracie: a basic game you never change

42:14 His new BJJ Fanatics instructionals, one a month

His new BJJ Fanatics series starts with the Gi Mount Masterclass: https://bjjfanatics.com/products/gi-mount-masterclass-by-rafael-lovato-jr

Bernardo says a new one is coming every month.

Connect with Rafael Lovato Jr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovatojrbjj

Timeless Jiu-Jitsu: https://www.timelessjiujitsu.com

His academy in Oklahoma City: https://www.okbjj.com

Connect with Bernardo Faria

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjj

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkA

BJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.com

Kojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5

New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

Marlon Tajik took silver at -88 kg and finished fourth in the absolute at ADCC 2026. A month later he sat down with Bernardo to explain how a kid from Sweden got there with no blueprint, and why his whole game is built to make you tired.In this episode:- Starting jiu-jitsu at 11 in Stockholm, training next to his dad, who is also a black belt- No roadmap: saving money, flying to the US and finding the room where he was not the best- Training like a professional from purple belt: diet, strength and conditioning, 80% light and 20% hard- "Hard work is never in vain, it only compounds"- Half the year in the US, half in Sweden, and why each half has a different job- How he tests a new move: first on juveniles and blue belts, then up the ladder until it works 8 out of 10 times- The energy bar idea behind his passing: "No technique works when you're tired"- The sneaky leg locks, and why he looked for entries nobody else was using- You don't need the best gym in the world anymore to learn from the best in the worldMarlon Tajik is a no-gi grappler from Sweden. At the 2026 ADCC World Championship in Kraków he won silver in the -88 kg division and finished fourth in the absolute, where he submitted Pouya Rahmani (+99 kg) with an inside heel hook. This week he recorded his first instructionals with BJJ Fanatics: his guard passing system, and half butterfly to leg locks.Chapters00:00 Intro00:31 ADCC 2026: silver at -88 kg and fourth in the absolute01:17 Starting at 11 in Stockholm, with a black belt dad02:33 No blueprint: making it from a country where nobody had04:27 Training like a pro from purple belt: 80% light, 20% hard06:27 Jiu-jitsu as a job in Scandinavia: "I'm living the dream"08:25 Half the year in the US, half in Sweden09:45 How he tests a new move: from juveniles to the best guy in the gym11:24 His guard passing system, built from fights and instructionals13:53 The energy bar: "No technique works when you're tired"15:42 The sneaky leg locks and the side control escape everyone saw17:53 You don't need the best gym anymore19:15 His first BJJ Fanatics instructionalsMarlon's first instructionals (guard passing, and half butterfly to leg locks) are coming soon to BJJ Fanatics: https://bjjfanatics.comConnect with Bernardo FariaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjjYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkABJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.comKojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

Victor Hugo won ADCC 2026 at +99 kg with four submissions in four matches, pulling guard every time. A month later he sat down with Bernardo to explain the Big Man Flow: why the biggest guy on the mat plays guard, how he trains, and the road from Fortaleza to the top of the sport.

In this episode:

- "Breaking records or breaking limbs": how he stayed loose and had fun through a tournament most people dread

- Why he pulls guard on everyone in training, except wrestlers, and what he gets out of it

- Ultra-heavy matches used to be "bad judo": the strategy he has used since the colored belts

- His training split: drilling, specific training with constraints, then live rounds, built up from blue belts

- The kid from Fortaleza nobody knew: double gold at Worlds as a purple belt, then San Diego with Saulo and Xande

- Dropping out of nutrition school after winning Worlds, and starting jiu-jitsu at 14 with his dad

- Athlete to entrepreneur: running jiu-jitsu schools and learning the business side

- Three ADCCs, Buchecha and Gordon Ryan in the second round, and the joke "I just want to make it to day two"

- The CJI foot lock, "don't confuse better with more", and why "the crown is heavy"

Victor Hugo is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Fortaleza, Brazil, under Saulo and Xande Ribeiro of the Six Blades Association. He is a four-time IBJJF world champion at black belt, including double gold (100 kg and absolute) at the 2023 Worlds, and the 2026 ADCC world champion at +99 kg, where he won all four of his matches by submission in Krakow. He recorded two new instructionals with BJJ Fanatics this week: his guard game, and his offensive game with back attacks.

