EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 45 MIN
#23 John Barry: How To Build A BJJ Brand, No-Gi Mastery in Ireland & Crank Cashout!
from Emerald Grappling · host Emerald Grappling
In this episode of the Emerald Grappling Podcast, Aaron is joined by John Barry, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and the founder of the brand, Crank. John shares from his early days in the sport to his evolution into a black belt. The centrepiece of our discussion is the entrepreneurial hustle behind building Crank. John pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like to manage gear design, branding, and web development single-handedly, and identifies the pivotal "wins" that proved his vision was working. We explore his philosophy on athlete sponsorship, including his recent signing of Erik Souza, a highly decorated BJJ Black Belt competitor here on the Irish BJJ scene, and what he looks for in a representative beyond just a winning record.We also dive into the competition side of the brand with the Crank Cashout. John breaks down the origins of the event, the lessons learned from the inaugural Crank Invitational show, and why he chose a submission-only, straight-elimination format to test the grit of the competitors. He shares his vision for the future of these platforms and what's next on the horizon for Crank.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - 01:18 Introduction & John Barry's Origin story01:19 - 03:05 Jiu Jitsu is the challenge that keeps giving03:06 - 05:25 Feeling Jiu Jitsu Concepts with Dima Murovanni & Scramble Camps05:26 - 07:30 Closed Guard & K- Guard Evolution07:31 - 08:43 NoGi Jiu Jitsu training & Irish Talent08:44 - 10:02 When Jiu Jitsu became more than a hobby10:03 - 14:53 Crank BJJ origins & Crank Invitational14:54 - 17:05 Running Crank BJJ17:06 - 18:44 Erik Souza Signs with Crank BJJ18:45 - 20:01 What brands look for when sponsoring athletes20:02 - 22:50 Working with Sponsored Athletes22:51 - 23:02 Reach out Crank23:03 - 23:51 Opening the Crank Academy23:52 - 26:55 Crank Invitational 26:56 - 28:30 Running Future Events28:31 - 34:44 Crank Cash Out Event34:45 - 35:56 Changes to Future Events35:57 - 37:19 Come out to the Crank Cash Out37:20 - 39:19 Getting Comfortable Running Competitions39:20 - 41:37 What's next for Crank?41:38 - 43:20 John's Vision for Crank43:21 - 44:21 Where to find Crank BJJ Online44:22 - 44:44 Shout Out Longford Jiu Jitsu44:45 - 45:09 Like Share & Subscribe, Outro🟢 FOLLOW CRANK ONLINEInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/crank_bjj/Website → https://crank.ie/----------------------------------------------------------------------------🟢 FOLLOW LAKELAND JIU JITSUFacebook → https://www.facebook.com/LakelandJiuJitsuInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/lakelandjiujitsu/Website → https://lakelandjiujitsu.eu----------------------------------------------------------------------------🟢 FOLLOW EMERALD GRAPPLINGInstagram → @emeraldgrapplingTikTok → @emeraldgrappling👍 Like, Share & Subscribe for more Irish Jiu-Jitsu conversations!#EmeraldGrappling #CrankBJJ #JohnBarry #CrankCashout #NoGi #BJJBlackBelt #SubOnly #BJJIreland #IrishBJJ #BJJEntrepreneur #JiuJitsuBrand #FightGear #Grappling #SubmissionOnly #BJJLifestyle #JiuJitsu #BJJ #MartialArts #CombatSports #NoGiGrappling
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#23 John Barry: How To Build A BJJ Brand, No-Gi Mastery in Ireland & Crank Cashout!
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