The Eagle’s Nest

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, we talk competition, why we do it, what it teaches you, and what it’s really like stepping onto the mats when it counts.

Cameron shares his limited but meaningful BJJ competition experience and what it’s taught him so far, while Alex breaks down his much longer competition history  from his early days as a colour belt through to competing as a black belt. We also touch on Alex’s earlier Hapkido demonstration competitions and what those experiences added to his martial arts journey.

If you’ve ever competed, are thinking about competing, or just want an honest look into the mindset and realities of it, this episode is for you.

Hapkido Demo Videos (worth the entry price alone):

https://youtu.be/zETbYwPSx8c?si=R5_4szEFUFK0GMu5

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, we sit down and talk about food how we think about it, how our approach has changed over time, and why it plays such a big role in training, performance, and everyday life.

We touch on general ideas around calorie targets, macros, and balance, but mostly this is a relaxed conversation about habits, routines, and the realities of eating well while still enjoying food.

It’s not a nutrition lecture just honest discussion shaped by experience.

If you know… you know.

In this episode of The Eagle’s Nest, we take a break from serious talk and dive into something that shaped us long before belts and dojos — martial arts movies.

We talk about the films that got us hooked, the scenes we still remember frame by frame, and why martial arts cinema played such a big role in how we viewed training, discipline, and movement. Along the way, we spend a fair bit of time celebrating our shared love of Jackie Chan — his creativity, work ethic, and the influence he’s had on generations of martial artists.

Eventually, we narrow it all down and settle on our Top 5 martial arts movies, with plenty of debate along the way.

If you grew up rewinding VHS tapes, practicing kicks in the lounge room, or still judge movies by their fight choreography — this one’s for you.

Our very 1st Guest Thiago Stefanutti, Is Alex Tse's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) coach, mentor and the head of the ONYA Brazilian Jiu-Jistu association. Thiago holds a four degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. His students have won multiple World Championship titles and under his instruction, leading the first Australian team to ever win a IBJJF World Championships team trophy, the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in the world. His current focus is training world class BJJ practitioners as well as sharing his knowledge through is teachings to the wider BJJ community. Thiago was born and grew up in São Paulo-Brasil. According to Thiago, São Paulo was not a very safe city when he was growing up so learning martial arts a natural way to learn how to defend himself. Thiago moved to Melbourne when he was offered a position to teach, the club that hired him helped him relocate to Melbourne where he trained for almost 10 years. He now lives in Brazil where he continues teaching to this day. Thiago visits Australia often to reenforce his teachings for ONYA's Australian branch, and to hold seminars and gradings.

How do you know if a martial arts school is actually good or just good at marketing?

In this episode of The Eagles Nest, we break down what really matters when choosing a martial arts school. We cut through the belts, banners, and bulls**t to talk honestly about instructor quality, school culture, training environment, and long-term development.

We discuss:

Train smart. Choose wisely. Your future on the mat depends on it.

Jackie Chan Fan Catch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOS51qpUoCc

Jackie Chan Chopstick Trick - https://youtu.be/F3Z2MmdVaDE?si=ejlQ9t6Jo-QWT3lM&t=1756

Episode 1: Batman Origin Story

In our first episode, we dive into how we met, how martial arts pulled us in, and the training paths that shaped us into who we are today. From childhood inspirations and questionable early techniques to the teachers, dojos, and turning points that made martial arts a lifelong obsession, this is where The Eagle’s Nest truly begins.

If you’ve ever wondered why your hosts chose a life of kicks, chokes, and chaos… here’s the whole story.

Topics in this episode:

How Alex and Cameron first crossed paths

Our earliest martial arts memories

The teachers who shaped us (for better or worse)

Training progression: white belt to where we are now

Why martial arts is still the centre of our lives

What you can expect from future episodes

Welcome to the Nest. 🦅