#69- Brett Pastore - rom New Jersey Teacher to Thai Fight Nomad - The Grapplezilla Podcast

<p>Brett Pastore has fought his way from a New Jersey classroom to the brutal front lines of global combat sports, and his story is as wild as his style. </p><p><br></p><p>The American Nomad breaks down why teaching middle school felt harder than MMA, how he ended up training and living in Thailand, and what it really takes to survive across Catch Wrestling, Sambo, Combat Wrestling, Ssireum, MMA, One Championship, and bare-knuckle Lethwei.</p><p><br></p><p>Brett is a BJJ black belt, USA Sambo national team member, 2021 Catch Wrestling lightweight world champion, and a professional MMA fighter training out of the world famous Tiger Muay Thai and MMA. </p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, he reveals how he blends catch wrestling pressure with jiu-jitsu guard concepts, why the “gap system” matters everywhere from turtle to guard retention, and how his aggressive, submission-hunting approach changes when strikes, headbutts, and ring ropes enter the equation.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll discover:</p><p><br></p><p>- Why catch wrestling and BJJ are closer than people think</p><p><br></p><p>- How combat Sambo and MMA overlap, especially with strikes, grips, and takedowns</p><p><br></p><p>- What changes when leg locks meet punches</p><p><br></p><p>- Why One Championship’s rule set and ring create completely different problems</p><p><br></p><p>- How Brett adapts to wildly different rule sets without losing his core game</p><p><br></p><p>Brett also shares the story of taking an eight-week camp into bare-knuckle Lethwei against a world champion in Myanmar, what he learned from getting outmuscled and cut open in hostile territory, and why fighting in a ring can be far stranger than fighting in a cage. </p><p><br></p><p>Along the way, he and the host dig into rule differences, back-of-the-head strikes, folkstyle vs freestyle wrestling, Korean Ssireum, and the technical details that separate great grapplers from great MMA fighters.If you care about high-level grappling, MMA strategy, or the mindset of a fighter who’s lived the real nomad life, this one delivers. </p><p><br></p><p>Essential listening for wrestlers, jiu-jitsu players, and anyone who wants a brutally honest look at what works when the rules stop being theoretical.</p><p><br></p><p>Here is Brett Pastore’s social media account where you can find him online:</p><p><br></p><p>Instagram: @brettpastore.americannomad</p><p><br></p><p>If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Stor