The Grappling Monthly Podcast
The Grappling Monthly Podcast
Podcast Description
SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 DROPS April 8, 2025
The Grappling Monthly Podcast celebrates the art, the community, and the culture of grappling. Join host Sébastien Maniatopoulos as he chats with guests from around the grappling world. Learn about each guest’s personal grappling journey, and their views on the current state and future of grappling, the business side of the grappling arts, cross-training, nutrition, and much more!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a variety of themes related to grappling, including personal journeys into jiu-jitsu, cross-training methods, holistic nutrition, and the business aspects of grappling. For example, episodes explore how jiu-jitsu fosters community connections, training experiences in varied environments, and building successful programs for students.

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. Past guests include Robert Drysdale, Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, Alberto Crane, Chris Haueter, Bruno Fernandes, Tinguinha Mariano, and Keith Krikorian.
In this episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, I sit down with Jeff and Yego from Powertrip Worldwide at Legacy Glendale for a conversation about jiu-jitsu, punk, skateboarding, DIY culture, design, zines, wrestling, and the creative side of martial arts.
Powertrip Worldwide is “a creative publisher that celebrates global grappling cultures, built on the idea that fighting’s true purpose isn’t to destroy others but to bring us closer together” – www.powertrip.com/about
Through zines, art books, gear, events, music, and community projects, they are exploring the culture around grappling and asking a different kind of question: what happens when we take the “art” in martial arts seriously?
We talk about the punk and skate scenes that shaped them, the influence of DIY publishing, why zines still matter, and how creative communities are built through participation rather than permission. The conversation moves into the visual history of jiu-jitsu, the difference between respect and obedience, the role of gyms as community spaces, and why grappling culture should leave room for experimentation, disagreement, and self-expression.
We also discuss Powertrip’s upcoming recovery issue, their interest in wrestling, judo, jiu-jitsu, and the larger question of how people keep themselves connected to a practice over time.
Topics include:
- Power Trip Worldwide
- Jiu-jitsu as art and culture
- Punk, skateboarding, and DIY publishing
- Zines and fan clubs
- Respect vs obedience
- Creative adaptation in grappling
- The visual culture of martial arts
- Recovery, injury, and longevity
- Community, third spaces, and training partners
- Why fighting can bring people together
Follow Power Trip Worldwide:
Website: powertripworldwide.com
Instagram: @powertrip.ww
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. IG and TikTok: @grapplingmonthly
For sponsorships and collaborations: [email protected]

Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.