In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting unpack the political chaos of early 2026 and its real-world consequences for martial artists. From international instability and economic shocks to propaganda, media capture, and rising authoritarianism, they discuss why “keeping politics out of jiu-jitsu” is no longer possible... and what individuals can actually do in moments like this.

🔗 Links Mentioned:
• Fighting Matters Linktree — https://linktr.ee/fightingmatters
• BJJ Mental Models — https://bjjmentalmodels.com
• Grapplearts — https://grapplearts.com

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👥 Featuring:
• Steve Kwan — @bjjmentalmodels
• Stephan Kesting — @stephankesting

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🧠 Topics Discussed:
• Why global politics now directly affect martial arts
• Authoritarianism, distraction, and media manipulation
• Economic collapse, inflation, and gym sustainability
• Voting with your dollars and leaving toxic gyms
• Building unlikely coalitions in existential moments
• Why silence and “staying apolitical” is no longer neutral

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📖 Chapters:
00:00 — Opening and Stephan’s rant
03:30 — Distraction politics and global instability
08:20 — Checks, balances, and institutional failure
15:00 — Elections, force, and fear
24:40 — Canada, China, and economic survival
39:00 — Why martial artists can’t ignore this
46:30 — What individuals can actually do
56:10 — Coalitions, Rogan, and strange bedfellows
01:04:40 — Voting with your dollars
01:07:15 — Final thoughts and calls to action