Stephan interviews Kurt Osiander, a BJJ black belt under Ralph Gracie known for his no BS communication style and his informative Youtube instructional videos. Old school Ralph Gracie training tactics The attributes that make a champion Gi vs no gi training for MMA The role of talent in jiu-jitsu Can anyone become a black belt? Physical preparation and conditioning for competition Tattoos, art, European sword fighting and other things Kurt Developing mental toughness in BJJ The effect of modern ...
Jul 16, 2016•46 min•Ep. 35
I talk with Rob Biernacki, a friend, BJJ black belt, and contributor to Grapplearts ( see the videos and articles he's been involved with here ). This is a fun, opinionated conversation in which I'm sure we'll offend just about everyone! Some of the topics we covered in the 1:19 discussion include... How the underlying principles of BJJ that make it easy to learn techniques, adapt to new situations, and transition effortlessly between gi and no gi training Stories about cultish schools run by in...
Mar 29, 2016•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 34
Eddie 'Wolverine' Cummings talks with Stephan Kesting about leglocks, including why the heel hook is one of the most powerful submissions in BJJ, how to train them safely, and how to apply them correctly. Leglocks are incredibly dominant in modern no gi competition, so learn more about them in this podcast.
Feb 24, 2016•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 33
Direct from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, I chat with BJJ black belt Jeff Rockwell about: How certain techniques are 'discovered' again and again What the basics are and why you need one tool for every range Self defense vs competition jiu-jitsu When butt flopping in a self defense situation is the RIGHT thing to do Hair grab defenses for women Law enforcement applications of BJJ And much more
Feb 01, 2016•57 min•Ep. 32
It's one thing to be beaten by a better opponent, but it's quite another to go out there and underperform... to do less than you know you're capable of. You can be in top shape and have your techniques honed to a razor's edge, but can still perform poorly in BJJ competition if your mental preparation is lacking. In this Grapplearts podcast I talk with BJJ black belt Gustavo Dantas about how to use sports psychology to create unshakeable confidence and perform to the best of your ability in compe...
Dec 29, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 31
The second-ever Grapplearts Radio Q&A format podcast. In this episode I answer questions from my newsletter readers and cover many topics, including How to come back to BJJ training after an injury... and not lose your mind while you're rehabbing... Options for transitioning out of Z guard (and half guard in general) to open guard How to improve your BJJ cardio so you don't gas out on the mats so easily A beginner's approach to learning guard passing How to know what techniques you should be...
Sep 29, 2015•37 min•Ep. 30
Stephan Kesting interviews Jeff Westfall from The Martial Brain podcast. They discuss kata vs real training, chi power and other martial hoaxes, and the power of applying a skeptical mindset to learning martial arts.
Sep 13, 2015•59 min•Ep. 29
In this episode of the Grapplearts Radio Podcast Stephan Kesting talks with Bernardo Faria, the 2015 BJJ Mundials 99kg and Absolute division winner. Bernardo Faria talks about... How he won the Worlds despite 'not being at all talented in jiu-jitsu' Competition mindset going into big tournaments His highly individual BJJ gameplan What he's learned training with Marcelo Garcia in NYC The physical conditioning routine that gets him into top shape for competition How he's modifying his game to work...
Jul 06, 2015•48 min•Ep. 28
Stephan Kesting interviews Roxanne Modaferri about the differences between MMA training in Japan and the USA, continuing to improve after 12 years in the sport, snapping a 6 fight losing streak, and what tryouts forThe Ultimate Fighter were really like. Download Stephan Kesting's Roadmap for BJJ book for free at http://www.grapplearts.com/book
Jun 30, 2015•39 min•Ep. 27
Steve Whittier is a cool guy. He manages to combine both thoughtful analyses and controversial opinions into one eloquent package. In this interview we talked about lots of different BJJ and MMA related topics, but the main emphasis and recurring theme was functional drilling and the efficacy of different types of BJJ training methods. http://www.nexusma.com http://www.grapplearts.com
Mar 24, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 26
BJJ Black Belts Ritchie Yip and Stephan Kesting have a wide-ranging discussion, centered around tips that BJJ beginners need to know. Material covered includes: Whether beginners should in their own class or mixed in with more advanced people Things to look for when checking out a new school How to avoid situations where you’re just going to get maliciously rag dolled by senior students How instructors can teach a class of differing levels What the the only real spiritual benefits of martial art...
Jan 24, 2015•56 min•Ep. 25
Here's a really cool video interview I did with my friend, BJJ blackbelt, renowned coach, and fierce competitor Elliott Bayev. This interview is special because we break down the steps of building a BJJ gameplan. We go right from the basic BJJ self defense gameplan, and build up to the intricate strategies used by world class competitors. There are tons of immediately useful takeaways here. And along the way we also discuss self defense, the role of competition, and the evolution of new techniqu...
Nov 27, 2014•54 min•Ep. 24
This is a really cool interview with my friend, black belt, and fierce competitor Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins. Brandon and I originally worked together to create the highly acclaimed instructional How to Defeat the Bigger, Stronger Opponent Volume 2. In our time together today Brandon and I discuss, Life and death on the seminar circuit, What changes you need to make to your guard to transition from gi to no-gi, How to connect moves together to make a smooth and fluid game, The evolution of jiu-...
Sep 28, 2014•55 min•Ep. 23
Stephan: I’m here today with my friend,Adam Singer, who runs The HardCore Gym in Athens, Georgia. He is probably best known for being Forrest Griffin’s MMA coach during the formative years of Forrest’s career. He’s also a jiu-jitsu black belt and has trained tons of fighters. I’m really looking forward to picking his brain about MMA and jiu-jitsu and the relationship between these things. He’s an outspoken guy, so I’m sure we’ll have a good conversation. So thanks for talking to us today, Adam. ...
