Advertise on podcast: The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Anna von Boetticher is a freediving champion, and she joins us today to share  her profound insights into the fascinating world of freediving, its disciplines, risks, and the incredible adaptability of the human body. Discover how mental strength, safety protocols, and physiological limits can be used in other sports involving risk and pushing yourself to the limits.  Topics include... Diving underneath the ice of Greenland without SCBA The discipline and rules of freediving Physiological limits of the human body Carryover of freediving training to other sports, including jiu-jitsu Mental strength and managing your fear Shallow water blackout, the biggest risk in freediving Risk management in freediving and other extreme sports Training techniques adapted for the Navy SEALS and rescue professionals The importance of self-awareness in extreme sports Follow Anna on Instagram at @freediveanna Check out The Strenuous Life Podcast on our YouTube channel as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIdxKkoOmxU Cheers, 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 practitioner) Oz Austwick who has researched this cross-pollination extensively. Oz's research focussed on Sadakazu Uyenishi who was among the first to bring jiu-jitsu to Britain, where he performed under the name "Raku". Uyenishi fought all comers, including much larger wrestlers, and toured with Mitsuyo Maeda from the Kodokan BEFORE moving to Brazil and triggering the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Oz argues that Uyenishi was almost certainly a huge hidden influence in the creation of BJJ. Check out the limited edition "Raku" gi honoring this extraordinary jiu-jitsu fighter!  More info here: https://rikuzame.com/products/the-raku-limited-edition Cheers! Stephan Kesting

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 much more.  Check out Chris's personal Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chrisvillainbjj/ and/or his school at https://www.instagram.com/fightingfitgrapplingbjj/

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 Jiu-Jitsu but also provides a safe space for girls to learn self-defense and life skills to counteract some of the societal issues affecting young girls in Africa, such as child marriages, domestic violence, and lack of educational opportunities. The community dojo will be situated in Kenya and serve as a retreat space where tourists can engage in Jiu-Jitsu camps and go on safaris to see lions, elephants and giraffes. Camp attendees will generate funds to support the dojo and its programs. This model not only benefits the local economy but also provides an enriching experience for visitors. The best place to get updates about the African community dojo is by signing up for Shiggi's Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/JustShiggi Follow her martial and personal journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.ronin.storm/ and https://www.instagram.com/justshiggi Finally, follow Shiggi on YouTube as well: https://www.youtube.com/@justshiggi Thanks! Stephan Kesting

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 Subarctic", the story of the trip in the podcast above and a damn good read, available at Amazon in phyiscal, Kindle and audibook formats: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ Also available at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perseverance-stephan-kesting/1145682384 Indigo in Canada: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/perseverance-life-and-death-in-the-subarctic/9781639368617.html And in many independent bookstores all around the world (they can always order it in if they don't have it). Thanks so much, Stephan Kesting P.S.  If you enjoyed this episode check out the beginning of this journey in episode 419 of The Strenuous Life Podcast (links below).  For everything in between that episode and this one you'll have to check out the book though... Episode 419 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/419-perseverance-life-and-death-in-the/id320705565?i=1000697659908 Episode 419 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eKjiJs9G3SVa6ERGXLhAo

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 in the sport, dealing with pain and loss, and the importance of your whys.   Check out Adisa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bishopchronicles/ and subscribe to his Substack at https://adisabanjoko.substack.com/! Check out my book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic.  It has a lot of overlap with today's discussion, and is available everywhere including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612 Thanks Stephan Kesting

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 09:07 Poor hygiene and dirty mats  10:48 High-pressure sales tactics 12:53 No talking in class 14:27 Gravy Seal bootcamp 15:24 "Every other school sucks" 16:13 Instructor chronically dates students 17:18 Financial-medical-astronomical-astrological advice 17:27 No competition / in-house tournaments only 20:22 Peaked in high school 22:57 Focusing only on top competitors 23:20 Focusing only on hot women 23:45 Focusing only on their phones 24:55 Can't pause your membership 25:41 "We don't tap to THAT here..." 27:26 Mat bullies are tolerated ORANGE FLAGS 29:46 Mandatory and expensive uniforms 30:52 Ranking and promotion fees 32:19 I see dead people (and bow to them) 33:30 Instructor doesn't roll 35:01 No colored belts (or women) 35:21 "Professor" (see video below) RELATED RESOURCES The infamous "Don't Call Me Professor" video - https://youtu.be/-TeE3tYMiJM Grapplearts instructionals in streaming and app formats: https://www.grapplearts.com/instructionals/ My best-selling book: Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ My book co-written with BJJ black belt world champion Brandon Mullins: Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu: https://www.amazon.com/Non-Stop-Jiu-Jitsu-Champions-Aggressive/dp/B08CPNPNDD

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 Facebook at facebook.com/combatprinciplesmma. Support Josh's run for county council at friendsofjoshuapeters.com.  And if you want to comment on upcoming legistlation as suggested in this episode go to www.dol.gov/agencies/oasp/regulatory-programmatic-policy P.S. Check out my best-selling book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, available anywhere you get physical, digital and audio books and also here: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/

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 intelligently, the best conditioning for a gas tank that never runs dry, and why fighters are so prone to pseudoscience and supplement scams.   Ian runs Fight Science MMA Training Center in Mid-City Los Angeles (fightsciencemma.com). Get in touch with Ian at facebook.com/comediocre and check out his videos on critical thinking at youtube.com/@IanHarrisComedian.

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 BJJ creates the skills to deal with the rest of life check out my best-selling book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, available anywhere you get physical, digital and audio books and also here: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/.  That journey wouldn't have been possible without my jiu-jitsu training, and there were lessons I learned on that trip that inform my life to this day.

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 to make any combat athlete much more effective. Incidentally, catch wrestling has had a significant impact on my own development. For example it has had a strong influence on my submission game as you can see in something like the Kimura Roadmap. https://www.grapplearts.com/kimura. Follow Val Childs on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cc_catchwrestling or check out his school in San Antonio, Texas at https://combatcitysa.com/

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 clubs, how to stay injury free even when training 7 days a week, and redefining success on your own terms.  I hope you find Tom as inspiring and insightful as I did - enjoy! Also, please rate and review this podcast on whichever podcast platform you listen to it - I can't emphasize enough how useful this is and how much I appreciate it. Finally, if you're interested in my take on living life on your own terms please check out my best-selling book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, available anywhere you get physical, digital and audio books and also here: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ Thanks! Stephan

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 adventures here: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@essentialwilderness Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/essentialwilderness TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@essentialwilderness Check out Stephan's book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic here: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ And here are some links to the audio-only form this podcast : Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NTGdrtMZv8JcxpUBcdREx Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/strenuous-life-podcast-stephan-kesting-grapplearts/id320705565?mt=2 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stephan-kesting/grapplearts-radio-podcast Cheers, Stephan Kesting

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 mastering the Kimura and tapping out more training partners and competition opponents at https://www.grapplearts.com/kimura And check out Steve Kwan's excellent BJJ Mental Models podcast at https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com Thanks! Stephan