Interviews

Today I talk with pro-wrestler Tad Lincoln Murphy about catch wrestling in early American circuses, the development of luta livre in Brazil, Shootwrestling in Japan, and how one trains to becomes a pro wrestler in the first place! Follow Tad the wrestler on Instagram at @tadwrestler or in his customer success career at @lincolnmurphy And if you could find it in your black little heart to leave a rating or a review of The Strenuous Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts I would be forever indebted to you! Stephan Kesting

Professor Omar Lira was one of Ryan's first instructors in Jiu-Jitsu. He joins the show to talk about starting BJJ in the 90's, how Jiu-Jitsu pulled him away from an unhealthy lifestyle and the decision to become an instructor.

The juice. The sauce. The bomba. It's prevalent in our sport. But is it true that everyone uses them? And regardless, would that justify using them yourself? This week, we're joined again by Lachlan Giles to discuss the ethics of performance-enhancing drug use in BJJ, and the recent firestorm around his principled comments on Instagram. Research referenced in this episode: - [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24730151](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24730151)- [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190125084106.htm](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190125084106.htm) **IMPORTANT: BJJ Mental Models needs your help.** In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the future for Steve and Matt is uncertain. Our gyms are closed, our income is impacted, and we need your help in order to continue providing free content. We've started a Patreon where you can support BJJ Mental Models. Please help us keep the lights on so we can keep your game sharp during this once-in-a-century crisis. Link here: [https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/) **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

Jon Blank joins the show to talk about starting Jiu-Jitsu with a Wrestling background, quitting his job for Jiu-Jitsu, opening an academy and and why he doesn't use contracts for students. He also gives advice for competitors and why he loves Sub-Only

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

Chewy and Eugene recap Chewy's performance in the No-Gi Pans. We discuss competing during the pandemic, competing at a lighter weight division, Chewy's diet, tournament prep and strategy, not being needy to win, Chewy's most nerve-racking moment in competition as a black belt, and Q&A: 47:00 Does Chewy teach takedowns and which ones are most important for self-defense? 57:00 Does Chewy ban politics at the gym? 1:03:00 Any argument for an attendance-based promotion system? 1:08:00 What to do when you are losing motivation for training. 1:16:00 Do we anticipate IBJJF rule changes for quicker stalling calls? 1:18:45 When dropping weight do you keep track of body fat percentage? 1:21:00 What belt level was the most fun? 1:28:00 How do you choose the next position to focus on in BJJ? Thanks to the podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Use the special code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off your purchase valid November 26th - 30th. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Use the special code Chewjitsu30 to get 30% off your purchase valid November 26th - 30th. Check out exclusive podcast interviews and conversations, videos, and tons more at https://www.patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

This week, we're joined again by Island Top Team black belt Rory van Vliet. Rory helps us answer the question: when you are a caregiver, how do you use Jiu-Jitsu safely and with compassion? If you ever wanted to learn how to use Jiu-Jitsu to safely subdue Grandma, this is the episode for you. **Mental models discussed in this episode:** - Theory of Alignment [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment/)- Win Conditions [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/)- Prevention Over Cure [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure/)- Form to Leave Form [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/form-to-leave-form/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/form-to-leave-form/)- The Map Is Not the Territory [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/the-map-is-not-the-territory/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/the-map-is-not-the-territory/)- Grips Dictate Position [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/)- Marginal Gains [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/marginal-gains/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/marginal-gains/)- Dominant Angles [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/dominant-angles/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/dominant-angles/) **IMPORTANT: BJJ Mental Models needs your help.** In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the future for Steve and Matt is uncertain. Our gyms are closed, our income is impacted, and we need your help in order to continue providing free content. We've started a Patreon where you can support BJJ Mental Models. Please help us keep the lights on so we can keep your game sharp during this once-in-a-century crisis. Link here: [https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/) **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

Silverfox is back! We catch up with him and what he's been up to since the pandemic and discuss gym culture, academy expansion, selecting enforcers, managing egos and overcoming plateaus. He also gives technical insight to armbars and guillotines!

