PODCAST

Fighting Matters

Fighting fascism and the far-right in combat sports like MMA and BJJ.

sports wrestling

All Episodes

57:25

The relentless bullying of trans athletes

Fighting Matters ·

2025/12/18

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan, Mike Mahaffey, and Jesse Walker confront the relentless bullying and scapegoating of transgender athletes, especially within combat sports. They unpack how bad-faith arguments, misinformation, and moral panic have turned a tiny minority into a political and cultural punching bag, and discuss what gym owners, coaches, and training partners can do to create safer, more inclusive spaces. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Fighting Matters

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82:00

The True Villain in The Boys (And It's Not Who You...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/12/13

The Fighting Matters crew is joined by Shaun Benson from The Boys to talk about about the show and how it relates to the state of the world right now. Along the way we explore the blurring of lines between credible information and disinformation, the rise of Fascism, and the real bad guy responsible for evil in both The Boys and the real world. Follow Shaun on Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@shaunybenso and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shaunmbenson/

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58:02

Craig Jones trolled his way into the NYT

Fighting Matters ·

2025/12/03

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Jesse Walker talk with writer Adrian Nathan West about his New York Times piece on Craig Jones, exploring how trolling, politics, and culture collide in modern Jiu-Jitsu. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • The NYT Article — https://nyti.ms/3Y1N6oz • Nate West’s Website — https://anathanwest.com • The Baffler — https://thebaffler.com ⸻ 👥 Featuring: Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com Adrian Nathan West —

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63:52

How bad BJJ coaches trap you with rank

Fighting Matters ·

2025/11/27

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan, Stephan Kesting, and Jesse Walker break down how bad BJJ coaches trap students with rank. They explore how belt pressure becomes a tool for fear and control, why some gyms drift into cult-like behavior, and how to spot red flags before you get stuck. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Grapplearts Black Friday Sale — https://www.grapplearts.com • BJJ Mental Models Premium — https://bjjmentalmodels.com • Rough Hands BJJ —

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68:44

MAGA Needs an Exit Strategy

Fighting Matters ·

2025/11/19

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, hosts Steve Kwan, Mike Mahaffey, and Jesse Walker talk about the recent political shift of Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) and her public apology regarding her past rhetoric and actions. They explore the implications of her apology, the need for accountability, and the potential for redemption in politics. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Fighting Matters Linktree — https://linktree.com/fightingmatters • Fighting Matters Food Drive (direct link) —

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33:34

The UFC Betting Scandal, with Luke Thomas

Fighting Matters ·

2025/11/07

MMA analyst Luke Thomas joins the Fighting Matters crew to discuss fixing fights in the UFC in particular, and MMA in general. We look at which specific type of fighter is being targeted, who might be behind it, and the role of the FBI in investigating the UFC. More Luke Thomas MMA analysis on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/lukethomas Luke Thomas gets political: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeThomasGetsPolitical Follow Luke Thomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l...

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54:41

The SNAP & ACA Shutdown Could Choke Jiu-Jitsu Gyms

Fighting Matters ·

2025/11/02

In this episode, Steve Kwan, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker break down how the ongoing SNAP and ACA shutdown could devastate working-class Americans, and why Jiu-Jitsu gyms will be hit especially hard. They unpack how food assistance and healthcare subsidies keep communities afloat, why cutting them is both illegal and economically disastrous, and how martial artists can take action through solidarity, food drives, and conscious spending. 🔗 Links Mentioned: • Fighting Matters Food Drive —

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73:07

Fashion, Fitness, Fighting: How Hate Groups Attract...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/31

In this episode, Steve Kwan sits down with journalist Michael Colborne of Bellingcat to expose how far-right movements use aesthetics and martial arts culture to recruit young men. They discuss the origins of the “active club” network, the rise of far-right fashion and fitness subcultures, and how hate groups weaponize masculinity and community to spread extremism. Michael also shares how visual literacy can help parents, coaches, and martial artists identify warning signs and resist radicali...

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85:15

2025 Feels Like a Conspiracy Theory (w/ JimmyTheGiant)

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/22

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan sits down with UK political video essayist JimmyTheGiant and Truth Collective founder Chris Ingram to unpack how billionaire networks, social media algorithms, and post-truth politics are reshaping democracy across the globe. Links mentioned: • JimmyTheGiant on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTheGiant • The Truth Collective — https://truthcollective.global • BJJ Mental Models — https://bjjmentalmodels.com ⸻ 👥 Featuring: Steve Kwan —

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3:17

You should attend the No Kings rally.

