Fighting Matters

Fighting Matters
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Fighting fascism and the far-right in combat sports like MMA and BJJ.

  1. 13時間前

    The Invisible Heart of BJJ (w/ Valerie Worthington)

    In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, host Steve Kwan sits down with Valerie Worthington: BJJ black belt, professor of educational psychology, and one of the sport's most thoughtful voices on culture and ethics. They dig into why the people doing the most good in jiu-jitsu are also the least visible, what it would actually take to fix BJJ's culture problems, and why opening a gym means signing up for a job nobody prepared you for. This is a conversation about leadership, accountability, and the quiet work of making the sport better. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Gracie Philly — https://www.phlbjj.com • Saybrook University — https://www.saybrook.edu ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com • Valerie Worthington — https://instagram.com/worthingtonvalerie ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Why the good people in BJJ stay invisible • The reality distortion field inside the gym • Why governing bodies might make things worse • Voting with your wallet and saying it out loud • What BJJ never teaches its future gym owners ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introducing Valerie Worthington 06:33 — Why the good in BJJ stays invisible 12:58 — Should BJJ have a governing body? 21:17 — The reality distortion field inside the gym 33:18 — How the algorithm buries the good stuff 39:28 — Voting with your wallet 43:27 — Modeling the culture you want to see 51:54 — Dunbar's Number and BJJ communities 53:35 — What BJJ never teaches gym owners

    1時間1分
  2. How MAGA is Using Religion to Go to War

    3月5日

    How MAGA is Using Religion to Go to War

    Stephan Kesting and Jeff Shaw explore the terrifying consequences of MAGA coopting Christianity and using misinterpretations of biblical ideas like the rapture, the apocalypse, and end times theology as justification for going to war with Iran. We also look into Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's religious denomination and find some truly disturbing details.

    54分

  3. 3月3日

    Discord & Roblox: The pipeline to school shootings (w/ David Riedman)

    School violence researcher and Homeland Security expert David Riedman joins Steve and Jesse to break down the radicalization pipeline feeding modern school shootings. David covers how isolated kids get pulled into nihilistic violence through deregulated social media, grooming on Roblox, and private Discord servers, and why your BJJ gym might be one of the most powerful interventions available. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Riedman Report (Substack) — https://riedmanreport.substack.com • K-12 School Shooting Database — https://k12ssdb.org • Difference Between Political Violence, Mass Shootings, and Terrorism — https://riedmanreport.substack.com/p/difference-between-political-violence • Rise of Purposeless, Non-Ideological Gun Violence by Young American Men — https://riedmanreport.substack.com/p/rise-of-purposeless-non-ideological • Riedman Report Ep 43: Forensic Psychologist Explains the Nashville School Shooter's Journals — https://riedmanreport.substack.com/p/ep-43-forensic-psychologist-explains • Riedman Report Ep 33: Let Kids Fight (Safely) with Guardian Founder Ben Kovacs — https://riedmanreport.substack.com/p/ep-33-let-kids-fight-safely-with ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Steve Kwan — @bjjmentalmodels (Host) • Jesse Walker — @roughhandsbjj (Host) • David Riedman — https://riedmanreport.substack.com (Guest) ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • The Tumbler Ridge shooting and the pattern behind it • How the True Crime Community radicalizes teens online • Roblox as a grooming and recruitment platform • The Discord pipeline from mainstream social media to extremism • Trans shooters and what the data actually says • Nihilism vs. ideological terrorism • Why expelling a troubled kid can make things worse • How BJJ gyms provide the belonging that prevents violence ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 00:35 — Meet David Riedman 02:13 — Tumbler Ridge and the True Crime Community 08:02 — Understanding nihilistic violence 10:17 — Extremism, terrorism, and how to tell them apart 14:15 — Active clubs and decentralized radicalization 18:40 — Trans shooters: what the data says 22:23 — The Nashville manifesto breakdown 27:51 — Has social media changed anything? 31:45 — The Roblox grooming pipeline 38:40 — Can martial arts gyms use these same tactics for good? 41:53 — Everything that feels new is really old 49:58 — Warning signs for parents and gym owners 54:43 — Closing thoughts

    59分

  4. 2月18日

    Gordon Ryan & The Epstein Fallout

    In this Presidents Day episode, Fighting Matters connects two explosive stories: Gordon Ryan’s inappropriate DMs and the growing fallout from the Epstein file releases. We debate accountability, conspiracy culture, institutional corruption, and whether justice can survive political power. The conversation turns to Jiu-Jitsu’s own culture, red flags in gyms, and what responsibility communities have when systems fail. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Stephan Kesting — @stephankesting (Host) • Mike Mahaffey — @oldbastardbjj (Host) • Jesse Walker — @roughhandsbjj (Host) ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Gordon Ryan DM controversy • The Epstein file releases and redactions • Conspiracy culture vs. evidence • Civil vs. criminal accountability • Power dynamics in martial arts • Red flags when choosing a gym ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Presidents Day cold open 02:17 — Gordon Ryan controversy 03:30 — The Epstein files breakdown 21:27 — Justice, collapse & consequences 32:03 — Jiu-Jitsu governance debate 52:03 — Would you recommend Jiu-Jitsu to women? 01:01:50 — Closing thoughts

