This is a conversation with Kurt Wuckert Jr, a black belt out of Florida, USA. Kurt is a bitcoin and blockchain historian, media personality, podcaster, husband and father. He is also the owner of Gorillapool.com, a bitcoin mining firm. And he's the host of the CoinGeek weekly Livestream.

Episode Links:

• Influencer Site
• Gorillapool.com
• CoinGeek
• Instagram: @kurtwuckertjr
• X: @kurtwuckertjr
• Beltchecker

Outline:

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Getting the Black Belt

03:36 Recovering from Major Surgery

06:13 Mental Resilience in Injury Recovery

11:37 The Path to Jiu-Jitsu

18:50 Jiujitsu Won't Kill You

21:12 Fight, Flight, or Freeze

23:28 Understanding Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency

27:22 Why is Bitcoin Polarizing

30:35 The Polarizing Nature of Bitcoin

36:08 The Philosophy of Money and Bitcoin

44:14 The Historical Context of Bitcoin

47:44 Bitcoin Mining and The Environment

51:11 Types of People

53:06 Getting Into Podcasting

01:00:11 Jiu-Jitsu: A Playground for Authenticity

01:09:27 Defining Success: Happiness and Joy

01:11:41 Choosing Happiness: A Life Philosophy

01:14:09 Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations and Family Joy

01:17:31 Outro

Podcast Links:

• Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• RSS
• Podcast Playlist

Social:

• Instagram: @beyondthebeltpod
• Tiktok: @beyondthebeltpod
• Youtube: @beyondthebeltpod
• Facebook

"Crash Test" Tommy Dowdall is a black belt out of Canada. He is a mental health crisis counselor with over 30 years of experience. He has also fostered over 50 children.

Episode Links:

• Crash Test Tommy's Youtube Channel
• Jerk Chicken Sauce
• Tommy's Story
• Beltchecker

Additional Notes:

• Teaching at BJJ Globetrotters Heidelberg 2025

Outline:

00:00 Journey to Black Belt

04:24 Patterns of Learning in Jiu-Jitsu

10:23 Mental Health and Jiu-Jitsu: An Intersection

21:42 Crisis Counseling: Daily Challenges and Insights

26:09 Pattern Matches and Not Rolling Hard

29:30 Mat Culture and Safe Spaces

35:35 Fostering Children: A Compassionate Life

40:33 Culinary Adventures: The Jerk Chicken Sauce Story

45:05 Balancing Life: Jiu-Jitsu, Counseling, and More

49:09 Understand Your Dog

53:00 Walkout Music

54:22 Outro

Podcast Links:

• Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/

Social:

• Instagram: @beyondthebeltpod
• Tiktok: @beyondthebeltpod
• Youtube: @beyondthebeltpod

Missy Baize is a black belt from Wenona, Illinois, USA out of War Horse BJJ. She is a medical technician and studying to become a paramedical tattoo artist.

Episode Links:

• War Horse BJJ Facebook
• War Horse BJJ Instagram
• Teaching at Rough Hands Camp in April

Additional Notes:

• Beltchecker

Outline:

00:00 Intro

00:17 Journey to Black Belt

03:07 Overcoming Haters and Self-Doubt

06:35 Learning and Dealing with Frustration

09:33 Lessons for Women

14:14 Teaching and Coaching People with Special Needs

16:19 What's It Like Being a Medical Technician

19:46 Working in Emergency Medicine

22:51 Anatomy and Physiology

24:16 Handling Pressure

26:29 Leadership Off the Mats

28:41 Misconceptions about Med-Techs

30:26 Exploring Paramedical Tattooing

32:16 Studying to be a Paramedical Tattoo Artist

36:45 Parallels in Skill Building

38:15 Having a Lot of Irons in the Fire

39:16 Breaking Down Problems as a Skill

40:59 Any Advice

42:16 Long Breaks from Jiujitsu

45:25 Advice for Long Layoffs

46:04 Advice for Non-Jiujitsu People

48:43 Promotions from Missy

49:47 Outro

Podcast Links:

• Podcast Website: https://www.beyondthebeltpod.com/

Social:

• Instagram: @beyondthebeltpod
• Tiktok: @beyondthebeltpod
• Facebook
• Youtube: @beyondthebeltpod