The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting
What is it that allows some people to push themselves beyond their limitations? Why can some people survive situations others do not? On this podcast we try to find out the answers. Stephan Kesting, is a lifelong martial artist, BJJ black belt, career firefighter, and outdoorsman. Join us as he talks to fighters, adventurers, competitors, coaches, firefighters, trainers and other people living the strenuous life.
Stephan also runs Grapplearts.com, where he has published many hundreds of martial arts videos, articles and tutorials.
His free guide to learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, A Roadmap for BJJ, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times and has become a foundational text for the art.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 427
- Years Active
- 2009 - 2025
351 - How to Talk to the Vaccine Hesitant, with Ami Palmer
Ami Palmer has been on the podcast before (ep 325) and I was thrilled to have him back. He's a wrestler, judoka, jiu-jitsuka and teaches at the University of Texas. The focus of today's conversatio…
350 - "Don't Call Me Professor", Why I Don't Like Fancy Titles in Jiu-Jitsu and Martial Arts
I know people mean well but here's why I don't like them calling me 'Professor' or 'Sifu' or 'Sensei' or 'Guru' or 'Master' or 'Shihan' or 'Kru' or 'Sabom' Or 'Kwisatz Haderach'...
So if we ever meet…
349 - Three Ways to Immediately Improve Your Jiu-Jitsu Defense, with Steve Kwan
Steve Kwan from BJJ Mental Models joined me today to share some guidelines that'll immediately improve your jiu-jitsu defensive skills.
Check out the BJJ Mental Models Podcast wherever fine podcasts …
348 - Nate 'The Rock' Quarry on MMA, the UFC, and Being Raised in a Cult
347 -Pressure Testing BJJ Against Knives, Guns and Sticks (with Burton Richardson from JKD Unlimited)
Burton Richardson is BJJ black belt and has an incredible lineage in the Filipino Martial Arts as well, having trained with many of the top instructors in the world. I was thrilled to have him on th…
346 - A Deep Dive into the Omoplata as Submission, a Sweep, and a Position
In this episode Steve Kwan from the BJJ Mental Models podcast grills me about the omoplata, the most versatile submission in all of jiu-jitsu.
Check out my latest instructional, Omoplata 2.0, at http…
345 - Out of Date Training Methods in Modern Martial Arts, with Richard Bejtlich
344 - Reporting on the State of Jiu-Jitsu, with Averi Clements
343 - Update: Four Weeks In After a Total Hip Replacement
I had a hip replacement to fix a joint worn out by 40 years of martial arts training, conditioning and fitness activities. This video details the first 4 weeks of my recovery, going from barely being…
342 - Exploring the Remote Northern Wilderness with Adam Shoalts
341 - Why Conspiracy Theories Are So Damn Hard to Disprove, with Dr Hanan Bushkin
Dr Hanan Buskin is a clinical psychologist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In this episode we go deep into the benefits conspiracy theorist get from believing and sharing their crazy i…
340 - Why I'm Getting a Hip Replacement Tomorrow...
After 4 decades of training Jiu-jitsu, MMA, Judo, Kajukenbo, Muay Thai, Karate and Kickboxing my right hip is worn out. Here's how I became aware that it needed replacing, what the surgery is going …
339 - The Five Exercises All Grapplers Should Do Every Week
Steph Gaudreau is a strength coach, nutritionist, podcaster, author and BJJ practitioner. I was thrilled to have her on the podcast today to discuss the overlap between strength training and jiu-jit…
338 - An Epic Rant Against Conspiracism
In this rant I go off about conspiracism, Ivermectin, Joe Rogan, anti-vaxxers, elk meat diets and more. This is from an Instagram Live session I did with Dr Hanan Bushkin (@drhananbushkin) - Dr Bush…
337 - Lessons from Competing in 25 Matches in 8 Divisions in 1 Tournament with Jeff Shaw
Jeff Shaw runs Bellingham BJJ and despite coming to jiu-jitsu late in life fell in love with competition and eventually competed 8 divisions in a single tournament with pretty good results. I particu…
336 - Why Some People & Groups are More Prone to Conspiracy Theories, with Julian Walker from Conspirituality
Julian Walker has researched, written, and podcasted about cults and gurus, spiritual bypass and quantum woo in New Age circles extensively. He is also a cohost of the (amazing) Conspirituality Podc…
335 - Rescuing People Trapped in Cults, Stephan Kesting with Joseph Szimhart
In episode 335 of The Strenuous Life Podcast Stephan Kesting talks to cult expert, cult survivor and cult deprogrammer Joeseph Szimhart. We go into depth about QAnon, New Age cults, Theosophy, cult r…
334 - Ten Guru Warning Signs with Dr Dr Chris Kavanagh
Dr Dr Chris Kavanagh is an Oxford trained evolutionary & cognitive anthropologist who co-hosts the 'Decoding the Gurus' podcast with Mathew Browne. Together they tackle the secular gurus propagating …
333 - Sometimes to Win the Fight You Have to Move the Fight
From the cheekiest triangle choke counter I've ever used to Khabib slamming the crap out of his opponents in the UFC, here's a short episode about the times you simply have to move the fight to a new…
332 - Trolling Anti-Vaxx Rallies, with Walter Masterson
Walter Masterson trolls anti-vaxx and pro-conspiracy rallies. He's brave, funny and insightful, and I was honored to have him as a guest on episode 332 of The Strenuous Life Podcast.
Follow Walter on…