The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Erin Herle is a BJJ black belt under Cobrinha and is a certified Mental Performance Consultant. In her work she uses an evidence-based approach and has a master's degree in sport and performance psychology. In this episode we cover overcoming the biggest barriers holding you back from performing to your potential, dealing with burnout and overtraining (and why they are different), hero worship in martial arts, and living the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. Find out more about Erin and her coaching programs at https://www.erinherle.com/ Check out No Gi Pin Escapes, your masterclass at getting out from the bottom and getting your jiu-jitsu confidence back, at https://www.grapplearts.com/no-gi-pin-escapes/ Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Would you like a behind-the-scenes peek at what really goes on at one of the most successful grappling teams in the world as they get ready for ADCC and CJI, the Olympics of grappling? Today I'm joined by Chris Wojcik, a standout grappler and the author of The Grappler's Diary, and we cover... The qualifying process for ADCC, the Olympics of Grappling Training with a herniated disk  How to go from enthusiastic amateur to dedicated professional What natural athletes need to do differently to compete in a sport rife with steroids How to train smarter, not harder Why B Team brought in an external trainer to prepare for ADCC and CJI ADCC vs CJI rule sets and strategies The future of CJI The role of wrestling and wrestling up in submission grappling Outside vs inside leglocks Top 3 leglock entries and top 3 leglock finishes The connection between leglocks and wrestling up Advice for practitioners feeling overwhelmed with the pace of change in the sport The mindset required for continual improvement in jiu-jitsu And more Follow Chris Wojcik on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thegrapplersdiary/ and/or on his substack https://thegrapplersdiary.substack.com/ Check out my podcast-only leglock instructional special at https://www.grappplearts.com/leglocksale  And finally, check out the video version of this episode on my Strenuous Life Podcast Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/aahJznxxEsE Cheers!  Stephan Kesting

Denis was one of the top MMA fighters in the world with wins over Minoru Suzuki, Murilo 'Ninja' Rua, Akihiro Gono and Marvin Eastman. In this interview he opens up about the mindset shift that took him to a 22 fight undefeated streak... how he dealt with the death of his fiance while competing for the biggest MMA organisation in the world... how fighters should know when it's time to quit fighting... and how MMA training has changed since the early days. This episode is also available on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/bYfPiNUIWa4 Denis teaches at https://pinnaclemma.gymdesk.com/ and can be followed at https://www.instagram.com/thisisdeniskang/ Check out Stephan's new book, 'Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic' at https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/

Ramsey Dewey is an MMA coach now based in Shanghai, China.  I really enjoyed our conversation which included... How wearing headgear in sparring actually makes things WORSE for your brain His controversey with Master Wong Why China could take over MMA What self defense 'experts' get wrong What happens to martial arts that don't spar Ramsey's experience on The Ultimate Self Defense Championship Check out Ramsey's very popular Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@RamseyDewey Find out more about the FREE Grapplearts BJJ Master App at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp  And please check out my brand new book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, available on Amazon and all other online book retailers https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612 Thank you, Stephan Kesting

I just did a 19-day solo canoe trip in the Canadian Arctic, and here are the 3 big lessons I learned! If you want to see photos and a day-by-day description of the trip please go here: https://essentialwilderness.com/lost-in-the-barrens-a-solo-canoe-trip-on-a-remote-arctic-river/ Order my book "Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic" at the following places: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perseverance-stephan-kesting/1145682384 Indigo/Chapters:  https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/perseverance-life-and-death-in-the-subarctic/9781639368617.html If you'd like to subscribe to audio-only form this podcast please find it at the links below: 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

This podcast episode covers all the details and preparations for a long solo trip in the Arctic that I'm starting today! After 30 hours of driving and a 2 hour bush plane flight to Nueltin Lake I'll be heading north of the treeline direct into the Barren Lands of the Arctic. Once there, I'll be completely alone and out of touch for 30 days. The only written description of the river is a few pages in a book written by a missionary in the late 1800's. The trip spans the Thlewiaza, The-Tinne, Kognak and Tha-Anne rivers and will probably include caribou and bear encounters, whitewater and giant ice-covered lakes, and insanely complex navigational challenges. Once the trip is underway, I'll be sharing a few photos from the field a small satellite device So if you're interested in adventure and how well jiu-jitsu works against giant Hudson Bay Polar Bears then follow along! The best place to stay current is probably on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/essentialwilderness/), although this page on Essential Wilderness (https://tinyurl.com/nunavutsolo) should have a map that updates with my location once I'm on the water  I believe that pictures from this trip will also get cross-posted on Threads (https://www.threads.net/@stephan_kesting) Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@essentialwilderness), and  Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@essentialwilderness/community) I'll be back to the world and jiu-jitsu in late July. Hopefully! Cheers, Stephan P.S. I'm telling my publisher that this is my official book tour, so if you haven't yet pre-ordered Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic (the story of another trip I did up there) then please help me out! You can grab it at Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ https://www.amazon.ca/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612/ Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perseverance-stephan-kesting/1145682384 And Indigo. https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/perseverance-life-and-death-in-the-subarctic/9781639368617.html   

Short episode today with my friend Denis Kang sharing three ways that fighters have improved their training methods to get ready for MMA fights. Denis fought for the first time in 1998 (in an event without gloves) and went on to fight a total of 55 times in events like the UFC, PRIDE, DREAM, Impact FC, M-1 Global, K-1 HERO'S, ROAD FC, and Pancrase. Denis currently teaches MMA at Pinnacle Martial Arts in Richmond, BC.

MMA analyst Luke Thomas discusses the changes in MMA, rise of Eastern European fighters, UFC leniency, drug testing, fighter unions, and the impact of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson. The conversation explores the monopolization of UFC, challenges faced by competing organizations, evolution of anti-doping measures, risk assessment in decision-making, trends in MMA competitions, and a call for support for content creation.

In this episode I put on my adventurer hat and use my biology background to look at four studies and 352 aggressive bear encounters in Alaska to see whether bear spray or firearms was more effective at deterring aggressive black, grizzly and polar bear behaviour. The results may surprise you, but data doesn't care about your feelings!  TIMESTAMPS 01:28 - Introduction to bears spray vs guns 04:08 - Analysis of the first report, Bear Spray vs Bullets, Which Offers Better Protection, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 04:30 - Analysis of second report, Bear Spray or Bullets, by Lynn Dickerson  08:57 - Analysis of third report, Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, by Smith et al. 16:48 Analysis of fourth report, Efficacy of Firearms for Bear Deterrence in Alaska, by Smith et al.  23:27 Summary and personal opinions  MORE OUTDOOR STUFF BY STEPHAN KESTING Please like this video and subscribe to my Essential Wilderness Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCujEWgySgpTa76dw__i_UAw Check out my Essential Wilderness site at https://www.essentialwilderness.com Follow my outdoors Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/essentialwilderness/ Sign up to get notified about my upcoming book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic at https://www.essentialwilderness.com/book Thanks so much, Stephan Kesting  

There are times when it feels like life has you trapped on the bottom of mount against a vastly heavier, more experienced opponent intent on mauling you.  The steps to deal with these two situations are the same.   Pass this on to someone you think it might help, Stephan Kesting P.S.  I made one little mistake in this podcast: Epictetus was a Greek (not Roman) stoic philosopher who lived in Rome for much of his youth serving the Emperor Nero, so he doubtless knew all about suffering.