Leverage Radio

The Bob & Weave Collective is here. We speak to Himanshu & Priya - the force behind the Bob & Weave family. They are trying to create a new ecosystem for athlete management, enabling them to focus on their training without getting flustered by the noise & the bright lights. The Bob & Weave team provides Housing, Martial Arts coaching, Media Training and Fight Camp Management for their team. We discuss their upcoming BAWNC event (Bob and Weave Night of Champions) where they plan to showcase MMA talent in a unique event, unlike anything we would have seen in Indian MMA. We talk about production do's and don'ts, their inspiration for going down this path and what they've learned in the MMA space in their short time in the game. They have lofty goals, big dreams and a passion for the sport. In fact, BAWNC will next host the South India edition of Leverage as we look to collaborate and create more exposure for combat talent across the country. The sport is hard enough as is and can always use People like Himanshu & Priya (Bob & Weave) to step up and create opportunities that didn't exist before. Hope you enjoy this episode. 

This episode we speak to Bonny the Boxer. A juggernaut of a person, Bonny has been working tirelessly to develop a strong Martial Arts base in Goa. A former K1 Kickboxing Champion, President of WKO India & Head coach of Tribal Warriors, Bonny works tirelessly to train, teach and organize to help grow Martial Arts in Goa. To facilitate this growth, Bonny started ArtofCombat - A Fight Promotion aimed to help bring exposure to higher level competition for the local fighters in Goa. On the 22nd of Dec, AOC will be hosting their 6th Edition and will be contesting multiple fights in Kickboxing and MMA. There are Junior, Women, Amateur and Pro-bouts on the fight card. Several state champions will collide to determine supremacy and there are WKO India titles at stake. It is shaping up to be a promising night of Combat. The event will be streamed live & for more info follow @artofcombat & @tribalwarriors pages! We wish Bonny & her team the Best of luck!  

Finally the stars have aligned, the powers that be have allowed us to put together this episode for an inside look @Stranglebyrebel - India's Largest Cash Prize Jiujitsu tournament. In this Part 1/2 we host Sanjay Nambiar & Peeyush Pandey, these two have been working tirelessly on and off the mats to help get the word out about Strangle. The guys discuss the tournament, their training under Coach Ashwin Hoon and the importance of such competitions. We discuss their ruleset, their  strategy to win as they share their excitement about the prospect of facing high level competition. This tournament has both beginner & advanced divisions across multiple weight categories. All matches will be contested under ADCC rules wherein the first half of the match there are no points awarded, the points kick in only once half the time limit is up. Winners of the Beginners Divisions will Earn INR 20,000Winners of the Advanced Divisions will Earn INR 40,000These opportunities are few and far between for those who work tirelessly to train. Platforms & tournaments like Strangle are meant to support your training, to test yourself and your ideas against others. Registrations are still open, so book your slot now!

Season 3 of the podcast kicks off with Professor Brian Glick. A legend of the Renzo Gracie Academy and training partner to several giants of the game. We speak with Professor Glick about his career, all the way from his initial days training to how he innovates today and keeping pace with the evolving landscape of the sport. We discuss his time training with Prof. John Danaher and his experiences with the former Death Squad. An absolute privilege to speak with someone of his caliber. Hope you enjoy it!

We had the opportunity to speak with Professor Adam Benayoun. Blackbelt under Ryan Hall, Adam is a highly decorated competitor and teacher at the 50/50 Academy in Virgina. We pick his brain on everything including his teaching and learning methodology, his journey in jiu-jitsu, the importance of expanding one's horizons in learning and his training with legends of our sport.Adam talks about the necessity for persistence in jiu-jitsu, singling it out as possibly the most attributable quality required to achieve a blackbelt and proficiency. We discuss his upcoming match for @thirdcoastgrappling and a heck of a lot more. Truly an honour to speak with him and gather such valuable insight. We hope you will too!

In this episode of Leverage Radio, we speak to Arko & Ratul. Both involved heavily in the promotion of MMA in Kolkata albeit in very different capacities. Over the years, this has resulted in some animosity and differences between the two. Last year, we were supposed to speak with Ratul and have him share his side of the story but due to cyclone Amphan we just didn't ge that opportunity. Today we managed to get both men to agree to a sit down discussion so that their point may be heard and we can get a good result for the sport of MMA in their region. Fighting is hard enough a sport as is, glad we could help provide a medium for discussion and confrontation without letting it get out of hand. Hope you enjoy it!

On the latest episode of Leverage Radio, we host the one and only Srikant Sekhar a.k.a Captain Crazy. A graduate of the school of hard knocks, Srikant is a true wild man as he shares with us his journey competing on the Pro MMA circuit in India. A natural athlete, Srikant discusses his foray into martial arts and combat sports, how he started fighting Pro and the plethora of eventful moments over past few years. Fearless and extremely honest, Srikant holds nothing back and brings an energy to the training room that is hard to replicate. We talk about his travels during these Covid months, what he has learnt and his plans for the future. Truly one of the most beloved characters in Indian MMA, It was a pleasure to have him on. Hope you enjoy it!  

