The official podcast of GrappleAsia.com. Hosted by Mac the founder, formerly of BJJASIA. Grapple Asia aims to be the biggest content creator in Asia and to be an instrumental part of its growth.
The podcast was originally created to showcase grapplers and the people in the BJJ community in Asia who have or had an impact on their country of origin. To give everyone a platform to give their interpretation of how Jiu-Jitsu has enriched their lives for the better.
Grapple Asia Pod Ep. 47: Nini & Gobo | Fatcat Jiu-Jitsu Club - Malaysia's First Hybrid No-gi Gym
FCJJC Socials:Ni Ni IG: https://www.instagram.com/nininoname/Gobo IG: https://www.instagram.com/whoisgobo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FatCatJJCFCJJChttps://www.instagram.com/fatcat_jiujitsuclub/#Scramble Brand is now officially in Thailand!Visit ScrambleThailand.com to get your Jiu-Jitsu gear British made, Japanese inspired. Sponsors:Fight Aesthetic is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brand founded in the UK by Malaysian British visionaries of the Gentle Art in 2012. Get 10% OFFCode: GRAPPLEASIAhttps://www.fightaesthetic.asia Soft Spot Açaíhttps://www.instagram.com/softspot.acai/Creontes.comThe memetic lifestyle brand in grappling and performance sports. They create stylish Jiu-Jitsu apparel with a twist of humour. They've got quite the cult community and following. Use the discount code GRAPPLEASIA for 10% on all orders. Your one-stop shop for high quality Jiu-Jitsu gear!Bangkok BJJhttps://bkkbjj.comInstagram: BKK.BJJ.ShopOur mission here at Grapple Asia is to show case the hard work Jiujiteros in Asia doing what they love and making an impact through the power of Jiu-Jitsu. ===========================Connect with us! =============================IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grplasia/IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grappleasiapod/ FB: ➡︎ https://www.facebook.com/grplasia/===========================Subscribe and Listen to the Grapple Asia Podcast HERE===========================➡︎YT: https://www.youtube.com/@GRPLASIA ➡︎Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/grapple-asia-podcast/id1717848251➡︎Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XC4Ct28MhyxJRHe8dpP0j?si=4893974dfb24499fDescription:This episode of the Grapple Asia podcast opens with featured guests Nini Panini and Gobo Kopter from Fat Cat Jiu-Jitsu Club in Kuala Lumpur.They share how they got into Jiu-Jitsu, their background moving from Sabah to Australia and the UK (where they studied law), and why they opened a hybrid weights + Jiu-Jitsu gym during/after COVID despite minimal experience. They discuss hiring early coaches, the benefits of combining strength training with grappling, and how they split responsibilities as brothers while building gym culture, branding, and seminars. They address affiliation history with MEBJJ, experiences at Malaysia’s first IBJJF event and ADCC SEA trials, approaches to coaching and learning (including live/eco-inspired training), pricing seminars affordably, the “Most Hated” rash guard origin, and their partnership becoming part owners of Aesthetic.Timestamps-----------------------------0:00 Sponsors & Shoutouts2:08 Meet the Fat Cat Founders2:27 Nini’s Jiu-Jitsu Origin4:00 Opening a Gym in Lockdown6:51 Hiring Coaches & Programs7:26 Sabah to Melbourne to KL8:18 Why Jiu-Jitsu Made Sense10:42 Hybrid Gym and S&C14:23 Brother Business Roles17:17 Affiliations & Gym Politics20:17 IBJJF Malaysia Recap21:40 ADCC SEA Trials Issues24:51 Event Review & Matches25:24 Trials Match Recap25:41 Competition Nerves27:28 Competing Is A Skill28:29 Belts & Progression29:08 Surprise Belt Promotions32:12 Self Study & Resources35:59 Eco Training Debate38:36 Building Gym Culture41:42 Business Reality Of Gyms43:33 Instructor Vs Coach46:21 Fundamentals Curriculum Cycles48:10 Late Night Classes & Flexibility49:46 Travel Gym Warmups50:10 Guest Coaches Announced51:09 Affordable Seminar Model55:42 Malaysia Scene And Gym Politics58:29 Most Hated Rashguard Story01:02:19 Aesthetic Partnership Deal01:07:49 What a Black Belt Means01:12:13 Gratitude-----------------------------===========================Here are the ways to work with us here at Grapple Asia: ===========================⚡️For Support inquires, or Business inquiries, please email ➡︎ mac@grappleasia.com
#BJJ #JiuJitsu #nogi #GRAPPLING #podcasting #podcast #nogi #grappler #bjjlifestyle #grappleasia #grappleasiapodcast #grappleasiapod #FCJJC #FatCatJiujitsu
6 Sept 2026
Grapple Asia Pod Ep. 46: Dima | Building Champions: Geist, Coaching B-Team & Skill vs Performance
Dima's Socials:IG: https://www.instagram.com/dima_murovanni/?hl=enPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/dimamurovanni?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creatorYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coachdimabjj/videosBJJ Fanaticshttps://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_dima-murovanni?list=1Scramble Brand is now officially in Thailand!Visit ScrambleThailand.com to get your Jiu-Jitsu gear British made, Japanese inspired. Sponsors:Fight Aesthetic is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brand founded in the UK by Malaysian British visionaries of the Gentle Art in 2012. Get 10% OFFCode: GRAPPLEASIAhttps://www.fightaesthetic.asia Soft Spot Açaíhttps://www.instagram.com/softspot.acai/Creontes.comThe memetic lifestyle brand in grappling and performance sports. They create stylish Jiu-Jitsu apparel with a twist of humour. They've got quite the cult community and following. Use the discount code GRAPPLEASIA for 10% on all orders. Your one-stop shop for high quality Jiu-Jitsu gear!Bangkok