Episode 166

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Published on:

23rd May 2025

#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

  • ๐Ÿฅ‹ [00:00] Introduction to Steve Hordinski, 4th-degree black belt under Master Kaiki
  • ๐ŸŒŠ [03:12] Steve's Navy diving career - underwater leverage & challenges
  • ๐Ÿงจ [08:45] The World War II bomber recovery mission in Palau
  • ๐Ÿ’ช [12:20] Life lessons from Navy diving: "Discipline takes you far, mental toughness takes you further"
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿซ [15:40] Training with Helson and transitioning to Master Kaiki
  • ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท [19:25] Experience training with Helio Gracie in Brazil
  • ๐Ÿ”„ [23:50] The old school BJJ survival approach vs. modern leg lock game
  • ๐Ÿ“Š [26:15] The four major principles Steve lives by in his BJJ
  • ๐Ÿค [29:30] The grip fighting game: "Everything bad happens when you don't control hands"
  • ๐Ÿง  [31:45] Steve's three concepts of grip fighting that changed his game
  • ๐Ÿง˜โ€โ™‚๏ธ [36:10] Training strategies for longevity and injury prevention
  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ [39:45] Choosing the right training partners as you age
  • ๐Ÿ† [41:20] The one lesson Steve wants everyone to take away: "Develop toughness"
  • ๐Ÿ” [43:30] Closing thoughts: "Control and efficiency - that's Jiu-Jitsu"

Key Takeaways

  1. Navy Diving Philosophy: Steve's experience as a Navy diver taught him that mental toughness exceeds discipline in importance for long-term success.
  2. 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 speed
  • Natural body movements/flexibility
  • Street effectiveness (blocking punches also blocks grips)
  1. Grip Fighting System: Steve breaks down his revolutionary approach to grip fighting into three concepts:
  2. Training for Longevity: Incorporate Buddha Con movements (jiu-jitsu + yoga), meditation, hot yoga, and targeted strength conditioning to stay on the mats longer.
  3. 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 Hordinski

Connect with Steve Hordinski

Hashtags

#BJJ #BrazilianJiuJitsu #GripFighting #NavyDiver #HelioGracie #Kaiki #JiuJitsuWisdom #MentalToughness #GroundControl #BuiltNotBorn #CombatSports #GrapplingTips #BJJLifestyle #JiuJitsuJourney #BJJLongevity #GripGame #BJJWisdom #JiuJitsuPrinciples #JoeCiccarone #Philly #BJJ #SteveHordinski

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About the Podcast

Built Not Born
Everyday People, Remarkable Lives
Welcome to Built Not Born!

The story of EVERYDAY PEOPLE creating REMARKABLE LIVES.

Each week we bring a REMARKABLE story of an ordinary person that overcame the odds, fought through adversity and impacted the lives of countless people in their community.

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About your host

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Joe Ciccarone

Dad of three. Husband to one.
Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Recovering Blogger.
Host of the Built Not Born Podcast.
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