This past week we spoke to Indian MMA Legend Bhabajeet Chaudhary. Bhabajeet is one of the most decorated and consistent professional's in the country. We talk about his journey in MMA, his instrumental role in setting up a foundation for the sport in his part of the country, his (hopefully) upcoming fight and the necessity of a constant need for improvement. A consummate professional and the picture of genuine humility, fearlessness and positivity - Bhabajeet has the utmost respect for his opponents as we discuss mindset in the cage, work ethic and how a healthy check on the Ego has helped him succeed over the years. Hope you Enjoy it!

Where the focus goes, the energy flows. This episode we speak to David Karasek. David is a former Olympian and 10x Swiss National swimming Champion. He is part of a 'Tribe of Athletes' and now coaches athletes on achieving their potential through applications of the 'Laws of Attraction'. It was a fascinating discussion, one that all prospects, contenders and champions could learn from. We talk about overcoming self doubt, structuring focus around your goals and being able to navigate the mental side of the journey. Hope you Enjoy it.

Back after a long hiatus, this episode we speak to Seth Rosario. Seth is one of the most unique guys in the Indian MMA circuit. His blend of styles along with vicious instincts make him a formidable opponent. We discuss how he is getting on in this latest lockdown, we talk about Seth's career and the fight game in India. Everything from his Karate background and how he got started in MMA to the significant moments before, during and after fights. We talk about concussions, his evolution as a Mixed Martial Artist and his future fight plans. It's always a pleasure to train and talk shop with Seth, as he is a quick learner and is always impressive with his technical insight. Stay Safe & Hope you enjoy it!

Episode 44 of Leverage radio was possibly our greatest jiu-jitsu lore episode. We speak to Professor Carl Massaro. He is a 3rd degree Renzo Gracie blackbelt and owner of Renzo Gracie Northern Valley. A comrade in arms of John Danaher, Prof Massaro has trained with legends of the sport including Renzo Gracie, George Saint Pierre, Jake Shields, Firas Zahabi Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon and countless others. Unmistakably recognising the power of jiu-jitsu in the mid 90's, Prof. Massaro takes us through his jiu-jitsu journey in New York and trust us it is remarkable. He shares his experiences while in GSP's training camps with Firas Zahabi and John Danaher. We discuss the death squad and the evolution of Jiu-jitsu and leg lock Meta. We basically spoke about everything including Covid and it's impact on jiujitsu, injuries in this game and how to deal, training the right way, the importance of self-study, the right hobbies and his love for knife making. Prof Massaro was an amazing guest and you will hear genuine joy in our voices. Many thanks to him for giving us the time. We hope to see you in India soon 

On this edition of Leverage Radio, we have the one and only King of Lions Anshul Jubli grace us with his presence. Anshul is a driven young man, who has conquered the Indian MMA scene and is sitting atop the MFN mountain as an undefeated and uncrowned champion in the lightweight division. Anshul is humble, hardworking and sincere, with the sole focus on improving his skills and representing India on a world stage. Anshul is coming off a great win over a tough opponent and we discuss what lies ahead for him, his journey and what motivates him. A genuine pleasure to speak with this champion. We wish him nothing but the best for his future and upcoming fights.

This episode at we breakdown Leverage IX. We discuss the matches, key moments and tactics shown in the hands down best display of Jiujitsu skills in India. This episode, we decided to breakdown some of the things we did right and some things we did wrong as we attempt to learn from our mistakes in order to not repeat them moving forward. This episode also breaks down our favourite moments from the event - the good, the bad and the ugly. Since Leverage X prep has begun, we thought this was a great way to announce that all matches from Leverage IX will be going up on youtube & the highlights are coming soon too! Hope you enjoy listening. Oss

This week on Leverage Radio Ashwin Hoon speaks to his coach and Blackbelt Mike Murrell. A long overdue episode, where we get some insights into the minds of two highly sophisticated grapplers. They breakdown the Danaher Death squad, the evolution of Jiu-jitsu, the merging of the new school and old school, discussions around chess, playing music and how it relates to your Jiu-jitsu. Having all the accomplishments he does, Mike is incredibly humble, insightful and honest with regard to what the right mindset is on your path to a blackbelt.We speak about Mike's time during the pandemic, all the conspiracy stories and possible theories, how it's affected his training, how people were getting by and just the sheer chaos surrounding this phenomenon. Super easy listening, jokes and knowledge bombs aplenty. Always a pleasure listening to him, can't wait to have him here. 

On our final episode for the year, Ashwin and Mohit speak to Mannan Dattah, the Director and Founder of Knockout Fight Club. Knockout Fight Club is one of the largest MMA gym chains in the country with branches all across Delhi & India. A very unique personality of Indian MMA, Mannan believes vehemently in the power of positivity and has a can-do attitude that takes center stage. He is the Hindi colour commentator for Matrix Fight Night and staunch advocate of Self Defence and he does all this in the effort to empower others. We discuss the roles in gyms, the interpersonal dynamics and the mountain of work necessary to grow the sport in India. We struggle with power and internet issues of the real work, and have some behind the scenes moments in this podcast. Thanks to Mannan for coming on and being very candid with everything, we hope to train together soon!