Back pain is incredibly common in sport, including all combative sports like jiu-jitsu, MMA, boxing and judo. That is why I was thrilled to talk to Dr Stuart McGill, one of the world's leading experts on back pain. Dr McGill spent 30 years researching and teaching spinal mechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, written 3 textbooks, and has worked to improve sports performance with countless athletes from almost every sport. His book, "Back Mechanic: The Step-by-Step McGill Method to Fix Back Pain" has become a classic manual for living a painfree life and "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" is a guide for many coaches to bring their athletes up to the next level of performance while avoiding a debilitating back injury. Here is just a little of what we covered today... 00:42 - How to become a world class expert in spinal mechanics and back pain 08:16 - Studying spines in the lab and what that tells you about spines in athletes 14:08 - Disc herniations and back pain 19:42 - Dr McGill's work with Olympians and elite athletes 24:00 - The athleticism of MMA fighter George St. Pierre 29:55 - Principles for avoiding back pain injury 34:40 - The power of the neutral spine 45:24 - The advantages and dangers of developing power through spinal rotation 51:04 - How elite strikers hit so hard 54:28 - Posture and spinal position in jiu-jitsu 1:01:07 - Hip morphology and leg flexibility of great jiu-jitsu fighters 1:06:07 - Books and other resources by Dr McGill Injury is the enemy, and avoiding injury is the key to a long and successful athletic career, so I hope you enjoy this episode! Cheers, Stephan Kesting P.S. If you get the chance a rating or a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your audio would be HUGELY appreciated.

BLACKWOLF JJ É muito comum o receio de entrar em uma academia pra iniciar no esporte (jiu jitsu), existem alguns paradigmas que impedem muitos de conhecerem a arte suave. Nesta entrevista falamos com um iniciante que conta sua trajetória, seus medos e suas experiências dentro do tatame. Esperamos que isso te ajude a ir conhecer, se você tem curiosidade e possa te incentivar a continuar se você já está no caminho da arte moderna. Um forte abraço! Equipe BLACKWOLF JJ Local: Academia de Lutas OSSTURN Av. Sta Catarina, 1026 - Vila Mascote - São Paulo http://www.instagram.com/ossturn Sigam BLACKWOLFJJ http://www.blackwolfjj.com.br http://www.instagram.com/blackwolfjj https://www.facebook.com/blackwolfjjo... #jiulife #jiujitsu #iniciantejiujitsu #medojiujitsu #comoiniciarjiujitsu

Roberto Godoi joins the show to talk about training since the 80's and being part of one of Sao Paulo's most heated rivalries with his former partner. He also talks about the guard, self defense, grip fighting and the formation and growth of his team G13.

Division in BJJ community, angry people on the internet and the rise of conspirituality with comic and BJJ practitioner Jamie Kilstein. Jamie is the cohost of both Rear Naked Radio and A Fuckup's Guide to Self Help and has a new comedy album coming out soon!

Different types of Breathing? I wasn't aware! Jiu-Jitsu Black Black belt Miles Lukas blows my mind with different breathing techniques in todays episode. He also talks, escaping police custody, cold water therapy, and a conversation that he had with Rickson Gracie. For a free copy of the Simplifying Jiu-Jitsu ebook: https://www.simplifyingjiujitsu.com/opt-in Check out Miles: http://breath.fitness/classes

Nick joins the show to discuss his venture into coffee and the vision for starting"Ground Shark Coffee," the connection "Ground Shark Coffee" has to BJJ, how coffee can help with recovery, Nick's favorite way to drink coffee, how Nick transitioned from Lacrosse to BJJ, Nick's desire to fight in MMA, how getting a concussion impacted Chris's mindset and how he got back training, how an MMA fight can be a right of passage, and much more. Pick up some coffee at https://groundsharkcoffee.com and use promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your order. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to https://www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out https://www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Check out exclusive podcast interviews and conversations, videos, and tons more at https://www.patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

This week, Steve and Matt are joined by Lachlan and Livia Giles! Lachlan and Livia share their world-class wisdom on developing your grappling style, and advise how you can consciously guide the process of style development. **Mental models discussed in this episode:** - Inside Channel Control [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control/)- Prioritize Longevity [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/)- Levels of Competition [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/levels-of-competition/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/levels-of-competition/)- Systematic Abandonment [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/systematic-abandonment/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/systematic-abandonment/)- Investing in Loss [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/investing-in-loss/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/investing-in-loss/)- Mask Your Intentions [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mask-your-intentions/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mask-your-intentions/)- Scientific Method [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/scientific-method/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/scientific-method/)- Train With Purpose [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/train-with-purpose/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/train-with-purpose/)- Funneling [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/funneling/)- Making Smaller Circles [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles/) **IMPORTANT: BJJ Mental Models needs your help.** In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the future for Steve and Matt is uncertain. Our gyms are closed, our income is impacted, and we need your help in order to continue providing free content. We've started a Patreon where you can support BJJ Mental Models. Please help us keep the lights on so we can keep your game sharp during this once-in-a-century crisis. Link here: [https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/) **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

Thomas Lisboa joins the show to talk about beginning BJJ back when it had a bad reputation in Brazil, why white belts shouldn't be focused on building a game yet and how offense can become defense. He also gives great insight on the crucifix position!

