Ep. 409: Super Mario Theory, feat. Nelson Puentes

This week, we're joined by Nelson Puentes! Nelson co-founded Inverted Gear and runs Inverted Gear Academy in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In this episode, Nelson explains his Super Mario theory of jiu-jitsu: a good game teaches you how to play it by raising the difficulty one step at a time, and a good jiu-jitsu class works the same way. Topics include: game design, resource management, coaching without instructions, defensive jiu-jitsu, and intrinsic motivation. Buy Inverted Gear apparel: https://invertedgear.com Train at Inverted Gear Academy in Allentown, PA: https://invertedgearacademy.com Follow Nelson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/invertedgearnelson Mental models discussed in this episode: Zone of Proximal Development https://bjjmentalmodels.com/zone-of-proximal-development Investing in Loss https://bjjmentalmodels.com/investing-in-loss Constraints-Led Approach https://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach Self-Organization https://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-organization Gamification https://bjjmentalmodels.com/gamification Ecological Dynamics https://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-dynamics Return on Investment https://bjjmentalmodels.com/return-on-investment Win Conditions https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions Defense Paradox https://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox Keep It Playful https://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful Perception-Action Coupling https://bjjmentalmodels.com/perception-action-coupling Continuum of Motivation https://bjjmentalmodels.com/continuum-of-motivation Process Over Outcomes https://bjjmentalmodels.com/process-over-outcomes ⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium! The world's LARGEST library of jiu-jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free: https://bjjmentalmodels.com Need more BJJ Mental Models? Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter Learn more mental models in our online database: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database Follow us on social: https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels Music by Enterprize: https://enterprize.bandcamp.com