The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Thrilled to have James Deirmendjian on the podcast to discuss why jiu-jitsu might NOT be for everyone, the benefits of training with practitioners from diverse backgrounds, balancing training and a career, and creating camaraderie through jiu-jitsu. Follow James on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/fight_fit_training/  

Most people know that BJJ descended from Kodokan Judo which came from traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu systems. But the Kodokan was initially quite weak at the groundfighting aspect of grappling, and it wasn't until it brushed up against other systems specialising in ne-waza or groundwork that it became a well-rounded art.  In this episode we are joined by Martial Arts historian (and BJJ practitione...

Chris is a BJJ and Luta Livre black belt teaching in the UK and has many radical ideas about teaching and training BJJ which could change the sport for the better! In this episode we covered... - Training takedowns and dangerous submissions safely - A radical re-imagining of the BJJ belt system - Encouraging exploration in jiu-jitsu - The limits imposed by strength and power in grappling - And so...

Shiggi loves BJJ and thinks that it can build and change communities in Africa, and is on a mission to open a community dojo in Kenya aimed at empowering girls aged 12 to 18.  Shiggi is a BJJ practitioner with a background in Shotokan karate, Taekwondo, Capoeira, and working the door as a bouncer in UK night clubs. Her ambitious goal is to establish a community dojo in Kenya that not only teaches...

In today's episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast , I share the story of dealing with storms, giant tides, and the ever-present threat of polar bears on the remote Hudson Bay coast at the mouth of the Thlewiaza River in Nunavut, Canada and what I learned about physical, mental, and emotional performance in extreme circumstances.   This is an excerpt from my book "Perseverance, Life and Death in the...

How your journey through BJJ can intersect with and is helped by Stoicism, with Adisa Banjoko. It gets pretty personal as we go beyond the sound bites of Stoicism and dig into the actual practices you can use to develop the four virtues of Stoicism, namely wisdom, discipline, justice and courage. Along the way, we also tackle the importance of character in jiu-jitsu, the recent spate of scandals i...

Telltale traits of toxic schools by Stephan Kesting, a BJJ black belt for 20 years.   Did he miss any red flags? RED FLAGS 01:24 No cross-training 01:41 Separating you from friends and family 02:30 No trial classes 03:35 No talking to current students 03:55 No watching classes 04:14 Instructor's name + SA = positive   05:19 "Master" 06:27 No sparring till blue belt 07:27 No questions in class 09:0...

How to create a professional environment and a welcoming gym culture at your BJJ school, and what people do wrong, with Josh Peters. Josh is a 3rd degree black  belt in BJJ, who has competed in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Sanda, Sambo, kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts. He runs combatprinciplesmma.com in Burtonsville Maryland. Follow Josh on Instagram at instagram.com/joshcpmma and/or on Faceb...

How to train MMA effectively, efficiently, and safely, with Ian Harris from Fight Science.  Ian has more than 40 years of martial arts experience and has been working with MMA fighters for more than 20 years. Today we discuss the changes that need to be made to MMA for it to be effective in a real fight, how to create a fight gameplan (and how to get a fighter to follow it), cutting weight intelli...

Josh Peters and Stephan Kesting look at the evolution of effective teaching methods, school culture, risk, cross-training, and why you want your students to become better than you in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Josh on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joshcpmma/ and check out his school in the Maryland area at https://combatprinciplesmma.com/ And if you want concrete examples of how training in...

Catch wrestling was a brutal method for settling disputes on the American Frontier as well as one of the largest, most respected spectator sports prior to the modern era.  In this episode Val Childs - who has been training in catch wrestling since he was 5 - takes us on a tour through the historical roots of catch, the modern catch competition circuit, and the training methods that can be adopted...

AOJ black belt Tom Wortman is a fierce competitor; he won IBJJ Pans, Euros, North Americans and Master Worlds in a single year as a brown belt.  He's also a jiu-jitsu gypsy, typically training at a club for 3 to 6 months, then moving thousands of miles to see a new part of the country and training at a new club.  Find out how he he does this, what the red and green flags are for training at new cl...

