#021 with Manolo Reyes - Van Halen Pawn Shop Auditions, Fast Thrash Tricep Grinds, & The Wet Towel Judo Blueprint

Miko captures the raw magic right after a gruelling training session to sit down with a powerhouse of the local scene, thrash metal guitarist, and Scramble Academy blue belt: Manolo Reyes. Fresh off a massive weekend gig in Sevilla, Manolo dives into the parallel universes of heavy music and competitive grappling. In this high-energy conversation, they break down using a guitar as a psychological shield, the absolute grind of fast-tempo down-picking, navigating the early "fat boy" days of childhood sports, and how decades of high-level Judo fundamentals seamlessly translated into a ruthless top-game pressure system on the BJJ mats.What's Inside the Episode:The Van Halen Pawn Shop Audition: Manolo shares a hilarious story about trying to upgrade his first guitar—a budget Flying V clone. To get his exact asking price from a local pawn shop, he plugged into an untuned amplifier and ripped a blistering Van Halen-style solo across the entire fretboard until the manager walked out from the back with a stack of cash. The 14-Hour Bus Ride to Viveiro: A retrospective look into the legendary Resurrection Fest 2015. Manolo structures the absolute chaos of travelling 14 hours by bus from Malaga to Galicia, arriving on the wrong side of the river with tents and gear, and waiting out the night at a closed campsite just to chug a beer and rush straight into the last-ever Motorhead show in Spain. The Fast Thrash Tricep Grinds: A peek into rebuilding a fast-paced thrash metal unit alongside Manu Núñez (Manu the Black Belt). Manolo details the physical conditioning required to survive high-speed sets, where every single live gig left their triceps completely swollen and burning from relentless grinding tempos. The Soul-Crushing "Soulfly" First Class: Manolo recounts his early transition into grappling under Jairo's roof. He shares the brutal reality of stepping onto slippery plastic mats on a boiling summer day, fresh off quitting smoking, only to get trapped under a ruthless knee-on-belly pin that felt like his actual soul was exiting his chest. The Wet Towel Positional Pyramid: Mapping out the Scramble Academy daytime blueprint. Manolo breaks down why he prefers technical morning sessions over chaotic evening wars, utilising "dead weight" pressure to systematically advance through the closed guard, half-guard, and side-control hierarchy to make opponents cook.Memorable Quote: "When I step on stage and grab my guitar, it acts as a literal shield protecting me from a thousand people in the crowd. But when you step onto the competitive mats, the shield is gone. You don't have an instrument to hide behind—you are the instrument. It is just your mind, your limbs, and the raw technical hours you sacrificed to survive." — Manolo ReyesTimes of War: Check out Manolo's hardcore metal band on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimesOfWarOfficial/Bandcamp: https://timesofwarofficial.bandcamp.com/ TitanFall: Follow Manolo's latest metal project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanfallband/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Fr0r6X3nv9vt37GwWuqGz Miko's BJJ Fanatics Instructionals:NEW Lapel Chokes from Everywhere Vol 2: Get the Brand New Release Here: https://bjjfanatics.com/products/lapel-chokes-from-everywhere-by-miko-hytonen-1Lapel Chokes from Everywhere Vol 1: Stream the Bestselling Original: https://bjjfanatics.com/products/lapel-chokes-from-everywhere-by-miko-hytonenEnjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast.Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 21 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