Mike Dytri is the founder of Vanguard Kimono. He is also a third-degree black belt under Chris Haueter, a former MMA fighter, a longtime designer in streetwear and skateboarding, and the design consultant behind Gracie Barra's GB Wear program. We sat down at the Vanguard studio to talk about how a kimono actually gets made, and what that process reveals about the people wearing it.

The conversation starts with Carlos Gracie Jr.'s recent red belt and moves into what Mike sees as the real legacy of Gracie Barra: the infrastructure that made it possible for the rest of us to make any kind of livelihood from jiu-jitsu. From there we get into the question that sits underneath every gi design decision, which is whether jiu-jitsu is a team sport that calls for uniformity or an individual art that calls for expression. Mike has lived on both sides of that question. He consults for one of the largest team organizations in the world and runs an independent boutique brand whose first release was a selvege denim gi.

We get into the technical history, the shrinking of the silhouette in the early 2010s. The IBJJF rule changes that responded to what Storm was doing with double-layered ripstop and reinforced collars. Why a black gi fits tighter than a white one in the same size. Why your pants wear out faster than your jacket. What separates a jacket cut for judo from a jacket cut for jiu-jitsu, and why the difference shows up in the kinds of grips you can actually get. Mike also talks about his own path through martial arts, which started in judo as a kid in Michigan, moved through wrestling and MMA in the early 2000s, and eventually landed in jiu-jitsu.

The episode closes on the upcoming Adidas x Vanguard Jiu-Jitsu launch. Mike has been working with Adidas for over a decade across MMA and combat sports, and he describes the long road to bringing the new line to the U.S. market through a vertically integrated factory in China, beginning with a Vanguard x Adidas collaboration on the Evolution uniform.

Recorded at Vanguard Kimonos.

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#bjj #jiujitsu #grappling #brazilianjiujitsu #nogi #ibjjf #grapplingmonthly #martialarts #bjjpodcast #losangeles

About Grappling Monthly Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial media brand covering the culture, people, and business of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the grappling arts. Based in Los Angeles, the brand produces in-depth conversations with the coaches, gym owners, competitors, and practitioners shaping the sport.

The Grappling Monthly Podcast is the flagship property. A weekly long-form interview series hosted by Sébastien Maniatopoulos, a BJJ black belt establishing roots in the Southern California grappling community. The brand's editorial focus is on the human stories behind the art: how academies are built, how practitioners evolve, how the culture of jiu-jitsu intersects with identity, business, and community.

For post about episode release: A lot of beginners do not struggle in jiu-jitsu because they are untalented. They struggle because they go too hard, too soon, and never learn how to pace themselves.

In this episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, Rodrigo Freitas talks about growing up in Brazil, discovering jiu-jitsu through the early UFC, competing for years at a high level, moving to the United States without speaking English, and building InSpirit Jiu-Jitsu in the greater Los Angeles area.

We also get into longevity, discipline, opening an academy, balancing competition with business, how to introduce beginners to training safely, and why consistency matters more than intensity for most people.

About Rodrigo Freitas Rodrigo Freitas is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, longtime competitor, and academy owner based in Los Angeles. Originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, he trained from white to black belt under the same instructor, competed extensively in gi and no-gi, and now leads In Spirit Jiu Jitsu while continuing to teach and compete.

Sponsors: Interested in sponsoring The Grappling Monthly Podcast? Email: grapplingmonthly@gmail.com

Follow Grappling Monthly: Instagram: @grapplingmonthly YouTube: @grapplingmonthly Website: grapplingmonthly.com

#bjj #jiujitsu #grappling #brazilianjiujitsu #nogi #ibjjf #grapplingmonthly #martialarts #bjjpodcast #losangeles

About Grappling Monthly Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial media brand covering the culture, people, and business of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the grappling arts. Based in Los Angeles, the brand produces in-depth conversations with the coaches, gym owners, competitors, and practitioners shaping the sport.

The Grappling Monthly Podcast is the flagship property. A weekly long-form interview series hosted by Sébastien Maniatopoulos, a BJJ black belt establishing roots in the Southern California grappling community. The brand's editorial focus is on the human stories behind the art: how academies are built, how practitioners evolve, how the culture of jiu-jitsu intersects with identity, business, and community.

Professor Fabio Holanda has spent decades teaching jiu-jitsu and MMA through a clear lens: top position matters, fundamentals matter, and technique should still work when the pace rises and the consequences change. In this episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, Fabio reflects on his start in Natal, Brazil, his connection to Carlson Gracie and Brazilian Top Team, his move to Montreal, and the training philosophy that shaped generations of fighters.

Prof. Fabio also breaks down why he still values closed guard and half guard, what people misunderstand about coaching, why finishing matters in both jiu-jitsu and MMA, and how fighters should actually think about style, development, and preparation.

Professor Fabio Holanda is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the founder of Brazilian Top Team Canada and one of the foundational figures in the growth of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA in Canada. He trained through the Carlson Gracie and BTT lineage, fought professionally in MMA, and has coached athletes across jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and the UFC level for more than two decades.

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For sponsorships and collaborations: grapplingmonthly@gmail.com

About Grappling Monthly:

Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial media brand covering the culture, people, and business of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the grappling arts. Based in Los Angeles, the brand produces in-depth conversations with the coaches, gym owners, competitors, and practitioners shaping the sport.

The Grappling Monthly Podcast is the flagship property. A weekly long-form interview series hosted by Sébastien Maniatopoulos, a BJJ black belt establishing roots in the Southern California grappling community. The brand's editorial focus is on the human stories behind the art: how academies are built, how practitioners evolve, how the culture of jiu-jitsu intersects with identity, business, and community.

Grappling Monthly publishes across YouTube, Instagram, Substack, and major podcast platforms. Subscribe and turn on notifications.

#grapplingmonthly #bjj #jiujitsu #mma #brazilianjiujitsu #nogi #ufc #btt #carlsongracie #grappling