New Fighting Matters: THE UFC FREEDOM 250 DEBACLE Four martial artists who spent decades loving this sport walk through why an event at the people's house, held on the president's birthday and billed as a celebration of America's 250th, leaves them cold. youtu.be/KzBPL_o54TI

New Fighting Matters: ANTI TRANS HATE IS A #UFC MARKETING STRATEGY Trans hate is pouring out of combat sports, and the fighters have figured out it pays. We discuss Sean Strickland's AI video of himself beating up a trans woman. youtu.be/zY6NMa_RE78

New Fighting Matters: WHY DID UFC BJJ LET MIKEY COMPETE WITH A STAPH INFECTION? Mikey Musumeci defended his title at UFC BJJ with an active staph infection, went back to the hospital right after the match, and defended the decision by saying he covered the infection with spats. youtu.be/TesFP1A3w9g

New Fighting Matters: HOW JIU-JITSU SURVIVES THE AI ERA Dr. David Riedman (Author @ The Riedman Report) leads a 3-part conversation about AI: how it works, its political impacts, and how it's impacting jiu-jitsu. youtu.be/KpoTVW7yMBI

New Fighting Matters: A MAN BROKE INTO MY APARTMENT AT 4 AM (feat. Andrea Tang) Three years ago, a serial home invader broke into Andrea's apartment at 4am and tried to sexually assault her in bed. She fought him off using day-one white belt basics. youtu.be/AOc6l0JkxxA

New Fighting Matters! WHY BJJ CAMPS NEED LESS JIU-JITSU In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined by Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ), and Niamh Bryn (Snowblind BJJ) for a recap of the recent Rough Hands spring camp in Louisville. youtu.be/LyBoMQdVPPE

How to Identify "Active Clubs" in #BJJ. Featuring Hannah Gais (BJJ practitioner & Sr. Research Analyst @ SPLC). youtu.be/r4lwyvwhljI

New Fighting Matters: THE INVISIBLE HEART OF BJJ Valerie Worthington (BJJ black belt, prof. of educational psychology) explains why the people doing the most good in jiu-jitsu are also the least visible. youtu.be/FWDN7K8lxhE

Everyone in the US should watch this. James Talarico's interview with Colbert had to be taken offline due to the FCC's legal threats, so you can only watch on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ...

There's so much to unpack here 🤣

New Fighting Matters: MARTIAL ARTISTS SHOULD GET POLITICAL Joshua Peters joins us to explore why local politics matters, how martial arts and civic duty intersect, and why “keeping politics out of Jiu-Jitsu” is a myth. youtu.be/jKDl3K0FmSo

Powerful stuff from Georgia senator Jon Ossoff.

This was resistance art.

Every time we cover sexual abuse stories in the martial arts, these incel dweebs crawl out of the woodwork

New Fighting Matters: HOW THE USA IS TRYING TO STEAL CANADA'S OIL Tyson LaRone (The Warrior Philosopher) unpacks 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. youtu.be/WfrIxwvbN18

An audio documentary exploring martial arts extremism by @bjjmentalmodels.bsky.social: youtu.be/XDge7UafgYc

Please check out this podcast by @fightingmatters.bsky.social. This isn't just about Atos and Galvao. It's about who we are as martial artists and why we train. World Championships mean nothing if you don't stand up for what's right; but if you do, then World Championships aren't necessary...

New Fighting Matters: 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. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpLs...

Another week, another report of serious misconduct at a world-famous BJJ academy. Sexual assault allegations. Abuse of power. Patterns of predatory behavior that went unchecked for years. And somehow, people act surprised every time. open.substack.com/pub/roughhan...

Trump is political cancer at this point. Congress and Senate Republicans with half a brain must distance themselves now, or they will lose their jobs soon.

Everyone should watch Mark Carney's Davos speech. — Steve Kwan, Fighting Matters

New Fighting Matters: YOU CAN’T "KEEP POLITICS OUT" ANYMORE The idea of “keeping politics out” is no longer tenable, especially in Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts communities. youtu.be/TXo-dJFrd_c

If you aren't brave enough to speak up, fine. But few things are more cowardly than trying to discourage OTHER people from doing the right thing.

Credit to @adamzyglis.bsky.social

New Fighting Matters: THE MINNESOTA SHOOTINGS AND WHAT COMES NEXT Mother, poet, and US citizen Renée Good was shot by ICE on January 7, closely followed by the shooting of ICU Nurse and US citizen Alex Pretti on January 24th, apparently by members of the Border Patrol. youtu.be/XuO9YHiur18

See the coaches in the martial arts community cheering on MAGA and ICE. Remember their names. Never support them financially again.

The USA has pissed away almost a century of domestic peace and economic prosperity.

Is it just me or is his makeup getting darker

Really wish we didn't have to make this episode. youtu.be/qPhlRtbtAp0

This comment hit me pretty hard.

We see a lot of folks trying to rationalize or explain away what ICE is doing, and we want to let you know that you should absolutely not do that. This is an inflection point in history, and how you respond determines how you will be judged forever. Do the right thing and stand up to these monsters.

New Fighting Matters: THE RELENTLESS BULLYING OF TRANS ATHLETES. We confront the relentless bullying and scapegoating of transgender athletes, and how bad-faith arguments, misinformation, and moral panic have turned a tiny minority into a political and cultural punching bag. youtu.be/ns0NKlHvGLA

Good Lord Joe, it’s not about how they treat YOU or the other affluent white people at your church. It’s about how they treat the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden.

Sorry everyone, “NextScamdemic” says we’re not allowed to be political. 🤣

New Fighting Matters: HOW BAD BJJ COACHES TRAP YOU WITH RANK Steve Kwan, Stephan Kesting, and Jesse Walker explore how belt pressure becomes a tool for fear and control, why some gyms drift into cult-like behavior, and how to spot red flags before you get stuck. youtu.be/D6QinEZEkqo

New Fighting Matters: MAGA NEEDS AN EXIT STRATEGY 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 and her public apology regarding her past rhetoric and actions. youtu.be/XEAScBneNPE

This one’s in my backyard. Folks, we need to take a harder line stance against hate groups in the martial arts community. I get nobody wants to bring politics into their gym, but removing neo-Nazis from our sport shouldn’t be a controversial ask.

By cowards I mean traitors

We are being led by absolute cowards

Democracy in America isn’t dead yet.

Scott Galloway is the fucking man. youtu.be/KftDeejeZzg

New Fighting Matters: THE SNAP & ACA SHUTDOWN COULD CHOKE JIU-JITSU GYMS 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 #BJJ gyms will be hit especially hard. youtu.be/5OkrzaNMKAM

“Media capture” is the term I have been using all year.

Please watch.

New Fighting Matters! FASHION, FITNESS, FIGHTING: HOW HATE GROUPS ATTRACT YOUNG MEN In this episode, Steve Kwan sits down with journalist @colborne.bsky.social of @bellingcat.com to expose how far-right movements use aesthetics and martial arts culture to recruit young men. youtu.be/lpSN4lNn_IM

Important topic that is not discussed enough... Because if we're not training martial artists also emotionally, mentally and spiritually, we're just creating better-trained bullies.

Unfortunately, I think Americans are in for a brutal Thanksgiving.

Totally normal.