The Strenuous Life Podcast

Regardless of whether you train BJJ, MMA or a self-defense oriented martial art you're faced with the same dilemma: how do you take a technique you're shown in class and actually make it work against someone who is resisting you 100%? The key is progressive resistance, and in this episode I go into the 5 training modalities you should use to functionalise your techniques.

I think you'll like this one: in this episode I speak with Ando Mierzwa (Sensei Ando) who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu San Soo with extensive experience in BJJ, Aikido, and Shotokan Karate. We talk about levels of realism in training, tribalism in the martial arts, the fighting arts as a tool to feel some control in a chaotic universe and much more. Ando's website is http://www.senseiando.com and you can also follow him on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndoMierzwa/videos

In this rant I take on the myth perpetuated in many martial arts and by many martial arts instructors, namely that they are the source of all the knowledge you'll ever need. The truth is that everyone has holes in their knowledge and that the good instructors will admit that they don't know everything.

You'll really like this sit down I had with UFC star Alan Belcher, a man who has had some of the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat fights in UFC history. Alan shared lessons learned from his 26 MMA fights including details of cutting major amounts of weight pre-competition, his mindset while fighting Rousimar Palhares (one of the dirtiest and scariest fighter in MMA), lifting weights as physical therapy to hold his body together, how he structured his UFC training camps and preventing overtraining by modulating the intensity and volume of your training sessions, the crazy treatments he did to repair his detached retina, and much more. Enjoy!

I'm on fire for this one because it really gets under my skin when people focus on the wrong thing in their martial arts training. Boys and girls, it's about skill acquisition and NOT about the color of your belt. Get this wrong and it will destroy your relationship to the martial arts!

Unfortunately injuries are just part of the game, and getting back to training after recuperating from an injury is always a tricky business. In this episode I give some of my best advice about exactly how your return to the mats should be structured. This is advice I've learned the hard way so take my advice - for the longest time I didn't use it myself and I wish I had!

This is for everyone - beginner and experienced martial artist - with a very tight schedule who can't train more than once a week. Can you still make progress? What are some tips for getting as good as you can when time is limited? How do you not lose hope, momentum and confidence during these inevitable training slowdowns? Of course my main site is Grapplearts.com, but also check out my other site SelfDefenseTutorials.com where I'm posting a TON of martial arts and self defense tactics, techniques and training methods.

Endurance is the most important physical attribute in combat sport, but it can be time consuming to develop. In this short episode I talk about some of the most efficient cardio protocols that I've used during periods of my life when I had no time for long, leisurely cardio.

I'm thrilled to bring you guys Pshemek Drabczynski who was my first BJJ teacher. Pshemek is a BJJ black belt, a WKA North American kickboxing champion, and a physical conditioning guru. In this episode we talk about martial arts specific fitness, getting stronger, improving endurance, eating properly preventing injuries, fasting and much more. If you're in the Orange County area and are looking for a personal trainer make sure to check out Pshemek at http://www.besthometrainer.com

A few days ago I had a great training session, and then today I had a bad one. Here's why I didn't get too excited or bothered by either one, and why you shouldn't either!

This is a really good episode in which I talk to my friend, BJJ black belt, and world traveller Budo Jake. We cover a ton of topics including the evolution of Japanese ju-jutsu into BJJ, getting choked unconscious, the effectiveness of wrist locks in grappling, brain damage from striking, yoga and other recover methods, training at different academies, and advice for newbies. Enjoy!

I really enjoyed being on James '300' Foster's podcast where we talked about figuring out grappling from scratch, why fighters fight injured, PEDs in the MMA, how jiu-jitsu will always be there for you after a long layoff, and a lot more! I hope you enjoy it too! Check out Jame's podcast on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spartan-underground/id1070092297?mt=2

Here's a quick rant about whether you should still train if you're beginning to come down with something. The lessons in this particular podcast have repeated themselves many times until learned...

This is a fantastic episode. I chat with historian Daniele Bolelli about everything from rough and tumble frontier wrestling, Theodore Roosevelt sparring in the White House, what it's like to be a historian lecturing with bruises and black eyes, how martial arts helps people survive tough times, and much more. Check out Daniele's amazing History on Fire podcast at http://historyonfirepodcast.com Check out Daniele Bolelli teaching an strange technique for MMA at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaELw7GWvlw and getting elbow speared in the face at http://historyonfirepodcast.com The central page for this podcast if you want to share it is here: http://www.grapplearts.com/eye-gouging-hair-pulling-theodore-roosevelt-historian-daniele-bolelli/ Thank so much! Enjoy!!

It's a HUGE mistake to focus on techniques like biting, finger breaks and eye-gouging and avoiding techniques you can try out under pressure and against resistance in sparring. Here's why that's the case, and why most martial sports participants are actually far deadlier than most martial artists.

You'll like this episode! In it I talk with 62 yr old BJJ black belt Rabbi Mordecai Finley (the Wrassling Rabbi) about starting BJJ at a later age, picking the right jiu-jitsu club, training after a heart attack, the horrors of the Eastern Front in World War 2, interpreting the Torah, being Leonard Cohen's Rabbi, and awarding Blue Belts in marriage counselling.

In this episode I go into depth about why you (and everyone else) should train in martial arts. Hint: it's not about self defense, fitness or socialising; those things are definitely benefits, but they're not the core reason that martial arts training is so transformative. For more on this topic you can also check out a blog post I wrote on Grapplearts called Blood, Sweat and... Sparta!

I think you'll like this one! In this episode I talk to 280 lb BJJ Masters World Champion James '300' Foster, fresh back from a pre Pan-Ams California training trip. We discuss getting kicked our of Karate after starting BJJ, the process of finding the correct mix of training that works best for you, cutting weight in BJJ, how to train successfully with smaller and/or less skilled students, 'modern' BJJ techniques appearing in old Judo, the movie Logan and our favourite comic books.

Stephan talks with Filipino Martial Arts instructor Jarlo Ilano about sparring with sticks and knives, self defense and how the training methods you're using affect how your martial art will express itself when you're trying to use it under stress. Jarlo Ilano is an instructor under Burton Richardson https://jkdunlimited.com/ in his Battlefield Kali system and a purple belt in BJJ. And as well as being a physical therapist since 1998 with a board specialty in orthopedics, he is a co-founder and Managing Director at GMB Fitness https://gmb.io/ which specializes in online training for improving strength, flexibility, and body control through bodyweight exercise.

Stephan rants about the ethics and legal consquences of smashing someone's head in with a piece of concrete, otherwise known as the pavement coup de grace. Check out the video version of this rant at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RF-J1M5QJs