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/18

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76:16

When Jiu-Jitsu Coaches Stay Silent (w/ Sonia Sillan)

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/17

When gym leaders stay silent, people get hurt. In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan, Stephan Kesting, and Jesse Walker speak with guest Sonia Sillan of Combat Arts Academy about what happens when Jiu-Jitsu coaches fail to protect their students. Together, they unpack the culture of silence in martial arts, the myth of “mat enforcers,” and how real leadership means building safe spaces and speaking up when it matters most. Combat Arts Academy — https://caaseattle.com Sonia Sillan o...

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81:20

The Washington Post Is Silencing Journalists (w/...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/06

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) sit down with journalist and Muay Thai fighter Karen Attiah. Karen was the founding editor of the Washington Post’s Global Opinions section and later a columnist covering race, gender, and culture. After 11 years at the Post, she was abruptly fired (by email) for “violating social media policy.” Her real offense? Speaking honestly about power, violence, and fre...

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68:22

It’s Happening Too Fast: The News Cycle Is Out of...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/10/01

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Stephan Kesting (Grapplearts) dive into the chaos of America’s accelerating news cycle. From Charlie Kirk’s assassination to Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, from RFK Jr.’s war on science to the weaponization of “cancel culture,” the team unpacks why democracy feels like it’s collapsing in real time. Together, they explore how “flooding the zone” with scandals makes it impossible to proces...

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65:24

Memes: The New Face of Propaganda

Fighting Matters ·

2025/09/23

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models) and Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ) welcome special guest Dr. Derek Jones. Derek is a BJJ black belt, innovation educator, and retired philosophy professor whose work bridges martial arts, culture, and political thought. Together, the team explores how memes evolved from internet jokes into one of the most powerful tools of propaganda in modern politics. From Richard Dawkins’ Selfish Gene to AI-driven meme floods, from the sh...

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9:34

This was an American tragedy.

Fighting Matters ·

2025/09/17

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22:33

What Charlie Kirk's killing says about us

Fighting Matters ·

2025/09/11

In this special reaction episode of Fighting Matters, Jesse Walker and Mike Mahaffey respond to the shocking assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at a Utah event. While both hosts strongly condemn Kirk’s rhetoric as harmful and divisive, they emphasize that political violence is never the answer and only undermines progressive causes. They discuss the dangers of normalizing assassination as a political tool, the disproportionate fallout such acts will have on marginalized com...

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73:33

How RFK Jr. is Actually Making America SICK Again, w/...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/09/09

In this episode of Fighting Matters, hosts Stephan Kesting and Steve Kwan engage with Derek Beres, a health and science journalist and co-host of the Conspirituality podcast. They explore the role of RFK Jr and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement's role in promoting conspiracy thinking, inaccurate health narratives, and spreading of misinformation about vaccines. Stephan, Steve and Derek examine the historical roots of the anti-vax movement, the role of individualism in health cons...

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57:57

Fighting vs. Violence: What’s the Difference? (w/ Jay...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/09/04

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ) and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) welcome special guest Jay O’Shea. Jay is a martial artist, scholar, and the author of Risk, Failure, Play: What Dance Reveals about Martial Arts Training. The team tackles one of the deepest questions in combat sports: what separates fighting from violence? From the role of consent in Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense, to the rise of fascist fight clubs and the political stakes of play, this conversa...

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69:08

"Jane" Speaks: Allegations Against Adam Zugec & ZUMA...

Fighting Matters ·

2025/08/27

In this episode of Fighting Matters, we're joined by "Jane Doe," who expands on her recent allegations surrounding Adam Zugec and ZUMA Martial Arts in Victoria, BC. "Jane" recaps her story of training at ZUMA, her experiences with misconduct and boundary violations, why she decided to go public, and how that experience has impacted her. We discuss the importance of consent, power dynamics in martial arts, and how gym culture can either protect or endanger its members. We reached out to Mr. Z...

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70:57

⚖️ The Left’s Purity Trap: Why We Keep Losing

Fighting Matters ·

2025/08/22

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models, Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ, and Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ welcome special guest Eric Muntz to tackle one of the most self-destructive tendencies of the political left: the purity trap. We’ve talked plenty about the dangers of the far right, but tonight we turn the mirror on ourselves. Why do progressive movements so often collapse into circular firing squads, language policing, and purity tests that alienate al...

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