Martial Arts & Life Wisdom Podcast with Dave Meyer

January 29, 2026

Professor John Will: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Evolution, Self-Defense, and Building Safety Nets | EP. 26

Description: In this episode, I sit down with Professor John Will, one of Australia's most legendary martial artists and the person who brought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the continent. John is now a coral belt in BJJ, was the first Australian to earn a black belt in the art, and has over 45 years of teaching experience with everyone from beginners to elite military units, including the Australian Defense Forces, US Marine Corps, and FBI. We discuss what makes a truly great martial arts school, the evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from a simple fighting system to a global sport, and why what gets you in the door isn't what keeps you there for decades. John shares his powerful "5% improvement" philosophy for making progress in martial arts and life, the critical importance of building safety nets before taking risks, and why learning how to learn might be more valuable than any technique. We also dive into practical self-defense concepts, including "the fence" for situational awareness and conflict prevention, the Four D's of street attacks, and why most self-defense classes miss the mark. John opens up about fear, anxiety, mental toughness, and how the skills developed on the mat—problem-solving, incremental progress, and resilience—translate directly to success in business, relationships, and personal growth. Whether you're a BJJ practitioner, martial artist from another discipline, or someone interested in personal development through physical training, this conversation delivers actionable wisdom, honest insights about the realities of combat training, and inspiration to keep showing up for the long game. Contact Links for John Will: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.b.will.7 Previous John Will Episode: https://youtu.be/ZxPifNLKTUo?si=fzFuPAmz_H7KhSTg Redcat Academy https://www.redcatacademy.com.au/ Jeff Thompson's book “Watch My Back” https://a.co/d/aWTTcp7 BJJ Essential Tactics: Volume 1 of the Dirty Dozen BJJ Curriculum (BJJ - A Dirty Dozen Curriculum)  https://a.co/d/5bqB4ki BJJ - Level Up Your Game: Volume 2 of the Dirty Dozen BJJ Curriculum (BJJ - A Dirty Dozen Curriculum)  https://a.co/d/00Ca5wn  Sifu Douglas Wong https://www.whitelotuskungfu.com/about-masterwong.html White Lotus King Fu https://www.whitelotuskungfu.com/ Robert Strong, Comedy Magician https://www.strongentertainment.com/ Marcello Garcia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_Garcia_(grappler) Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction: Building Safety Nets 0:50 - Meet John Will: BJJ Pioneer in Australia 2:26 - What Makes a Good Martial Arts School 4:33 - Why People Really Train BJJ 10:03 - The Simplicity That Hooks You 12:42 - Complexity That Keeps You There 14:50 - Self-Defense Reality Check 18:30 - The Fence: Managing Distance and Danger 20:20 - The Four D's: Dialogue, Distance, Distraction, Destruction 24:45 - Fear vs Action: When It's Real 32:35 - Understanding Fear and Anxiety 38:18 - Safety Nets in Life and Training 40:00 - Evolution of BJJ: From Fighting to Sport 44:00 - The Arms Race of Techniques 48:00 - Women in BJJ: The Sport's Growth 54:00 - Teaching People How to Learn 59:30 - The 5% Improvement Philosophy 1:02:00 - Small Steps to Big Goals 1:07:50 - Final Thoughts & Where to Find John Will Music “Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A