The Divergent Path with Rollie Peterkin

This podcast episode is a little different from the other ones because I don't have a guest. I am speaking about a topic that I am very passionate about: making friends while traveling.

A few years ago, I wrote a book called How to Make Friends While Traveling, but I never published it even though I wrote over 100 pages! At the time, I was living abroad and traveling and I began to treat meeting people like a science. I would go out every day and talk to strangers on the street and attend random events.

So this is the podcast version of that book. I really enjoy talking about this subject and even though I talked for over an hour, I could have easily talked for another two hours if I wanted to.

I talk about such things as: Staying in hostel. How to travel solo. How to overcome social anxiety. Tips to travel as an introvert. How to use meetups to interact with more people. The difference between meeting locals and meeting other travelers. How to meet people at language exchanges. Using CouchSufing to meet new people. Why it's easier to meet people when traveling. How to talk to strangers. How to overcome limiting beliefs and become more social.

McDojoLife (@mcdojolife) is one of my all time favorite accounts on all of Instagram. The page exposes fake and fraudulent martial artists who teach people tactics such as no-touch knockouts. No only does Rob expose fakes, but he exposes conmen who rip off their students and convicted sex offenders who work with children in martial arts. He is basically a real life super hero!

In this podcast episode, Rob talks about how he first got involved in martial arts before the days of McDojoLife. As a child he had a cleft palate and required many surgeries and his mother wouldn't let him participate in sports despite his pleading. But that all changed after some bullies at school beat the crap out of him one day and a friend encouraged him to try martial arts. He started with karate, but eventually moved on to sample a wide variety of martial arts like boxing, kickboxing, taekwondo, and Brazilian jiu jitsu.

During the podcast episode with Rob, we discuss many theories as to why people follow these fake martial arts masters. We talk about how the rise of MMA and the UFC have shed some light on what works and what doesn't.

Rob and McDojoLife are currently in the process of putting together a documentary about fake martial arts and has launched a crowdfunding campaign and hopes to start shooting in August. If you go to the Instagram page @mcdojolifedoc and donate there, you get access to exclusive content as well.

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Read more here: https://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-mcdojolife-rob-exposing-fake-martial-arts/

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to check out my book, The Cage: Escaping the American Dream, where I detail my journey from Wall Street bond trader to professional MMA fighter.

Kendall Cross won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was on the Olympic team in 1992 in Barcelona. He was an NCAA champion for Oklahoma State. And he's a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is currently the coach of the New York City Regional Training Center. He's done just about everything there is to do in the sport of wrestling.

Kendall impacted my life in a way few others ever had. I first met Kendall when I was around 10 years old and he became my coach. Over the years he taught me so many things and completely changed my style of wrestling in ways that I carried with me through my whole career. And he me many lessons off the mat as well.

In this episode of the podcast, I peeled back some of the layers to some of the stories he's told me over the years and really dig into the strategies that he used to become the best in the world, an Olympic champion.

Kendall talks about his roots in the sport of wrestling, following his older brother's footsteps when he started wrestling in Montana. And then moving to Mustang, Oklahoma and being immersed in the next level of wrestling. At the time he was inspired by wrestling legend Dave Schultz.

At Oklahoma State, he witnessed his teammates Kenny Monday and John Smith become Olympic champions right before his eyes and realized that winning the Olympics was a dream he could pursue.

In this episode we break down the strategies and mentalities that he honed in order to reach that next level. And to get through guys like Brad Penrith in 1992 and Terry Brands in 1996.

It was so great to get into some of the deeper stories that Kendall has to share from his many years in the sport of wrestling and learn more about a wrestling mentor of mine.

Read more here: www.rolliepeterkin.com/kendall-cross-olympic-gold-medalist-wrestling

Daniele Bolelli is the host of the History on Fire podcast, where he has captured audiences with episodes that range from Teddy Roosevelt to Caravaggio to Crazy Horse. He has written many books on topics from religion to martial arts. His books include: On the Warrior's Path and Not Afraid. And don't miss his Drunken Taoist Podcast for some awesome interviews.

One of the things that has always fascinated me about Daniele is the seeming contradictions in his life. He is a college professor and serious academic, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. He is both irreverent and disciplined and his content that is entertaining and informative.

Daniele was generous enough to read my book back in the day and give me a blurb. For which I am eternally grateful.

In this episode, Daniele talks about growing up in Italy and what he learned from his literary parents. And how he moved to the United States to study Native American history at UCLA. And how he trained in martial arts such as karate, jiu jitsu, and boxing. And what he's learned from the godfather of history podcasting, Dan Carlin.

It was such a good conversation and I hope you enjoy it!

Read more here: https://www.rolliepeterkin.com/daniele-bolelli-history-martial-arts-podcasting

Claudio Puelles is UFC fighter from Lima, Peru. He was features on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) where he finished second and got a contract to fight in the UFC. In this episode he tells the story of how he first got involved in MMA and the time he lived in the US when he was younger. You might recognize Claudio's name from my book, as we were teammates and friends during my time in Peru.

Kenn Kweder is a musical legend in Philadelphia. He has been playing music around town since the late sixties and has some amazing stories to tell. He talks about a postering campaign in the 70's based around Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Carnation instant milk. Kweder talks about wanting to play in the NBA as a teenager and then picking up a guitar in order to impress the girls. He talks about writing new songs and where the inspiration comes from. So many interesting topics.

Definitely check out the documentary

Adventures of a Secret Kidd: The Mass Hallucination of Kenn Kweder

Website: http://kennkweder.com/

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For the full description of this podcast, check out: www.rolliepeterkin.com/kenn-kweder

Follow me on social media for more updates:

IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin

Feel free to reach out any time!

Bruce Poon Tip is an international leader in the travel industry. He founded G Adventures, which has operations in 100 countries and runs tours on every continent. He is a leader in social entrepreneurship and the founder of the Planeterra Foundation. Bruce has been invited to speak at places such as Harvard, Oxford, the World Bank, UNESCO, and the UN. Bruce talks about the state of the travel industry in a post-corona world. He talks about his motivations for founding G Adventures. And the impact that the Dalai Lama has had on his business.

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www.rolliepeterkin.com

IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin

Charlie Brenneman has done it all. He wrestled in college, taught high school Spanish, fought in the UFC against top opponents, wrote two books, and hosts a podcast. In this episode, Charlie tells us how he went from a "wimpy" kid to a UFC star. The many lessons he's learned along the way and why he now shares those lessons with the next generation. Follow Charlie on social media @charliespaniard.

His books:

-Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage

-Becoming the World's Toughest Lifelong Learner

http:\\www.charliespaniard.com

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For more info click here: http://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-charlie-brenneman-from-high-school-spanish-teacher-to-ufc-fighter

Shelby has basically been everywhere after five years as a tour guide on bus trips around the United States. The country has become her back yard and she's scoured every corner of it during her days driving the bus across the country. Shelby and I get into what it takes to be a tour guide, including the challenges and times it makes you cry. Her career path has been far from normal and she is a true Divergent Path! Best of luck leading your "normal person" life now!

IG @shelbywanders

---The Divergent Path Podcast with Rollie Peterkin---

IG/Twitter: @rolliepeterkin

http://www.rolliepeterkin.com

My book is available here on Amazon: The Cage: Escaping the American Dream

Joe Williamson was one of the first employees of FloWrestling, a company which would change the whole wrestling community forever. In this episode, Joe recounts his history with Flo and its founder, Martin Floreani. He tells about skipping being best man at his best friend's wedding to join the Flo team and traveling around the country and the world, covering wrestling. What an amazing story!