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


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