406 – Goodbye – I Am Out of Here!

This podcast episode covers all the details and preparations for a long solo trip in the Arctic that I'm starting today! After 30 hours of driving and a 2 hour bush plane flight to Nueltin Lake I'll be heading north of the treeline direct into the Barren Lands of the Arctic. Once there, I'll be completely alone and out of touch for 30 days. The only written description of the river is a few pages in a book written by a missionary in the late 1800's. The trip spans the Thlewiaza, The-Tinne, Kognak and Tha-Anne rivers and will probably include…

404 – What the Hell Happened to MMA?

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…

403 – Is Bear Spray Better than Guns vs Aggressive Bears? Here's What the Data from 352 Bear Encounters Says…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WASFQh13Dj8 In this episode I put on my adventurer hat and use my biology background to look at four studies and 352 aggressive bear encounters in Alaska to see whether bear spray or firearms was more effective at deterring aggressive black, grizzly and polar bear behaviour. The results may surprise you, but data doesn't care about your feelings!  TIMESTAMPS 01:28 - Introduction to bears spray vs guns 04:08 - Analysis of the first report, Bear Spray vs Bullets, Which Offers Better Protection, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 04:30 - Analysis of second report, Bear Spray or Bullets, by…

402 – A BJJ Concept to Help You Through the Tough Times in Life

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

401 – Modifying BJJ for Self Defense, with Rachel Honeyman

I really enjoyed talking with Rachel Honeyman about modifying BJJ for self defense, which techniques to focus on and which positions to avoid.  Rachel has trained in BJJ, the Filipino Martial Arts, Muay Thai, and many other martial arts and runs https://www.fearlessfemmes.com/

400 – How to Use Injuries to Actually Refine and Improve Your Jiu-Jitsu Game

Rob Biernacki is my guest today to talk about how injury and physical limitations have led to some of the fastest technical development of his career and the refinement of entirely new techniques like the Roadhouse Choke.  Since some form of injury is inevitable there are a LOT of takeaways in this episode. We also discuss the concepts of risk vs reward in your choice of techniques, how new techniques and technical refinements get adopted, the risks of the buggy choke, the barbell strategy for allocating your training time, how rule sets drive evolution of the art, and more. Check out…

Breathing for Endurance during Sparring in BJJ and Other Martial Arts

Many people completely run out of gas when they're sparring, and often this is because they are inadvertently holding their breath.  In this short podcast I share four very specific ways that I've coached people past this problem and hugely improved their endurance. Please share this episode with someone you think it will help. Cheers, Stephan Kesting P.S. This episode is also available in video form here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umD_zc5Bd3M P.P.S. If you follow me on social media only then we are all subject to the whims of the algorithms, therefore subscribe to my (entirely free) newsletter so we can stay in…

398 – Building the Skills to Do Amazing Things, with Matt Pycroft

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.

405 – Three Ways that Training for MMA Fights Has Changed Since the Early UFC

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.

397 – How to Get Maximum Results in Minimum Time in Jiu-Jitsu

The traditional class structure of doing a warmup, learning a couple of new techniques, and followed by sparring is NOT an efficient way to learn jiu-jitsu.  We can do much better if we use insights from research on coaching and learning. Today's guest is Cal MacDonald, a BJJ black belt and  competitor who has dedicated himself to developing his teaching and coaching skills to the highest possible level.   Cal is a longtime blackbelt under Rob Biernacki at Island Top Team. Rob and his team are at the cutting edge of teaching and training methodologies that make people amazingly good…