Canoeist and author Adam Shoalts on the mindset that drives individuals to seek adventure, and the importance of safety and decision-making in the wilderness. We also dive into the mysterious disappearance of the greatest explorer you've never heard of.   Grab Adam's book, Vanished Beyond the Map, anywhere books are sold or here: https://adamshoalts.com/literature/ Follow Stephan Kesting's outdoor...

Today the tables get turned and I end up on the other end of the microphone as Steve Kwan from BJJ Mental Models picks my brain about the huge benefits that arise to treating your jiu-jitsu submissions as positions first, and submissions second . I promise this will make perfect sense by the end of the episode, and may change how you approach your training. Check out my positional approach to mast...

Renowned BJJ blackbelt Roy Dean came onto The Strenuous Life Podcast to talk about his research into how BJJ got started in North America, martial arts culture in Japan, the power of Judo in self defense situations, the importance of role models in shaping one's conception of masculinitym and more. If you get a chance, please give this show a rating in Spotify or Apple Podcasts.  That really helps...

Beatrice Jin shares the competition strategies that have allowed her to become the American National adult black belt middleweight champion and one of the top ranked black belts in the world.   From guard pulls to sweeps to takedowns to pin escapes to conditioning to KO grips to structuring open mats so that they become a competitive advantage for you, Beatrice doesn't hold anything back. If you c...

Alicia Reitz and I dive deep into how BJJ can be used to develop a strong sense of self confidence for everyone, and how that self confidence can then be put to good use in self defense and the the rest of your life.  We also digress a little into specifics of the social media drama that I was involved in recently, which certainly raised my blood pressure just a little.   Alicia Reitz (Hon. B.Kin,...

James Deirmendjian a strength and conditioning coach specialising in combat and tactical athletes who ALSO competes in BJJ, fighting against much younger opponents.  As such he was the perfect choice to finish our 4-part series on hybrid training and the science of developing strength and endurance at the same time. In this episode James and I touch on many topics, including… The most important as...

James Pieratt from Wild Hunt Conditioning joins us to share what he learned on an expedition in which he ran 802 miles through nearly the entire state of California.  James is unique in the ultrarunning community because he also lifts heavy weights and trains in BJJ. We looked at the mindset and philosophy required for ultrarunning, the emotional journey of endurance athletes, and the importance o...

Record-setting powerlifter and freak athlete Chris Duffin discusses the intricacies of hybrid training, focusing on the balance between strength and endurance. He shares his unique qualifications, including his experience with elite athletes and his world record feats. Chris breaks down the relative importance of skill, and the mechanical, neurological, and metabolic factors that influence power o...

Mike McCastle smashed David Goggins' pullup record by doing 5,804 pull-ups in 24 hours while wearing a 30-pound backpack... and pulled an F-150 pickup truck 22 miles through Death Valley... and flipped a 250 lb tire for 13 miles... and climbed a rope for the equivalent distance of Mount Everest... and has trained MMA fighters, alpinists, and extreme adventurers like Colin O'Brady, the first man to...

Martial arts pioneer Tom Callos came onto The Strenuous Life Podcast to discuss the California martial arts scene in the wake of Bruce Lee, the importance of taking your training out of the dojo and into the world, how your students can become your school's most effective advertising, being BJ Penn's first BJJ instructor, and his thoughts about BJ's current struggles. Tom has owned several martial...

Today let's learn from sports psychologist Dr. Haley Perlis, who delves into the competition mindset, developing mental toughness, managing stress, avoiding burnout, the psychology of extreme sports, and how your core values shape your life and sport. Find out more about Dr Perlis at https://drhaleyperlus.com/ And to get a glimpse into the mental aspect of dealing with suffering and self doubt che...

Today I'm joined by wrestler, jiu-jitsuka, and author Chris Jessulat ( https://www.thewrongsideof35.com/) to discuss the best practices for staying relevant on the mats as you enter your fourth decade and beyond... 00:00 Training as an Older Grappler 02:48 The Transition from Competitive to Recreational Training 05:46 Physical Changes and Changing to a Mobility Focus 08:34 Quantifying Progress in...

Rob Biernacki has some very impressive competition victories, including black belt masters gold at both No Gi Worlds and ADCC. In this podcast episode he reveals... Why people sometimes just don't perform up to their potential and how to fix it, How to reframe tournament nerves, The optimal state of arousal for competition, Building and executing on gameplans, Why some people just shouldn't compet...