Breaking Muscle Radio, Ep 1: Featuring BJJ Black Belt Valerie Worthington

Val Worthington has been training BJJ since 1998 and was given her black belt by Johnny Ramirez and John Ouano of New Breed Academy in Santa Fe Springs, CA. Valerie is co-head instructor for Women’s Grappling Camp. She is also one of the founders of the camp's parent company, Groundswell Grappling Concepts, which supports men and women, and believes the mental, physical, and psychological demands of BJJ, when properly channeled, have the power to transform lives. Valerie earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Dartmouth and her doctorate in educational psychology from Michigan State University.

• 00:26 - Introduction to Valerie
• 01:15 – When Val started with BJJ and why it stuck
• 03:53 – Balancing the mind and the body within BJJ
• 05:21 – Getting off the corporate grid, doing what you love
• 08:58 – Advice for those wanting to transition into doing what you love
• 12:26 – Getting started in BJJ and making mistakes
• 16:51 – One piece of advice to new BJJ students
• 19:02 – The role of emotion in competitive BJJ
• 22:35 – The difference in emotion between women and men in BJJ
• 24:08 – How to handle emotional students as a coach
• 26:53 – Val’s background in learning theory and how it helps as a coach
• 29:11 – The sports psychology topics with most impact on BJJ and coaching
• 30:54 – Personal boundaries within BJJ
• 33:30 – The original intention of Groundswell Grappling Concepts
• 37:45 – Honing your passion and being a positive influence
• 39:22 - Quick-fire questions related to BJJ
• 44:00 – Val’s upcoming camps and events