Phrost and Jack wade into the skeevy world of AI scams and human trafficking to discuss pig butchering, crypto rip-offs, and how lonely idiots get taken advantage of. They actually cover a lot of ground on this one, from AI-generated stories and images used in social media scams, to sophisticated deepfake and voice cloning scams, plus the deeply troubling rise of human trafficking in scam call centers.

In this episode, Mike Mahaffey, a second-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, shares his experience in martial arts and his advocacy efforts for communities currently being targeted by hate groups. Also in this episode, Phrost's microphone decides to stop working correctly and his audio sounds like garbage, prompting a disclaimer before the damn episode ever starts.

Griffin Barber is a retired police officer, science fiction and fantasy author, and Editor for Baen Books. He also hosts and produced The Baen Free Radio Hour. We talk about the mind-blowing scale of the 1632 (“Ring of Fire”) series in which Griffin has written, up and coming authors, and the role SciFi/Fantasy plays as a tool to sort out our biggest challenges in society.

BJJ legend Stephan Kesting comes on the show to discuss misinformation and chronicle his adventurous canoe trip through Canada's wilderness. Highlighting issues from medical systems to social media polarization, Stephan emphasizes preparedness, critical thinking, and experiences with nature, including encounters with polar bears and wildfires.

His book, Perseverance: Life and Death in the Subarctic, is available everywhere NOW, including on Amazon and Audible.

Timestamps

00:00 Brandolini's Law and Social Media Rants

04:07 A Journey and a Book: Writing and Publishing

05:26 Health Scare and Kidney Transplant

06:30 Modern Medicine and Big Pharma

07:38 Polarizing Figures in the BJJ Community

08:25 COVID-19 Expertise and Political Stance

16:47 Organ Donation and Personal Stories

19:03 Canadian vs. American Healthcare

21:56 Political Climate and Authoritarianism

24:37 Jordan Peterson and Self-Help Gurus

27:59 Elon Musk and Fascism Allegations

31:41 Parenting and Critical Thinking

33:15 The Role of Hierarchy in Emergency Situations

34:32 Training and Challenges in the Military and Firefighting

38:40 Personal Reflections on Mortality and Life Choices

41:46 Exploring the Canadian Wilderness

46:19 Encounters with Wildlife and Survival Strategies

50:44 The Ethics and Practicalities of Hunting

54:06 Unforeseen Challenges and Problem-Solving

More info:

The Strenuous Life Podcast

GrappleArts.com

Bullshido · 56 Stephan Kesting: Strenuous Living

On this episode of The Art of Fighting BS podcast, Steve Kwan from the BJJ Mental Models podcast discusses the journey and philosophy underlying his role in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world as a coach and podcaster. Steve emphasizes the importance of education beyond just techniques, focusing on human learning, strategy, and the community aspects of martial arts. The conversation addresses broader issues such as the cult-like potential within martial arts communities, the treatment of women in the sport, and the irresponsible spread of misinformation by influential figures.

Steve also shares his pragmatic views on the best fighting strategies, both in competitions and in hypothetical scenarios; and Steve's goals for fostering a supportive and inclusive community within the BJJ Mental Models platform.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Steve Kwan and BJJ Mental Models

01:07 The Value of Jiu-Jitsu Beyond Techniques

02:42 Community and Culture in Jiu-Jitsu

03:56 Addressing Toxicity and Predation in Martial Arts

25:48 The Impact of the Pandemic on Martial Arts

37:19 Conspiracy Theories and Martial Arts

40:51 The Myth of Hollywood Fitness Routines

41:51 Survivorship Bias in Sports

42:55 The Misinformation Pipeline in Jujitsu

43:19 The Rise of Unconventional Health Practices

52:59 The Importance of Safe Training in BJJ

57:30 The Role of Chiropractors and Pseudoscience

01:02:39 Fighting Misinformation in Martial Arts

01:08:13 Final Thoughts and Community Building

Bullshido · 55 Steve Kwan BJJ and BS

Professor Rob Tuck, author of the Critical Ninja Theory substack, comes on the pod and discusses his curious road from specializing in Japanese literature to becoming an expert on the historical and mythical ninja. He discusses how his academic background and research led him to debunk many popular misconceptions about ninjas, highlighting the distinction between historical 'shinobi' and the fictional 'ninjas' popularized by media. With insights into his research process and experiences in academia, Rob underscores the importance of critical literacy in understanding Japanese history. He also delves into amusing aspects of ninja fiction and its cultural impact, making the conversation both enlightening and entertaining.

