The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting (Stephan Kesting)

An 80/20 analysis of the leglocking game based on high level no gi competition, leglock safety, how to learn BJJ efficiently, best practises when teaching jiu-jitsu, and a ton more with BJJ black belt Rob Biernacki, my co-author of The Modern Leglock Formula available now at Grapplearts.com/leglocks

In this episode I try to answer as many questions as possible from my email newsletter readers, including whether BJJ gameplans really are for everyone (3:30), how to pace yourself against the young guys when you're 52 years old (8:36), the best stretches for grappling flexibility (13:12), what are the best drills for developing a specific position (15:30), what's my hypothetical plan for creating a BJJ world champion if I had a young clone of myself (18:41), when will the single leg X guard and modern leg lock formula instructionals be released as apps (28:28), what should your focus be if you're training purely for self defense (29:35), ranking physical attributes in order of importance for BJJ competition (32:22), bodyweight fitness routines (38:00), tips for dealing with knuckle and joint pain (40:50), what's a good balance between weight training and BJJ for healthy joints (44:30), is 5' 9" too small to do BJJ (50:10), training around knee pain (52:05), post training nutrition tips (55:35), flexibility for older grapplers (57:05), are you being rude to your partners when you want to go light because of injury concerns (59:25), and how can you deal with getting promoted to blue belt but not thinking that you deserve it (1:03:54)?  Please subscribe and give this podcast a rating and/or a review if you find it useful - it's really helping us produce more episodes!

Dominyka Obelenyte was born in Lithuania, emigrated to the United States at a very young age, and became a 4 time Pan-Am and World Championship gold medalist.  

In this interview we talk technique, injury recovery, mindset, effective training, the use and misuse of 'loyalty' in the BJJ world, mental resilience and more.  I think you'll really like this one.

Follow Dominyka on Instagram @domdabomburmom/

Also, check out the brand new Open Guard System that I just released in DVD and streaming format at https://www.grapplearts.com/openguard

Cheers,

Stephan

In episode 393 of The Strenuous Life Podcast I talk to Oz Austwick, who has extensively studied armed and unarmed combat systems in Europe. Topics we cover include the origins of boxing in England, historical training and conditioning methods, reconstructing and testing techniques shown in swordfighting manuals, fighting with live blades, the role of wrestling in real swordfighting, and much more.  I think you'll really like this one!

Oz Austwick runs the English Martial Arts channel on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/englishmartialarts and publishes at https://www.patreon.com/englishmartialarts

Stephan rants about the ethics and legal consquences of smashing someone's head in with a piece of concrete, otherwise known as the pavement coup de grace.  Check out the video version of this rant at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RF-J1M5QJs

Oliver Taza trains at Tristar in Montreal with Firas Zahabi and at Renzo Gracie's in New York City with John Danaher.  With his impeccable technique and aggressive grappling style he has amassed an impressive array of wins at Polaris, Metamoris, the ADCC Trials, the No Gi Worlds, and many more competitions.

In this episode we go deep into the training and technical development required to hang with the Danaher Death Squad monsters and win at the elite level.  I think you'll really like it!

Also check out the new instructional I did with Oliver Taza called No Gi Leglocks at https://www.grapplearts.com/taza.  I guarantee that it'll immediately take your leglock game up to the next level and allow you to tap out your training partners more often!

Cheers,

Stephan

In this episode I talk about the importance of self experimentation and how your results may be different from most other people's.  I share some dietary experiments I've been fooling around with and exactly what I've been doing to limit the potential downsides.  And yes, I do talk about limiting the downside when dating crazy chicks.

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

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!

I was thrilled to appear on The Great Flip Podcast to talk about jiu-jitsu, specifically why it's probably the best self defense martial art for women and girls.  I hope you enjoy it!

Catch up with the work Coach Jody is doing at https://thegreatflip.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thegreatflip/, or on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJleGbTwtlTL4GXLMl6sL6A

And, as always, a rating or a review of this podcast is super-appreciated.  It helps the show grow and acts as an incentive for me to use my very limited time to produce more shows more often!

Thanks

Stephan

• Changes to jiu-jitsu culture,
• Crazy martial arts cults,
• Channeling of ancient spirits,
• How we can get more out of drilling,
• Red flags that you're in a jiu-jitsu cult
• And much more

• Episode 290 with Steve Kwan about BJJ Cults and Conspiracies,
• Episode 291 with Derek Beres from the Conspirituality Pod about Cults and Conspiracies in the Yoga, Wellness and BJJ Community
• Episode 297 with Mathew Remski about Cults, Prophecies and Deprogramming Your Friends.

(Yes, I know there's a theme, but in my opinion focussing on this stuff is more important than ever nowadays.)

7th degree black belt Marcus Soares takes us to Rio in the 70's and 80's on a narrated stroll through BJJ history.  Find out about the legendary Carlson Gracie, the fighter, the teacher and founder of the strongest BJJ team of the era.  Get the inside scoop on the toughest tournament in town, and the friendly rivalry between Carlson and Rolls Gracie students.

In this episode I discuss the different forms of exhalation and 'kiai' used in various martial arts, ranging from Thai Boxing to Kajukenbo Karate to traditional Japanese Ju-Jutsu.  Then I break down the four reasons how vocalising while striking not only makes you more powerful but can also increase your endurance and improve your resilience to getting hit.

If you enjoyed this or found it useful then please remember to subscribe to the podcast and, if possible, give it a rating or a review on whatever platform you get your podcasts from!

Thank you

Stephan

In this conversation BJJ black belt Jon Thomas and I go deep into training and drilling methodologies that give you results as fast as possible.

Jon is originally from the US but teaches at a school in Sweden. He still competes at a high level, so he has had to take extreme ownership over his results using reverse-engineering and a very analytical approach to his training.

In this episode we go deep into how everyone learns BJJ differently and how therefore the optimal learning environment is also different for everyone. 

We also cover training methodologies you can use to get better at a smaller gym without a world class talent pool of sparring partners (hint: basically it involves turning your gym into a scientific laboratory for developing techniques).

You'll also learn how to increase your mat time without incurring more injuries, methods to develop attack systems from different positions, tournament strategies vs training strategies, and our thoughts on how many top level competitors are on steroids

Follow Jon on Instagram where he shares a ton of great techniques at @jonthomasbjj 

And while you're there also follow me (Stephan Kesting) at @stephan_kesting

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.

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.

