Back on the Mat PT

Back on the Mat PT I help BJJ/combat athletes navigate through injury to return AND perform on the mats

03/31/2026

The is one of the most exciting tournament formats I’ve seen lately and it really highlights some of the baddest dudes in the game. There’s been a lot of action with some of the craziest finishes.

Last week, sustained an elbow injury while his opponent defended an anaconda choke. Initial reports suggest a dislocated elbow- and apparently this isn’t his first time dealing with this.

The mechanism here is a bit unusual as there may have been some lateral force. My assumption is that his elbow may have already been compromised, which increased the likelihood of dislocation.

An elbow dislocation occurs when the humerus (upper arm bone) is forced out of alignment with the forearm. When this happens, there’s immediate pain, swelling, and depending on severity, potential ligament damage.

Based on how it looked, the injury seems to have occurred on the lateral (radial) side of the elbow. That could involve structures like the lateral collateral ligament and possibly the annular ligament.

Unfortunately, Andrew’s PGF season is over. Hoping he’s able to make a full recovery with conservative treatment and come back strong next season.

I’ll be highlighting return to sport rehab options this week so follow along.

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03/25/2026

The Copenhagen plank is a staple exercise for building stability along the entire medial line. It’s especially useful when rehabbing from MCL injuries or groin strains.

Remember: there’s no such thing as a bad exercise.

If you’re dealing with an MCL injury, this is typically considered a late-stage rehab exercise, meaning you probably won’t start here right away.

The good news: it’s highly scalable.

You can make it easier by moving the elevated surface closer to the knee, which shortens the lever arm and reduces stress on the medial knee joint.

You can progress this exercise by adding ballistics or reactive catches.

This helps the knee:�▶️ tolerate higher impact forces�▶️ prepare the nervous system for unpredictable inputs�▶️ improve tissue resilience

Every grappler should have this in their training toolbox.

Save this exercise and follow along for more BJJ rehab content!🥋💪

03/23/2026

This week in the Performance Lab we’re talking about how to prepare your knee for what it may encounter on the mats.

The inside heel hook is designed to rotate your lower limb beyond its end range… aka obliterate your knee ligaments.

If you don’t tap in time, you’re risking a pretty catastrophic knee injury.

One exercise every jiu jitsu athlete should be doing is some form of resisted knee rotation. This can be done as an end-range isometric or by using a band for through-range resistance.

This is a simple way to train the knee in the transverse plane - something we’re constantly exposed to in leg entanglements and rotational attacks.

Follow along for more jiu jitsu sport performance content!

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03/18/2026

Let’s start with this.

You’re not , so don’t try this at home!

I’m not saying exercises will prevent heel hook injuries. But having more available knee rotation can reduce the window for injury.

With an inside heel hook, more external tibial rotation and strength at that end range might buy you a split second to escape …or tap.

And in jiu jitsu, that’s everything.

Train your knee rotation
for longevity and performance on the mats.

Follow for more jiu jitsu performance and injury prevention content.

49.I remember when my dad was this age. I was 17 and I remember thinking, gross … he’s so old.It’s pretty wild realizing...
03/18/2026

49.

I remember when my dad was this age. I was 17 and I remember thinking, gross … he’s so old.

It’s pretty wild realizing that I’m that guy now.

When I was younger, I wasn’t as afraid of my mortality. Life was hard. I hadn’t really figured out who I was yet. I didn’t have much confidence, and honestly didn’t have much of an identity.

These days… I’m actually afraid of death.

Today I turn 49, which means I’m more than halfway through this life and I’ve lived more days than I have left. But the truth is, I’m the most comfortable in my own skin I’ve ever been and the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt. And I have a family who loves me and whom I love.

And THAT’S why I’m afraid of death - because life is really good.

While I don’t have the best relationship with my dad, I’m truly grateful for his courage. He stepped out of his comfort zone, immigrated to a new country without knowing the language and without money in his pockets - all to create a better path for his family.

In launching Back on the Mat PT, I feel like I’m channeling a little bit of that same spirit. Stepping out in faith to serve a community that I’m not only a part of, but one that I genuinely want to see win.

