The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Latest Episodes:

300 - 5 Principles for Taking Risks Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Here are 5 principles that I use on a daily basis for evaluating risk, along with concrete examples from martial arts training, fire fighting, white water kayaking, and behavior during a pandemic. I hope you find this useful!

The single best way to stay in touch with what's going on with the podcast, grapplearts, and everything else is still my newsletter. Sign up for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/newsletter

Cheers!

Stephan Kesting

299 - Division in the BJJ Community with Jamie Kilstein Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Division in BJJ community, angry people on the internet and the rise of conspirituality with comic and BJJ practitioner Jamie Kilstein. Jamie is the cohost of both Rear Naked Radio and A Fuckup's Guide to Self Help and has a new comedy album coming out soon!

298 - Efficient Training for Competition with Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

Today I chat with Black belt no gi world champion Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins about how the most efficient training methods to master the highly complex world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Lots of great takeaways in this one!!

02:18 - Learning technique only vs learning technique and theory 05:42 - Fundamental movements in BJJ 09:24 - Advanced applications of fundamental movements 14:48 - Winning by achieving depth in a technique 25:40 - Successfully setting up guard submissions 37:22 - Off speed pitches and surprising your opponent in BJJ 44:03 - Starting at step 3 52:19 - Top tips for training 1:01:39 - Safe techniques 1:11:03 - IBJJF legalising reaping and heel hooks in nogi

Check out the 265 page full color book we wrote together at https://www.grapplearts.com/nonstop-jiu-jitsu-book/ - it's the best BJJ book of the year for sure!

Cheers

Stephan Kesting

297 - Cults, Prophecies and Deprogramming Your Friends with Matthew Remski from Conspirituality.net Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

I was thrilled to talk to Matthew Remski, a cult researcher and cohost of the Conspirituality Podcast who has written extensively about the pervasive cultism and abuse in Yoga, spirituality, and wellness culture. The parallels to what's happening in BJJ are obvious.

Here are some highlights...

01:48 - Matthew's own time in cults 05:39 - Conspiracy theories 08:02 - What are cults? 28:45 - Online cults 41:39 - What happens when cult prophecies fail to occur? 50:21 - How to help friends and family members in cults

296 - A People's History of BJJ, with Robert Drysdale Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Multiple time world champion Robert Drysdale comes onto the podcast to share his discoveries about the history of BJJ. Here's just some of what we talked about...

00:52 - Opening Closed Guard, the Book 06:16 - The first japanese martial artists in Brazil 16:51 - Who was Mitsyuo Maeda? 19:27 - The role of the circus in the development of BJJ 23:20 - Early lineages of jiu-jitsu in Brazil 31:02 - The development and role of Vale Tudo fighting 33:08 - Why jiu-jitsu became so ground oriented 43:41 - George Gracie 45:47 - Helio's early fights 47:58 - The period of decline in jiu-jitsu 52:36 - BJJ andmarks between the 1950's and 1990's 1:02:26 - The role of jiu-jitsu federations 1:09:07 - Effects of legalizing heel hooks 1:15:16 - BJJ in the Olympics

295 - How to Do Long Wilderness Expeditions on the Cheap, with Frank Wolf Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Today I talk with Mr Frank Wolf, a member of first two person team to paddle across Canada in a single season. He has undertaken amazing expeditions throughout North America both in the summer and the winter, and has some amazing tips for getting out into the deep wilderness on the cheap. I guess you could call him a wilderness travel hacker who is willing to share his secrets! On an entirely different note, sign up for the Single Leg X Guard Crash Course that I'm giving out - it's entirely free and it's the fastest way to make you competent at one of the most powerful and versatile of guard positions! https://www.grapplearts.com/slxcourse/

294 - The Biggest Clue That It's Time to Quit Competing in Full Contact Martial Arts Like MMA, Boxing and Kickboxing Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Full contact fighting is inherently risky, especially when you consider the traumatic brain damage that's so common in boxing, kickboxing and MMA. And competing in sports where head shots and brain trauma are abundant ramps those risks up exponentially.

While I totally support your right to take risks (and have taken many myself) there comes a point when the risk outweighs the reward. So what is that point?

In this episode I discuss the number one indicator that I think tells you when you should quit competing in contact sports...

Check out my Single Leg X Guard Crash Course, available for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/slxcourse

And please share this episode with one person in your social circle who might enjoy it!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

293 - My Kung Fu Training Days... Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode I'm interviewed by Randy Brown on his podcast about my journey through Kung Fu and how I found jiu-jitsu. Lots of nuggets about training safely and effectively in this one!

Follow Randy at

https://www.youtube.com/c/Mantisboxers/videos

https://www.instagram.com/randybrownmantisboxer/

https://randybrownmantisboxing.com/

Tweet me: @StephanKesting

Check out my Instagram: @Stephan_Kesting

And get on my email newsletter - I use it to put out a TON of good training information: grapplearts.com/newsletter

Cheers!

Stephan

292 - Is It Safe to Train BJJ During Covid Yet? A Nuanced Answer... Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

Is it safe to train BJJ in a pandemic? I wish it were a simple yes or no answer, but as I discuss in this episode (which is also available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjyivFxPJMU&feature=youtu.be) it depends on a number of factors including...

Your age, health, pre-existing conditions
Your tolerance for personal risk
The age and health status of your family
Your health insurance situation,
Your willingness to put other people in society at risk,
Whether you're taking precautions in the rest of your life
What the local Covid test positivity rates are
The precautions your club is taking
Whether you're in a training pod
The precautions your training partners are taking
And more.

If you're interested in more information about BJJ training pods check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSG3zsC-WwM

If you want to see some evidence that masks help prevent transmission of Covid-19 please read https://www.grapplearts.com/do-masks-and-face-coverings-work-to-prevent-coronavirus-transmission/

If you want to find Covid-safeish training partners check out https://downtoroll.com/

And if you want to see the latest guidelines by Dr Chris Moriarty for reopening BJJ schools check out https://www.grapplearts.com/openingupbjj

Stay safe and, almost more importantly, please give a crap about other people!

Stephan Kesting

291 - Yoga, Meditation, and... Conspiracy Theory? With Derek Beres from the Conspirituality Podcast Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Only aligning your chakras can save you from the satanist deep state... Derek Beres is an author and former reporter who cohosts the Conspirituality podcast which investigates the convergence of left-wing spirituality in Yoga and wellness culture with feverish right-wing conspiracy theorists.

I wish this podcast could have been a light hearted traipse down the kookier aspects of Yoga and spiritual utopianism but in a time when rampant conspiracy thinking on social media spreads mistruths, disinformation and 'alternative facts' this is a deadly serious issue.

Follow the Conspirituality Podcast here: https://conspirituality.net/ - it's very good!

Stephan Kesting

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