The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

A quick rant about the absolute easiest way to add effective and proven techniques to your game, namely going through the memory banks and trying to figure out what you used to do that worked great that you then stopped doing for no good reason! Check out my Grapplearts BJJ Master App for iOS and Android for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp . It comes with a TON of free material on it...

I was thrilled to appear on The Great Flip Podcast to talk about jiu-jitsu, specifically why it's probably the best self defense martial art for women and girls.  I hope you enjoy it! Catch up with the work Coach Jody is doing at  https://thegreatflip.com/ , on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/thegreatflip/,  or on Youtube at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJleGbTwtlTL4GXLMl6sL6A And, as a...

In this episode I talk about the importance of self experimentation and how your results may be different from most other people's.  I share some dietary experiments I've been fooling around with and exactly what I've been doing to limit the potential downsides.  And yes, I do talk about limiting the downside when dating crazy chicks. Stephan

Rob from McDojoLife has been relentless in his attempts to expose martial arts frauds, exposing everyone from from chi-based knockout masters to ninjas who practise bending joints in the direction they are designed to bend. Honestly some of the videos he's shared with people over the years have been hilarious for all the wrong reasons! In this episode we talk about his favourite frauds, where he g...

If you're interested in self defense then how do you train techniques that are too deadly to spar realistically, like eye gouges and groin punches, and combine that with the safer sportive techniques that you can learn to apply to against resistance and get really good at?  This rant should give you some answers to this perpetual dilemma. Check out my two sites: https://www.grapplearts.com  and ht...

My guest is the science advocate generally known as The Genetically Modified Skeptic.  In this hard-hitting (and likely controversial) discussion he discusses magical thinking in the martial arts, essential oils, alternative medicine, cult leaders, Jordan Peterson, religion, the anti-vaccine movement, fake cancer cures and much more.  I hope you find it interesting and though provoking. Check out...

Iain Abernathy is an author, a 7th degree black belt, and an expert in the application of traditional karate techniques.  He joined me on the podcast today to talk about kata as a training method, techniques advancing over time, ancient martial arts training methods, "freezing" between moves in kata, pushback from the traditional karate community, drills to make the application of moves instinctiv...

Leadership is easy when things are going well,but is considerably more difficult when all hell is breaking loose and the s**t is hitting the fan.  In this episode we look at a common denominator of great leadership in difficult situations, the optimal state of arousal, and a few examples of good and bad leadership in the fire department. If you enjoyed this episode then please subscribe, rate, and...

JP Dinnell spent nearly a decade in the SEAL teams, including serving with Task Unit Bruiser in Ramadi, Iraq, where he was a point man, machine gunner, and lead sniper for Delta Platoon.  He worked with his officers Jocko Willink and Leif Babin on many combat operations, and then used the knowledge he had gained in the field to train the next generation of SEALS. In this conversation we talk about...

This discussion with multiple time BJJ world champion Fabio Gurgel was amazing.  He talked about coming up under Jacare, being trained by Carlson Gracie to fight in Vale Tudo, and then battling Mark 'The Smashing Machine' Kerr in his prime under the old school, no gloves, no rounds, style Brazilian No Holds Barred rules. We also talked about the traditional vs modern jiu-jitsu debate, why the leve...

I'm thrilled to have Ando Mierzwa back on the podcast to discuss dealing with fear, overcoming claustrophobia, whether martial arts lessons can be life lessons, training differently based on your age, fitness, and goals, and much more! Find out more about Ando at  http://www.senseiando.com And if you do BJJ (or are interested in finding out more about it) make sure you download the Grapplearts BJJ...

I LOVED talking to Will Gadd, champion ice climber, X games gold medalist, and extreme adventurer.  In this episode we covered his epic climb up Niagara Falls in the winter, organising big climbs, climbing up icebergs and down ice caves in Greenland, dealing with risk and unknowns, close calls, the 25 people he's known who have died in the mountains, fear of loss vs hope of gain, and how to execut...

Weight cutting is a fact of life in modern MMA and also in many jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions.  In this episode Ben Zhuang and I talk about how to cut weight safely, effectively replenishing your body after a weight cut, the differences between cutting weight for day-of vs next-day events, and more. We also talked about strength training, and if you're interested in the exercises...

I really, really enjoyed talking to Shane Adams, the godfather of modern full contact jousting, in this on-site interview.  Full contact jousting involves two knights in full armour attack each other on charging horses using solid wooden lances that deliver 2,000 lbs of force.  Shattered lances, unhorsings, broken bones, concussions and impacts that feel like you're being hit in the chest with a s...

BJJ black belt Sim Go and I explore the early days of the Vegas jiu-jitsu and MMA scene, how a 'garage' club can evolve to be a professional school, structuring a class, Marc Laimon's legacy in BJJ, rule sets, transitioning from competitor to instructor, and much more. Find out more about the Cobra Kai school at  http://www.ckjj.com Please rate and review my podcast on iTunes or any other platform...

  I really enjoyed talking with Andreh Anderson who started training in the very early days of North American MMA with famous fighters like Oleg Taktarov and more.  We cover the specific ways how MMA (and BJJ) were very different in the early days, tribalism in the martial arts, training in Brazil, making the switch from JKD to jiu-jitsu, the evolution of leglocks, old school jiu-jitsu, and more!...

Loved chatting with articulate Seph Smith, Ryan Hall's first BJJ black belt and a Combat Sambo black belt as well!  We cover training leglocks safely, competing in Judo and Sambo, his instructional products, potentially career-ending injuries, where the sport of Jiu-jitsu is headed, developing a well rounded game, and tips for performing well in competition. Find out more about Seph's school in Ri...

OK, I kind of go off on a big rant here about traditional Kung Fu forms and Karate kata based on my years of training Hung Gar, Northern Shaolin, Southern Crane, Hsing I, Tai Chi and Wing Chun Kung Fu.  Are they at all useful for learning how to fight? In this episode I refer to an article I wrote called "How to Make Sure Your Martial Art Will Work in the Street" - you can find that here:  http://...

In this rant I go off about my single biggest problem with Crossfit, especially when people try to use it as a conditioning method for another sport. I also go into the exact exercises and combinations of exercises which I find particularly dangerous, and how to mitigate these risks. Sign up for my BJJ and martial arts training tips at https://www.grapplearts.com/newsletter  

I'm STOKED that Survivorman Les Stroud came on the podcast today!!! We talked adventure, survival skills, navigating in the wilderness, the closest he's come to death while filming, work-life balance, music and more. I hope you enjoy listening to his episode as much as I did recording it for you!     Go to http://www.lesstroud.ca to find out more about Les, his appearances, shows, and concerts.

How often and how hard to train are tricky questions.  Too much hard training and you'll grind yourself into a pulp.  Not enough hard training and you'll never reach your potential or expand the limits of what you think you're capable of.  In this episode I dive into the topics of over-training, under-recovery, and the single most important legal supplement for recovery! To support the podcast and...

  This was a neat interview I did with Emily Kwok from Princeton BJJ and star of the first How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent series.  We focused on creating positive learning environments in BJJ, looking at the roles played by the students, the teachers, and instructional technology.  We also covered whether I would do anything different if I was starting my BJJ training all over again,...

How to improve your BJJ almost instantly.  No, this isn't hyperbole; microdrilling is a training method that will have immediate effects on your game by finding ways around the sticking points in your techniques.  Give it a try and if it works for you then please share this episode with someone you train with who might also find it useful.

This is an important episode because it's all about managing the adrenaline dump and the fight or flight reflex.  Shane Fazen from Fight Tips and I talk about what fight or flight feels like, what you can expect in your first few competitions, how to use adrenaline to your advantage, exactly how to use visualisation and meditation to lower your heart rate, stay calm, and actually fight the way you...

How do you know when to attack?  It's actually pretty simple math!! In this episode I share the "what's the score" concept that I learned  from Rob Biernacki. At any given point in time both you and your opponent have a score, determined from your base, posture and structure.  The relative score tells you whether an attack will succeed or fail. This is a very useful idea and it will allow you to c...