In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Jesse Walker talk with writer Adrian Nathan West about his New York Times piece on Craig Jones, exploring how trolling, politics, and culture collide in modern Jiu-Jitsu.🔗 Links Mentio...

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan, Stephan Kesting, and Jesse Walker break down how bad BJJ coaches trap students with rank. They explore how belt pressure becomes a tool for fear and control, why some gyms drift...

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan, Mike Mahaffey, and Jesse Walker talk about the recent political shift of Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) and her public apology regarding her past rhetoric and actions. They explor...

MMA analyst Luke Thomas joins the Fighting Matters crew to discuss fixing fights in the UFC in particular, and MMA in general.  We look at which specific type of fighter is being targeted, who might be behind it, and the role of the FBI in...

In this episode, Steve Kwan, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker break down how the ongoing SNAP and ACA shutdown could devastate working-class Americans, and why Jiu-Jitsu gyms will be hit especially hard. They unpack how food assistance and healthcar...

In this episode, Steve Kwan sits down with journalist Michael Colborne of Bellingcat to expose how far-right movements use aesthetics and martial arts culture to recruit young men. They discuss the origins of the “active club” network, the rise...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan sits down with UK political video essayist JimmyTheGiant and Truth Collective founder Chris Ingram to unpack how billionaire networks, social media algorithms, and post-truth politics are reshapin...

When gym leaders stay silent, people get hurt. In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan, Stephan Kesting, and Jesse Walker speak with guest Sonia Sillan of Combat Arts Academy about what happens when Jiu-Jitsu coaches fail to protect the...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) sit down with journalist and Muay Thai fighter Karen Attiah.Karen was the founding editor of the Washin...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Stephan Kesting (Grapplearts) dive into the chaos of America’s accelerating news cycle. From Charlie Kirk’s assassination to Trump’s author...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models) and Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ) welcome special guest Dr. Derek Jones. Derek is a BJJ black belt, innovation educator, and retired philosophy professor whose work bridges ma...

In this special reaction episode of Fighting Matters, Jesse Walker and Mike Mahaffey respond to the shocking assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at a Utah event. While both hosts strongly condemn Kirk’s rhetoric as ha...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, hosts Stephan Kesting and Steve Kwan engage with Derek Beres, a health and science journalist and co-host of the Conspirituality podcast. They explore the role of RFK Jr and the Make America Healthy Again (M...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ) and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) welcome special guest Jay O’Shea. Jay is a martial artist, scholar, and the author of Risk, Failure, Play: What Dance Reveals about Martial Arts...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, we're joined by "Jane Doe," who expands on her recent allegations surrounding Adam Zugec and ZUMA Martial Arts in Victoria, BC. "Jane" recaps her story of training at ZUMA, her experiences with misconduct an...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models, Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ, and Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ welcome special guest Eric Muntz to tackle one of the most self-destructive tendencies of the political ...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models is joined by Stephan Kesting, Mike Mahaffey, and former FBI special agent Mike German to uncover the truth about “Active Clubs” — far-right extremist fight clubs infiltrating ...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models and Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ are joined by wrestling historian David Wolf to unpack how Donald Trump turned American politics into a pro wrestling storyline.Fro...

The Fighting Matters crew gathers to discuss how Russian martial arts, such as Systema and Sambo, have been linked to far-right ideology and are being used by Russia as a tool for propaganda, recruitment, and spreading disinformation in foreign...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models and Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ confront one of the most urgent challenges in martial arts today: the normalization of extremist rhetoric, abuse, and unethical behavior wi...

Stephan Kesting and Jeff Shaw are joined by Tyson LaRone (the "Warrior Philosopher" from TikTok) to look at the rise of fascism in modern times. Tyson shares his insights on the characteristics of fascist regimes, drawing parallels between hist...