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Ep. 398: Old Bastard Sweeps, feat. Mike Mahaffey
06 July 2026

Ep. 398: Old Bastard Sweeps, feat. Mike Mahaffey

BJJ Mental Models

About

This week, we're joined by Mike Mahaffey! Mike is a second-degree black belt under Chris Haueter, best known for his Old Bastard Jiu-Jitsu style: a conservative approach built for older and less athletic grapplers. In this episode, Mike explains how to sweep from the bottom by disrupting your opponent's base instead of relying on speed or strength. Topics include: maintaining your base from the bottom, making them carry your weight, fulcrum sweeps, and the scissor and tripod sweeps.

Follow Mike Mahaffey:
https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj
https://threads.com/@oldbastardbjj

Train with Mike Mahaffey at Magic BJJ in Lansing, MI:
https://magicbjj.com

Get Mike's instructionals on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/oldbastardbjj


Mental models discussed in this episode:

    Theory of Alignment
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment

    Direct vs. Proxy Control
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/direct-vs-proxy-control

    Center of Gravity
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/center-of-gravity

    Kuzushi
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/kuzushi

    Core Mechanics
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/core-mechanics

    Kinetic Chains
    https://bjjmentalmodels.com/kinetic-chains


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Music by Enterprize:
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