BJJhttps://bkkbjj.comInstagram: BKK.BJJ.ShopOur mission here at Grapple Asia is to show case the hard work Jiujiteros in Asia doing what they love and making an impact through the power of Jiu-Jitsu. ===========================Connect with us! =============================IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grplasia/IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grappleasiapod/ FB: ➡︎ https://www.facebook.com/grplasia/===========================Subscribe and Listen to the Grapple Asia Podcast HERE===========================➡︎YT: https://www.youtube.com/@GRPLASIA ➡︎Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/grapple-asia-podcast/id1717848251➡︎Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XC4Ct28MhyxJRHe8dpP0j?si=4893974dfb24499fDescription:We managed to get some time with Dima Murovanni who was in Bangkok to help prepare Jozef Chen for the upcoming ADCC trials. Dima discusses starting Jiu-Jitsu at 23/24 with the goal of being the best, but then repeated injuries—beginning with a knee injury from an electric chair in 2019—shifted him from competitor to Coach. He describes how trust from Jozef Chen led to opportunities at B-Team, why he chose B-Team after advice from Cam Donnelly, and how he builds athletes by distinguishing skill development from performance training. Dima then discusses the importance of creating a strong “Geist” (spirit/culture), applying pressure without getting tired, using ecological/CLA frameworks inspired by Greg Souders, developing Linus von Schenk into a world champion and how studying wrestling resources like the Russian Olympic Team training and John Smith was part and parcel of the prep work going into ADCC Asian Trials.Dima is currently also planning to open a gym in Berlin called Mat Skills.Timestamps-----------------------------0:00 Sponsor Shoutouts2:09 Meet Coach Dima2:34 Starting Jiu-Jitsu Late4:19 Injuries led into Coaching9:31 Trust With Jozef13:35 Why B Team15:31 Leading The CJI Camp18:44 Berlin as a Base & Gym21:51 Building Culture: The Geist25:48 Developing Linus28:20 Wrestling Systems30:19 Coaching the Why31:10 Wrestling For Grappling32:07 The Coaching 'Eye' & Environment33:36 Wrestling Study Resources35:28 Low Single Adaptation37:29 Create Don't Copy38:27 Ecological Training AKA CLA41:26 CLA Done Wrong44:42 Coaching Skill Development49:21 Pressure Without Fatigue50:56 Motivation & Geist55:25 Black Belt Meaning56:04 Gratitude-----------------------------===========================Here are the ways to work with us here at Grapple Asia: ===========================⚡️For Support inquires, or Business inquiries, please email ➡︎ mac@grappleasia.com#BJJ #JiuJitsu #nogi #GRAPPLING #podcasting #podcast #nogi #grappler #geist #bjjlifestyle #grappleasia #grappleasiapodcast #grappleasiapod #matskillz #Bteam
1 Jul 2026
Combatch: Back to the Roots
Jiu-Jitsu in Asia: From Japan’s Early Days to Thailand’s Growth and China’s First ADCC Trials WinnerThis episode explores how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA evolved across Asia through multiple perspectives. A longtime martial artist in Japan recounts being drawn to more “complete” fighting, discovering shoot-style MMA, and witnessing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu go from unknown and dismissed to a boom in gyms, while prioritizing entertaining, understandable matches over winning at all costs. Jason “Sparky” Burnworth, a coach training in Thailand since 2012, describes building programs in Chiang Mai and Pattaya with Fairtex, teaching Stamp in the gi, and reflecting on how Thailand’s scene differs from old-school BJJ. Another segment follows the founding of Lock & Roll after the pandemic and a partnership with an Nepali pro MMA fighter. Jozef Chen discusses China’s rapid growth, his friend being the first Chinese ADCC Trials winner from China, competing for financial reasons, and his post-CJI matches, seminars, and upcoming competition plans.Chapters:0:00 Mystique and Discipline1:40 Origins of MMA in Japan3:47 Making Jiu Jitsu Exciting5:12 Building BJJ in Thailand7:26 Stamp and Buffalo Girls9:14 Lock and Roll Beginnings10:25 Finding a Fight Partner11:30 Take Off Interlude12:42 Joseph Chen in Bangkok12:59 China’s BJJ Boom13:52 Why Compete for Money15:07 CJI Recap and Asia Tour16:23 Final Thoughts OutroSponsors:Fight Aesthetic is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brand founded in the UK by Malaysian British visionaries of the Gentle Art in 2012. Get 10% OFFCode: GRAPPLEASIAhttps://www.fightaesthetic.asia Soft Spot Açaíhttps://www.instagram.com/softspot.acai/?hl=enSTAYLEAN: https://page.line.me/tky8131d?openQrM...STAYLEAN IG: https://www.instagram.com/staylean.food/Recorded and Edited by Modal Creative Studio: https://www.modalstudio.coOur mission here at Grapple Asia is to show case the hard work Jiujiteros in Asia doing what they love and making an impact through the power of Jiu-Jitsu. ===========================Connect with us! =============================IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grplasia/IG: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/grappleasiapod/FB: ➡︎ https://www.facebook.com/GrplAsia/===========================Subscribe and Listen to the Grapple Asia Podcast HERE===========================➡︎YT: @GRPLASIA ➡︎Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...➡︎Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XC4Ct2...
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
773,876
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
4.8 / 5
22 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
22
Social presence
97
YouTube
86
Engagement
71
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