In the first part of this episode Stephan discusses how BJJ training is fantastic preparation for dealing with adversity in all aspects of life.  In part 2 he shares 7 reasons that your mind might be going blank on the mat and what you can do about it.  Get notified of future podcasts, videos and articles by signing up at http://www.grapplearts.com/newsletter

01:32 - Qualifications of epidemiologists Dr Katrine Wallace and Madeline Lewis
04:42 - Is COVID-19 actually 99.5% survivable?
06:33 - What are the current best estimates of the COVID-19 infection fatality rate and case fatality rates?
10:00 - How important are IFR and CFR in the policy decisions?
10:50 - Is COVID-19 no more deadly than the flu?
13:55 - Problems with comparing Covid to the seasonal flu
15:18 - Are scientists under-reporting the flu and/or counting every case or the flu as covid?
22:05 - Do scientists and the CDC want everyone to lock down forever?
23:57 - Did lockdowns work in other countries?
26:28 - Would less intrusive measures work to control COVID-19?
28:54 - Where are the deaths, is this a casedemic, and are there only more cases because of more testing?
31:40 - How long does it take to go from infected, to getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying?
32:56 - When will we see the cases and deaths peak from 2020 Thanksgiving celebrations in the USA?
36:16 - How many people are going to die per day this winter?
37:11 - How infectious is COVID-19 (comparing the R0 value of covid to that of the flu)?
40:08 - Why are the CDC and the WHO changing their stories and the advice they give?
44:31 - Is Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment being suppressed by big pharma?
50:02 - Judging the quality of evidence and data in disease research
55:39 - Are scientists coordinating their findings and suppressing inconvenient findings?
59:33 - Do hospitals get paid more to count deaths as COVID-19?
1:05:38 - Are COVID-19deaths being overcounted or undercounted in the USA?
1:08:24 - Do cloth masks and surgical masks work?
1:13:56 - Are masks enough to stop the pandemic?
1:15:48 - Car accidents deaths vs COVID-19 deaths
1:17:50 - The minimum infectious dose, or will you automatically get sick if you're exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
1:19:23 - How can we have confidence that the vaccine will be safe?
1:29:57 - What about herd immunity, the Swedish approach and the Great Barrington Declaration?
1:37:50 - Potential longterm health effects of COVID-19
1:38:57 - Are personal sacrifices and limitations necessary to deal with the pandemic?
1:42:14 - How can one convince vaccine skeptics?
1:45:24 - Gyms and fitness facilities during the COVID-19
1:51:51 - False dichotomies and false choices in the jiu-jitsu community
1:56:40 - The difference between case numbers and test positivity rates
1:59:45 - How do epidemiologists stay sane in 2020?

Please share this podcast episode my friends - it may be one of the most important ones I've ever done. The video version of it is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpgxjZRBV38&feature=youtu.be

Follow Dr Katrine Wallace on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/epidemiologistkat/?hl=en and on Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@epidemiologistkat

Follow Madeline Wallace on Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@maddy.epidemiology

Take care,

Stephan Kesting

In this 13 minute rant Stephan goes into the 3 essential components that make up every martial art on the planet, a concept he learned from the famous Filipino martial artist (and protege of Bruce Lee) Mr Dan Inosanto!  Lots of examples from Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, BJJ, MMA, Kali, Capoeira, and Kung Fu...

Should you pull guard in BJJ competition or fight doggedly for the takedown.  You'll get some answers to this perennial question in my  conversation about pulling guard with BJJ black belt Rob Biernacki.

This is a fun conversation about BJJ, Judo and MMA with Jeff Meszaros, one of the guys I started training with 23 years ago!

• Self defense applications of BJJ
• Russian team MMA events
• Judo, BJJ 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 'Male Pyjama Wrestler' tends to give people the wrong idea
• And much more...

Dan was bitten by the MMA bug after watching UFC 4; soon he was training with Dan Severn and learning all he could about wrestling, jiu-jitsu, fighting and MMA. Many miles and multiple black belts later he's on the podcast.

In this conversation we focus on the fighting aspects of jiu-jitsu, 'friendly' sparring sessions gone bad, catch wrestling, Systema (yes, systema), training with hundreds of MMA fighters, doing MMA color commentary, and the lessons learned from decades of living the fighter's lifestyle!

Dan's website is https://thecombatsystem.com and he currently teaches at http://charlestonfitmma.com

From war-torn Africa to climbing remote peaks in Greenland with Alex Honnold, Matt Pycroft has built a very impressive career working as a journalist and filmmaker.  In our conversation he goes into detail how he gradually acquired the skills to achieve his goals and the lessons he's learned working with extreme athletes in inhospitable settings all over the globe.

Follow Matt on Instagram @mattpycroft and check out his latest film, Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold, on Disney, Amazon, and National Geographic.

Rob Biernacki and his competition team are on a tear. Rob recently took gold in masters middleweight the Canadian ADCC Open, silver at the California ADCC Open, and gold in black belt M4 at the IBJJF No Gi Worlds. In this episode we talk about designing an effective training camp, dividing your conditioning and skills training, detaching emotionally from the outcome of the competition, why sharktanking and competition-style rolls are overused, 80/20 analyses of different rule sets, training athletes to think strategically while in matches, the central role of games and drills in his competition training, and strategies that work in ADCC that will lose you the match in IBJJF

Check out his latest instructional, BJJ GAMES, at https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-games.  It features 25 different games and drills Rob uses at his school to get his students ready for competition.

Steve Whittier is a cool guy. He manages to combine both thoughtful analyses and controversial opinions into one eloquent package.

In this interview we talked about lots of different BJJ and MMA related topics, but the main emphasis and recurring theme was functional drilling and the efficacy of different types of BJJ training methods.

http://www.nexusma.com

http://www.grapplearts.com

After 4 decades of training Jiu-jitsu, MMA, Judo, Kajukenbo, Muay Thai, Karate and Kickboxing my right hip is worn out.  Here's how I became aware that it needed replacing, what the surgery is going to look like, and what I've done to prepare for it!

I'll post updates about my post-surgical recovery on my podcast, my youtube channel and my Instagram.  

And while I've got your attention, go grab my free PDF checklist of BJJ positions and techniques at https://www.grapplearts.com/book

See you on the other side!

Stephan

Rob Biernacki and I sit down to discuss BJJ guard passing from a strategic point of view.  When should you pass standing and when should you pass on your knees?  When should you go for submission based guard passes and when should you try to force your opponent into a different type of guard?

Check out Rob's groundbreaking BJJ Formula at http://grapplearts.com/bjjformula and his amazing leglock instructional at https://www.grapplearts.com/leglocks/

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

Today I'm joined by Steve Kwan, the host and creator of the wildly popular BJJ Mental Models podcast.  We discuss the most important mental models in the art and how they can improve your ability to perform on the mat!

Check out https://www.bjjmentalmodels.com/ for Steve's podcast and https://www.grapplearts.com/rollingbacktakes for my newest BJJ instructional.

And, as always, please send today's episode to someone you think would benefit from it.

Thanks, Stephan Kesting

There are so many techniques to master and so many different areas in BJJ to get good at that jiu-jitsu can seem totally overwhelming.  Here's how to use an 80/20 approach to figuring out what to work on next.

Also grab my detailed breakdown of the basic positions of BJJ for free here: https://www.grapplearts.com/book

Good luck with everything!

Stephan

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!

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...

Full contact fighting is inherently risky, especially when you consider the traumatic brain damage that's so common in boxing, kickboxing and MMA. And competing in sports where head shots and brain trauma are abundant ramps those risks up exponentially.

While I totally support your right to take risks (and have taken many myself) there comes a point when the risk outweighs the reward. So what is that point?

In this episode I discuss the number one indicator that I think tells you when you should quit competing in contact sports...

