The Eagle’s Nest

Making our own martial arts movie! There are probably easier ways to celebrate the martial arts movies that made us want to train. We’ve decided to film a fight scene. In Episode 43 of The Eagle’s Nest, we start planning our homage to the martial arts movies, performers and fight scenes that have influenced us over the years. Rather than simply choreographing a fight from scratch, we're going back...

Cameron fires questions at Alex without notice, ranging from genuinely useful martial arts advice to scenarios that probably don't need answering. We discuss the biggest mistakes white belts make, what separates good and bad students, and whether everyone should compete at least once. Then we find out who Alex would dress as for Halloween, which actor he thinks could transition successfully into r...

In Episode 41, we explore a simple question: What actually makes something fun? Some things are enjoyable because they’re easy. They require very little from us, feel good immediately and provide an instant reward. Other things are difficult at first. Martial arts, strength training, learning a skill, competing or pursuing a meaningful goal but become far more enjoyable as we improve. This episode...

When someone tells you that what you've achieved isn't possible, there are plenty of ways you can respond. Japanese fitness creator JPShuru chose a particularly simple one: Show me the work you've done. In Episode 40 of The Eagle's Nest, we discuss JPShuru's response to steroid accusations surrounding his dramatic physique transformation and his ongoing goal of reaching 6% body fat in 200 days. Hi...

Would you watch a martial arts movie if every single frame was created by AI? And more importantly would it actually be any good? In Episode 39 of The Eagle’s Nest, we look at the rapidly changing world of AI generated movies and ask what it could mean for one of our favourite genres: martial arts cinema. We look at the AI generated fight scenes appearing online today and compare them with the mov...

You decide you want to change something. Get fitter. Take your training more seriously. Compete. Learn something new. Chase a goal that seems a little ridiculous. And suddenly, you discover there are crabs in your bucket. In Episode 38 of The Eagle’s Nest, we explore the “crabs in a bucket” phenomenon which is the idea that when one person starts trying to climb higher, the people around them can...

Most people think about nutrition when they want to lose weight, gain muscle or make weight for competition. But what about simply eating so you can train better? In Episode 37 of The Eagle’s Nest, we talk about fuelling martial arts performance not just for fight day, but for the ordinary Tuesday night when you want enough energy to actually get something out of training. We discuss how what you...

This week on The Eagle’s Nest, Cameron brings some lessons from his first year studying Exercise Science back to the dojo. And perhaps the biggest lesson is that the more you learn, the more you realise how little you actually know. We look at four ideas that have changed the way Cameron thinks about martial arts, strength training, fitness and skill development: 🥋 1. You know far less than you t...

This week on The Eagle's Nest, we sat down intending to talk about one thing and that was getting back on track with our training and nutrition. Naturally, we ended up talking about just about everything else. In one of our most relaxed episodes yet, we discuss what we are doing to rebuild momentum after falling out of routine, why consistency always beats perfection, and how getting back into tra...

A viral reel sparked this discussion. It claimed that wrestlers are arrogant because wrestling isn't a "real martial art," and suggested that traditional martial arts somehow make people better human beings. But is that actually true? In this episode of The Eagle's Nest, we challenge one of the oldest assumptions in martial arts: Does training martial arts automatically make you a better person? W...

Martial arts isn't just about defeating the person standing opposite you. Often, the toughest opponent is yourself. In this episode of The Eagle's Nest, we have an honest conversation about the internal pressure we place on ourselves, the importance of self-awareness, and how recognising where you are today is the first step towards becoming who you want to be tomorrow. What begins as a discussion...

The McDojo debate is back. But this time, we're asking a much harder question. Where exactly is the line? At what point does a legitimate martial arts club cross over into becoming a McDojo? In this episode of The Eagle's Nest, we revisit one of martial arts' most controversial topics. Rather than simply pointing fingers, we explore the warning signs, grey areas, and difficult questions that every...

