#011 with Ivan Tomasetti - From Carabinieri Operations to High Fashion Kimonos, Anti-Guard-Pulling Strategies, & Real-World Combatives

Miko sits down for a special international guest episode recorded live at the International Jiu Jitsu School in Cyprus to talk with a multi-disciplinary legend: Ivan Tomasetti. Ivan is a Judo Black Belt, 3rd Degree BJJ Black Belt, World and European Champion, and the mastermind behind Kano Kimonos. In this packed conversation, they dissect Ivan's childhood transition from Argentina to the elite mats of Italy, his years certifying special forces for UN peacekeeping missions, why the commercial modern bar for a "black belt" has completely shifted, and the psychological frameworks behind mapping out flawless competitive outcomes.What's Inside the Episode:Order and the Knuckle-Floor Punishments: Ivan drops an inside look at his early childhood judo upbringing in Italy at age seven. He shares a rigid youth training culture where being a single minute late mandated doing 10 push-ups on a hard floor directly on your bare knuckles - and why massive groups of chaotic modern children desperately need that military-style sense of structure. The One-Advantage Blueprint Strategy: A masterclass in high-level match architecture. Ivan explicitly details why he completely ignores the urge to hunt for early, reckless submissions, choosing instead to target a single advantage point as fast as possible to force the entire psychological and physical burden of taking risks onto his opponent. The Sambo Foot-Tension Revolution: How cross-training alongside elite Russian Sambo squads during a national team training camp completely altered Ivan's lower-limb finishing mechanics, helping him systematically clear out an entire IBJJF European No-Gi tournament bracket in under two minutes total using deep foot-tension compression. UN Peacekeeping and 3-Step Combatives: A look into Ivan's post-competitive judo career running special high-risk operations and hand-to-hand combatives for the United Nations at Coespo. He reveals how elite soldiers served as the ultimate testing grounds for his "3-step rule," proving why structural techniques must mirror natural human stress responses to remain 85% effective under live firearm situations. The "Tia Maria" Drunk Final Manifesto: Ivan goes completely transparent to reveal a wild, legendary historical story. He details convincing his professional judo brother to cross-enter a national jiu-jitsu tournament, stopping at every cafe on the road to down shots of Tia Maria coffee liquor to kill their inhibitions, and ultimately orchestrating a pre-arranged, laughing final match that was broadcast by the national federation.Memorable Quote: "In fighting sports, you never have to worry about whether your body fits a rigid Olympic template. If you want to run a 100-meter dash or be an elite swimmer, your genetics will ultimately cap you. But in jiu-jitsu, you mould the art to fit your exact frame, outwork the room, and absolute obsession will eventually replace natural talent." — Ivan TomasettiEnjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast.Watch this episode's video on YouTube: Episode 11 on YouTubeRemember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies.Manto 🥋www.man.to/chokesCode: Chokes -15%Find me on:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠⁠BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠⁠