500. Asylum Jiu Jitsu Isn't a Cage It's Freedom with Black Belt Will McKee

In this milestone 500th episode of Better Call Daddy, host Reena Friedman Watts sits down with Will McKee, Jiu Jitsu black belt and founder of Asylum Jiu Jitsu in Aledo, Texas.

Will shares his transformative journey from a 255-pound medical operations manager to a confident, mission-driven Jiu Jitsu practitioner shedding 60 pounds and rebuilding his mental health along the way.

Will opens up about the physical and mental transformation he's experienced through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), emphasizing self-confidence, resilience, and discipline.

He explains how he coaches kids to embrace competition without pressure, creating a gym culture where every student child or adult can grow, learn, and overcome real obstacles.

The conversation dives into Jiu Jitsu culture at large: the balance between competition and personal growth, the importance of a safe training environment, and the darker sides of martial arts culture that Asylum Jiu Jitsu was built to push back against.

Despite its name, Will explains, Asylum isn't a cage it's a place of refuge, structure, and freedom, closer to a monastery than an asylum in the traditional sense.

Will also reflects on his own mental health struggles and how Jiu Jitsu became his sanctuary during the hardest chapters of his life. He shares stories of student progress, his approach to mentorship, and his mission to be the coach he wished he'd had growing up — shaped in part by his relationship with his own father.

If you're interested in martial arts, BJJ, mental health, fitness transformation, or raising resilient kids, this milestone episode of Better Call Daddy delivers all of it.

🎙️ What's In This Episode

Will McKee's journey from medical operations manager to Jiu Jitsu black belt

His 60-pound weight loss transformation through BJJ

How Jiu Jitsu improved his mental health and self-confidence