
About this episode
This week, we're joined again by Lachlan Giles for a deep rethink of what "fundamentals" really mean in modern Jiu-Jitsu. Rather than treating fundamentals as a fixed list of techniques, Lachlan argues they should be defined by goals, rulesets, and outcomes. He explains why competitors may benefit more from guard retention and winning early exchanges than from late-stage escapes, how mindset and time allocation shape development, and why specialization often beats chasing the meta.
Follow Lachlan on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/lachlan_giles
Train with Lachlan at Absolute MMA in St. Kilda, Australia:
https://absolutemma.com.au
Learn online with Lachlan at SUBMETA (seriously, do it):
https://submeta.io
Mental models discussed in this episode:
- Controlling the Distance
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-the-distance - Opening Salvos
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/opening-salvos - Win Conditions
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions - Defense Paradox
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox - Layers of Guard
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-guard - Prevention Over Cure
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure - Funneling
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling - Zone of Genius
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/zone-of-genius - Shuhari
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/shuhari - Curse of Knowledge
https://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge
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