Felicia Oh: Started BJJ at 33, Became a Black Belt Under TWO Legends | EP 51

In this interview, BJJ black belt Felicia Oh sits down to share her remarkable journey from starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age 33 to becoming a black belt under both Jean Jacques Machado and Eddie Bravo, a rare distinction only a handful of grapplers hold. The conversation covers what it was like training as a small woman in the male-dominated early days of BJJ, competing at ADCC and the FILA Worlds, and practical advice for smaller grapplers dealing with bigger, stronger opponents. Felicia also opens up about the camaraderie among the "Dirty Dozen" pioneering women in the sport, her take on gi versus no-gi training, BJJ's realistic limits as self-defense, adapting her game through injuries and a battle with Epstein-Barr virus, and her unexpected career as an MMA inspector and judge for the state athletic commission. Packed with candid stories and hard-earned wisdom, this episode is a must-watch for grapplers, MMA fans, and anyone interested in martial arts history and women's role in combat sports.Contacts for interviewee:Instagram (official) - https://www.instagram.com/felicia0h/USA Dojo profile (Big John McCarthy's UTA bio) - https://www.usadojo.com/felicia-oh/Herb Dean's referee training https://www.herbdean.com/John McCarthy's referee training https://www.mmareferee.com/Topic Links:Felicia Oh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicia_OhwikipediaJean Jacques Machado - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Jacques_MachadowikipediaRigan Machado - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigan_MachadoEddie Bravo - https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/eddie-bravobjjheroesJohn McCarthy ("Big John") - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCarthy_(referee)wikipediaADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) - https://adcc-official.com/adcc-officialIBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) - https://ibjjf.com/ibjjf10th Planet Jiu Jitsu - https://www.10thplanetjj.com/10thplanetjj!0th Planet Phoenix - https://www.10thplanetphx.com/Jean Jacques Machado Academy - https://www.jjmachado.com/jjmachadoRenzo Gracie Academy - https://renzogracieacademy.com/renzogracieacademyBlack Sheep Jiu Jitsu - https://www.blacksheepjiujitsu.com/blacksheepjiujitsuMusic “Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5AGet in touch! This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, editor & coproducer by Ryan Turner, producer & marketing Robbie Lockie, music kindly provided by Robel Borja.