The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Daniel Bohigian is a Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Dave Camarillo, competes actively, and also teaches 'Philosophy of Sport' at San Jose State. In this episode we discussed philosophy vs jiu-jitsu, work vs play, mind vs body, teaching people how to think, why 'leaving your ego at the door' is a bad idea, and much more. Follow Daniel on Instagram at @philosograppler And download my FREE app for iOS and Android devices with more than 457 minutes of black belt BJJ technique at Grapplearts.com/masterapp

Paul Kindzia was immersed in the world of marathon and triathalon for many years before immersing himself in BJJ, even going so far as to write a book on the topic called 'Master Jiu-Jitsu, Master Life'. In this episode we focus on the lessons that can be brought into BJJ training from the endurance sports world, including efficient training, effective recovery, minimisation of injuries and maximising your time on the mat. I really think you'll like this episode and come away with some good 'Aha' moments! Also, I'm releasing the 'Self Defense Guard' as a module in the Grapplearts BJJ Master App right now. This app allows you to take BJJ with you in your pocket wherever you go. Download the app for free at Grapplearts.com/masterapp and then look for the 'Self Defense Guard' module within it!!

Jiu-jitsu black belt Adam Nadow was recently attacked in the street and used his training to defend himself and control his attacker until the police arrived. The video of this confrontation later went viral in the BJJ and self defense community. Adam came on the podcast today to talk about this incident, his training, and the relevance of BJJ to self defense. Video of that fight can be seen here: https://www.grapplearts.com/podcast-with-adam-nadow/ In addition to breaking down the street incident step by step we also talked about the BJJ point system and how it applies to self defense training, the amazing power of adrenaline, and why you should learn to fight even if you also pack heat. If you're interested in this topic please check out my self defense oriented website https://www.selfdefensetutorials.com and sign up for the email newsletter on that site too because I share some really good tidbits from my 35 years of martial arts training! Good luck with your training! Stephan

In this coming year it's 100% certain that some days you'll be the hammer and other days you'll be the nail. This is normal and to be expected. In this podcast I share some advice from Japan and from Ancient Rome that might help you deal with the highs and lows that are inevitable when you're putting it on the line and chasing any sort of goal. Welcome to the New Year and good luck with your training in 2019!! Stephan

How to figure out what makes you train and how to use that to improve your skills. Being self aware about whether you're intrinsically or extrinsically motivated is sports psychology 101 and super important; it will increase your longevity in the sport, keep you enjoying training, and give you some powerful levers with which to manipulate your motivation levels! Check out my latest instructional on the No Gi de la Riva Guard with Rob Biernacki at https://www.grapplearts.com/no-gi-de-la-riva Cheers! Stephan

Cliff Jacobson wrote 'Canoeing Wild Rivers' which was a HUGE influence on me as an outdoorsman (the other two cornerstone books were 'Path of the Paddle' by Bill Mason and 'The Complete Walker' by Colin Fletcher). Cliff has spent decades paddling dangerous rivers in the remote corners of North America and Northern Europe and has some incredibly important lessons to share about mindset, teamwork and risk management. I'm thrilled that we had the opportunity to get him on the podcast. And if you are even thinking about paddling in the wild then buy his damn book - it's a goldmine of information!! https://www.amazon.com/Canoeing-Wild-Rivers-Anniversary-Expedition/dp/1493008250/

Dr Mark Cheng has rehabbed TONS of combat athletes, has trained with some of the best instructors in the world, and has a wealth of experience in the martial arts. In this podcast we cover pressure testing of traditional martial arts. The 8 exercises of the Functional Movement Screen. How training should be for stretching the envelope, not breaking the envelope. Dog Brother's full contact stick fighting. Punch drunk boxers and CTE. Break falling on dirt and concrete, and much more. Check it out - I think you'll like it! Also I've just updated the Grapplearts BJJ Master App so now there's even MORE free material on it. Grab it for iOS or Android for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp - the 'weak side back attacks' module is absolutely amazing!

In this episode Ritchie Yip and I go deep into the sparring process. We explore why it's so hard to transition from from hitting pads to full on sparring, how to avoid head injuries while kickboxing, the importance of continual learning, how to avoid getting tired, and the best ways to have low risk training with high benefit. And if you didn't know it already, I've just released a really cool instructional called The Precision Kickboxing Masterclass in which Ritchie Yip takes you through his best drills, progressions and strategies to get really good at kickboxing really fast. There's a TON of material in it for beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Check it out at https://www.grapplearts.com/kickboxing

Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell got us all talking about it again: when should an MMA fighter retire? In the last 10 years we've learned that brain damage in combat sports is a HUGE problem. CTE makes this retirement question even more critical because if you go beyond a certain threshold of damage then there's no coming back. For more of my thoughts about brain damage and MMA check out https://www.grapplearts.com/does-mma-make-you-stupid-impact-concussions-and-brain-damage-in-mixed-martial-arts/

The ketogenic diet is really hot right now for weight loss, health, disease prevention and longevity. But when your doctor calls you in a panic then you find out that, like with all diets, individual results may vary. This episode is a quick summary of what I ate, how my energy changed, and how my bloodwork went absolutely crazy on the ketogenic diet.