Today I chat with Black belt no gi world champion Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins about how the most efficient training methods to master the highly complex world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Lots of great takeaways in this one!! 02:18 - Learning technique only vs learning technique and theory 05:42 - Fundamental movements in BJJ 09:24 - Advanced applications of fundamental movements 14:48 - Winning by achieving depth in a technique 25:40 - Successfully setting up guard submissions 37:22 - Off speed pitches and surprising your opponent in BJJ 44:03 - Starting at step 3 52:19 - Top tips for training 1:01:39 - Safe techniques 1:11:03 - IBJJF legalising reaping and heel hooks in nogi Check out the 265 page full color book we wrote together at https://www.grapplearts.com/nonstop-jiu-jitsu-book/ - it's the best BJJ book of the year for sure! Cheers Stephan Kesting

Paul Hogan is a police officer, BJJ brown belt, and is one of the founders of "Blue Jitsu," an organization that offers free jiu-jitsu instruction and seminars for police officers in Lexington and the surrounding areas. Paul shares his start in wrestling and finding BJJ soon after becoming a police officer. Paul discusses the significant benefits that Jiu-Jitsu offered to keeping himself and others safe, why police officers avoid training BJJ, the purpose and effectiveness of seminars for law enforcement, how to control suspects within the new framework of the law, the idea behind "Blue Jitsu," the trauma that police officers deal with, what changes need to be made for police training, how much training is needed to be effective in restraining suspects, and the best ways to incorporate training into an officer's schedule. For more information about "Blue Jitsu", head over to https://bluejitsulexington.com/ This episode of the podcast was recorded at Speakeasy Podcast Studio. Check them out https://www.speakeasynetwork.com/ Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Charlotte's Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase. Check out exclusive podcast interviews and conversations, videos, and tons more at www.patreon.com/thechewjitsupodcast

This week, Steve and Matt are joined by Robert Degle! We have a deep conversation around the win conditions of our sport, how they influence our behavior, and why it's important to understand WHY we train Jiu-Jitsu. **Mental models discussed in this episode:** - Win Conditions [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/)- Cognitive Load [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/cognitive-load/)- Flow [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/flow/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/flow/)- Mindfulness [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mindfulness/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/mindfulness/)- Do What Works [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/do-what-works/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/do-what-works/)- Incremental Learning [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/incremental-learning/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/incremental-learning/)- Position Over Submission [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/position-over-submission/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/position-over-submission/) **IMPORTANT: BJJ Mental Models needs your help.** In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the future for Steve and Matt is uncertain. Our gyms are closed, our income is impacted, and we need your help in order to continue providing free content. We've started a Patreon where you can support BJJ Mental Models. Please help us keep the lights on so we can keep your game sharp during this once-in-a-century crisis. Link here: [https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://patreon.com/bjjmentalmodels/) **Need more BJJ Mental Models?**Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our mailing list: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/join/) Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/) Let them know you're an educated grappler with our merch: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/store/) Get the latest BJJ Mental Models updates from Facebook: [https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/](https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/) Music by Enterprize: [https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/](https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/) ⚠️**NEW course from BJJ Mental Models!** **MINDSET FOR BETAS,** our new Jiu-Jitsu audio course with Rob Biernacki, is now available on BJJ Mental Models Premium! For a limited time, get your first month FREE at: [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/beta)

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... 01:48 - Matthew's own time in cults 05:39 - Conspiracy theories 08:02 - What are cults? 28:45 - Online cults 41:39 - What happens when cult prophecies fail to occur? 50:21 - How to help friends and family members in cults

Sean Daugherty joins the show to talk about the early UFC days, training at the Lion's Den, the value of learning other styles and mental coaching. He also discusses the importance of pursuing passion, positive self-talk and advice for struggling students!

Multiple time world champion Robert Drysdale comes onto the podcast to share his discoveries about the history of BJJ. Here's just some of what we talked about... 00:52 - Opening Closed Guard, the Book 06:16 - The first japanese martial artists in Brazil 16:51 - Who was Mitsyuo Maeda? 19:27 - The role of the circus in the development of BJJ 23:20 - Early lineages of jiu-jitsu in Brazil 31:02 - The development and role of Vale Tudo fighting 33:08 - Why jiu-jitsu became so ground oriented 43:41 - George Gracie 45:47 - Helio's early fights 47:58 - The period of decline in jiu-jitsu 52:36 - BJJ andmarks between the 1950's and 1990's 1:02:26 - The role of jiu-jitsu federations 1:09:07 - Effects of legalizing heel hooks 1:15:16 - BJJ in the Olympics