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.

People often ask how they can support our work. The simplest way is to vote with your wallet! The GOAT Stephan Kesting just released an awesome new Kimura instructional which is 50% off for a limited time. www.grapplearts.com/kimura

New Fighting Matters: 2025 FEELS LIKE A CONSPIRACY THEORY (w/ JimmyTheGiant) @jimmythegiant.bsky.social and Truth Collective founder Chris Ingram unpack how billionaire networks, social media algorithms, and post-truth politics are reshaping democracy across the globe. youtu.be/dKopIqanWH8

It's gonna be weird in the history books when they talk about the time the entire US political system descended into AI-generated memes with everyone pooping on each other

New Fighting Matters! WHEN JIU-JITSU COACHES STAY SILENT (w/ Sonia Sillan) When gym leaders stay silent, people get hurt. We speak with Sonia Sillan of Combat Arts Academy about what happens when Jiu-Jitsu coaches fail to protect their students. youtu.be/zgM0wuBQkFQ

Change we can believe in.

DARK MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY Part 2 just dropped! We examine how Mussolini and Hitler used sport as propaganda, turning athletics into a tool for indoctrination, militarism, and control. Drop “DARK” in the comments and we’ll comp you a free month of BJJ Mental Models Premium so you can listen now!

This is how you stand up to a bully. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccjx...