The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

BJJ black belt Elliott Bayev and I discuss the minimum knowledge set required to be a competent blue belt, including...

• The 8 basic positions in jiu-jitsu
• A 3 phase strategy for beating a bigger person 
• The real purpose of the guard
• The 2 types of submissions
• The hierarchy of positions
• How to stay safe in bad positions...and what to do next.
• The importance of getting high up on your opponent’s body
• How do throws and takedowns fit into training
• Competition vs self defense tactics
• How many techniques do you actually need
• Why sparring against real resistance makes jiu-jitsu special
• When to begin sparring in your progression
• How long does it take to make bluebelt
• And more!

Click here to get the Roadmap for BJJ, my free PDF breakdown of the basic positions and strategies in jiu-jitsu.

Elliott runs the Openmat school in Toronto Ontario and also the BJJ101.tv learning site. 

Check out Elliott's Spider Guard Masterclass, and/or his Self Defense Guard, and/or his 30 Second Fight Finishes instructionals. I've personally worked with him on all 3 of these products and I can say without hesitation that they are incredibly detailed and directly applicable to your training.

Stephan Kesting

In episode 379 of The Strenuous Life Podcast I talk with podcaster, martial artist, and history professor Daniele Bolelli about the characteristics of fascism.

This is a loaded topic for both of us, because both of our families lived in fascist states during World War 2 (mine in Germany, his in Italy).  Which is why I almost went with an alternate title, namely A German and an Italian Walk Into a Bar...

The terms 'fascism' sure gets thrown around a lot these days. But words have meaning, and so you can't just use it as an insult to describe anything you don't like. S0 what is it?

As Daniele explains, there isn't a single definition of fascism; instead it's a checklist and the more items an ideology checks off then the closer they are to fascism.  Here are some of the major items for Daniele...

• Nostalgia for a mythic past
• Reliance on an authority figure who will fix everything
• Nationalism
• A cult of masculinity and cracking down on anyone who doesn't embody traditional values
• A hawkish desire for war against internal and external enemies
• Strong alliances with traditional power structures like industry and religion
• Anti-intellectualism and a distrust of expertise
• Conservative values,
• Subordination of women, anti-abortion, anti-birth control
• Anti-democratic values
• Emphasis on law and order

Other things we discuss are Giorgia Meloni (the Prime Minister of Italy), economic situations before the rise of fascism, horseshoe theory and the eventual convergence of extreme left and extreme right, and the danger of fascism in the world right now.

More Daniele Bolelli...

Here are some places you can get more Daniele Bolelli...

• His History on Fire Podcast (highly recommended)
• His History on Fire Patreon if you want more content and support good work
• He's on Instagram @daniele_bolelli

More Definitions of Fascism

Fascism is a tricky word, and many different people have taken stabs at defining it.  Here are a few of my favorites...

I found Jason Stanley's 10 traits of a fascist movement a very useful starting point.

Umberto Eco's essay Ur-Fascism, originally published in the New York Review, included a 14 point list of the features of fascism. He identified that, for fascists, the enemy must simultaneously be very weak and very strong, which I found fascinating because I see it so often in the discourse these days.

British political scientist Roger Griffin has defined the fascistic core as an ultranationalism focused on the idea of rebirth of a people or a nation (or palingenetic ultranationalism).  

As is so often the case, the Wikipedia article on the definitions of fascism is a useful starting point if you want to go deeper into this topic.

John Will trained in Southern California in the late 80's, was one of the first 12 non-Brazilians to get a BJJ black belt, and then went on to create the largest jiu-jitsu association in Australasia.  

We talked about how the art has changed, how to be 'centrist' in the sport vs self defense debate, teaching elite military personnel, how to create a curriculum, and much more.

I'm sure you'll enjoy this conversation

Stephan Kesting

P.S. Check out the latest Grapplearts Instructional, Guard Passing for Old F***s, at https://www.grapplearts.com/oldpass

James 'The Biking Viking' Benson King is cycling from Alaska at the very top of North America to Argentina at the very bottom of South America.  He's covered thousands of miles, endured injuries, dealt with bears, and gone deep into the reservoirs of his endurance.  In this episode we talk about his mental and physical preparations for the journey of a lifetime.

Follow James on instagram @bensonthebikingviking, his youtube channel, and/or his site at bensonthebikingviking.co.uk.

Explorer Adam Shoalts is fresh off a 3 month, 3,400 km solo trip to the Arctic. It’s an amazing story, and he shares a TON of tips for travelling in the wilderness

00:32 Adam’s 3 month, 3,400 km solo journey to the Arctic
31:20 On Staying Safe in the Wilderness
38:42 On Food and Calories in the Wilderness
50:57 How to Run Whitewater Safely on an Expedition
53:07 Medical Emergencies and Safe Drinking Water
1:05:41 Dealing with Black Flies and Mosquitoes
1:11:57 Dealing with Bears in the Wilderness
1:20:51 Staying Warm in Wet and Cold Weather
1:27:45 Intuitive Navigation vs GPS Navigation
1:34:45 Trip Planning
1:39:10 Dealing with Loneliness on a Solo Trip
1:43:41 Adam’s Books

Follow Adam at Instagram @adam_shoalts and check out his website at adamshoalts.com

Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/m3srgJEDZH0 on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Derek Beres is an author and co-host at the Conspirituality Podcast.  He joined me today to talk about the recent Alex Jones verdict, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, conspirituality and his predictions for the future.

Check out Conspirituality on every podcast platform, hosted by Derek Beres, Julian Walker and Mathew Remski.  It's amazing!

