Jocko Willink Explains Why the Polish Grom Are Underrated

About this video

Jocko Willink discusses various topics with Mike Ritland, including his experiences working with foreign special forces units. Willink shares that he worked extensively with the Polish Grom, whom he describes as awesome, and also worked with the Sri Lankan SBS in the 1990s during their civil war against the Tamil Tigers. The conversation covers communication strategies, parenting experiences, discipline, daily routines including his 4:30 AM wake-up time, reading habits, and his approach to training and recovery.

Key takeaways

• Willink states the Polish Grom are an underrated special forces unit he worked with extensively and found to be excellent operators
• Willink explains his communication philosophy: when someone won’t listen to you, the solution is to listen to them first and try to incorporate their perspective
• Willink describes maintaining physical fitness as fighting against inevitable decay, comparing it to houses in Hawaii being consumed by the jungle without constant maintenance
• Willink admits he struggles with discipline in guitar playing, remaining at the same skill level since age 15 due to lack of priority and discipline in that area

Episode details: published August 14, 2026 · 34.2K views · 16:41 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

← Previous: Jocko Willink Reveals Why He Chose the SEAL Teams Over Delta Force · Next: Bill Rapier Reveals Why DEVGRU Selection Was Easier Than BUD/S →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)