From Bullied Kid to BJJ Legend: The Untold Story of John Will | Ep. 02

Welcome to Episode 2 of our podcast, featuring an in-depth conversation between host Dave Meyer and his mentor, the legendary martial artist  instructor Professor John Will. John is one of the first non-Brazilians to be awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu making  him a member of the BJJ Dirty Dozen (a term he coined), and he is one of the first non-Brazilians to ever be awarded the prestigious BJJ Coral Belt (2025) making him one of the BJJ Gang of Eight (a term also coined by John Will).In this episode, John shares his extraordinary journey from being bullied as a child in Australia to becoming one of the most influential figures in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and martial arts education worldwide.John Will recounts his early days traveling through Southeast Asia, training in diverse martial arts styles, and founding Australia’s first martial arts magazine, Blitz. He discusses his pivotal encounters with the Gracie family, the Machado brothers, and his role in bringing BJJ to Australia. The conversation dives deep into the philosophy of martial arts, the importance of attention to detail, the distinction between discomfort and injury, and how martial arts principles apply to life beyond the mat.Whether you’re a martial artist, a coach, or someone interested in personal growth, this episode is packed with wisdom, humor, and practical insights. Don’t miss John’s reflections on teaching, building a martial arts association, and the impact of technology on learning and society.Connect with John Will:Website: https://www.bjj.com.au/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.b.will.7/Academy: https://www.redcatacademy.com.au/If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, comment, and share! Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations to the community.This episode was presented and directed by David Meyer, Produced by Robbie Lockie, with music by Robel Borja.Chapters00:00 - Introduction: Meet John Will02:23 - John’s Martial Arts Origin Story03:49 - Early Adventures in Southeast Asia07:11 - The Diversity of Indonesian Martial Arts09:32 - Competition and the First World Silat Championships12:09 - Founding Blitz Magazine & Spreading BJJ16:40 - Meeting the Gracies and the Machado Brothers22:09 - Bringing BJJ to Australia25:40 - Building an Association and Teaching Philosophy28:18 - The Power of Attention to Detail31:05 - Life Lessons from Martial Arts36:05 - The Role of Luck and Merit in Success40:47 - Technology, the Internet, and the Future46:18 - Final Reflections & How to Connect with John Will48:30 - Outro: Subscribe and Stay TunedLinks from the showDon Draegerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donn_F._DraegerPencak silathttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencak_silatBlitz Magazinehttps://www.facebook.com/blitzmartialarts/“Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission” Grappling by Davd Meyerhttps://a.co/d/531zuUzMusic “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.