#166 - Steve Hordinski - US Navy Diver, BJJ Wisdom, & Mental Toughness

Built Not Born Podcast: Steve Hordinski - US Navy Diver, BJJ Wisdom, & Mental Toughness"Discipline will take you a long ways, but mental toughness will take you further." - Steve Hordinski
Episode Description

In Built Not Born Episode 166 - We DIVE deep with Steve Hordinski, a 4th-degree black belt under Master Carlos "Caique" Elias and owner of the Katharo Training Center in Colorado.

Steve is a veteran US Navy diver and shares wisdom about BJJ principles, grip fighting his teaching methodology and hard lessons learned from training with the legendary founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu - Helio Gracie.

Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to BJJ, Steve's insights on longevity, mental toughness, and the evolution of BJJ will transform your approach to the art.

Episode Timestamps

🥋 [00:00] Introduction to Steve Hordinski, 4th-degree black belt under Master Kaiki🌊 [03:12] Steve's Navy diving career - underwater leverage & challenges🧨 [08:45] The World War II bomber recovery mission in Palau💪 [12:20] Life lessons from Navy diving: "Discipline takes you far, mental toughness takes you further"👨‍🏫 [15:40] Training with Helson and transitioning to Master Kaiki🇧🇷 [19:25] Experience training with Helio Gracie in Brazil🔄 [23:50] The old school BJJ survival approach vs. modern leg lock game📊 [26:15] The four major principles Steve lives by in his BJJ🤝 [29:30] The grip fighting game: "Everything bad happens when you don't control hands"🧠 [31:45] Steve's three concepts of grip fighting that changed his game🧘‍♂️ [36:10] Training strategies for longevity and injury prevention👥 [39:45] Choosing the right training partners as you age🏆 [41:20] The one lesson Steve wants everyone to take away: "Develop toughness"🔍 [43:30] Closing thoughts: "Control and efficiency - that's Jiu-Jitsu"

Key Takeaways

Navy Diving Philosophy: Steve's experience as a Navy diver taught him that mental toughness exceeds discipline in importance for long-term success.The Four BJJ Principles: Steve governs his jiu-jitsu by four key principles:

Leverage over strength (but use strength at the end of the lever)Timing over speedNatural body movements/flexibilityStreet effectiveness (blocking punches also blocks grips)

Grip Fighting System: Steve breaks down his revolutionary approach to grip fighting into three concepts:Training for Longevity: Incorporate Buddha Con movements (jiu-jitsu + yoga), meditation, hot yoga, and targeted strength conditioning to stay on the mats longer.Mental Toughness: The key to longevity in BJJ isn't talent or physical attributes, but developing mental grit and perseverance.

Power Quotes"Discipline will take you a long ways, but mental toughness will take you further." - Steve Hordinski"If you're blocking punches, you're also blocking grips - makes you very hard to be controlled." - Steve Hordinski"Control and efficiency. That's Jiu-Jitsu." - Steve...