And if you want more of Derek and I check out Cults and Conspiracies in the Yoga, Wellness, and BJJ Communities which was episode 291 of The Strenuous Life Podcast and/or Conspiracy Dojo, episode 106 of Conspirituality.

Keep on fighting the good fight my friends!

Stephan

0:37 Why layoffs are inevitable
1:39 Loss of endurance
3:36 Loss of sport-specific strength
5:46 Loss of timing
7:19 How to minimize the loss
7:40 How long does it take to come back

Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this podcast on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxFCWZJbnlRyhw3vmDx0Rlg/videos

Cheers,
Stephan Kesting

From Steven Segal getting choked out on set to health influencers and how to develop information literacy I think you'll like this conversation with Phrost.

Follow Bullshido on Twitter @bullshido, Phrost @@Phrost, and/or the original Bullshido site at Bullshido.net.

Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this episode at  https://youtu.be/fwLPR7VJ8O8 on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Erin teaches jiu-jitsu in Appleton Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode we have a great discussion of trans athetes in jiu-jitsu and a little bit of polite debate about trans athletes competing in elite sport.  I found this a very informative conversation and gained some valuable perspective on the science of transition.

More about Erin at metricsbjj.com

Chris Round is a Judo black belt under Jimmy Pedro.  In this episode we talk about how to add Judo throws to your BJJ arsenal, old school vs new school Judo training methods, Kosen Judo which focuses very heavily on groundwork, gripfighting, leg grabs, belt grabs, crazy Eastern European throws, and more!

• Large civilizations that disappeared (12:22)
• The human evolutionary family tree and paleogentics (17:41)
• The explosion of agriculture on different continents (28:16)
• Different species of hominids (40:20)
• 40 years that shook the world (43:57)
• The pivotal role of the printing press (48:30)
• Patrick's involvement in the MMA world (52:27)
• Why nerds lift weights (1:01:37)
• And more!

Follow Patrick on Twitter @patrick_wyman

Please like and subscribe - that stuff REALLY helps!

And check out the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube while you're at it! 

Cheers!

Stephan Kesting

Covid is Airborne, So What Can We Do About It?

No, the answer is NOT lockdowns. In this interview University of Toronto epidemiologist Dr Colin Furness, PhD, goes into detail about Covid transmission, the debilitating (and mostly denied) effects of Long Covid, and simple mitigation measures that don’t require billions of dollars.  Specific topics include…

- The evidence for Covid being airborne

- How common is Long Covid, what are the three types of Long Covid, which organ systems are affected, whether vaccination helps, and whether mild cases initial respiratory Covid can lead to severe long covid

- Other viruses with long term effects that don’t become evident for decades

- The real reason that first responders should be vaccinated

- Why we’re seeing so many new variants

- What is wastewater testing, and why is it one of the most useful leading indicators for strain on the healthcare system

- What governments have done to take Covid off of everyone’s mind.

- Why the only lockdown that made sense was the first one, and why every lockdown since then has been the result of a failure to act earlier with less severe measures.  

- Why you should put away the hand sanitiser and the plexiglass.

- A simple 3 step approach to keeping public spaces safe (ventilation, filtration, and CO2 detectors)

- When is masking appropriate?

- How the removal of masks on planes led to many thousands of cancelled flights and a synchronisation of Covid waves across the entire USA.  

- How vaccination keeps other people safe

- Arguments for and against mandatory vaccination for first responders, and strategies that don’t involve mandates

- The death of expertise and moving forward in a post-truth world

- Monkeypox - should we take it seriously?

- How we might successfully deal with the next big plague

Dr Furness works in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at University of Toronto. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FurnessColin

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

P.S. You can also catch the video version of this conversation on Youtube at  https://youtu.be/fHa0akoLDPQ

Today's episode is also available in video form at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drqVrn6L6hI

Finally, if you found this useful then please share it with a friend and give me a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts from!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Julie Kedzie is a retired MMA fighter who now works as a fight commentator, interviewer and matchmaker for Invicta Fighting Championships.

In this episode she shares her experience of meeting Vladimir Putin, unaffiliating yourself from bad people (like Vladimir Putin), the importance of role models, what drove her to start MMA and how she finally made the decision to retire.

As a special bonus you'll learn why from this point forward I want to be referred to as Reverend, Master, Saint, Professor Kesting!

"The richer your life is outside of fighting the more meaningful the fighting can become" - Julie Kedzie

To celebrate the launch of the new BJJ for Old F***s instructional (available at grapplearts.com/oldguard) here are some of the most important takeaways for the older grappler.

In this episode Rob Biernacki (age 46) and I (age 52) discuss...

• The two things that change most about your training as you get older
• How to improve as fast as possible by limiting your training
• Why base, posture and structure are even more important for older grapplers
• How to select for techniques that are high percentage at the high level but still work on young whippersnappers
• How to stay safe on the mat and not get injured
• Reducing unnecessary movement so you don't get tired
• How gripfighting and range management will dramatically improve your abilities on the mat 
• And much more.

Honestly, if you're beginning to creep up on the wrong side of 40 then this is a must-listen.

If you're interested in the actual BJJ for Old F***s instructional you can check that out at grapplearts.com/oldguard

Kevin Bass has a background in medical anthropology, is both a medical and a PhD student, a grappler, and a weightlifter who has been deep in the trenches of the diet wars.  In this episode we discuss the evidence for keto and carnivore diets, the seed oil controversy, and a tentative protocol to help minimize brain damage from concussive trauma.  

Follow Kevin on Twitter at @kevinnbass and check out his informative site at thedietwars.com.

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting