Be the Help

Dave Meyer began jiu-jitsu at age six, and it never really separated from who he is. A coral belt professor and host of the Ageless Warrior Lab podcast, he credits the discipline and strategy of martial arts with making him dramatically more effective in his other life’s work: animal welfare, where he helped raise $160 million. For Meyer the connection is direct — the warrior ethos of being “the help,” defending the weak, and controlling the ego, reinforced by a religious upbringing’s call to “repair the world.”

In this conversation with host Pete Deeley, Meyer talks about guarding his time (including life without a TV), the tragic death of a cousin that became a wake-up call, and why jiu-jitsu learning demands partners and constant failure. He frames competition as optional but valuable for stress and adrenal response, revisits memorable matches — including a superfight with Fabio Santos — recalls mentoring Brian Johnson’s Seattle school, and even his years playing pop-rock in late-1980s LA.