Check out my Single Leg X Guard Crash Course, available for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/slxcourse

And please share this episode with one person in your social circle who might enjoy it!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Whether you're working a full time job, a parent with a couple of kids, or a student juggling a crazy class schedule, almost everyone is really busy these days.  

And if you're also trying to squeeze regular training into that busy schedule, well, things can end up in the ludicrous zone pretty quickly...

I'm no exception: of course I'm running Grapplearts, training in BJJ and trying not to fall too far behind on my conditioning, but I'm also a full time firefighter, have a couple of kids, and - until recently anyway - was responsible for homeschooling those two kids half time.

Anyway, life wearing all those different hats is exciting at best and exhausting at worst!  

Along the way I've picked up some tips for continuing to train and improve in the martial arts when time is super limited that I'd like to share with you...

Everyone is Busy!

Everyone is busy and we all wish we had more time but time is limited. Every day is 24 hours so we get 168 hours a week. That's it.

If we consider the eight or so hours we spend sleeping each night, that leaves just over a hundred hours a week and, if we're at work full time, we lose another half of that, give or take.

That leaves us with 50 or 60 hours a week for whatever else.

Many people squander much of that time watching TV shows like "Dancing With the Stars", "Westworld" or "Game of Thrones" and, while that last one is well worth-watching, it's still safe to say we would all be better off throwing away our TVs and canceling our Netflix subscriptions.

That's one way to waste less time but what are the others?

One thing people do to free up more time each day is to cut back on sleep. We all do it but research shows that, for high-level athletic competition, you need at least 10 hours of sleep each night.

I tried doing this in 2005 and 2006.  I had been invited to compete in the Abu Dhabi Trials but was finding it hard to train in regular classes because there were two young children in the house that I had to help take care of.

My solution was to start getting up at 5 am and train early in the morning with other people in similar time-stressed situations.

This worked fine for a couple of weeks until I sustained a horrific pinched nerve in my neck for the next 6 months there was continuous ice-pick-in-my-shoulder-blade pain that resisted all attempts at rehabilitation.

The bottom line is that the real cause was over-training and under-resting.  I simply couldn't sustain training hard while only sleeping 5 to 6 hours a night.

For most people (other than some freaks among us who can subsist on almost no sleep) once  you start cutting down on your sleep, you start cutting into your ability to recover. And nothing is more horrendous than being over-trained and under-rested because, if you don't sleep enough to recover from your training, you'll eventually get sick or badly injured.

The only other option, of course, is to keep yourself going on a steady stream of stimulants but, while that might work for a while, you'll eventually burn out and crash even worse. This is why doctors don't recommend drinking twelve cups of coffee a day.

As BJJ black belt Marcio Feitosa once told me,

"The first part of training is the sleeping. If you don’t sleep you can’t do anything, unless you are using chemicals and steroids.”"

So what do you do when you're busy and you have to sleep? There are three general categories.

Waste Less Time & Make More Time

The first thing you can do is to make time.

Tossing out your television and/or cancelling your Netflix subscription are two fine ways to do this.

Another thing you can do to make more time is to train outside of regular class times.

Get a friend to join you when no one else is on the mats at your club, or at another club, or on mats you've set up at home. Even if it's just 45-minutes a few times a week... It isn't much but it's enough to do a little bit of drilling and a few minutes of rolling.

It's better than nothing and doing something is always better than doing nothing.

If you can't get keys to your club, or sneak into another club when no one else is around, having a basic home gym could be your best bet.

Initially just a few cheap puzzle mats is enough (or even just a tarp and some stakes).

My first home gym consisted of 9 mats, each a 3'x3' rock hard puzzle mat.

I literally assembled these 9 mats down in my basement-apartment kitchen and ended up destroying several kitchen cupboards in the course of my training.

Was it a perfect training environment?  No, not at all!  But it was better than nothing...

Eventually I built the home gym I had always dreamed of.  It's 400 square feet of Japanese tatami mats on the floor with wrestling mats on the walls.

It took 35 years of training in the martial arts for 35 years before I got my dream dojo, so don't hold out for perfection. Eventually, you can upgrade to building the home gym of your dreams, but for starters, something is better than nothing. 

Once you have your garage gym set up, all you need to do is invite a few people to come train when the time is right for you. If you build it, they will come become there are lots of other people who want to train and don't have a space. And just that simply, you're getting in some extra drilling, training and sparring that, otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to do.

Before we move on, let's touch on something that is a terrible idea...

While setting up a home workout facility is a good idea, getting a training dummy is not. Training dummies are generally a giant waste of money, time, effort and space. I have built 4 of them and they have all ended up in the landfill.

Only about 1% of grapplers who buy a dummy end up using it consistently; the rest of just end up regretting their purchasing decision.

You're much better off having your friends come over than having a giant mannequin laying in the corner to freak out the girls you bring home.

Use Training Time More Efficiently & Effectively

The second way to train when time is super-limited is to use the time you do have more efficiently and effectively.

If you can only train twice a week, what can you do? One idea is to stay focused. Don't lay around on the mat and fall prey to jiu-jitsu gossip or rumors about the UFC. Make every minute of your training count.

When everyone else is chit-chatting, ask someone to help you review a position you've been thinking about. You only have so much time to do jiu-jitsu, so do jiu-jitsu! Leave everything else for later including, if possible, conditioning. You don't need partners or mats to do push ups and burpees at home.

So, when you're on the mats with partners, train in a way that takes advantage of your environment.

A lot of training efficiently comes down to maintaining mental focus. Ten minutes of focused training, working on a specific technique, can be more valuable than half an hour of screwing around. Think through each move and drill it into your body and your mind.

If you focus on what you're doing, you will benefit from your training much more.

Not only does fatigue make cowards of us all, fatigue also means that you learn less.

It's very hard to focus when you're tired. If you're struggling for breath, your brain isn't absorbing any more information.

Also, physically, you're moving more slowly. So you won't get in as many repetitions of a technique as you otherwise would and the repetitions you do get will be less likely to sink in in a beneficial way.

Finally, a fatigued person is less likely to get good positions while sparring, and you can't learn much when you're constantly being held totally immobile under side control.

Bottom line: if your cardio is good, you can keep your attention on what you're doing, which makes you more likely to have success with your technique, which keeps you more "in the game" so you can try out a wider variety of other movements.

If you're tired, you're not going to get as much out of your training session. So, if you can only train twice a week, try to improve your cardio when you're elsewhere, so you can get more out of the few classes you're able to attend. If you're huffing and puffing after the warm-up, you might not be in the best mind-frame to learn anything new.

You might ask, "Well, how do I work on my cardio when I'm not at my jiu-jitsu club?"

Lots of ways!

Some of them are really simple: take the stairs any chance you get, instead of the elevator.  Put a pull-up bar in your office and do a set of pull-ups every hour; your co-workers will look at you strangely, but you'll also get a reputation for being a badass, which isn't worst thing in the world.

Check out Fitness on One Hour a Week of Working Out, and/or John Hackleman's article 11 Short MMA Conditioning Workouts That Take Less Than 11 Minutes Each for additional ideas and inspiration.

Any additional training you do  will help you to develop the necessary cardiovascular level to remain focused in class.