There comes a point in every martial artist's journey where progress slows, motivation fades, and life begins to compete with training. So what keeps people coming back? In this episode of The Eagle's Nest, Alex and Cameron explore the mindset that keeps martial artists training not just for months or years—but for decades. We discuss why the best martial artists never stop being students, how cur...

This week on The Eagle's Nest, we tackle one of the most misunderstood aspects of martial arts: Weapons. From swords, staffs, and nunchaku to knives and improvised weapons, we discuss where traditional weapons training fits into modern martial arts and how it differs from genuine self-defence. We explore why many traditional weapon systems have drifted away from their original purpose, why choreog...

This week on The Eagle's Nest, we tackle one of the most entertaining topics we've ever covered… What do martial arts movies get right and what do they get completely wrong? From flying spin kicks and one-man armies to impossible knockouts and flawless disarms, we break down some of our favourite fight scenes in cinema and compare them to what actually happens in real combat and self-defence situa...

This week on The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron are joined by special guest Xander, one of Eagle Martial Arts' instructors and a martial artist whose journey has taken some unexpected turns. Xander is a 2nd Dan Hapkido Black Belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt, and has a background in dance and movement, giving him a unique perspective on martial arts, athletic development, and teaching. In this e...

As martial artists, we spend years focused on improving. Getting stronger, faster, tougher, and more skilled. But eventually, every practitioner faces the same reality: We are all getting older. In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron discuss longevity in martial arts, how our approach to training changes with age, and the balance between pursuing excellence while preserving our bodi...

Competition can reveal a side of ourselves that everyday training often hides. You know the techniques. You've drilled the combinations. You've put in the rounds. But when the match starts, something happens. You hesitate. You freeze. You don't pull the trigger. In this episode of The Eagle's Nest, Alex and Cameron discuss one of the most common challenges faced by martial artists at every level:...

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, we dive into the clash between old school and new school martial arts training. We break down what made the old school era special. The discipline, toughness, respect, hard sparring, and the deep sense of tradition that shaped generations of martial artists. But we also discuss the darker side of the “old school” mindset, including outdated training methods, to...

This week on The Eagle’s Nest, Cameron is sidelined by illness, so Alex is joined by special guest Vishnu who is an accomplished martial artist with a unique perspective on training, competition, and the journey to black belt. Vishnu holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in ITF Taekwondo, has competed at the highest levels of the sport, is an experienced kickboxer, and is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue b...

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron break down some of the greatest fighters to ever step into the ring, cage, or dojo. From devastating knockouts to legendary performances and warrior mindsets, we discuss the fighters who inspired us the most and helped shape our understanding of martial arts. We talk about icons including: 🥊 Andy Hug 🥋 Fedor Emelianenko 🔥 Kazushi Sakuraba 🦁...

Starting martial arts can be exciting but it’s also easy to waste time, build bad habits, and slow your own progress without even realising it. In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron break down the most common mistakes beginners make in martial arts and more importantly, how to avoid them. We discuss: 🥋 Trying to learn everything at once 🥋 Chasing flashy techniques instead of mast...

This episode marks the start of The White Collar Project a focused mission to compete and build a complete game based on one of the greatest to ever do it: Roger Gracie. In this episode, Alex and Cameron break down Roger’s approach to Jiu-Jitsu and what makes his game so effective at every level from fundamentals to world championship dominance. But this isn’t about trying to become Roger. It’s ab...

What if you could hit the reset button on your martial arts journey? In this special Men In Black-inspired episode of The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron imagine starting from scratch with all the lessons, mistakes, and experience they’ve gained over years of training. If we had to begin again today, what would we focus on? What would we avoid? And what actually matters most when building real skil...

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, Alex and Cameron tackle a question that comes up time and time again: 👉 Are traditional martial arts still relevant today? With the rise of MMA and modern combat sports, traditional systems are often dismissed as outdated—but is that actually true? We break down: 🥋 What people get wrong about traditional martial arts 🥋 The difference between training for tra...