Running 2 Miles To A Hip Surgery Appointment, Fighting With Double Hip Replacements, How To Be A Better Teacher & More With Jiu Jitsu Fighter & Coach Adam “SMASH” Smith.

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My sons have been Jiu-Jitsu devotees since the age of eight. I initially joined them but, regrettably, didn't keep up the practice, though they've continued to flourish under the tutelage of today's podcast guest coach Adam Smith.
But Coach Adam is much more than a youth and adult Jiu-Jitsu coach.
A lifelong Martial Arts competitor and teacher, Adam has won many traditional Martial Arts tournaments. After moving on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts, Adam “Smash” Smith has earned a strong reputation as a high-level competitor and an expert-level teacher. Adam holds a Black Belt in American Kenpo Karate (Ed Parkers system), and a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (under Jiu-Jitsu Master Marcelo Allonso Novais).
Now, Adam has three of his own Martial Arts Academies (SMASH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and plans to continue to build a strong team dedicated to changing lives. With more than 250 current students and thousands of former students, “Smash” is known for his ability to teach anyone, starting as young as three years old. Adam has taught special needs students for over 15 years and has well-known expertise in working with a variety of people with different disabilities.
At 18 years old, Adam moved into a fire station where he became a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician (a certification he has held for 12+ years) while gaining firsthand experience saving lives and property in the Spokane area. After growing up as a poor and underprivileged athlete himself, Adam started a non-profit (Give Back Tournaments) and hosts Jiu-Jitsu tournaments to raise funds that pay for athletic endeavors for underprivileged student-athletes. This past year, Adam had double hip replacements three months apart but is back training and working to win world titles.
During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Who is Adam Smith?…05:55

  • Spokane Valley BJJ
  • Ben’s sons and Jiu-Jitsu
  • Won many martial art tournaments
  • Owns 3 martial arts academies: SMASH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
  • Works with kids as young as 3 years old and kids with special needs
  • Double hip replacement
  • Certified firefighter & emergency medical technician

-Where did the nickname “Smash” come from?…08:40

  • First nickname was “Square Bear” while teaching karate
  • Given the nickname “Smash” because of his style of old-school Jiu-Jitsu called “smash and pass style”
  • Carlson Gracie
  • Marcelo Alonso

-Adam's double hip replacement…10:49

  • Started training in martial arts at the age of 5; 7 days a week, 8 hours a day
  • Martial arts for Adam is not a hobby, it's a lifestyle
  • Excessive wear and tear of the hips
  • First hip surgery for a biocartilage
  • Rehabilitation and stem cell therapy regrew bone spurs within eight months
  • Double hip replacement was the only option; at 33 years old
  • Biomat
  • Adam got a ceramic on plastic
  • Issues with plastic
    • Wears down over time
  • The stem cells Adam got during his rehabilitation were harvested from fetus

-A day in the life of a coach/professional athlete…18:07

-How Adam recovered from the hip replacement…22:44

  • Competed 2 1/2 months after total hip replacement
    • Won a gold medal
  • Hyperbaric chamber
    • Quality of sleep
    • Better immune system
  • Peptides – TB-500 and BPC-157
  • Cryotherapy
    • Cold water or ice water is still the best solution

-Adam's nutrition protocols…26:02

-The adversity and hardship that Adam had to go through early on in life to get to where he is now…29:59

  • 3 academies are a lifelong dream
  • Martial arts saved Adam's life
  • Mom was a ballet teacher; single mom, mixed race kids
    • Poor family
    • Food stamps
  • Went to martial arts school and discovered his passion
  • Wore the same gi as everybody else and the only thing that mattered was your performance
  • Moved right out of high school into the fire department and lived at the station
    • Sued the fire department for racism 
    • Believed he had a brotherhood there
    • Racism crushed him
    • Settled out of court
  • Opened martial arts school at 23
  • Worked as an appliance installer and plumber for 8 years and poured everything he earned into the school
  • Had been working for another school
    • Rented space for the academy and got mats for free
    • Some students, the special needs and autistic kids followed Adam to his new school

-Adam's work with children and special needs students…41:07

-Teaching methodologies for kids…50:32

  • Setting up a positive learning environment
    • White and black and clean lines and not much chaos
    • Simple, clean, and organized
    • ADHD issues
      • Decorated rooms with all sorts of posters and things to make it a fun, inviting place for kids to be is actually the worst learning environment  
    • It's about the student learning to be a part of a classroom and learning to get away from parents, learn from a teacher, and behave appropriately
    • Create a learning environment that has the right attitude for everybody, that's respectful for everybody, and keeps everybody safe
    • The impact of colors on teaching environment
    • Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter

-The Big Bus learning concept…1:03:20

-Where does Adam see himself in the next few years? …1:05:13

  • Teaching teachers about positive and less distracting learning environments
  • Get more involved in local politics
  • High-level clientele
  • Next fight
    • Fury Fight Challenge in Texas, end of April

-When is your next fight?…1:06:46

  • Fury Fight Challenge
  • Pan Jiu-Jitsu in March

-And much more…

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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Adam Smith:

– Podcasts:

– Books:

– Other Resources:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Adam Smith or me? Leave your comments below, and one of us will reply!

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5 thoughts on “Running 2 Miles To A Hip Surgery Appointment, Fighting With Double Hip Replacements, How To Be A Better Teacher & More With Jiu Jitsu Fighter & Coach Adam “SMASH” Smith.

  1. Victoria Winters says:

    Good topic, thank you for sharing this. Can’t wait to read more of your posts.

  2. dar says:

    WTH…3 yr olds doing martial arts is almost criminal, says this ol’ mechanic…’Boys are at a greater risk of fracturing a growth plate than girls, because girls finish growing sooner than boys. Typically the growth plates in the arms and legs close (disappear) at age 14 in girls and age 16 in boys.’
    limblength.org/conditions/growth-plate-fracture-or-injury/

    1. Adam smith says:

      I don’t think you understand the type of movement we are doing. With a little more education on movement you can see the benefits of building coordination with healthy movement.

  3. M. Mandell says:

    Can’t access the link Please post it in a prominent place

    1. Ben Greenfield says:

      which link are you referring to?

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