Use Non-Mat Time to Train

Just as it's important to develop your body in your every day life, it's also important to develop your mind.

You need to keep your mind in the game; by doing that you're going to keep on getting better mentally, even when you're off the mat.

One valuable thing you can do is watch instructional videos. Whether it's DVDs, apps for your smartphone, or downloadable video products, you can't help but improve from watching a knowledgeable person share what they've developed.

Look at it this way: if took a person three years to figure something out and then put it into their instructional, even if they're only 33% effective in getting their knowledge across, that's still like moving your technique ahead by about a year.

If you hadn't seen their video, maybe it would've taken you that long to figure this out for yourself (assuming you ever figure it out at all). Instead - boom - it is injected into your brain.

Martial artists in the past never had access to instant digital knowledge but today it's taken for granted.

It's also pretty wild to think that whatever you want to learn about is now out there. Not only that, you can watch it on the bus, or on your lunch break on on a plane.

Even if you're not physically doing it, just by watching it the information will still go into your brain. Of course, eventually, you need to put it into action and physically do it, but there's a huge value to watching it.

And it's not just instructional videos, either...

There's a huge amount of competition footage out there, uploaded and broken down with the minutest details pointed out. You can have the benefit of seeing high-level competitors do their moves again and again, often broken down by other knowledgeable competitors who've taken the time to deconstruct their techniques.

If you can't train as often as you would like, you should watch video as often as you can.

Another potential way of learning, when you're not actually on the mat training, is by reading books.

Some people learn better by looking at pictures and reading descriptions than they do from watching videos. Are you this sort of person? If so, build your library of jiu-jitsu books and keep them handy for those times you're stuck at home, wishing you were on the mats.

Finally, when it comes to training your mind, the best way might be to visualize and mentally problem-solve.

This means you are imagining doing a specific technique on a specific person. In your head, you picture where you hand goes, where your foot goes and how it feels. You go through each and every step involved, beginning to end.

And, while doing this is helpful on its own, it's even better when you put your mind to work finding ways out of tight spots you've been in. Going over something mentally, you can often find a way to improve your position that, at the time, didn't occur to you.

Conclusion

Make the most of your training even when you can't be on the mats as much as you like. Don't cut back on sleep unless you're one of these people who only needs 5 hours a night. In that case, go for it.

Set up an area in your home where you can train with friends at convenient times but don't bother getting a grappling dummy if you plan to have house guests. And help yourself get the most from classes by improving your level of fitness.

Sneak in conditioning whenever you're able, even if it's just 20-minutes of cardio a few times a week, so you're able to hang with teammates who might train more often.

When you're training, remember to stay mentally focused. Even when you're off the mats, think about jiu-jitsu as much as you can to keep your mind from going stale.

Don't watch television (except Game of Thrones) but do watch jiu-jitsu videos as much as you can. If you're more of a bookworm, build up a jiu-jitsu library to thumb through when you're feeling the urge to train, but can't go in.

Whatever you do, don't tell yourself that you're too busy to train as much as you'd like to so there's no sense training at all.

Training is NOT an "all-or-nothing" proposition and having something is better than having nothing. There is value to training, even if you can't do it very much.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, things will eventually change and jiu-jitsu will still be there for you when you're ready to train more often. Until then, just do the best you can.

Want More Tips Like This Delivered Straight Into Your Inbox by Email?

Click here and sign up for Stephan Kesting's free Grapplearts Newsletter which has delivered insane amounts value to thousands of BJJ students all across the globe

Dr Nicholas Tyau is a BJJ Black Belt and an internal medicine specialist who worked in NYC hospitals during Covid Ground Zero in 2020. Today we discuss the Omicron variant, therapeutics, long covid, hospital capacity, vaccine vs infection-induced immunity, booster shots, and whether you should train during the case spike.

Carlson Gracie fought in 18 Vale Tudo matches, brought jiu-jitsu to the masses, and innovated many of the MMA training practices we now take for granted. He innovated many seemingly radical ideas at the time, like training without the gi, group classes, and being a well rounded fighter.

These points come from Robert Drysdale's excellent book, The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Evolution-Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu-Democratization/dp/B0C1JCNQ1P

I'll be talking to Robert Drysdale about Carlson Gracie and this era of jiu-jitsu in the very next episode (#387) of The Strenuous Life Podcast, so don't miss it!!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Mike McCastle has accomplished some of the most amazing tasks of endurance I've ever heard of. In this episode we go deep into developing mental strength, maintaining commitment in the face of adversity, and dealing with physical and emotional pain. This is an amazing episode and I hope you really like it! 

Mike's feats of endurance are part of the 12 Labors Project and include  setting the world 24 hour pull-up record while wearing a 30 lb pack (5804 pull-ups), pulling an F150 pickup truck for 22 miles through Death Valley, climbing the height of Mount Everest (29,029 feet) by going up and down a 20-foot rope 1,450 times, flipping a 250 lb tire for 13 miles the day after he lost his father to Parkinson's disease, running 20 miles a day for 100 days straight, and more.

Follow Mike on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mikemccastle/?hl=en or check out his website at http://www.twelvelaborsproject.com

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Grab my free downloadable guide to learning BJJ fast at
https://www.grapplearts.com/book

Check out the huge archive of techniques and detailed training tips at
https://www.grapplearts.com/articles/

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Grab the "Grapplearts BJJ Master App" with more than 500 minutes of free black belt instruction here:
iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bjj-master-app-by-grapplearts/id1308072068
Android phones and tablets: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grappleartcontainer

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Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting

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And, most importantly, good luck with your training!

Stephan

In this episode I answer questions and share some tips and tricks for training in BJJ as an older grappler.  How often should you train?  How can you recover faster?  Should you also do weight training as an older athlete and more!  The questions came from an Instagram Live broadcast I did; follow me on Instagram @stephan_kesting and maybe next time I'll be answering YOUR question on one of these Q&A sessions.

I love this episode where I talked with historian Daniele Bolelli.  In it we talked about a huge number of topics including...

• His process of researching and producing History on Fire, one of the leading history podcasts
• How to get rid of weight cutting in mixed martial arts competition
• The evidence for and against an ultra-violent human past vs a peaceful noble savage model of our hunter-gatherer past.
• The rise of MMA in Asia.
• Daniele's proposed 'Gladiators for World Peace' program and how it's going to get him the Nobel Peace Prize
• His return to Italy as a tourist
• Is it too soon to tell whether we're moving towards a more peaceful future?
• Ötzi the iceman, Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, and a mass murder that occurred 430,000 years ago (http://bit.ly/1JYX91M) 
• And much more!

I talk with personal trainer and BJJ black belt Ben Zhuang going DEEP into the supplements, exercises, and conditioning protocols, and recovery procedures to help with Brazilian jiu-jitsu and other grappling arts.

Follow Ben and see the exercises he’s referring to on Instagram @coachbz

Follow Stephan on Instagram @stephan_kesting

Reaching a state of flow where you respond automatically and correctly to your opponent is the goal of martial arts training. But how do you get there?

