Ep. 376: New-School Fundamentals, feat. Lachlan Giles
09 February 2026

Ep. 376: New-School Fundamentals, feat. Lachlan Giles

BJJ Mental Models

About

This week, we're joined again by Lachlan Giles for a deep rethink of what "fundamentals" really mean in modern Jiu-Jitsu. Rather than treating fundamentals as a fixed list of techniques, Lachlan argues they should be defined by goals, rulesets, and outcomes. He explains why competitors may benefit more from guard retention and winning early exchanges than from late-stage escapes, how mindset and time allocation shape development, and why specialization often beats chasing the meta.

Follow Lachlan on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/lachlan_giles

Train with Lachlan at Absolute MMA in St. Kilda, Australia:
https://absolutemma.com.au

Learn online with Lachlan at SUBMETA (seriously, do it):
https://submeta.io


Mental models discussed in this episode:

    Controlling the Distance
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-the-distance

    Opening Salvos
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/opening-salvos

    Win Conditions
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions

    Defense Paradox
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox

    Layers of Guard
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-guard

    Prevention Over Cure
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure

    Funneling
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling

    Zone of Genius
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/zone-of-genius

    Shuhari
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/shuhari

    Curse of Knowledge
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge


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Music by Enterprize:
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