Beyond the Belt

About Beyond the Belt

Welcome to Beyond the Belt, a podcast that explores the intersection of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and everyday life. In each episode, we sit down with black belts who don’t have Jiujitsu as their primary source of income. They are practitioners (and sometimes also coaches) who balance their love for BJJ with successful careers, family life, and personal passions. In each conversation, we dive into how BJJ has helped their life, share stories that represent who they are as a person and show that there is more to them than just jiujitsu. We nerd out about the things important to them on and off the mats. Whether you’re a BJJ enthusiast, someone curious about the sport, or just looking for inspiration in balancing your passions with life’s demands, Beyond the Belt offers insights and stories that resonate on and off the mats.

Publisher

Eric Lubow

Category

leisure · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Oct 2024

Latest episode

23 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Mar 2026

   Christian Pierce, Black Belt, PhD Researcher, Military Veteran, Volunteer - Beyond the Belt #35

   This is a conversation with Christian Pierce, a black belt out of New York, New York, USA currently living in Zurich, Switzerland. He also has a black belt in Hoteikan Jiutjitsu. Christian is a researcher, lecturer, and PhD candidate in organizational studies and cultural theory. He’s a US Army veteran and graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. Episode Links: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caponearth * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianpierce1/ * Alliance Jiujitsu: https://www.allianceofficial.com/en/ * Sportegration: https://sportegration.ch/en/ * Student Veterans of America: https://studentveterans.org/ * OUR Racism: https://www.ourcontexts.org/podcasts-racism Reference Links: * Carlson Gracie Laranjeiras: https://www.instagram.com/carlsongracie_laranjeiras/ * Aranya Barcelona: https://www.instagram.com/aranyabarcelona/ * Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_cave * Grounded Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grounded_theory * Ronin Grappling Values: https://roningrappling.com/values/ * The Strongest Karate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCiZxLdda6s Contact: * Be a Guest: https://btb.fan/newguest Outline: 00:00 Intro 00:32 Journey to Black Belt 03:07 Defining Black Belt Expertise 12:13 Social Proof and Validation in Jiujitsu 28:29 Community in Jiujitsu 42:07 PhD and Jiujitsu Communities 47:03 The C5 Framework: Connection, Consent, Challenge, Credibility, Care 54:59 Care in Leadership 59:55 Pressure and Authenticity in Different Contexts 01:11:37 Reverse Mentorship 01:19:28 Cultural Insights from Jiujitsu 01:23:43 The Role of Associations in Jiu Jitsu 01:34:27 Sports Integration and Community Building 01:40:06 Early Life 01:43:24 MMA and West Point 01:47:42 Navigating the Transition from Military to Civilian Life 01:54:41 Mental Health Challenges and Jiujitsu 02:07:31 People are People 02:17:58 Future Aspirations and Community Engagement 02:20:45 Outro Podcast Links: * Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/ * Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify * Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple * RSS: https://btb.fan/rss Social: * Instagram: https://instagram.com/beyondthebeltpod * Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod * Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod * Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/beyondthebeltpod.bsky.social * Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb

2. 

   9 Feb 2026

   Brady McLean, Black Belt, Motorcycle Philosopher, Crossfit Coach - Beyond the Belt #34

   This is a conversation with Brady McLean, a black belt out of Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. Brady is motorcycle philosopher with a focus on mental health. He's also a CrossFit coach, brand representative for Go Fast, Don't Die, and writer of the On Any Someday e-mail newsletter. Episode Links: * Go Fast, Don't Die: https://www.gofastdontdie.com/ * On Any Someday Email: https://www.gofastdontdie.com/pages/on-any-someday * Instagram: https://instagram.com/bradytildeath * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-mclean-06975668/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bradythejiu/ * Devil's Stone Run: https://thedevilstonerun.com/ * Crooked Motorcycles: https://crookedmotorcycles.com/ * Grindhouse Sheridan: https://www.instagram.com/grindhouse.sheridan Contact: * Be a Guest: https://btb.fan/newguest Outline: 00:00 Intro 00:23 This Specific Black Belt 04:28 Journey to Black Belt 09:53 The Philosophy of Goals and Work 14:34 Getting Into CrossFit 24:06 Jiujitsu Today 30:03 Life Lessons from Risky Activities 39:23 Painful Lessons From Building Businesses 50:57 Authenticity Over Appearance 01:01:01 The Power of Reflection 01:07:14 I Feel Outstanding 01:11:40 Humility and Authenticity in Inches 01:22:03 Investing Time and Embracing Life 01:35:21 Outro Podcast Links: * Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/ * Spotify: https://btb.fan/spotify * Apple Podcasts: https://btb.fan/apple * RSS: https://btb.fan/rss Social: * Instagram: https://instagram.com/beyondthebeltpod * Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@beyondthebeltpod * Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beyondthebeltpod * Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/beyondthebeltpod.bsky.social * Facebook: https://btb.fan/fb

3. 

   13 Jan 2026

   Nora Schoenthal, Black Belt, Human Resources Leader - Beyond the Belt #33

   Human Resources leader Nora Schoenthal discusses her journey to becoming a black belt while balancing motherhood and a career focused on talent acquisition and learning development in this interview.

Who has been a guest on Beyond the Belt

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Nora Schoenthal
• Adam Marburger
• Randy McCarty
• Paris Lee
• Petrus Paulus Steyn

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

71,308,267

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

71

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

32

Contact Beyond the Belt

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.