In this episode I go through what flow is, what it feels like, and some of the triggers and prerequisites for flow to occur. Hint: relaxation, competence, engaging with your environment, and having a single clear goal without distractions are all important.  

For more information on flow check out the book 'Flow' by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's a classic!

To find out more about the Pressure Passing System instructional I just released with Fabio Gurgel go to Grapplearts.com/pressure

And, as always, a rating or a review for this podcast is super appreciated and super helpful!

Stephan

Medical doctor and famed BJJ competitor Dr Chris Moriarty is back on the podcast with a major update to the protocols for safe training during Covid-19.  The biggest changes include the addition of monogamous training pods and class cohorts, and are applicable to just about any form of martial arts training.

Check out Dr Moriarty's updated guidelines in written form at https://www.grapplearts.com/openingupbjj

And check out my video and article about BJJ training pods here: https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-training-pods/

Getting tired when you're rolling sucks.  And it's even worse when you're competing; you can't breathe, you go into survival mode, your plans goes out the window and life starts sucking.

In this episode I share my number one tip for beating this exhaustion and performing up to your potential in competition.

Let me know what you think of these tips and mini-rant podcast episodes. You can find me at the following places...

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stephankesting

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting

Snapchat: I'm 'stephankesting' or click here: Stephan on Snapchat

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/grapplearts

Thanks!

Stephan

I'm thrilled to have Ando Mierzwa back on the podcast to discuss dealing with fear, overcoming claustrophobia, whether martial arts lessons can be life lessons, training differently based on your age, fitness, and goals, and much more!

Find out more about Ando at http://www.senseiando.com

And if you do BJJ (or are interested in finding out more about it) make sure you download the Grapplearts BJJ Master App for iOS and Android with more than 457 minutes of FREE black belt instruction at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp

There are 5 ranges of combat, but many martial artists only train in one or two of those ranges.  Ideally though you should be at least familiar with each of those ranges to be a complete martial artist and not have any gaping blind spots!  

I know that many of my listeners will already be familiar with https://www.grapplearts.com but also check out my self defense oriented website https://www.selfdefensetutorials.com 

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.

From the cheekiest triangle choke counter I've ever used to Khabib slamming the crap out of his opponents in the UFC, here's a short episode about the times you simply have to move the fight to a new location!  Hope you enjoy this, and if you do then a review or rating on the podcast platform of your choice would be super appreciated!

Stephan

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.

Burton Richardson is BJJ black belt and has an incredible lineage in the Filipino Martial Arts as well, having trained with many of the top instructors in the world.  I was thrilled to have him on the podcast to talk about pressure tested self defense in the real world.

Please check out my step-by-step guide to the Omoplata, the most versatile submission in jiu-jitsu at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

Loved chatting with articulate Seph Smith, Ryan Hall's first BJJ black belt and a Combat Sambo black belt as well!  We cover training leglocks safely, competing in Judo and Sambo, his instructional products, potentially career-ending injuries, where the sport of Jiu-jitsu is headed, developing a well rounded game, and tips for performing well in competition.

Find out more about Seph's school in Richmond VA at http://www.upstreambjj.com

Find out more about Seph's BJJ mini-courses at https://upstream-bjj.teachable.com/courses

Follow Seph on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sephwillkillyou/?hl=en

Finally, if you enjoyed this episode the single best thing you can do to help me (and get more episodes out for you faster) is to go and subscribe to the podcast right now.  I can't tell you how much that moves the needle.

And if you've already done that then a rating and review would be super-appreciated.  It may seem silly but it REALLY helps!

Thank you so much

Stephan

How to get better at predicting what your opponent is going to do, develop faster reactions and train your intuition with Rob Biernacki.  Check out Rob's Submission Formula instructional in which you'll learn how to make all your chokes, armlocks and leglocks much tighter and much more effective: https://www.grapplearts.com/submissionformula

I was thrilled to talk to Matthew Remski, a cult researcher and cohost of the Conspirituality Podcast who has written extensively about the pervasive cultism and abuse in Yoga, spirituality, and wellness culture.  The parallels to what's happening in BJJ are obvious.

Here are some highlights...

Rob from McDojoLife has been relentless in his attempts to expose martial arts frauds, exposing everyone from from chi-based knockout masters to ninjas who practise bending joints in the direction they are designed to bend. Honestly some of the videos he's shared with people over the years have been hilarious for all the wrong reasons!

In this episode we talk about his favourite frauds, where he gets the biggest hate and pushback from, his own martial arts training history, and his big plans for the future.

Follow McDojoLife on Instagram (@mcdojolife), Twitter (@mcdojolife) and his Youtube channel (youtube.com/mcdojolife)

I talk with clinical psychologist and BJJ black belt David Ley about the psychology of jiu-jitsu, recent advances in psychology, the neurochemicals released when grappling, recovered memories, the prevalence of conspiracy theories in the martial arts, and much more.

If you want to focus on the jiu-jitsu specific portion of the podcast listen to the intro then jump to the 45 minute mark. 

Dr David Ley is a clinical psychologist who runs a large mental health clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has been featured on the Anderson Cooper Show, the Dr. Phil Show, in the London Telegraph, The New York Post, Salon, and the Huffington Post. He wrote The Myth of Sex Addiction (Rowman & Littlefield, 2012), and Insatiable Wives: Women Who Stray and the Men Who Love Them (Rowman& Littlefield, 2009).

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.

I know people mean well but here's why I don't like them calling me 'Professor' or 'Sifu' or 'Sensei' or 'Guru' or 'Master' or
'Shihan' or 'Kru' or 'Sabom' Or 'Kwisatz Haderach'...

So if we ever meet on the street, at an airport or in a gym please call me 'Stephan'!

There's an inherent danger when lofty titles are used to amplify an already reflexive obedience towards the instructor in a martial arts setting, which is often a hierarchical environment with pseudo-spiritual overtones.

Remember, everybody poops, including your professor grandmaster sifu instructor!

If you have the inclination I'd be honored if you check out my latest instructional, The Omoplata 2.0 at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata.

A quick rant about the absolute easiest way to add effective and proven techniques to your game, namely going through the memory banks and trying to figure out what you used to do that worked great that you then stopped doing for no good reason!

Check out my Grapplearts BJJ Master App for iOS and Android for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp. It comes with a TON of free material on it, including a complete standalone module on weak side back attacks!

Good luck with your training!

Stephan

Two of the best ways to develop your guard are gripfighting and kuzushi. Today I talk with Rob Biernacki about these rarely taught critical skills and how to develop them. Go to https://www.grapplearts.com/gripfighting for more info!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

Stephan rants about martial arts overtraining, which is the surest route to getting sick, injured, and bringing your training to a screeching halt.  He's been there many times, so he speaks from experience here.  Stephan also covers how to recognise overtraining before it gets too bad, and what you need to do to prevent it.

Weight cutting is a fact of life in modern MMA and also in many jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions.  In this episode Ben Zhuang and I talk about how to cut weight safely, effectively replenishing your body after a weight cut, the differences between cutting weight for day-of vs next-day events, and more.

We also talked about strength training, and if you're interested in the exercises, article, or PDF guide that Ben and I talk about then go to https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-strength-training-the-top-6-exercises/ where it's all free!

