Andrew Huberman’s First Jiu Jitsu Class with Lex Fridman
Summary
Andrew Huberman attended his first jiu jitsu class at 10th Planet Austin with Lex Fridman, learning foundational techniques from head instructor Gabe Tuttle. The session focused on back-takes and chokes from the butterfly position. Fridman frames jiu jitsu as a powerful tool for ego development and mental growth, applicable to both scientific and personal pursuits.
Key Takeaways
- Beginner’s mind matters: Seeing a world-class scientist approach an unfamiliar physical skill with humility is a reminder that intellectual expertise doesn’t transfer — and that’s the point.
- The double tap is a ritual: Tapping out (twice) thousands of times throughout a jiu jitsu journey is described as a systematic dismantling of the ego.
- Jiu jitsu is “human chess”: The sport rewards cerebral, detail-oriented thinking — technique and positional logic matter more than raw athleticism.
- Choking out causes visual artifacts: Huberman explained that the “stars” or visual disturbances during a choke occur due to spontaneous neuron firing in the eye when blood and glucose supply is cut off.
- Vulnerability is built into the sport: Allowing someone to mount you, control you, or choke you requires surrendering instinctive defensiveness — a skill with broad mental applications.
- First class was enough to hook Huberman: Despite having no prior experience, Huberman described himself as “hooked” after a single session.
Detailed Notes
The Setting and Context
- Class took place at 10th Planet Austin, a no-gi jiu jitsu gym
- Instructor: Gabe Tuttle, head instructor at the facility
- 10th Planet is a no-gi system, meaning no traditional kimono/gi is worn
- Lex Fridman framed the video as potentially inspirational for viewers to try jiu jitsu themselves
What Is Jiu Jitsu?
- A martial art focused on achieving dominant positions to control an opponent’s body
- Ends bouts via submissions: joint locks (e.g., breaking an arm) or choke holds (rendering opponent unconscious)
- Opponent signals defeat by tapping twice — the universal stop signal in training
- Practiced with or without the gi (kimono); this session was no-gi
Techniques Taught in This Session
1. Arm Drag to Back Take (from Butterfly Guard)
- Start in butterfly guard (seated, feet inside opponent’s thighs)
- Use the dominant arm to mirror and grip the opponent’s arm with elbow tension
- Execute an arm drag — redirecting the opponent’s arm to expose their back
- Set the bottom hook as you move to their back
- Establish the seatbelt grip (one arm over the shoulder, one under the armpit)
2. Rear Naked Choke / Claw Choke
- From back control with seatbelt, attack the neck with a claw grip
- Swim the choking arm through while expanding the chest to increase pressure
- Chin-down defense is countered: pressure can break the jaw or still complete the choke from the side
- Once neck is controlled, release the arm drag; bring the arm around and pinch the back of the head with the elbow
- Use a ratcheting grip to sink deeper into the choke
- The Russian grip variant was noted as particularly powerful
3. Arm Triangle / Mata Leão Variation (“Rogan’s Favorite”)
- When the opponent stands or pushes away, transition from arm drag threats
- Opponent’s defensive pressure into you sets up the arm triangle choke (noted as Joe Rogan’s favorite technique)
- Described as feeling “very helpless” from the bottom position
The Neuroscience Moment
- During a live choke, Huberman noticed visual artifacts (seeing “butterflies”/stars)
- His explanation: the eyes are part of the brain and demand constant blood and glucose
- When blood supply is restricted via a choke, neurons in the eye fire spontaneously, producing visual disturbances
- Same mechanism explains “seeing stars” after a hard strike to the head
Ego and Mental Development
- Fridman’s core thesis: the repeated act of tapping out — submitting — is a structured practice in ego dissolution
- Jiu jitsu requires allowing close physical control (being mounted, choked, swept) — deeply counterintuitive to most people
- Huberman acknowledged this directly: “It’s not something I’m used to on any basis”
- Fridman noted that cerebral individuals often excel in jiu jitsu due to its technical, chess-like nature