As Few Rules As Possible | The Philosophy Behind The Coop BJJ in Culver City, CA

What happens to a jiu jitsu gym when you remove the head instructor entirely? In this episode of The Grappling Monthly Podcast, we sit down with Alex and Howard, co-founders of The Coop in Culver City, CA, a grappling gym built after their original academy closed during the pandemic. They wanted a room that kept only the parts of jiu jitsu they liked and dropped the rest: no bowing, no set warm ups, no belt hierarchy dictating who learns from whom, and no single professor whose game everyone copies. We cover how promotions actually work when there is no head coach, a peer system requiring seven black belt yes votes and zero objections. We get into their inverted pyramid of black belts, why higher level players at the gym will tell you how to beat their own game, and how a gym that started as a pure open mat had to add just enough structure to get people to show up. Alex and Howard also talk about keeping the gym apolitical through the vaccine era, running it on an honor system with no front desk, and why they think a room designed with as few rules as possible weeds out the wrong people on its own. Check out the www.thecoopbjj.com for more information or find them on instagram at www.instagram.com/thecoopbjj   Grappling Monthly is an independent editorial media brand covering the culture, people, and business of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the grappling arts. Based in Los Angeles, the brand produces in-depth conversations with the coaches, gym owners, competitors, and practitioners shaping the sport. The Grappling Monthly Podcast is the flagship property. A weekly long-form interview series hosted by Sébastien Maniatopoulos, a BJJ black belt establishing roots in the Southern California grappling community. The brand's editorial focus is on the human stories behind the art: how academies are built, how practitioners evolve, how the culture of jiu-jitsu intersects with identity, business, and community. Grappling Monthly publishes across YouTube, Instagram, Substack, and major podcast platforms. Subscribe and turn on notifications. IG and TikTok: @grapplingmonthly For sponsorships and collaborations: grapplingmonthly@gmail.com #jiujitsu #bjj #bjjlifestyle #jiujitsulifestyle #culture #martialarts #grappling