The Off the Mats Podcast is hosted by Jake Dante, a jiu-jitsu practitioner in Maryland and all-around regular guy. On the show, various topics are discussed ranging from training to dealing with injury and mental health as it relates to martial arts. We also talk about other topics outside of that realm that can go anywhere from comic books to films to pro wrestling and even just general family life.
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The Off the Mats Podcast is hosted by Jake Dante, a jiu-jitsu practitioner in Maryland and all-around regular guy. On the show, various topics are discussed ranging from training to dealing with injury and mental health as it relates to martial arts. We also talk about other topics outside of that realm that can go anywhere from comic books to films to pro wrestling and even just general family life.
Off the Mats Podcast #282- Full Circle feat. Danny Ives
Off the Mats Podcast
1 hour 8 minutes
2 weeks ago
Off the Mats Podcast #282- Full Circle feat. Danny Ives
Host Jake Dante reconnects with his former coach, Danny Ives, the founder of Ivey League MMA in Maryland. In this episode, they explore the evolution of Ives’ martial arts journey—from his early days training in the 1990s to building a thriving academy that shaped hundreds of grapplers across the region.
They discuss the birth of Ivey League MMA, how the local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA community has evolved, and the lasting lessons that martial arts teach beyond competition. Danny also opens up about what it takes to run a successful gym, mentor young athletes, and maintain balance as both a coach and lifelong student of the art.
It’s a full-circle conversation filled with insight, humor, and respect between two people whose paths crossed on the same mats years ago.
Topics Covered:
The founding and growth of Ivey League MMA
Danny Ives’ martial arts background and influences
Coaching philosophies and teaching kids
Lessons in leadership, discipline, and longevity in BJJ
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream.
Off the Mats Podcast
The Off the Mats Podcast is hosted by Jake Dante, a jiu-jitsu practitioner in Maryland and all-around regular guy. On the show, various topics are discussed ranging from training to dealing with injury and mental health as it relates to martial arts. We also talk about other topics outside of that realm that can go anywhere from comic books to films to pro wrestling and even just general family life.
