John Will trained in Southern California in the late 80's, was one of the first 12 non-Brazilians to get a BJJ black belt, and then went on to create the largest jiu-jitsu association in Australasia. We talked about how the art has changed, how to be 'centrist' in the sport vs self defense debate, teaching elite military personnel, how to create a curriculum, and much more. I'm sure you'll … [Read more...]
Schools
Please Call Me Stephan, not ‘Professor’ or ‘Sifu’ or ‘Sensei’ or ‘Guru’ or ‘Master’ or ‘Shihan’ or ‘Kru’ or ‘Sabom’ Or ‘Kwisatz Haderach’
People mean well when they address me with an honorific but please call me Stephan, and not 'Professor' or 'Sifu' or 'Sensei' or 'Guru' or 'Master' or 'Shihan' or 'Kru' or 'Sabom' Or 'Kwisatz Haderach'... I don't like these honorifics because there's an inherent danger when lofty titles are used to amplify an already reflexive obedience towards a person. And this is especially true in a … [Read more...]
Guidelines for Opening Up Jiu-Jitsu Academies During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Last Updated Sept 10, 2020)
Everyone is itching to train again, and for many jiu-jitsu school owners opening up is a matter of financial survival. But just to make things even more complicated, as we learn more about this virus it means that the science, policy and best practice need to keep on evolving That's why I talked to Dr Chris Moriarty who has published a 6 phase process for reopening schools and getting back … [Read more...]
My Path from Kung Fu to Jiu-Jitsu (Podcast)
On today's episode I'm interviewed by Randy Brown on his podcast about my journey through Kung Fu and how I found jiu-jitsu. Lots of nuggets about training safely and effectively in this one! Follow Randy on Youtube, Instagram or check out his website. Tweet me @StephanKesting, check out my Instagram: @Stephan_Kesting, and get on my email newsletter - I use it to put out a TON of good … [Read more...]
Is It Safe to Train BJJ During Covid?
Probably the question I get most often these days is, "Is it safe to train BJJ during pandemic?" People ask me this question because I've been a black belt for a long time (got promoted in 2006), have been training in the martial arts for 40 years, acquired a Masters of Biology at the University of British Columbia, and have worked as a firefighter specialising in hazardous materials response … [Read more...]
Disunity, Division and Conspiracy Theory in the BJJ Community During Covid 19 (Podcast)
Today I'm joined by Thomas Nadelhoffer an associate professor in the philosophy department at the College of Charleston, an affiliate faculty member in psychology and neuroscience, and a BJJ brown belt. We focus our conversation on the tribalism and rampant conspiracy theory acceptance in the BJJ community during the time of Covid-19. I found the discussion of 'My Risk, My Right' (the idea … [Read more...]
How to Find a Good BJJ School (Podcast Episode 216)
One of the most common questions I get is how to find a good BJJ 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 episode 216 of my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) I give you some of my very best tips for picking the best BJJ school for … [Read more...]
Why You MUST Regularly Calibrate Your Skills Against People Better Than You!
This is a short rant about the dichotomy of individuality in the martial arts. On the one hand you absolutely have to take responsibility for finding techniques and strategies that fit your body, your physical attributes, and your personality. On the other hand if you spend too much time training in a small group without the opportunity to calibrate your skills against people much better … [Read more...]
Fighting in the Octagon and the Battle Within with Eliot Marshall
Eliot Marshall is BJJ black belt and a former professional mixed MMA fighter who also appeared in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter show. He now helps run Easton Training Centers and the Elevation Fight Team. In today's episode of my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) we talk about how to run a successful BJJ school, the financial incentive structures in MMA fight teams, the physical and … [Read more...]
Sim Go and the Legacy of Cobra Kai
Simpson (Sim) Go is a BJJ blackbelt and owner of Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas. He is also a 14 time Grappler's Quest champion and competed at ADCC 2007, so he know his jiu-jitsu inside-out! In this podcast we chatted about many things, including 00:54 - How they decided to use the name 'Cobra Kai' for a jiu-jitsu school 06:16 - The influence and training of Marc Laimon 08:20 - How … [Read more...]
How to Choose a BJJ School to Train At
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em0akAwkjGI I often get emails from people trying to decide where to learn BJJ. They're usually trying to choose between 2 or 3 different schools... Should they train with the purple belt down the street, or the black belt across town? Should they study at the Gracie Barra school, the Atos affiliate, or the 10th planet representative? Should they … [Read more...]