Open Mat Social Hour

Join us today on a new episode where Kris & Diana talk whether or not we should say no to rolls & HOW we should say no to them. We all review the UFC BJJ Card (terribly LOL) & review our 2025 Spotify Wrapped. Enjoy!

Join us today as Diana & Kris break down a topic of porrada everyday, how doing it is ruining your gains on&off the mats, plus better ways to go about training for longevity on the mats. Enjoy!

Join us today on a new episode where Kris & Diana talk options for chronic groin strains, discussions around having a hard time finding the right training intensity, longevity hacks & what we're excited for this Christmas! Enjoy!

In this episode, Kris & Diana chat about different ways to stay healthy while prepping for a competition. Competing is not an easy task on the body. It requires discipline, a lot of hard training, & sacrificing short term comfort. Here are some tips we have gathered from working with athletes prepping for comps that we wanted to share so you all can stay as injury-free as possible leading up to the show day! Enjoy!

Join us today on a special episode with Tzitzi Lomeli!! Tzitzi suffered a pretty severe knee injury during a jiu jitsu training session earlier this year that affected her daily life in a way that she never imagined. After multiple consultations with Doctors who recommended surgery, Tzitzi decided otherwise. There was no way she could go through the ACL surgery recovery process with all of life's priorities. Tzitzi shares her journey of her decision, why she made it, & if she thinks she made the right one. This is her story.

Join us today as Diana breaks down a topic that was inspired by a recent convo with a training partner - the hidden costs of ignoring pain. If we take a step back, they are impactful to our jiu jitsu mat time. Diana goes through better ways to approach this, and ways to prioritize staying training for a long time. Enjoy!

Join us today on a special episode with our first repeat guest, Chris Capetto!! Recently we got a question from a follower on IG on what it's like "Starting BJJ after age 40", so we wanted to answer that question! Chris started Jiu Jitsu in his 50's after a long history of playing other sports, and today he shares with us his experience of how he got into jiu jitsu, some challenges of being an older grappler, and some advice to anyone who is older and interested in getting into jiu jitsu. Conversations with Chris are always so insightful! This is his story.

Join us today as we celebrate 100 EPISODES!!!! In this episode, Kris & Diana go back and forth on busting 10 medical myths we hear often in the jiu jitsu community. We go simple on some, & in more depth on others. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who supports us in any capacity. We are nothing without you all! More episodes to come... Enjoy!

Join us today on a new episode where Kris & Diana talk rehab vs. surgery, in what context it might be better to choose one vs. the other, our new favorite restaurants we will definitely visit soon & what we are currently working on on the mats. Enjoy!

Join us today as Diana is joined by a dear friend, Aaron Ngor. Aaron is an Athletic Trainer & Strength Coach out of Undefeated Athletic Club in Los Angeles. Not only is he an incredible healthcare provider, but he is also an incredible human. This episode is a snippet of the conversations around the future of healthcare Diana & Aaron have off camera. Enjoy!

Join us today on a special episode with a very special guest, Hillary Van Ornum, one of the owners of Unicorn Jiu Jitsu in Portland, OR. Hillary is a 3rd degree black belt, & a magnificent human being. In this episode, she goes through her journey of navigating multiple injuries, a mysterious low back pain (that is 80% manageable now) & her weight loss journey that has brought her back to relearning her game on the mats. We appreciate her time & sharing her experiences! This is her story.

Join us today as Kris & Diana go back and forth on some unconventional advice for older grapplers who are trying to do this jiu jitsu thing for a really long time. This convo took a couple sharp turns, but ultimately came back to the roots lol Enjoy!

Join Diana today on a solo episode to reflect together on what she has learned from starting Open Mat Physio 4 years ago. The journey has been an absolute blessing, but doesn't come without trials and tribulations in all shapes and sizes. Hope you enjoy this reflection!!

Join us today on a new episode where Kris & Diana recap what's new in our lives lately, a recap of CJI/Master Worlds weekend, & answering a question on how to tackle elbow pain from overgripping in jiu jitsu. Hope you enjoy!

