The Strenuous Life Podcast

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.

A little trip down memory lane today. In my twenties I did an 82 day, 1600 mile solo canoe trip across the Canadian north. This is an account of the last 3 days of that journey, traveling along the dangerous shore of Hudson Bay. The written form of this account is available here: [https://www.grapplearts.com/belugas-bears-and-an-offshore-tide-on-hudson-bay/#](https://www.grapplearts.com/belugas-bears-and-an-offshore-tide-on-hudson-bay/) and the Blood, Sweat and Sparta piece I refer to early in this episode is available here: https://www.grapplearts.com/blood-sweat-and-sparta/ And finally, download my new BJJ app guys because it has seven and a half hours of free black belt instruction in it!!! iOS and Android links here: https://www.grapplearts.com/grapplearts-bjj-master-app/

Sparring for the first time is always a shock, but especially for traditional martial artists who may have spent years perfecting their techniques in the air or against a compliant partner just to watch it all fall apart against real resistance. No sparring, no miracles folks! A lot of listeners know that http://www.grapplearts.com is my main site, but did you know that I also have a second, self defense oriented site? Check it out at http://www.selfdefensetutorials.com for more self defense tips, training videos, etc!

I really enjoyed this conversation with Rokas Leonavicius, the European Aikido instructor who became famous on Youtube trying to make his aikido functional against resisting opponents. Find out about his journey into Aikido, BJJ, Aikido and Boxing in this fascinating episode. 02:05 - Rokas's background in Aikido 04:21 - Wrestling in Eastern Europe 05:43 - What attracted him to Aikido? 14:20 - How long should you train before Aikido is applicable? 20:20 - Testing Aikido on Youtube 23:55 - The Aikido vs MMA video 26:23 - Functionalizing Aikido 38:18 - How did Aikido take off? 40:59 - Real life consequences of the Aikido vs MMA video 48:43 - Elements of Aikido that carry over into other arts 61:53 - Where can we find Rokas? Check out Rokas's Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCazByhbmztoIg6ZKeI25PGw and his website at http://rokasleo.com

Can you still train if you have an injured knee? Well, it depends... Here are some solutions, tips and tricks for dealing with a bum knee in a BJJ or grappling setting.

In this episode John Hacklemann discusses the Conor McGregor bus attack, training Chuck Liddell, differences between MMA and self defense, the single most important thing you can do to stay safe on the street, sparring vs drilling, and more. This is an incredibly informative episode, especially if you're interested in self defense and/or MMA! Follow John on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePitOnlineDojo and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ThePitMaster

I was recently dragged through the waves, under the water and then lifted up into the air while trying to figure out the sport of kiteboarding, and figured out that there is one hell of a learning curve in that sport! But many sports and activities worth doing have that same initial hump - a difficult learning curve that makes most people drop out. Ultimately if it were easy to do then everyone would do it, so the key to doing uncommon things is to grit your teeth and break on through to the other side of those initial difficulties! Download my free app for learning BJJ as fast as possible at http://www.grapplearts.com/roadmap Good luck with your training, in whichever sport, art or endeavour you have chosen! Stephan

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](https://www.instagram.com/coachbz/) Follow Stephan on Instagram @stephan_kesting

There are many reasons to train BJJ - fitness, camaraderie, having fun, taking on a challenge, spiritual development, learning to deal with challenges, wanting to compete - but at its core, **Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and not a martial sport.** Martial arts means self defense. Self defense is a huge and diverse topic, but a big part of it means being able defend yourself against an attacker choking them into a unconsciousness if need be. In this episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast I talk about good vs bad jiu-jitsu schools for self defense, the legacy of Gracies, the necessity of learning basic striking, clinching, takedowns, and strike defense on the ground, and more. I hope you enjoy it. If you're interested in BJJ and no-gi grappling then check out my site http://www.grapplearts.com And if self defense is important to you then also check out my other site http://www.selfdefensetutorials.com Cheers Stephan

