Recently, Revolution BJJ owner Garrett Hartley sat down for a podcast interview to discuss his martial arts journey, the lessons he’s learned through decades of training, and why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu continues to change lives both on and off the mats.
While the conversation covered everything from growing up in Montana to coaching military combatives teams in Alaska, a few themes stood out: failure, problem-solving, community, and personal growth.
A Wrestler Changed Everything
Like many martial artists of his generation, Garrett’s journey started in traditional martial arts. He spent years training karate and eventually earned his black belt. At the time, he thought he had a solid understanding of self-defense.
Then he met a wrestler.
Recalling an altercation as a teenager, Garrett explained how quickly his perspective changed.
“Once I went to the ground, even with formal training for a few years in karate, I was almost defenseless.”
The experience exposed a gap in his training and sparked a search for something more complete. That search eventually led him to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
What immediately drew him to the art wasn’t competition or sport. It was effectiveness.
"Nothing in all of my years of training across nine different arts has taught me how to safely and effectively control another person, whether on the feet or on the ground, like jiu-jitsu has."
Learning to Fail Is a Skill
One of the most powerful parts of the interview centered around a topic many people try to avoid: failure.
In Jiu-Jitsu, failure is unavoidable. Everyone gets caught. Everyone taps. Everyone has days where they feel completely outmatched.
Garrett believes that’s one of the reasons the art is so valuable.
“You fail when you tap.”
For many people, that sounds negative. In reality, it’s one of the healthiest lessons Jiu-Jitsu teaches.
“It’s not a give up moment. It’s a how do I change and become better moment so that doesn’t happen again.”
The mats create an environment where mistakes aren’t something to hide from. They’re something to learn from. Over time, students begin carrying that mindset into other areas of life, from work and school to relationships and personal challenges.
As Garrett put it, learning to fail often leads to learning how to grow.
Physical Chess at Full Speed
Ask ten people why they love Jiu-Jitsu and you’ll probably get ten different answers.
For Garrett, one of the most fascinating aspects is the constant problem-solving.
During the interview, he compared training to trying to assemble a massive puzzle under pressure.
“Imagine trying to put together a thousand-piece puzzle in ten seconds.”
Every training partner presents different problems. Different body types. Different reactions. Different strategies.
The longer someone trains, the more they learn to process information, adapt, and make decisions under stress.
Those skills don’t stay on the mats.
Garrett noted that many students become better problem-solvers in everyday life because they’ve spent years learning how to work through difficult situations instead of becoming overwhelmed by them.
Why Training Partners Become Family
One of the themes that comes up repeatedly in Jiu-Jitsu is community.
Garrett described a typical academy as a place where people from completely different backgrounds come together for a shared challenge. Doctors, military personnel, tradesmen, students, business owners, and everyone in between often find themselves training side by side.
What bonds them isn’t necessarily common interests.
It’s the struggle.
“They all end up bonding together because they’re going through the same struggle.”
That shared experience creates friendships that often last for years. The trust required to train safely with another person creates a level of connection that is difficult to find elsewhere.
As anyone who has trained for a while knows, training partners often become much more than training partners.
The Meaning Behind Revolution BJJ
Many people have asked where the name Revolution BJJ came from.
During the podcast, Garrett shared the answer.
"I was trying to revolutionize the way jiu-jitsu was being taught and who it was being taught to."
For him, Jiu-Jitsu was never meant to be reserved for fighters, professional athletes, or the toughest people in the room.
It was something everyone could benefit from.
That philosophy remains central to Revolution BJJ today. Whether someone is training for competition, self-defense, fitness, or personal growth, the goal is the same: help people become better versions of themselves.
More Than a Martial Art
Perhaps the most meaningful portion of the conversation focused on the impact Jiu-Jitsu can have beyond physical training. Garrett discussed his work with military personnel in Alaska and how that experience eventually led to the creation of Limitless Advance, a nonprofit that provides training opportunities for disabled veterans and active-duty military members.
The motivation came from seeing firsthand how powerful community, purpose, and training can be for people facing difficult circumstances. The lesson extends beyond veterans. Jiu-Jitsu gives people a reason to show up. It provides challenge, accountability, friendships, and growth.
For Garrett, those benefits have been life-changing.
“It gave me a confidence inside and showed me who I was and what I was capable of.”
That may be the greatest lesson of all.
Most people start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because they want to learn self-defense, get in shape, or try something new. Many stay because they discover something much deeper. They find confidence. They find resilience. They find community.
And sometimes, they find a better version of themselves.
Thanks for Having Us
A big thank you to our host, Cody Walden of Dreamhead Pictures and Rolling Across America TV, for inviting Garrett onto the podcast. We appreciate the opportunity to talk about Jiu-Jitsu, share the story behind Revolution BJJ, and discuss the work being done through Limitless Advance.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we highly recommend checking out the full episode and browsing the rest of his channel @rollingacrossamericatv on YouTube. He’s putting out great conversations that help grow the martial arts community and shine a light on the people working to make a difference through training.
Give him a follow, watch the full interview, and support what he’s building.
