Professor Elan Walshe thought he had life figured out — a driven career, a beautiful family, and a lifetime of competitive sport, from college football and high-level rugby to sponsored cycling. Then he brought his sons to Gracie Barra San Clemente, watched from the sidelines, and finally stepped on the mat at 37. "I had no idea how off course I was."

Now a black belt and the owner of Gracie Barra Costa Mesa, Elan talks with Pete about what jiu-jitsu did to his ego, the teacher whose example still guides him, why he cares more about bettering lives than winning medals, and the time he offered a training partner's whole family a place to stay during a government shutdown — and what he learned years later at that friend's black belt ceremony. He also remembers Eric Von Frohlich, the brown belt who trained through Parkinson's, and explains the superhero name he'd give himself: the thoughtful gorilla.

— Links —

The Jiu Jitsu Mindset — https://thejiujitsumindset.com

Gracie Barra Costa Mesa — https://gbcostamesa.com

My Jiu Jitsu Journey app — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-jiu-jitsu-journey/id6751400933

Submission Coffee — https://submissioncoffee.com

Chapters

00:00 Welcome + the Submission Coffee camp and the app

00:58 Meet Professor Elan Walshe

01:16 If jiu-jitsu never came along

02:35 Cycling, rugby and two years on the sideline

03:03 "I had no idea how off course I was"

04:43 When does the self-reflection kick in?

06:57 What opened him up: family at Gracie Barra San Clemente

07:58 Submit to the process — enjoy the ride

09:31 White belt mistakes: the mats don't lie

11:01 Starting late and a different kind of doing your best

12:25 The teacher: Professor Felipe Guedes

14:17 "Would Felipe be proud of me?"

14:51 Bonds you can't build anywhere else

16:43 Rugby vs. jiu-jitsu: you can't hide

17:35 Horses, healing, and what happens up close

19:57 Being a good training partner

21:33 Every roll is a gift both ways

22:12 The role of competition in a community

24:32 Better lives over medals

27:08 His one tournament: "I won — and didn't feel proud"

29:14 The rolls you never forget

31:11 Marines from Camp Pendleton

32:40 Day one: Felipe floats him like a magic show

34:09 The FBI friend and the government shutdown

35:53 At the black belt ceremony: "Be that person"

37:55 Echoes that last a lifetime

41:05 The kids are always watching

42:16 The teacher is the first medicine

44:24 Remembering Eric Von Frohlich

47:48 Gratitude: there's always someone carrying more

49:52 480 months left

50:45 The Thoughtful Gorilla

51:48 Feed the good dog

52:30 Keep telling these stories

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