JitsCast #34 features one of the most successful Australian Jiu-Jitsu competitors of all time and the head coach of Team Misfits Australasia head coach, Lachlan Giles. As one of the few grapplers who has had success as both a competitor and a coach, Giles has a unique insight into the sport. He won three different editions of ADCC Trials at under 77kg during his career and had his best performance at ADCC 2019, where he ran through the absolute division with three submission wins to take home a bronze medal despite being at a huge size disadvantage in all of his matches.
Although ADCC 2019 was the biggest moment of his competitive career, Giles has featured on the biggest stages in the sport for many years. He was happy to speak to us about what he believes changed for him to have so much success at that time specifically, and also why he hasn’t competed since ADCC 2022. Giles spoke openly about his decision to retire from Jiu-Jitsu competition and explained how he came to that conclusion. He also spoke about the possibility of returning to competition in the future, including whether or not he would ever take the step into master’s divisions instead.
The main focus of the interview though was his recent appointment as head coach for Team Misfits Australasia at CJI 2. He was one of three men selected to put together a misfits team for the event, made up of five of the best grapplers from their regions. The very first thing that Giles did was announce a Trials event that featured more than 20 of his best possible picks for the under and over 99kg divisions. Giles spoke about how he chose the ruleset for the Australasia Trials and how the event went, along with his plan for the team’s preparation for CJI 2.
JitsCast #34 with Lachlan Giles is now available to watch on the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