    1時間3分

  5. 2月12日

    Martial Artists Should Get Political

    In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan and Jesse Walker are joined by Joshua Peters: martial arts instructor, former school teacher, and current candidate for Anne Arundel County Council. They explore why local politics matters, how martial arts and civic duty intersect, and why “keeping politics out of Jiu-Jitsu” is a myth. This is a conversation about courage, participation, and standing up for your community. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Joshua Peters Campaign — https://friendsofjoshuapeters.com • Combat Principles MMA — https://combatprinciplesmma.com • Run for Something — https://runforsomething.net ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com • Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com • Joshua Peters — https://friendsofjoshuapeters.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Why local politics is more powerful than you think • The overlap between martial arts and civic responsibility • Running for office without “main character syndrome” • Virtue signaling, participation, and public courage • Supporting your community beyond the mat ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introducing Joshua Peters 05:35 — From teaching to running for office 11:30 — Why local government matters 18:42 — Losing, competing, and civic courage 24:25 — Politics inside the Jiu-Jitsu gym 29:49 — “Keep politics out of Jiu-Jitsu?” 35:14 — What it actually takes to run 43:35 — Virtue signaling and public participation 01:03:00 — How to get involved locally

    1時間5分

  6. 2月6日

    How the USA is Trying to Steal Canada's Oil

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, hosts Stephan Kesting and Jeff Shaw are joined by Tyson LaRone (The Warrior Philosopher) to unpack the renewed push for Alberta separatism, its connections to Trump and MAGA, and the growing influence of U.S. political forces in Canadian domestic affairs. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Fighting Matters Linktree — https://linktree.com/fightingmatters ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Stephan Kesting — https://www.grapplearts.com • Jeff Shaw — https://bellinghambjj.com • Tyson Larone — https://www.tiktok.com/@thewarriorphilosopher ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • The Alberta Prosperity Project and separatist rhetoric • U.S. political influence and destabilization narratives • Economic myths around equalization and the “Alberta advantage” • Oil, foreign ownership, and who actually benefits • Grievance politics vs. evidence-based policy • Why martial arts spaces are vulnerable to political radicalization ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introductions & Alberta separatism overview 01:40 — How real is the threat of separation? 07:20 — U.S. politics, propaganda, and destabilization 12:40 — Economic myths and equalization explained 31:40 — The “Alberta advantage” under scrutiny 52:20 — American corporate interests and oil profits 01:03:00 — Parallels with Ukraine and foreign interference 01:04:50 — Martial arts, gurus, and political influence

    1時間10分

  7. 2月5日

    How Hate Found a Home in Jiu-Jitsu & MMA

    This interview is an excerpt from Dark Martial Arts History, an 8-part audio documentary chronicling the history and rise of extremism in martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. The rest of the documentary is available on BJJ Mental Models Premium, but this piece is relevant to current events, so we're publishing it here for free. In the sixth episode of Dark Martial Arts History, hosts Ben Van Doren and Eva Schubert are joined by longtime Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu educator and commentator Stephan Kesting. The conversation explores how conspiracy thinking, social-media incentives, and institutional silence have normalized authoritarian and extremist rhetoric within MMA and BJJ. The panel discusses the role of major platforms, the responsibility of fans and businesses, and the challenges practitioners face when harmful ideologies appear inside gyms themselves. Rather than treating extremism as an external threat, this episode asks what the martial arts community has tolerated, and what it must confront moving forward. Learn from Stephan online at Grapplearts: https://www.grapplearts.com Follow Stephan Kesting on Instagram: https://instagram.com/stephan_kesting Follow Ben Van Doren on Instagram: https://instagram.com/deepbluebrazilianjiujitsu Follow Eva Schubert on Instagram: https://instagram.com/evaschubert ⬆️ LEVEL UP with BJJ Mental Models Premium! The world's LARGEST library of Jiu-Jitsu audio lessons, our complete podcast network, online coaching, and much more! Your first week is free: https://bjjmentalmodels.com Need more BJJ Mental Models? Get the legendary BJJMM newsletter: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter Learn more mental models in our online database: https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database Follow us on social: https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels https://threads.com/@bjjmentalmodels https://bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social https://youtube.com/@bjjmentalmodels

    1時間23分

  8. 2月3日

    The collapse of Atos (and what comes next)

    The allegations against Andre Galvao, and subsequent collapse of Atos, have sent shockwaves through the Jiu-Jitsu world. In this episode, Steve Kwan and Jesse Walker unpack the allegations against Atos leadership, the victim statements that triggered a mass exodus, and why this moment feels different from past scandals. We explore abuse of power in martial arts, why competition success can’t excuse ethical failure, and what real accountability could look like, beyond statements and social media posts. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Fighting Matters Linktree — https://linktr.ee/fightingmatters • Fighting Matters Substack — https://fightingmatters.substack.com • "You’re Picking Your Jiu-Jitsu Gym Wrong" (Jesse Walker) — https://roughhands.substack.com/p/youre-picking-your-jiu-jitsu-gym ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Steve Kwan — @bjjmentalmodels • Jesse Walker — @roughhandsbjj ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Allegations against Atos leadership and the resulting collapse • Why this scandal triggered a rapid, unprecedented response • Abuse of power and hierarchy in martial arts culture • DARVO, victim silencing, and why convictions aren’t the only standard • How gyms, athletes, and platforms enable bad actors • Rethinking what "the best" Jiu-Jitsu gym actually means • Economic pressure and collective action as accountability tools ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Why this episode had to happen 02:45 — Victim statements and breaking news 05:10 — Why this collapse feels different 09:25 — Predators, power, and Jiu-Jitsu culture 15:55 — Choosing gyms: competition vs. ethics 20:15 — Why legal standards aren’t enough 26:18 — Accountability beyond statements 33:10 — Platforms, money, and moral responsibility 43:55 — What real action could look like 47:45 — Where the community goes next

    55分
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番組について

Fighting fascism and the far-right in combat sports like MMA and BJJ.

情報

  • クリエイター
    Fighting Matters
  • 配信期間
    25年 - 26年
  • エピソード
    74
  • 制限指定
    不適切な内容を含む
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fighting Matters
  • 番組のWebサイト
    Fighting Matters

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