The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

In this short rant I talk about 3 or 4 training methods you can use when sparring someone significantly smaller than you so that you BOTH come out winners! These methods also apply, to some degree, to sparring people who are less experienced and not as good as you are.  Training time is a limited commodity wo you really want to maximise what you get out of your sparring sessions!

David Brown has spent many decades studying and teaching martial arts, including Muay Thai and Wing Chun.  He's also a clinical neuropsychologist which gives him a unique insight into the mindset at work within martial arts cults.  Then we also went down some major rabbit holes, including the science of sticking people's brains into scanners and the elimination of disease through new genetic techn...

In a self defense situation you have to have a high level of environmental awareness to keep track of multiple attackers, improvised weapons, escape routes, etc.  Today I'm joined by classical Japanese Jujutsu practitioner Alex Kask to talk about how this important aspect can be incorporated into your training.  We also talk about gun grappling, multiple-opponent MMA, 'dirty' fighting techniques l...

If you're doing any kind of martial art - be it BJJ, MMA, Kickboxing, Taekwondo or whatever - then your game needs to evolve every decade to accommodate the changes in your body.  I got this from the legendary Dan Inosanto who started training at age 11 and is still practising martial arts in his 80's.

A little trip down memory lane today.  In my twenties I did an 82 day, 1600 mile solo canoe trip across the Canadian north.  This is an account of the last 3 days of that journey, traveling along the dangerous shore of Hudson Bay.   The written form of this account is available here:  https://www.grapplearts.com/belugas-bears-and-an-offshore-tide-on-hudson-bay/#  and the Blood, Sweat and Sparta pi...

Sparring for the first time is always a shock, but especially for traditional martial artists who may have spent years perfecting their techniques in the air or against a compliant partner just to watch it all fall apart against real resistance. No sparring, no miracles folks! A lot of listeners know that http://www.grapplearts.com  is my main site, but did you know that I also have a second, self...

I really enjoyed this conversation with Rokas Leonavicius, the European Aikido instructor who became famous on Youtube trying to make his aikido functional against resisting opponents.  Find out about his journey into Aikido, BJJ, Aikido and Boxing in this fascinating episode. 02:05 - Rokas's background in Aikido 04:21 - Wrestling in Eastern Europe 05:43 - What attracted him to Aikido? 14:20 - How...

Can you still train if you have an injured knee?  Well, it depends... Here are some solutions, tips and tricks for dealing with a bum knee in a BJJ or grappling setting.

In this episode John Hacklemann discusses the Conor McGregor bus attack, training Chuck Liddell, differences between MMA and self defense, the single most important thing you can do to stay safe on the street, sparring vs drilling, and more. This is an incredibly informative episode, especially if you're interested in self defense and/or MMA! Follow John on Youtube at  https://www.youtube.com/user...

I was recently dragged through the waves, under the water and then lifted up into the air while trying to figure out the sport of kiteboarding, and figured out that there is one hell of a learning curve in that sport!  But many sports and activities worth doing have that same initial hump - a difficult learning curve that makes most people drop out.  Ultimately if it were easy to do then everyone...

I talk with personal trainer and BJJ black belt Ben Zhuang going DEEP into the supplements, exercises, and conditioning protocols, and recovery procedures to help with Brazilian jiu-jitsu and other grappling arts. Follow Ben and see the exercises he's referring to on Instagram @coachbz Follow Stephan on Instagram @stephan_kesting  

There are many reasons to train BJJ - fitness, camaraderie, having fun, taking on a challenge, spiritual development, learning to deal with challenges, wanting to compete - but at its core, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and not a martial sport. Martial arts means self defense.  Self defense is a huge and diverse topic, but a big part of it means being able defend yourself against an attacke...

Jessica Huneycutt is the yoga instructor for the New Orleans Saints National Football League team.     In this episode we go deep into how Yoga and other techniques are used at an elite level to help athletes  recover as fast as possible, prevent injuries, and prolong their careers.  We also talk about surviving sexual assault, travelling to India, living in ashrams, doing yoga for improved jiu-ji...

In this episode I talk with Riccardo Ammedolia, BJJ black belt under the Mendes Brothers, ADCC commentator, and worldwide jiu-jitsu ambassador. We talked about training in Brazil, rolling with Rafa Mendes, judging and reffing in BJJ, staying well rounded, curriculum development and more.   If you train BJJ then I think you'll really like this one!   Riccardo trains and teaches in Hamilton, Ontario...

In this (likely controversial) episode I argue that the differences between 'self defense' and 'sport' jiu-jitsu have largely been exaggerated. The real magic of jiu-jitsu is in training against resistance and learning to deal with pressure, not learning a set of magical 'self defense approved' techniques. If your interest is in self defense then you should still train at the best BJJ school you c...

In this episode I discuss the different forms of exhalation and 'kiai' used in various martial arts, ranging from Thai Boxing to Kajukenbo Karate to traditional Japanese Ju-Jutsu.  Then I break down the four reasons how vocalising while striking not only makes you more powerful but can also increase your endurance and improve your resilience to getting hit. If you enjoyed this or found it useful t...

In this episode I talk with elite powerlifter, kettlebell instructor and BJJ practitioner Jason Kapnick about conditioning program design, building a balanced body, functional movement screening, injury prevention, and training for optimal athletic performance. It was a great conversation, and I hope you come away from it having learned as much as I did! You can find out more about Jason, or go to...

Today, should you go to seminars, can you learn from seminars, and the funniest thing I ever saw at a seminar...

This episode is just a little different!  Today 12 BJJ black belts give their single best piece of advice for people just starting out in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. White belts looking for tips and help with their training will really benefit from watching this, and if it doesn't fire you up and get you on the mat grappling then nothing will! Here are the BJJ black belts featured in this video: Stephan...

I loved this talk with Kirik Jenness who is mayor for life of the underground forum at  http:// mixedmartialarts.com , the author of The Fighter's Notebook, the official records keeper for mixed martial arts, and has "done every job in MMA except for being a ring girl."

In this short episode I share a tip I learned from Elliott Bayev that'll simultaneously allow you to finish way more people with your chokes but also stop you from completely burning out your arms, legs and/or grips in the attempt.   If you're looking for help with a specific area of grappling have you checked out the search bar at the top of my site http://www.grapplearts.com ? Tons of videos, ti...

Dan was bitten by the MMA bug after watching UFC 4; soon he was training with Dan Severn and learning all he could about wrestling, jiu-jitsu, fighting and MMA. Many miles and multiple black belts later he's on the podcast. In this conversation we focus on the fighting aspects of jiu-jitsu, 'friendly' sparring sessions gone bad, catch wrestling, Systema (yes, systema), training with hundreds of MM...

A conversation with Kung Fu stylist (and BJJ brown belt) Randy Brown that included the history of Chinese martial arts and what made them less effective over time, what traditional martial arts look like when you start training them with resistance, and much more.  I think you'll like this one! Find out more about Randy Brown at  http://randybrownmantisboxing.com/    

OK, so you've just learned a cool new technique that you're pretty sure is the Kryptonite you need to defeat your hardest sparring partner.  But then you crash and burn when you try it out in sparring - he ignores your move, passes your guard, smashes you flat and taps you out.  What's going on?  In this episode I break down exactly why techniques NEVER work on the day they're shown, and the simpl...

Really enjoyed this chat with Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Donald Lipscomb.  We went into detail about rescuing people from capsized ships, the selection process with a 90% attrition rate, and the training required to jump from a helicopter into stormy seas with nothing more than a pair of fins to push yourself through the water.  We also talk about how jiu-jitsu and wrestling helped give him the me...