Also Follow Ben Zhuang on Instagram as @coachbz or by clicking https://www.instagram.com/coachbz/

You can train super hard and kick the crap out of your body but that doesn't make you stronger - it's only after you RECOVER from training that the benefits of training manifest themselves. 

Too many athletes focus entirely on the training component and neglect recovery, but ultimately you need to be as focussed and diligent on your recovery, recuperation and rehabilitation as you are on what you're doing in the gym!

If you haven't done so already, check out the brand new instructional I just released with Rob Biernacki called 'The Submission Formula'.  It's a conceptually based, scientific, and step-by-step approach to catching more people in submissions and then finishing them, even if they're much bigger and stronger than you.  More info at https://www.grapplearts.com/submissionformula

Good luck with your training and choke someone out for me!

Stephan

Eliot Marshall is BJJ black belt and a former professional mixed MMA fighter who also appeared in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter show.  In today's podcast we talk about how to run a successful BJJ school, the financial incentive structures in MMA fight teams, the physical and mental attributes you need to be a good fighter, making a living off of jiu-jitsu, Elliot's experience with anxiety and depression, his rules for raising kids, and his Gospel of Fire book coming out soon.

Find out more about Eliot, his teaching, his podcast and his book at https://eliotmarshall.com/

If you're doing any kind of martial art - be it BJJ, MMA, Kickboxing, Taekwondo or whatever - then your game needs to evolve every decade to accommodate the changes in your body.  I got this from the legendary Dan Inosanto who started training at age 11 and is still practising martial arts in his 80's.

Switching to no gi grappling can be difficult. Here are 5 steps that will make it easier... 1) Accept that No Gi is an inherently faster style of grappling and be prepared to push the pace harder at times, 2) Change your grips so that they aren't gi dependent, 3) Get rid of your gi dependent guards and start developing guards that work in no gi, 4) Learn how to take the back, maintain the back and submit from the back because it's the best position in no gi grappling, 5) Develop your leglock and guillotine choke submissions because those are much more prevalent in no gi than in gi.

If you would like some more help developing your gi and no gi games then here are a couple of FREE resources for you...

Grab my free app for iOS and Android devices that comes with more than 457 minutes of technique taught by BJJ black belts. More info here: https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp

Download a free copy of my book, A Roadmap to BJJ, which will take you through the most important positions and transitions on the ground. Get that here: https://www.grapplearts.com/book

Some of the resources mentioned in todays video include:

Switching from Gi to No Gi (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAcrDrEUnrY

What is Pressure Passing (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebRCtBilm4A

A No Gi Butterfly Guard Gripping Strategy (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-pU8dGeI58

The No Gi de la Riva Guard Formula (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-pU8dGeI58

How to control someone in Rearmount (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA8gVsyu_FU

Hidden Legwork Techniques for Maintaining Rearmount (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKVqj71dcwQ

The Ultimate Guide to the Guillotine Choke (MEGA ARTICLE)
https://www.grapplearts.com/guillotine-choke/

The Modern Leglock Formula (GRAPPLEARTS INSTRUCTIONAL)
https://www.grapplearts.com/leglocks

Modern Leglocking Positions {PDF}
https://www.grapplearts.com/main-positions-modern-leglocking/

The BJJ Formula, including the Back Control Formula, (GRAPPLEARTS INSTRUCTIONAL)
https://www.grapplearts.com/the-bjj-formula/

Good luck with your training
Stephan Kesting
Grapplearts.com

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.

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.

One of the most common questions I get is how to find a good school.  This is a REALLY important issue, given that in your martial arts journey you'll potentially be spending thousands of hours training and placing your health in the hands of total strangers.  In this podcast I give you some of my very best tips for picking the best school for your needs

Check out my instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting

Get tons of BJJ and grappling tips at https://www.grapplearts.com/articles

And find out more about self defense at https://www.selfdefensetutorials.com

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.

In this short episode we talk about why training plateaus are actually more frustrating than training slumps, plus I share 3 concrete steps to bust out of a plateau and get back to getting better!

Stephan

One of the biggest trends in BJJ right now is the so-called "ecological approach."  In episode 412 of The Strenuous Life Podcast I'm joined by renowned coach Rob Biernacki to discuss the do's and don'ts of game-based training.  Check out Rob's instructional BJJ Games here https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-games/ for more information.

The other day I almost tore a partner’s ACL off the bone, which would have required him to have surgery and many months of rehabilitation.

What happened exactly?

I was more experienced and a bit bigger than my training partner that day and we were doing some no gi sparring.

Because of the experience discrepancy I was hyper-focusing on a couple of very specific positions, namely Ashi Garami and the 411.

(This is a form of Targeted Sparring which is a great tool to use when you're going against less experienced training partners - by limiting myself to only a couple positions and one submission it makes the match more even and better training for both of us.)

So we’re rolling, carefully and respectfully... I’ve tapped my training partner out a few times with heel hooks, all applied in slow motion...  He’s beginning to defend the leglocks more intelligently and I'm having to work a little harder to get them... 

Everything is going the way it’s supposed to.

Then it almost ended very badly.

I had the Ashi Garami firmly in place, and was just finishing the dig part of the heel hook (where you get your wrist under his heel in preparation for finishing the lock). 

And 99% of the time when I’m sparring that’s as far as I’ll go - no need to actually apply the heel hook.  At that point my partner typically knows he’s caught and will tap out.

But this new training partner didn’t know when to quit.  He tried to escape by spinning.

And, to make matters MUCH worse, he spun the wrong way!

Spinning or rotating can be part of an effective heel hook defense, BUT NOT WHEN YOU GO IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!

Instead of relieving the pressure, spinning into the dig amplifies the power of the submission exponentially!

If I had remained still, not moving, his wrong-way-spin would have slammed his heel into my forearm.  

He would have full power heel hooked himself, which can tear all sorts of ligaments in the knee, the foot and the ankle.

Fortunately I saw what was about to happen and completely released my grips without a second to spare.  

The submission evaporated, he spun safely and ‘escaped.’

Then I sat him down and we had a good little chat about the dangers of spinning out of leglock if you don’t know which way to spin.

Now I'm not here to vilify leglocks, because I've managed to train them safely for years.  

And I've seen lots disasters and near misses on the mats with many other techniques and submissions over the years.

So let's universalise a few take-home lessons from this incident…

LESSON #1 - IF YOU’RE CAUGHT AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, THEN DON’T DO SOMETHING DYNAMIC!!

This is certainly true of the heel hook example above, but this applies to any submission.

Imagine an absolute beginner caught in an armbar from guard with no idea how to defend or escape technically.

But he still doesn't want to tap out, and lacking a good plan, decides to try something dynamic and unorthodox.

He turns 90 degrees to the side then does a flying belly flop onto the mat.  Or maybe he launches himself into a full power backwards somersault.  Or maybe into a breakdancing head spin.

Do you think something could go wrong in those situations?

Yes!  Very seriously wrong.  Snap, crackle, pop wrong!

Introducing that much additional and unexpected momentum into a situation where  you don’t know exactly what you’re doing is guaranteed to lead to disaster.

