Southpaw

How did Rafael dos Anjos go from gatekeeper to champion so late in his career? He had to improve. A LOT.  We can't continue to produce important episodes like this one without your solidarity. There is no Southpaw without you and your financial support. In return, not only do you help produce the show but you also get access to more great content. It's mutual aid. Join Team Southpaw on Patreo...

In our second spotlight of Red Gyms, we speak to Punch Up and discuss how a near violent confrontation with a far-right group became the catalyst for Punch Up. We also explore the concept of punching up and how the martial arts concept of "knowing your enemy" applies to politics and solidarity building, how sports and martial arts can reconnect vulnerable people back with their bodies, as well as...

How did Anderson Silva go from the shadows of Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio & Murilo Rua, and José Landi-Jons to record-setting UFC champion? Before coming to the UFC, Silva was constantly taken down, and had lost already to less notable fighters like Luiz Azeredo, Daiju Takase, Ryo Chonan, and Yushin Okami. We analyze how an already developed veteran like Silva became possibly the greatest of all...

Red Gyms are combat sports gyms created by Leftists that are strictly anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and that puts minorities and marginalized folx at the forefront. We explore what that looks like, how they came to form again in the UK, and their history. We also discuss differences in US vs. UK politics.  We can't continue to produce important episodes like this one without you...

We explore the political and also the personality differences between liberals and the Left.  We can't continue to produce important episodes like this one without your solidarity. There is no Southpaw without you and your financial support. In return, not only do you help produce the show but you also get access to more great content. It's mutual aid. Join Team Southpaw on Patreon: https://w...

Do the activities that are supposed to make you feel better always make you feel like crap? We talk to Antonio Valladares about the not-so-subtle, not-so-hidden world of white supremacy, eugenics, and fascism in the world of health, wellness, music, art, and alternative & spiritual lifestyles that no one seems to care about. It's the elephant in the room that isn't addressed because it's embed...

A career retrospective of MMA pioneer Jens Pulver, what made him so good, and why he should be in the UFC Hall of Fame.  And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. It gets episodes like this one to more listeners. And also make sure to rate and review us; this helps us appear in more searches.  We can't continue to produce important episodes like this one without your...

This is part two and the final part of Sam's conversation with Japanese American concentration camp survivor and unapologetic revolutionary Mo Nishida. This will cover the second act of Mo's life along with his work and views as a revolutionary, his thoughts on the future, and how much he was influenced by not only science or political philosophy but also from the traditional knowledge of indigeno...

Today's episode of Southpaw is a very important one. It also has a lot of historical significance. It's about Mo Nishida, a Japanese American concentration camp survivor, and an unapologetic revolutionary. Due to the length of our conversation and not wanting to cut anything out, this will be the first part of a two-part interview. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. It g...

Paul takes us on a retrospective about what made Ken and Frank Shamrock so important to the sport of MMA, and how they were at the forefront of fighting against the UFC monopoly. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting...

Sam talks to Stephie Haynes from Bloody Elbow about her path to becoming an MMA reporter, the diversifying of MMA fandom, the need for unions and healthcare, the problem with fighter pay and win bonuses, our evolving thought surrounding PEDs and USADA, Bellator and the UFC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how MMA might not attract left-leaning people but learning more about fighter exploit...

Content warning: sexual assault, suicide  Sam talks to strength coach, powerlifter, former fencer, and researcher Marilia Coutinho, Ph. D. about living under a Brazilian fascist dictatorship, her time and trauma with clandestine Brazilian organizations, her theory of body alienation, finding healing through powerlifting, the marriage of class and race prejudice, having a utopian moral co...

Sam talks to organizer and physical trainer Becca Kirkpatrick about punk rock counterculture as a path to activism, trying to union organize gym employees, running a worker Olympics, the Left's physical culture, the spiritual benefits of being a Swoletariat, and how the Taoist/martial arts philosophy of wu-wei can compliment Left politics. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the wo...

This is an unlocked bonus episode for these trying times. If you can spare a few bucks, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/southpawpod . Your money will go directly go to helping us cover our expenses as our day jobs have shut down. You can find Southpaw on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @SouthpawPod As well as on the Southpaw Facebook group: https://www.facebook....

COVID-19, fighting without an audience, the fuckery of Dana White and the UFC, and Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting platforms know to tell other listeners about us. Support Southpa...

Kel Glaister from Melbourne in Motion joins Sam in an eye-opening discussion about parkour's radical potential, capitalism's influence on physical structures and street sports, oppressive constructs both physical and social, neo-Marxism and post-structuralism, urban design, public spaces, and existing in a male-dominated neoliberal society. Sometimes the best way to learn about capitalist structur...

Zhang Weili (c) was not only fighting a racist meme shared by former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk, but by the end of the fight, Zhang had turned Jędrzejczyk into a meme—making the metaphor literal. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and...

This is an improvised and unplanned episode by Sam after the death of his friend. He talks about his friend, he talks about cancer, he talks about Medicare for All, he talks about what human suffering looks like in politics, and he talks about fighting for people you don't know because that's what you want people to do for you. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell the...

If you think we can't rely on the moral sense of our oppressors not to oppress us, you might already be a Marxist. Marxism is ultimately about systems rather than only about the individuals. When something bad happens, rather than only thinking "what's wrong with this individual" but also asking "what's wrong with this system? What's enabling these individuals? How do we change the system to preve...

We discuss what happened in the rematch between Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury, along with the wild world of judging in MMA with Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker. Both fights were exciting for different reasons, one was razor close, while the other should have been close but ended up lopsided. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and revi...

We explain how the invisible hand of capitalism is the real driving force behind MMA strategy and tactics. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting platforms know to tell other listeners about us. Support Southpaw on Pat...

We not only analyze the face punching of Jones vs. Reyes but also take an in depth look at the judging criteria. Through a Leftist lens, you can't analyze the fight without also analyzing the system. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple...

Sam speaks with a Haymaker Gym representative about the gym politics of running an explicitly anti-racist, anti-sexist, pro-LGBTQx, community self-defense project. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting platforms know...

Sam speaks with professor Ronald Purser about the neoliberalism of mindfulness, the libertarianism of self-help, and the corporate piracy, cultural appropriation, exploitation, and racism of privatized mysticism and New Age. Ronald is a writer, a Professor of Management at San Francisco State University, as well as an ordained Buddhist teacher. He has written a new book called McMindfulness: How M...

Paul breaks down McGregor vs. Cerrone along with Barber vs. Modafferi. Sometimes experience means growth, and sometimes experience can mean you're degenerating as a fighter. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting apps...