FORGIVE ME, I AM STILL LEARNING THIS AUDIO EQUIPMENT - STEP BY STEP, BETTER EACH TIME. ENJOY!! Join us today on a special episode with a very special guest, Kyle Calkins, a BJJ Black Belt & MMA Coach from West LA. Kyle got his black belt in 2019 and coaches BJJ for MMA at Uprise MMA. In 2023, Kyle sustained a serious knee injury from a freak accident that put him in the operating room. He got ACL surgery quickly, which started his rehab journey. In this episode, Kyle discusses his lessons on the mats post-injury, key takeaways about his body during rehab, & where he is now physically & mentally. It was a pleasure to chat with him, even though my camera died from overheating LOL This is his story.

Join us today as Kris & Diana go back and forth on whether or not jiu jitsu warmups are useless. We also jump into the eco rabbit hole for a quick second, but ultimately give some tips & possible solutions on how to make warmups more effective to promote longevity & health on the mats. Enjoy!

Join us today on a new episode where Kris & I discuss a couple unfortunate events that have happened in the BJJ community lately. As much as it is important to bring awareness to these types of situations in regards to safety, please give anyone involved grace and space to deal with the aftermath. All we can hope is lessons are learned from these events.

***APOLOGIES for the background noise - we were filming post-training & in a coffee shop/store so there was music & chatting around us. Forgive us, we tried our best!!*** Join us today on a special episode with a very special guest, Isaac Doederlein, my coach at Varsity Jiu Jitsu, an IBJJF World Champion + 2x Brazilian Nationals Champion. Not too long ago, Isaac had the opportunity to compete on the first ever BJJ reality TV show hosted by UFC, which is where he suffered the elbow dislocation heard around the Youtube space. Today we hear what happened leading up to it, how it happened in the moment, the aftermath, how he's dealing with recovery, as well as, his future plans on & off the mats. This is his story.

Join us today as Diana explores some things that she's learned about chronic pain in jiu jitsu athletes. It is no surprise that a lot of us struggle with the aftermaths of stacking injuries. With that being said, it is important to understand a couple of principles to go into a rehab process with the right expectations & mindset. Enjoy!

Join us today on an episode where Diana & Kris answer some questions from our followers! We talk about some predictions about CJI2 (forgive us, we were not 100% updated on some of the teams, but we did our best with what we knew :')), how social media has played a big role in making rehab too complicated, & some fun things we're looking forward to this next month!

Join us today on a special episode with a very special guest, Carl Manabat, a BJJ Black Belt out of Orange County. Carl received his black belt in 2024 after 10.5 years of training. Initially, he came to us with so many different physical ailments that he was unsure could heal. He felt like he had to accept his fate with his injuries until he experienced hope that his body could actually change for the better. Now he's training BJJ 4-5x a week and surfing 2x a week. His hard work and consistently did him well! This is his story.

Join us today as Diana explores what it means to "listen to your body". This advice isn't often backed up by tangible action steps so today let's talk about why it matters, things to pay attention to, & ways to actually build some body awareness. Enjoy! Research studies cited: Gabbett, T.J. (2016). The training–injury prevention paradox: Should athletes be training smarter and harder? BJSM. Raya-González et al. (2020). Neuromuscular fatigue and injury risk in elite athletes: implications for practice. Frontiers in Physiology. Mehling et al. (2011). Body awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into its meaning in mind–body practices. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. "

Join us today as Diana breaks down the history of her debilitating low back pain story from when it started, to how it affected her life to how she resolved most of her pain to how she maintains her low back now. What a journey it's been. This is her story.

Join us today as Diana & Kris explore different modalities we do off the mats to support our jiu jitsu journey. What's the best for you? Let's find out. Enjoy!

Join us today on an episode where Diana & Kris answer some questions from our followers! We talk if being a PT has helped us improve our jiu jitsu, excitement over CJI2, as well as a lovely little rant on best fast food restaurants. Enjoy!