I’m proud of what I’m building. Every day I try to be 1% better—as a person, as a jiu-jitsu athlete, as a physical therapist, and as a business owner.

Here’s to another year of getting a little better every day.

📷:

03/16/2026

This week’s Rehab Roadmap 🗺️:
Late-stage MCL rehab

The inside heel hook, when properly applied, can be a devastating submission that may injure the MCL, ACL, and potentially the meniscus.

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the primary stabilizer of the medial knee. Its main job is resisting valgus stress - preventing the knee from collapsing inward.

After the acute phase of healing, the Copenhagen plank is one of my favorite ways to start loading the MCL and rebuilding medial knee stability.

⚠️ The severity of the injury and where you are in the rehab timeline will determine when this exercise is appropriate.

Make sure you’re assessed by a provider who understands the demands of jiu jitsu!

I’ll also be showing you how to scale this exercise up and down, so stay tuned for more BJJ rehab content.

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03/11/2026

Technique Tune-Up 🔧

The key to optimizing the single-leg RDL?

👉 Hinge at the hip.
🚫 Don’t flex through your spine.

If you’re rounding your back instead of loading your hips, it becomes a completely different exercise with a completely different result.

Need to scale it?

⬇️ Scale down:
Ditch the weight and hold onto something for balance. If this is new to you start here.

⬆️ Scale up:
Go heavier or add variance with a hip airplane (adding controlled hip external rotation).

That rotational control mimics the throwing mechanics of uchi mata and builds strength where it actually transfers to the mat.

Master the single leg RDL. Your uchi mata will thank you (but your opponent won’t)💪🥋

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03/09/2026

Performance Lab 🧪

This week we’re breaking down my favorite exercise to improve your uchi mata:

👉 The single-leg RDL.

Uchi mata is one of the most powerful and effective throws in grappling - but it has a lot of moving parts.

One key piece? Hip power.

When you hit the uchi mata:

▶️ Your stance leg has to stabilize your entire bodyweight.
▶️ Your throwing leg has to produce explosive hip extension while lifting and rotating your opponent’s mass.

That’s a big demand.

The single-leg RDL trains:
1️⃣ Stance-leg stability under load
2️⃣ Dynamic hip extension strength
3️⃣ Balance and positional control
4️⃣ Force production through the posterior chain

If you want hips that can actually launch someone - add the single-leg RDL to your strength routine

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03/04/2026

Tight ≠ Stretch!

One of the biggest misconceptions athletes have:

If it feels tight… just stretch it.

I had a client dealing with a hamstring strain for months after getting caught in a banana split. Every time he got stacked or played guard, he felt pain and “tightness.”

So what did he do?

Stretch. Stretch. And stretched.

But the hamstring didn’t need more length.

It needed more strength at length.

Once we started loading his hamstring in end-range, things finally changed.

👉 The single-leg RDL is money for this.

It builds strength under load in the exact long positions that show up in grappling - hinging in guard passing, and playing off your back, pummeling for guard retention.

If you’ve been stuck in the stretch-only cycle and not making progress…

It might not be a tightness problem.
It might be a strength-at-length problem. 💪

🎥

03/02/2026

Rehab Roadmap 🗺️

Trying to hit an uchi mata after an injury?

That’s a tall order.

This throw demands:
▶️ Power
▶️ Precision
▶️ Timing
▶️ Balance

If you’re dealing with low back or hip pain, or instability in your knee or ankle - uchi mata can feel weak or frankly unsafe.

That’s why the single-leg RDL is my go-to.

It trains:
✔️ Single-leg balance + stance-leg stability
✔️ Hip extension power for the throwing leg
✔️ Glute + hamstring strength
✔️ Posterior chain control

If you want to rebuild your base and get your throw back without pi***ng off your back, this is a staple.

Follow along for more on how to program the single-leg RDL into your rehab.

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Jiu Jitsu heads will rationalize anything to get back on the mats…. even violently erupting ligamentsHave you ever poppe...
02/28/2026

Jiu Jitsu heads will rationalize anything to get back on the mats…. even violently erupting ligaments

Have you ever popped your knee?

02/21/2026

has been working overtime saving lives. Give my man a raise !

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