Jul 28, 2014•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 22
Stephan Kesting interviews Scott Nelson from On the Mat about the history and evolution of BJJ in North America. Along the way Scott shares some pretty crazy stories from his travels around the world.
Apr 08, 2014•46 min•Ep. 21
Want to find out how to be a more effective martial arts teacher? Stephan Kesting interviews BJJ black belt Ritchie Yip about the art and science of teaching martial arts. Lots of tips and tricks for teachers and aspiring instructors in this one!
Feb 04, 2014•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 20
Stephan talks with 2013 Pan American middlweight champion Clark Gracie about training, competition, growing up Gracie, and yes, that famous picture with the hair and the omoplata.
Dec 20, 2013•36 min•Ep. 19
Stephan interviews John Perretti, the matchmaker for the early UFC and the EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship). He put together some of the most iconic matches in the UFC before Zuffa took it over in 2001. In this interview he talks about the rules and weight classes he created for the fledgling sport of Mixed Martial Arts (a term that he is credited with coining), how he found and selected fighters, brain trauma in the combat sports, his disdain for the current state of the UFC, and much more....
Oct 03, 2013•49 min•Ep. 18
Stephan Kesting interviews Rafael Lovato Jr, one of the most successful North American BJJ competitors. They discuss technique, mindset, training, conditioning, and the keys to being successful in competition. The full transcript of this interview is available at http://www.grapplearts.com/lovato
Aug 02, 2013•55 min•Ep. 17
Stephan Kesting interviews one of his most influential teachers, 9th degree Kajukenbo black belt and Black Belt Hall of Famer Philip Gelinas. Topics include the evolution of Georges St Pierre, the relevance of BJJ and MMA to self defense, grappling with sticks and knives, and how the martial arts continue to change and adapt in the 21st century.
Jul 19, 2013•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 16
Want to be an effective martial artist? Burton Richardson talks about training and performing under pressure in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and Full Contact Stickfighting. Plus he shares lessons learned from such martial arts luminaries as Dan Inosanto, the Machados Brothers, Egan and Enson Inoue, Baret Yoshida, Chris Leben, Eric Knauss, Antonio Illustrisimo, and Charuto Verissimo.
Jun 22, 2013•47 min•Ep. 15
Keenan Cornelius is a BJJ phenomenon. Having won double gold medals at four of the biggest IBJJF tournaments - The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Pan-American Championship, European Open Championship, and the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship, he's one of the most active, most successful North American competitors on the scene today. In this interview with Stephan Kesting from www.grapplearts.com , Keenan talks about his training regimen, competition mindset, dealing with nerves, his time...
Apr 24, 2013•43 min•Ep. 14
Proof that a serious BJJ competitor can still be classy; Roy Dean talks with Stephan Kesting about BJJ, Judo, Aikido, and Path of the Martial Artist. Roy Dean has black belts in kodokan judo and aikikai aikido, japanese jujutsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He's recognized as a black belt by the international brazilian jiu jitsu federation (IBJJF), with affiliated academies around the world.
Oct 07, 2012•54 min•Ep. 13
How do you go from being the smallest person in the class to a BJJ world champion! This is a really interesting interview with my friend Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins. I first polled the Grapplearts.com newsletter readership if they had any questions for Brandon, and boy, did they ever! I sifted and sorted hundreds of emails to pick out the very best questions for for him, and this in-depth interview about competition and training strategies for grapplers is the result. Brandon has worked with Ste...
Jul 28, 2012•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
Vinicius 'Draculino' talks with Stephan Kesting about how surfing beach fights brought him into jiu-jitsu, what it was like training with the top Gracie and Machado fighters in Rio in the 1980's, and how self defense and vale tudo training were incorporated into the classes. He also talks about the early BJJ competition scene, and how BJJ has changed over the last 3 decades. His contributions to the Spider Guard Position, and why he gets more nervous for BJJ competition than for MMA fights. Then...
Jul 20, 2012•27 min•Ep. 11
Answers for your BJJ questions! Stephan takes questions from his newsletter readers in the first ever Q&A Podcast. Find out how how to taper for competition, what to do when you're getting crushed all the time, what to do when your wrestling coach wants you to stop doing BJJ, and how to remember all these bloody techniques...
Nov 25, 2011•51 min•Ep. 10
Ryan Hall is one of North America's most prolific competitors in BJJ and Submission Grappling. In this in-depth interview with Stephan Kesting he shares tips on training, competing, the 50-50 guard, the triangle choke, sparring with Marcelo Garcia, the construction of an effective guard game, and so much more!
Aug 31, 2011•59 min•Ep. 9
Want to find out more about the psychology of combat? Tony Blauer is the head of Blauer Tactical Systems which specializes in close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military and professional self-defense instructors. We had a great conversation about Crossfit, fear management, adrenaline dumps, and his 'conversion' to BJJ. And it's all pretty relevant stuff! Everybody (who's not insane) feels fear, whether we're freaked out about sparring somebody new, entering ...
Aug 01, 2011•42 min•Ep. 8
Sarah Kaufmann, the UFC fighter and former Strikeforce champion, talks about training, competing and the role of women in MMA
Jul 24, 2011•39 min•Ep. 7
Daniel McCormick, the 2008 US National Judo Champion and 2009 Judo Olympian, talks about his Olympic experience, training BJJ, and "judo for bjj" or how exactly how Judo can be adapted to be effective in a BJJ context.
Jun 14, 2011•39 min•Ep. 6
