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.

419 - Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic (Audiobook Format) 03/04/2025

418 - Spartans, Samurai and Ninja with BJJ Black Belt Jeff Nelson 02/24/2025

417 - Can You Get Your BJJ Black Belt Without Affiliating with a Specific School? 02/11/2025

416 - How to Climb Everest, with Extreme Alpinist Jost Kobusch 01/27/2025

415 - BJJ and Self Defense, with Tyson 'The Warrior Philosopher' Larone 01/16/2025

414 - Optimized BJJ Training for Non-Athletic Grapplers, with Jesse Walker 01/01/2025

413 - Strongman Training Secrets, with Kalle Beck 11/25/2024

412 - Eco-Adjacent Training and How to Do It Correctly, with Rob Biernacki 11/13/2024

411 - Smashing the Mental Barriers Holding Back Your Jiu-Jitsu 10/22/2024

410: How B Team Prepared for ADCC and CJI, with Chris Wojcik 09/23/2024

409 - Denis Kang, From Underground Bareknuckle Fights to the Biggest MMA Stage in the World 09/09/2024

408 - Ramsey Dewey on Effective Combat Sports and What Self Defense Experts Get Wrong 08/26/2024

407 - 3 Big Lessons Learned During 19 Days of Isolation in the Arctic 08/05/2024

406 - Goodbye - I Am Out of Here! 06/21/2024

405 - Three Ways that Training for MMA Fights Has Changed Since the Early UFC 06/14/2024

404 - What the Hell Happened to MMA? 05/14/2024

403 - Is Bear Spray Better than Guns vs Aggressive Bears? Here's What the Data from 352 Bear Encounters Says... 05/07/2024

402 - A BJJ Concept to Help You Through the Tough Times in Life 04/12/2024

401 - Modifying BJJ for Self Defense, with Rachel Honeyman 03/29/2024

400 - How to Use Injuries to Actually Refine and Improve Your Jiu-Jitsu Game 03/13/2024

399 - Breathing for Endurance during Sparring in BJJ and Other Martial Arts 03/11/2024

398 - Building the Skills to Do Amazing Things, with Matt Pycroft 03/06/2024

397 - How to Get Maximum Results in Minimum Time in Jiu-Jitsu 03/02/2024

396 - Longevity in Jiu-Jitsu with Mike "The Old Bastard" Mahaffey 02/28/2024

395 - The English Roots of Catchwrestling, with Oz Austwick 02/12/2024

394 - The Anatomy of a BJJ Training Camp 12/16/2023

393 - Historical Bareknuckle Boxing and European Swordfighting, with Oz Austwick 12/08/2023

392 - Everest, Alone, In Winter, and Without Oxygen, with Mountaineer Jost Kobusch 11/03/2023

391 - The Most Important Mental Models in BJJ, with Steve Kwan 10/22/2023

390 - UFOs, UAPs, and Alien Bodies with Skeptical Investigator Mick West 09/27/2023