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Fighting Matters

One Distraction After Another

From Fighting Matters

October 15, 2026 · 1:00:05

On this episode of the Fighting Matters Podcast, Stephan Kesting, Jesse Walker, Jeff Shaw, and Steve Kwan examine how the recent insane actions of Donald Trump represent the normalization of extreme behavior in society and politics. What sort of example does it set when political leaders behave in a way detached from morality and accountability? We also look at the role of martial arts teachers for modeling and teaching core values


Featuring

Stephan Kesting, https://www.grapplearts.com
Jesse Walker, https://roughhandsbjj.com
Jeff Shaw, https://bellinghambjj.com
Steve Kwan, https://bjjmentalmodels.com


Chapters

00:00 Crazy things Trump has done in the last 3 days
04:02 The normalization of outlandish behavior in society
08:13 The role of accountability and integrity in leadership
10:01 Impact of political chaos on international trust
16:02 The potential for political change and the midterm elections
17:54 The danger of normalized lies and misinformation
20:00 The political expediency of leaders and their actions
21:55 The significance of voting and civic engagement
24:05 The broader mechanistic agenda behind political distractions
28:05 The influence of societal role models and behavior modeling
32:00 The silence and apathy in communities and martial arts
34:00 The normalization of hate speech and misinformation
36:08 The failure of leaders to acknowledge mistakes
37:52 The impact of political chaos on international relations
40:09 The importance of moral integrity in leadership
43:59 The role of martial arts in teaching core values
46:12 The erosion of trust and its global consequences
50:01 The influence of wealth and power on accountability
51:54 The importance of international cooperation and trust
56:02 The decline of American influence and trust worldwide
01:00:07 Closing thoughts and call to civic action

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