At some point a limb will end up in a vulnerable position and the heavy body in motion will result in a sprain, tear, break or dislocation.

Yes, there are times when momentum is your friend for escaping submissions, but it’s a tool that you use rarely, in specific situations and with specific techniques.

Don't get injured because your ego makes you unwilling to tap out.

If you’re caught in a position or submission and you don’t know which way to turn then don’t turn!

Instead 1) accept that you're caught, 2) open your hand and 3) tap it on your opponent a few times.

Your jiu-jitsu will improve SO much faster if you're on the mat rather than at the physiotherapist trying to put Humpty together again.

LESSON #2 - EXPLAIN THE DANGERS OF A TECHNIQUE TO YOUR STUDENTS, AND TEACH THEM THE CORRECT COUNTERS

A lot of this near miss heel hooking situation was my fault.

I knew that I wouldn’t crank my training partner’s leg, but I had made an assumption that he understood the basics of defending the heel hook.

I should not have made this assumption.

(You know what they say about the word “Assume”?  That it makes and “ass” out of “u” and “me”.)

I should have at least double checked with him prior to training that he understood the mechanism of the heel hook and the basic do’s and don’ts.

Teach the basic safety parameters around a submission you're going to be drilling.

This as logical as teaching or teaching break falls before you teach throws, but I've seen newbies get concussions on day one because they were starting on their feet with zero idea how to land safely. 

I've also seen beginners put to sleep because nobody had told them that that was a way to stop a choke once it was applied.

Easily preventable mistakes.

Jiu-jitsu is a contact sport and injuries are inevitable, but let’s minimise those injuries!

As the teacher, senior belt, or more experienced rolling partner it’s YOUR job to try and keep things as safe as they can be, and that includes not assuming that other people know what you know.

Safety precautions that are totally obvious to you might be revelations to others, so don't assume that a beginner knows anything, no matter how much internet research they seem to have done prior to coming to class.

LESSON #3 - EXPECT PEOPLE TO DO STUPID THINGS, WITHOUT WARNING, FOR NO REASON

The most important rule in boxing is to “protect yourself at all times.”

In training, as opposed to actual fighting itself, I would extend this to be “protect yourself and your training partner at all times.”

Expect people, especially beginners, to do stupid things, without warning, for no reason at all.

Do you have someone new in your closed guard?  Maybe he’s getting ready to try a superman dive forward with the idea of getting directly to mount.  Unfortunately this results in him accidentally spearing you in the face with a head butt.  I’ve seen it done…

Protect yourself and your training partner at all times!

Are people sitting on a crowded mat with their arms locked straight behind them with people rolling all around?  That arm will shatter if someone falls, rolls or scrambles directly onto that locked elbow. Gently let those people know that they’re putting their arms in danger.

Protect yourself and your training partner at all times!

Are you passing the open guard?  Watch out for him accelerating to ludicrous speed, lashing out with his legs and inadvertently breaking your nose with a heel kick.  This happened to me, which is exactly why I will never be a nose model….

Protect yourself and your training partner at all times!

Are you rolling on the ground while other people are on their feet?  Can you guarantee that their takedown gone wrong won’t have them landing on your face, shattering your orbital bone?  Again, this happened to me, and my face is still lopsided 30 years later.

Protect yourself and your training partner at all times!

Do you see your training partner about to do something really stupid that could get him injured?  Don’t let it happen.  Release whatever you’ve got, even if it's  a submission that you really, really wanted to tap him out with.  Then explain to him what could have just happened.

One more time… Say it with me… Protect yourself and your training partner at all times!

Safety first!  Injury is the enemy!!

Stephan

Related Articles and Videos on Grapplearts

HOW TO TRAIN THE MORE DANGEROUS LEGLOCKS

My best tips, tricks and training methods to get good at leglocks while not getting hurt or hurting your partner, with videos and input from two other experienced leg lockers.

THE TWELVE POSITIONS OF MODERN LEGLOCKING

Modern leg locking is really about the 12 major leglock positions.  The game is to enter into the entanglement position of your choice, maintain it against opposition, and prevent your opponent from escaping.  

This free PDF is the best intro to the leglock positional game you can get.

MORE ARTICLES, TECHNIQUES AND VIDEOS

This is the home page of my blog, where I am forever adding new techniques, tips, tricks, podcasts, videos, and other information that'll help you get good at gi and no gi grappling faster!

Luke Thomas is one of the most influential MMA analysts in the game and the host of The Morning Kombat Podcast. I was delighted to talk to him today about

• How the sport of MMA has changed
• The rise of Eastern European fighters
• Why is terrible behaviour of MMA fighters tolerated
• Can other MMA organisations ever rival the UFC
• Drug testing in the UFC
• Fighter unions and the Ali Expansion Act
• What Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson means for combat sports
• And more!

Check out Luke Thomas's Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ @LukeThomas  

And, if you have a second, please follow my two outdoor adventure accounts to make my book publisher happy! https://www.youtube.com/@essentialwilderness and https://www.instagram.com/essentialwilderness should do the trick!

Thanks ever so much,

Stephan Kesting

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.

In this episode BJJ and Judo black belt shares some of the lessons, commonalities, and differences he's seen from working one-on-one with 19 BJJ, Judo and ADCC world champions.  Do they all train the same way?  Eat healthy food or junk?  Drill, spar or do lots of conditioning?  Listen and find out!

In addition we also talk about CTE and brain damage in the combat sports, MMA, boxing and grappling betting tips, the toughest guy that Mike has ever rolled with, the differences in BJJ training between Brazil and North America, whether the USA can ever catch up in BJJ, and Mike's secret plan for building a future world champion!

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did - it was a lot of fun with lots of great information.

How to train mentally and physically to become a world calibre champion wrestler, with Commonwealth Games gold medalist and 5 times national team member Nick Ungoalah. 

We go DEEP in this episode and really dig into physical conditioning, honing technique, developing a winning mindset, recovering from injury, fixing imbalances in your body, optimal mental state for competition, and much more.  I think you'll like this one, and if you do I would love a rating or review of this podcast on whatever platform you listen to it on!

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/

Really enjoyed this chat with Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Donald Lipscomb.  We went into detail about rescuing people from capsized ships, the selection process with a 90% attrition rate, and the training required to jump from a helicopter into stormy seas with nothing more than a pair of fins to push yourself through the water.  We also talk about how jiu-jitsu and wrestling helped give him the mental and physical toughness he needs to do an incredibly gruelling job.

If you get the chance, please share this episode with one other person you think would enjoy it!

No gi grappling is very popular these days, and a lot of people find making the transition from training with the gi to training without it tricky and difficult.  In this episode Ritchie Yip and I go over some tricks and tips to make this an easier transition and to give you a fighting chance when you can't grip cloth to control your opponent.

Also check out my BRAND NEW step-by-step guide to the most versatile submission in jiu-jitsu at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata.  And if you felt compelled to jump on Twitter to tell me how great it is include me (@StephanKesting) and I'll be indebted to you!