Jessica Huneycutt is the yoga instructor for the New Orleans Saints National Football League team. In this episode we go deep into how Yoga and other techniques are used at an elite level to help athletes recover as fast as possible, prevent injuries, and prolong their careers. We also talk about surviving sexual assault, travelling to India, living in ashrams, doing yoga for improved jiu-jitsu performance, and her own personal BJJ training. This is a really good one - I hope you enjoy it and share it with someone else who might benefit from the information in the conversation! Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessica.huneycutt

In this episode I talk with Riccardo Ammedolia, BJJ black belt under the Mendes Brothers, ADCC commentator, and worldwide jiu-jitsu ambassador. We talked about training in Brazil, rolling with Rafa Mendes, judging and reffing in BJJ, staying well rounded, curriculum development and more. If you train BJJ then I think you'll really like this one! Riccardo trains and teaches in Hamilton, Ontario at http://www.atoshamilton.com. You can also follow him on Instagram at @riccardoammendoliabjj or on Facebook at facebook.com/RiccardoAmmendoliaBJJ/

In this (likely controversial) episode I argue that the differences between 'self defense' and 'sport' jiu-jitsu have largely been exaggerated. The real magic of jiu-jitsu is in training against resistance and learning to deal with pressure, not learning a set of magical 'self defense approved' techniques. If your interest is in self defense then you should still train at the best BJJ school you can find and then, if necessary, supplement the curriculum with a little bit of additional training. Stephan Kesting http://www.grapplearts.com http://www.selfdefensetutorials.com

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 episode I talk with elite powerlifter, kettlebell instructor and BJJ practitioner Jason Kapnick about conditioning program design, building a balanced body, functional movement screening, injury prevention, and training for optimal athletic performance. It was a great conversation, and I hope you come away from it having learned as much as I did! You can find out more about Jason, or go to him for training, at [https://catalystsportnyc.com](https://catalystsportnyc.com) Finally, if you found this episode interesting or useful please share The Strenuous Life Podcast with ONE person in your social or training circle. Thanks, Stephan

Today, should you go to seminars, can you learn from seminars, and the funniest thing I ever saw at a seminar...

This episode is just a little different! Today 12 BJJ black belts give their single best piece of advice for people just starting out in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. White belts looking for tips and help with their training will really benefit from watching this, and if it doesn't fire you up and get you on the mat grappling then nothing will! Here are the BJJ black belts featured in this video: Stephan Kesting http://www.grapplearts.com Bernardo Faria https://bernardofaria.com Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins http://www.justgipants.com Travis Stevens http://www.fujisports.com/blog/travis-stevens/ Rob Biernacki http://www.islandtopteam.com/ Pshemek Drabczynski http://www.besthometrainer.com Ritchie Yip http://www.infighting.ca Sean McHugh https://www.alliancekelowna.com Elliott Bayev http://www.openmat.ca Jason Manly http://instagram.com/jasonmanly Michael Zenga http://www.bjjfanatics.com Perry Bateson http://www.nwjja.ca/ Also you can download my (Stephan's) checklist of BJJ positions and techniques for free at http://www.grapplearts.com/book See you on the mat!

I loved this talk with Kirik Jenness who is mayor for life of the underground forum at http://mixedmartialarts.com, the author of The Fighter's Notebook, the official records keeper for mixed martial arts, and has "done every job in MMA except for being a ring girl."

In this short episode I share a tip I learned from Elliott Bayev that'll simultaneously allow you to finish way more people with your chokes but also stop you from completely burning out your arms, legs and/or grips in the attempt. If you're looking for help with a specific area of grappling have you checked out the search bar at the top of my site http://www.grapplearts.com? Tons of videos, tips, articles, and drills there just waiting for you to find them!!

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

A conversation with Kung Fu stylist (and BJJ brown belt) Randy Brown that included the history of Chinese martial arts and what made them less effective over time, what traditional martial arts look like when you start training them with resistance, and much more. I think you'll like this one! Find out more about Randy Brown at http://randybrownmantisboxing.com/