In celebration of one of the most uniquely themed musical projects to emerge of late, we caught an interview with Nathan, from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions Submission Shark, to find out more about the journey that led to the release of their immense new album MASTERMIND.
Given that BJJ is the fastest growing martial art in America, the need for some directly interconnected music and creativity seemed long overdue. We dig into that, plus what it is about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that brings people together so effectively, and plenty more. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hey – thanks for the interview! I’m excited by the uniqueness of this project. To introduce things – what is Submission Shark, and when and why did it come to fruition?
Submission Shark is one of the fastest growing Brazilian jiu-jitsu brands in the industry. Our mission is to promote and support the jiu-jitsu community by providing top-quality BJJ gear and apparel. This led us to create media such as BJJ music albums, videos and articles to help inspire and educate our community.
What is it about BJJ that draws such passion from you and connects people so strongly?
The beauty of Brazilian jiu-jitsu lies in its multifaceted nature. It is a sport, a martial art, and a way of life. This diversity allows each individual to find their own unique connection to the practice.
For some, it may be the physical challenge and competition aspect that ignites their passion. For others, it may be the mental fortitude and discipline required to master the techniques. And for many, BJJ becomes a form of self-expression and a source of personal growth and fulfillment.
But beyond the individual benefits, BJJ also fosters a strong sense of community.
“In the gym, we train together, push each other to be better, and celebrate each other’s successes. And outside the gym, we come together as a larger community, united by our love for the art and our shared experiences.”
Where in your Jiu-jitsu journey did music and creativity start to come through?
Music often accompanies us during training. Whether it be hard hip-hop beats and metal during strength and conditioning seasons or instrumentals to get us into the flow state while rolling and drilling techniques. It was only natural for us to start incorporating music into our brand and create BJJ-inspired playlists.
When getting ready for training, you can often see BJJ athletes wearing headphones as they warm up in their BJJ gis. The problem is realized that there aren’t many music albums designed specifically for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And that’s where our creative side kicked in. So, we began to create original songs and playlists that reflect the energy and intensity of BJJ training.
This is your fourth album release in the BJJ realm. What first inspired you to make music of this nature, and what keeps you coming back to write more tracks?
Our fourth album was inspired by our own love for BJJ and the lack of music specifically geared towards the sport. We wanted to create something that would not only enhance our own training sessions but also resonate with other practitioners.
And as we continued to train and compete, we found new inspiration from each experience. Each album captures an important concept as it relates to this martial art. For example, our third album (MARATIME) was inspired by the concept of time and how it relates to BJJ, such as the importance of timing and being present in each moment on the mats.
How did you write the songs of Mastermind, and why did you choose this title and this explosive song as the opener?
A ‘Mastermind’ group is often described as a place where top minds come together to brainstorm, share ideas and ultimately achieve success. In BJJ, we believe that this concept can also be applied on the mats. We wanted to encapsulate the idea of collaboration and the power of collective knowledge in this album.
The album has a positive and forward thinking tone and it’s written to showcase how BJJ helps its practitioners master their minds. Brazilian jiu-jitsu can often help us feel more centered, focused and in control of our minds. This is something that many BJJ athletes can relate with as they begin training more and more.
The first class of BJJ can feel like an explosive experience for someone that has never trained before. It can be intense and being a combat martial art, it’s in its very nature to be explosive. This is why we chose the title and opening song to set the tone of how it feels being a day-1 white belt.
The rock sound is huge but there’s also a sort of electronic overtone to the production and vocals. Was this a full-band arrangement or is there a lot of collaboration or even AI involved in the creative process?
The album was written by humans, but we definitely incorporated AI tools to enhance the sound and add layers to our music. We wanted to create a fusion of traditional rock elements with modern electronic elements, reflecting the evolution of BJJ from its origins to its current state.
The project is extensive and eclectic, different styles, different vocals and stories. Did you narrow this down to 27 songs from more, or do you roll with the punches and keep everything that comes out?
“BJJ brings in people from diverse backgrounds. It’s one of those rare communities where there is no judgment or discrimination based on race, gender, or social status.”
This made it difficult for us to only choose a few stories to tell through our music. We wanted to explore many different voices as the sport brings in many different individuals with their own unique reasons for wanting to train.
Ultimately, we ended up with a mix of 27 songs that represent the various aspects of BJJ and its community. It was originally planned to be around 1-hour long but as we continued to write, more creative ideas came and we couldn’t resist adding them to the album.
Which two songs from the project would you recommend to new listeners first, and why?
“Mastermind also hints at the journey towards mastery in the sport. BJJ is a lifelong journey and it takes dedication, perseverance and a strong mindset to reach the highest level of skill.”
The two songs from the project I’d recommend would be to listen to Track #3 (The Apprentice) from Side A and then Track #8 (The Mentor) from Side B.
This tells the same story but from two different perspectives, one from the viewpoint of a beginner and the other from someone more experienced. It showcases the growth and progress individuals can go through in their BJJ journey, making it relatable to both new listeners and seasoned practitioners.
Do your songs ever entice people to join the BJJ community?
So far, our album has been talked about in BJJ specific publications such as JitsMagazine but we haven’t received direct feedback from someone joining the community because of our music. However, with this interview and potential exposure on your platform, we hope to reach more individuals who may be intrigued by our music and inspired to try BJJ.
We did some Google Search research and have found that BJJ is the fastest growing martial art in America. So, it’s possible that our music may help to grow the industry and attract more people to join the BJJ community. Even if our music doesn’t directly entice people to join, we hope that it can still be an enjoyable album to listen to in general.
What’s your biggest ambition?
For Submission Shark to be among the most popular brands in BJJ. We’ve had practitioners describe us as “More than just a BJJ clothing brand”. With this music, our jiu-jitsu gear becomes embedded with the stories and inspiration expressed from the album. We hope to continue this trend and establish a strong presence in the BJJ community, not just through clothing but also through music and other forms of media.
We want Submission Shark to be synonymous with quality, creativity, and inspiration in the BJJ world. We want our community members to feel more empowered the moment they put on their Submission Shark BJJ gear.
Is there anything else we should know about this project or you?
The project is free to listen to on YouTube. There is a hidden secret prize for those that listen and watch the video all the way through, so be sure to check it out! We also would love to create music videos out of some of the songs on the album, so feel free to comment your favorite song and any ideas for a music video. We always love hearing from our community and involving them in our creative process.
Thank you for considering featuring our project on your platform, we are excited to continue growing and inspiring others through our projects. We already have more ideas and projects in the works, so stay tuned for more from Submission Shark!
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Visit the Submission Shark Website for more information.