Chapters

00:00 Four matches, four submissions, pulling guard at +99 kg

00:41 "Breaking records or breaking limbs": having fun at ADCC

01:42 Big guys around the world are pulling guard now: the Big Man Flow

02:29 Why a giant who relies on strength is a gym owner's nightmare

03:56 Pulling guard against everyone in training, and why

05:21 Ultra-heavy matches used to be "bad judo"

06:08 Drilling, specific training with constraints, then sparring

07:24 Build the technique up from blue belts: the leg drag story

07:56 Two new instructionals: guard game and back attacks

08:25 The kid from Fortaleza nobody knew

09:13 Double gold at Worlds as a purple belt, then San Diego with Saulo and Xande

11:08 Dropping out of nutrition school: "the perfect excuse to make my parents mad"

12:05 Starting at 14 with his dad, who is a black belt too

13:07 What's next: super fights and the names he hasn't faced

14:20 Athlete to entrepreneur: running schools, churn and CAC

16:57 The free time pro athletes don't talk about

18:33 Is 14 too late? Competing too early and burning out

20:53 Three ADCCs: Buchecha, Gordon Ryan and "I just want to make it to day two"

21:42 The CJI foot lock and "don't confuse better with more"

22:42 Resilience after the black belt: "the crown is heavy"

24:43 Wrap-up

Connect with Victor Hugo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorhugojj

Instructionals: https://bjjfanatics.com

Connect with Bernardo Faria

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjj

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkA

BJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.com

Kojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5

New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.

Conan Schafer retired from the Lincoln Police Department at 57 to run a jiu-jitsu school full time. At 63 he co-owns two schools, runs three tournaments a year and still teaches the kids classes himself. Bernardo visited him in Lincoln, Nebraska, to find out how he keeps building.In this episode:- How a police officer looking for something that would "make the job easier" ended up in jiu-jitsu in 2003- Why Conan and Jerad gave up their black belts and started over at white belt when they opened Lincoln BJJ in 2013- Retiring at 57, the pandemic year when 100 students hung on, and the school taking off in 2021- "Kitchen manager and dining room manager": how the partnership with Jerad Downs works- The promise he made himself to always teach the kids classes- Running the Nebraska Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the Nebraska Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Elite Series super fights- "I haven't beaten one of my black belts in a few years": training, lifting and eating at 63- His advice for older beginners (his oldest student is 72) and for anyone starting a school in their 50sConan Schafer co-founded Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2013 with Greg Lawson and Jerad Downs, and has been its head instructor since 2020. He spent 23 years with the Lincoln Police Department and received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Greg Lawson in 2021. The school has two locations, College View and Havelock, and organizes the Nebraska Jiu-Jitsu Championship.Chapters00:00 Former police officer, 63 years old, two schools, three tournaments a year00:53 How a cop looking to "make the job easier" found jiu-jitsu in 200302:46 Giving up their black belts to start over at white belt04:32 Retiring from the police at 57 to take over the school05:15 The pandemic: 100 students who hung on, then the school took off06:22 "Kitchen manager and dining room manager": the partnership with Jerad Downs07:16 Why he still teaches the kids classes himself09:02 Why he started running tournaments in Nebraska10:53 The Nebraska Jiu-Jitsu Federation and refereeing without favoritism12:04 Motivation at 63: "I haven't beaten one of my black belts in a few years"13:37 His routine: the bicycle, lifting in jeans, rolling two or three times a week14:39 Bernardo on removing friction: something beats nothing16:30 Longevity: keto, no drinking, mobility work after a bulging disc18:02 The Elite Series: 10-minute submission-only super fights with a light show19:40 Advice for older beginners: his oldest student is 7221:22 Starting a school in your 50s: "never let your passion become the bane of your existence"23:19 "I refuse to quit"Connect with Conan SchaferLincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center: https://lincolnbjj.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lnk_bjjConnect with Bernardo FariaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjjYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkABJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.comKojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.