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

The jiu-jitsu world was shaken recently when Jack Greener, severely injured in 2018 while sparring at a San Diego gym, was awarded $46,475,112 dollars by a jury. Rener Gracie testified for the plaintiff, and Clark Gracie testified for the defence.

In this episode, I get together with Dan Lukeheart (Brea Jiu-Jitsu) and Alex Kask (Barrister and Solicitor) to discuss the specific technique that caused this injury (the 'Leo Viera Backtake'), training methods used in jiu-jitsu, who gets to set industry standards in jiu-jitsu, whether white belts should spar, and how teachers and club owners can protect themselves from being wiped out by similar lawsuits.  

More information about this lawsuit is available here...

Developments in Martial Arts Practice Liability: Greener v. Del Mar Jiu Jitsu Club

Rener Gracie's Deposition

Video of the accident

Take care of your training partners!!

Stephan Kesting

Are takedowns important even though so few BJJ gyms teach them, and can you get away with never training them if your focus is competition?  And what about self defense?  This are questions I answered during an recent Instagram Live Q&A session - follow me on Instagram @stephan_kesting and maybe next time I'll be answering YOUR question!

My conversation with Troy Schott about martial arts, recovering from back injuries, and living healthy.  In a world full of woo I really appreciate his thoughtful, skeptical and scientifically informed approach to health.

Troy's site is here: https://schottchiropractic.com/

And check out his Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/schott_chiropractic/

Cheers,

Stephan Kesting

I LOVED talking to Bernardo Faria, 5 time BJJ world champion, about his getting 'kidnapped' in the Philippines, reflections on ADCC 2017, the toughest guys he has ever rolled with, whether you can get your BJJ black belt without competing, the connection between jiu-jitsu and entrepreneurship, building a BJJ school, if North America will ever catch up to Brazil in jiu-jitsu, and much more. Check it out!

You can find out more about Bernardo on his website at https://bernardofaria.com and/or his Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/bernardorochajf

Today I pick the brain of the amazing Jost Kobusch is a German mountaineer who spent two seasons on Everest trying to ascend the legendarily difficult West Ridge route and the Hornbein Couloir alone. And did I mention that he wasn't using supplemental oxygen and attempting this in the middle of the brutal Himalayan winter? 

We covered a TON of interesting topics, including

• Why do things the hardest way?
• His closest call in the mountains
• The dangers of the Khumbu Icefall
• Getting hit by an avalanche at Everest Base Camp
• His preferred diet for performance at high altitude
• Training for high altitude
• Dealing with injuries
• And more

I hope you enjoy this!  Share it with a friend if you do!

Stephan Kesting

P.S. In 2015 Jost was about to climb Everest when an earthquake triggered an avalanche that destroyed Everest Base Camp.  Here's the footage he filmed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JC_wIWUC2U

P.P.S. At age 21 Jost became the youngest person to solo Ama Dablam, a 6812 meter mountain in the Himalayas.  Here's a documentary about that climb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVG9U8UoT2I

P.P.P.S. Follow Jost on Instagram @Jostkobusch or get coached by him at JostKobusch.com

This is a really good episode in which I talk to my friend, BJJ black belt, and world traveller Budo Jake. We cover a ton of topics including the evolution of Japanese ju-jutsu into BJJ, getting choked unconscious, the effectiveness of wrist locks in grappling, brain damage from striking, yoga and other recover methods, training at different academies, and advice for newbies.  Enjoy!

This was a fascinating conversation with Nick Hiebert who has done a ton of research into the nutrient density of different foods.  In this talk we look at the all time greatest, most nutrient dense foods, the ketogenic diet, fats vs carbs vs proteins, and much more.

Check out Nick's blog at https://thenutrivore.blogspot.com/ or follow him on Twitter @The_Nutrivore where he spends a ton of time debunking bad nutritional science https://twitter.com/The_Nutrivore

And if you're on Twitter anyway why not follow me @stephankesting https://twitter.com/StephanKesting because I'm reasonably active on there and share cool stuff all the time

Peace,

Stephan

What would I do different as a white belt if I could go back in time?  What are the best guards that go together with the butterfly guard?  Can you become an elite level grappler if you have both a job and a family?  And you've choked someone out in a streetfight... what now?  All this and more in today's Q&A episode.

In this episode I make reference to articles on Grapplearts which can be found here: http://www.grapplearts.com/articles and also to my main youtube channel which is here: http://www.youtube.com/stephankesting

But I also make reference to my second website (http://www.selfdefensetutorials.com) and to my second youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/selfdefensetutorials).

So there, now you've got all the urls you need for additional info on the topics we discussed.

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 I share one of my best tips to get your butt on the mat or in the gym, indicators for when it's NOT time to push, as well as a cautionary tale of when an MMA training session went too far and I ended up bleeding from the kidneys!

Also, I've got some really interesting podcasts coming up in the near future, and if you subscribe then you won't miss them!

Here's how to organize a BJJ training pod to keep yourself and, more importantly, other people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.  

1:11 - What is a Training Pod
1:38 - Why Are Training Pods a Good Idea Right Now, and Reasons for Hope
7:51 - How Many People Should Be In Your Pod and Who Do You Choose?
12:20 - When is a Training Pod Appropriate?
14:20 - Where Can Your Train with Your Pod?

Articles referenced include Guidelines for Opening Up BJJ Academies During the Covid-19 Pandemic with Dr Chris Moriarty: https://www.grapplearts.com/openingupbjj/ and The Cheapest Grappling Mat https://www.grapplearts.com/the-cheapest-grappling-mat/

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!

Emily Kwok is a BJJ black belt, a decorated BJJ competitor and runs her own school in Princeton, New Jersey.  In this interview she talks about how and why she abandoned a conventional white collar lifestyle to pursue her BJJ dreams, as well as sharing lots of great information about choosing BJJ schools, gender etiquette on the mats, and how to survive and thrive when you're always the smallest person at your school.

She has also collaborated with Stephan Kesting on a series of instructional apps and DVDs called 'How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent Series 1" available at http://www.grapplearts.com/bigstrong

You'll like this episode!  In it I talk with 62 yr old BJJ black belt Rabbi Mordecai Finley (the Wrassling Rabbi) about starting BJJ at a later age, picking the right jiu-jitsu club, training after a heart attack, the horrors of the Eastern Front in World War 2, interpreting the Torah, being Leonard Cohen's Rabbi, and awarding Blue Belts in marriage counselling.  

Leadership is easy when things are going well,but is considerably more difficult when all hell is breaking loose and the s**t is hitting the fan.  In this episode we look at a common denominator of great leadership in difficult situations, the optimal state of arousal, and a few examples of good and bad leadership in the fire department.

If you enjoyed this episode then please subscribe, rate, and review the show.  I can't tell you how much that helps and encourages me to pump out episodes more frequently!

Black belt world champion Brandon Mullins and I talk about the fundamental movements of jiu-jitsu and their advanced applications in almost every technique you'll ever use on the mat.  Check out our bestselling book, 'Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu' on Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3kwkHRH or go here to get the links if you live in Canada, the UK, Japan, Italy or Germany: https://www.grapplearts.com/nonstop-jiu-jitsu-book/ 

This is the BJJ book of the decade!

Stephan Kesting