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
Jul 7, 2017 • 11min
070 - How to Pick a Good BJJ School
This is an important episode because in it I talk about how to find a BJJ instructor and school that'll work for you and how to avoid ending up at a school where you'll end up getting hurt or wasting your time. And yes, this same information applies directly to finding good schools in any sort of martial art and not just Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!
Jun 28, 2017 • 12min
069 - Three Techniques for Dealing with Fear in Competition or a Streetlight
In this episode I talk about the concrete steps you can take to control your fear and harness the power of the adrenaline dump that comes with the fight of flight reflex. Properly used this power turns you into a superhero rather than a gibbering idiot! Also check out my second site http://www.selfdefensetutorials.com and make sure that you subscribe to my self-defense oriented youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj4JOZ3jvgkHPYew0ksfDZw
Jun 12, 2017 • 11min
066 - How Do You Make a Technique Functional Against a Real Opponent
Regardless of whether you train BJJ, MMA or a self-defense oriented martial art you're faced with the same dilemma: how do you take a technique you're shown in class and actually make it work against someone who is resisting you 100%? The key is progressive resistance, and in this episode I go into the 5 training modalities you should use to functionalise your techniques.
Jun 7, 2017 • 1h 6min
065 - Is Martial Arts Training for Everyone with Sensei Ando Mierzwa
I think you'll like this one: in this episode I speak with Ando Mierzwa (Sensei Ando) who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu San Soo with extensive experience in BJJ, Aikido, and Shotokan Karate. We talk about levels of realism in training, tribalism in the martial arts, the fighting arts as a tool to feel some control in a chaotic universe and much more. Ando's website is http://www.senseiando.com and you can also follow him on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndoMierzwa/videos
Jun 3, 2017 • 5min
064 - Rant: Your Instructor Does NOT Know Everything!
In this rant I take on the myth perpetuated in many martial arts and by many martial arts instructors, namely that they are the source of all the knowledge you'll ever need. The truth is that everyone has holes in their knowledge and that the good instructors will admit that they don't know everything.
May 29, 2017 • 49min
063 - UFC Fighter on Alan Belcher on Cutting Weight, Facing the Scariest Fighters, and More
You'll really like this sit down I had with UFC star Alan Belcher, a man who has had some of the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat fights in UFC history. Alan shared lessons learned from his 26 MMA fights including details of cutting major amounts of weight pre-competition, his mindset while fighting Rousimar Palhares (one of the dirtiest and scariest fighter in MMA), lifting weights as physical therapy to hold his body together, how he structured his UFC training camps and preventing overtraining by modulating the intensity and volume of your training sessions, the crazy treatments he did to repair his detached retina, and much more. Enjoy!
May 26, 2017 • 13min
062 - It's NOT About the Bloody Belt!
I'm on fire for this one because it really gets under my skin when people focus on the wrong thing in their martial arts training. Boys and girls, it's about skill acquisition and NOT about the color of your belt. Get this wrong and it will destroy your relationship to the martial arts!
May 19, 2017 • 9min
061 - The Steps for Getting Back to Training After an Injury
Unfortunately injuries are just part of the game, and getting back to training after recuperating from an injury is always a tricky business. In this episode I give some of my best advice about exactly how your return to the mats should be structured. This is advice I've learned the hard way so take my advice - for the longest time I didn't use it myself and I wish I had!
May 16, 2017 • 12min
060 - Can You Learn Martial Arts with Only One Class Per Week?
This is for everyone - beginner and experienced martial artist - with a very tight schedule who can't train more than once a week. Can you still make progress? What are some tips for getting as good as you can when time is limited? How do you not lose hope, momentum and confidence during these inevitable training slowdowns? Of course my main site is Grapplearts.com, but also check out my other site SelfDefenseTutorials.com where I'm posting a TON of martial arts and self defense tactics, techniques and training methods.
May 11, 2017 • 6min
059 - What's The Most Efficient Cardio For When You Have No Time?
Endurance is the most important physical attribute in combat sport, but it can be time consuming to develop. In this short episode I talk about some of the most efficient cardio protocols that I've used during periods of my life when I had no time for long, leisurely cardio.