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:27 Discovering the Ninja

00:55 Research and Collection

02:29 Support and Academic Journey

05:20 Critical Ninja Theory

11:20 Real History vs. Fiction

17:16 Ninja in Popular Culture

21:47 Misconceptions and Realities

35:12 The Flexibility of the Ninja Concept

35:45 Western Influence on Ninja Weapons

37:15 Japanese Perception of Ninja

39:25 Ninja in Western Media

41:48 The Fascination with Ninja and Martial Arts

45:17 Anime and Japanese History

54:49 The Evolution of Ninjutsu

57:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Media mentioned in the show

Resources and More

https://criticalninjatheory.substack.com

Bullshido · 54 Critical Ninja Theory with Prof. Rob Tuck

In this episode, philosopher Aaron Rabinowitz, PhD., from the 'Embrace the Void' and 'Philosophers in Space' podcasts, joins the discussion to delve into the nuances of Taiji (Tai Chi), masculinity, martial arts in general, and the philosophy of moral luck. Aaron talks about the importance of healthy masculinity in the context of martial arts, the philosophical concept of luck and how it challenges traditional notions of free will and responsibility. He further discusses his experiences with Tai Chi (Taiji), the value of different martial arts styles, the just world illusion, and the Creator Accountability Network.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:38 Healthy Masculinity and Political Directions

01:54 Martial Arts and Masculinity

04:52 Aaron's Martial Arts Journey

06:48 Understanding Taiji

28:40 The Philosophy of Luck

47:31 The Just World Illusion and the illusion of Deservingness

48:39 Hardwired for Fairness

50:20 Social Dominance and Masculinity

51:12 Privilege and Luck

54:38 Restorative Justice and Criminal Reform

56:30 Community and Cancel Culture

01:08:41 Masculinity and Virtue

01:14:45 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Aaron's Taiji instructor can be found at:https://members.molingtaiji.com/index.php

The Embrace the Void, and Philosophers in Space podcast can be found on all major podcasting platforms, and at the links below:https://www.voidpod.com/

https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com

Dr. Jason Goldsmith from The Immunology Podcast comes on to discuss the looming appointments to federal agencies overseeing the American healthcare system including Dr. Mehmet Oz, and RFK Jr.—and all the fallout we should expect from the upcoming changes.

Listen to the episode below (like a weirdo), or on your favorite podcasting platform (as long as it's Apple Podcasts or Spotify, we have no idea where you're getting this from otherwise).

Bullshido · 52 The Wonderful Land of Oz

With how social media is these days, it almost seems reasonable to assume that anyone who demonstrates a lack of social skills and/or a fixation on edgelord, meme culture is on the spectrum. And in a culture where so many young males are being raised by the internet rather than strong men in their actual lives—and everything that results from that—the issue can get even more confused.

In this episode, Jack talks to Phrost about his experience working with actual autistic people, the particulars of the condition, and their place in our society, while Phrost goes into the history of the term "Weaponized Autism", and the ways in which young men are victimized by our culture, then weaponized by the worst actors in our culture—against their own best interests.

Then, as always, the show goes off the rails. Enjoy.

Listen below or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, etc. Don't forget to leave a comment and a rating. (A good one, MF.)

Bullshido · 51 "Weaponized Autism vs. Actual autism

For our 50th episode, we invited a few people to join in live and help us rank a set of popular conspiracy theories on their threat value to society brought by people who sincerely believe in them.