Fighting Matters

🎙️ A candid roundtable on tariffs, economic disruption, and the fight to preserve Jiu-Jitsu communities during hard times.

In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Steve Kwan, Jesse Walker, and Jeff Shaw take a hard look at how Trump’s tariff policies and looming economic challenges are threatening Jiu-Jitsu gyms across North America. Drawing from their experiences as gym owners, content creators, and lifelong martia...

🎙️ A candid roundtable on tribalism, culture wars, and the struggle to preserve community in Jiu-Jitsu and beyond.

In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Steve Kwan, Mike Mahaffey, Jesse Walker, and Timothy Lee Peterson take a hard look at how identity politics and ideological polarization are affecting the martial arts world. Drawing from their own experiences as coaches, practitioners, and community leaders, they...

Why do so many women quit Jiu-Jitsu—and what can we do to fix it?

In this candid and eye-opening episode, Fighting Matters sits down with Shelby York of Rough Hands BJJ to talk about the real reasons women leave the sport. From casual misogyny to unsafe training environments, Shelby shares the often overlooked struggles women face in martial arts—and what coaches, training partners, and gym owners can actually do to make t...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models) is joined by Tim Lee Peterson for a candid conversation about the UFC’s growing alignment with far-right politics. They discuss how combat sports are being used as a cultural vehicle for political extremism, including the visible support of authoritarian figures and the platforming of openly fascist athletes.

The discussion explores how these developments ...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Magic BJJ) discuss the backlash to a recent viral post about Jiu-Jitsu’s historical links to fascism, and how that history continues to shape the culture of the sport today.

They also talk about Joe Rogan’s evolving role in martial arts media, the influence of the manosphere, and the challenges of having ...

Is Jiu-Jitsu just about choking people—or can it actually make the world better?

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) dive into how martial artists are stepping up to support their communities during turbulent times. From running charity seminars for LGBTQ+ and immigrant groups, to facing politica...

Stephan Kesting, Mike Mahaffey, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker have an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation about the growing political divide in the combat sports world.

They discuss recent developments with Conor McGregor, Dana White, Andrew Tate, and Cain Velasquez, and the reaction of the MMA community to those events.  They also address how hero fantasies can have negative and unintended consequences, how children of...

In this special roundtable episode, Stephan Kesting, Steve Kwan, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker for an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation about the growing political divide in the combat sports world.

They tackle tough questions:
 • Why has far-right ideology gained traction in Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and pro wrestling?
 • Is it really possible—or responsible—to “keep politics out of the gym”?
 • How do we support v...