The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting
Stephan Kesting
What is it that allows some people to push themselves beyond their limitations? Why can some people survive situations others do not? On this podcast we try to find out the answers. Stephan Kesting, is a lifelong martial artist, BJJ black belt, career firefighter, and outdoorsman. Join us as he talks to fighters, adventurers, competitors, coaches, firefighters, trainers and other people living the strenuous life.
Stephan also runs Grapplearts.com, where he has published many hundreds of martial arts videos, articles and tutorials.
His free guide to learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, A Roadmap for BJJ, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times and has become a foundational text for the art.
Stephan also runs Grapplearts.com, where he has published many hundreds of martial arts videos, articles and tutorials.
His free guide to learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, A Roadmap for BJJ, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times and has become a foundational text for the art.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 2, 2019 • 12min
227 - A Scary Bear Encounter
Today was a very interesting day. I had just arrived at Nuelton lake. It is a huge lake that expands over 100km. I had heard there were some abandoned cabins along this lake. Every thing was left there, from motors to gas to batteries and of course, some garbage. This left me in a pretty sketchy scenario when some company came along...
Jul 19, 2019 • 12min
226 - 7 Tips For Maintaining Motivation
Do you ever find yourself struggling to start a task that you have been excited to do for so long? That is completely normal! We all have moments where we just cannot seem to find any motivation. In my case, its waking up knowing that I am going to be paddling for the next 8 hours... Here are 7 tips you can use right now to help get you on track and stay motivated so that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to!
Jul 15, 2019 • 14min
225 - The Key to Pushing Yourself Harder
I am on day 12 of my 1000 miles solo journey and my body is starting to feel it. My mind is feeling foggier and my urges to rest are stronger. It is at this point where I need to remind myself of how important quality recovery is in any mental or physical exercise. It's no secret that rest is important but it is often under looked as the key to great performance.
Jul 11, 2019 • 11min
224 - Never Stop Thinking, Even When You're Only Slogging Through a Lake
If you ever find yourself slogging through a lake like I did, here are some helpful tips and tricks on safety and navigation.
Jul 9, 2019 • 12min
223 - Why Go Alone?
When I told people I would be going on a solo expedition for a few weeks, most thought it was a strange thing to be traveling in complete solitude for so long. However, I think it is an important part of the human experience to do things solo. If you are planning a trip by yourself, this episode will outline a few tips to help!
Jul 7, 2019 • 10min
222 - The Realities of Wilderness Travel
If you are watching someone document their expedition, you are likely only seeing their highlight reel. They would document their trekking over beautiful landscapes, setting up camp for the evening and doing it all again the next day. What you don't see are all of the extra tasks that have to be done to get to the trekking part.
Jul 6, 2019 • 1h 19min
221 - Brazil, BJJ and MMA with Jeff Meszaros
In this blast from the past, I have a fun conversation about BJJ, Judo and MMA with Jeff MEszaros, one of the guy si started training with 25 years ago! Self defense applications of BJJ, Russian team MMA events , Judo and the early days of the Uncle Willy's Grappling Association. The joys and hazards of learning BJJ in Brazil, The evolution of BJJ (and how we got to double guard pulls), why describing BJJ as the "Male Pyjama Wrestler" tends to give people the wrong idea and so much more...
Jul 2, 2019 • 11min
220 - What People Misunderstand About Following Your Dreams
It is day one of my canoe trip, and so far so good. Although some things were different than what I thought, my preparedness for this trip has left me feeling ready for almost any situation. People tend to believe that to chase a dream, one must keep running and running until they get to the top. This is what most people misunderstand. For example, this trip has been 20 years in the making and it would be silly of me to let myself burn out in the first couple days. To really make a dream come true, you need to spend most of your energy planning and training mentally so you don't exhaust yourself physically!
Jun 28, 2019 • 55min
219 - The Most Dangerous Part of MMA
On the one hand, I am a huge fan. I have been watching the UFC since its inauguration in 1993, and have enjoyed fights in Pride FC, Shooto, WEC and many other organizations. I have nothing but respect for the skill, athleticism and mental toughness of the modern MMA fighter. However, as the sport has developed so has the risk and impact of severe head injury. Fighters are getting hit more often and more striking has resulted in more headshots. Are there ways of limiting these head injuries while still maintaining the intensity of the sport? Find out in this weeks archived podcast.
Jun 26, 2019 • 14min
218 - One Easy Way to GUARANTEE Failure!
If you fail to plan, plan to fail. I am just about ready to leave for my 1000 mile journey to Hudson Bay. This is just a small glimpse at some of the planning I have had to do in order to survive all on my own for the next few weeks. Though I will have very little communication, I have made it possible to upload real-time podcasts from the field as I embark on this journey.
