The Dirt Wasp Podcast

David Valadez is a long-time martial artist who currently practices and teaches Aikido. Dave was once an aspirant to the U.S. Olympic Team, and has studied and practiced several different martial arts over the past decades. Dave is also a sheriff's deputy with a major Southern California sheriff's department. We talk about Aikido, law enforcement, and other good stuff. This is Part Two.

There was a technical glit...

David Valadez is a long-time martial artist who currently practices and teaches Aikido. Dave was once an aspirant to the U.S. Olympic Team, and has studied and practiced several different martial arts over the past decades. Dave is also a sheriff's deputy with a major Southern California sheriff's department. We talk about Aikido, law enforcement, and other good stuff. This is Part One.

There was a technical glit...

This is a do-over episode. The episode titled "The Colonel Riffs and Rants" is deleted, and this kinder, gentler episode takes its place. Thank you!

New content is on the way for 2023!

Email us at: TheColonel@TheDirtWaspPodcast.com
Follow us on Instagram: Instagram.com/thedirtwasppodcast/
Visit our website: www.TheDirtWaspPodcast.com

Check out the free One Hour Training Method e-pamphlet...

LtCol Jay Ziemer and Lt Joseph Sarnowski were part of the crew of a B-17 flying on a reconnaissance mission on June 16, 1943, that was ambushed by 21 Japanese Zeros. A forty minute battle between the B-17 and those 21 Zeros ensued. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor - being the first crew of the same aircraft on a mission to be awarded the Medal. 

This episode is introduced by First Sergeant John David Wells, nationa...

This is a rebroadcast of the December 3, 2022 episode of the Musha Shugyo Podcast by Dean Suter on which the Colonel was the guest.  We discussed military, law enforcement, martial arts and warriorship in this episode.  Find Dean's podcast wherever you get your favorite pods. Thank you, Dean!

Copyright 2022, Dean J. Suter, used with permission.

Note: This conversation was over intercontinental internet connec...

The podcast will upload special episodes from time to time.

Between the time of recording and the time of uploading, Buckingham Palace announced the passing of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the longest reigning monarch in British history, and one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history.  Charles, Prince of Wales is now king, King Charles III.   ~ Thursday September 8, 2022.

"The Queen is dead...

This is a multi-podcaster event!  A series of conversations by different martial arts podcasts on the meaning of warriors and warriorship.  The brainchild of Randel Davis of the Kung Fu Conversations Podcast, this is the first episode in the multi-podcast series.  Please tune in to this episode and stay tuned to the podcasts featured below:

#warrior #warriorshipconversing #kungfuconversationspodcast #thedirtwasppodcast

William Henry Johnson was born in Winston Salem, North Carolina and moved to New York City as a teenager.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 5, 1917 and was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment - an all-black National Guard unit that would later become the 369th Infantry Regiment.

The 369th was ordered into battle in 1918.  Johnson and his unit were brigaded with a French army colonial unit in front-li...

UPDATE:  I have decided to archive the podcast next month (August).  Episodes will still be available to listen to on all podcast sites.  Only special episodes will be produced and published.  Thank you!

Today is July 4, 2022.  This date marks the second anniversary of The Dirt Wasp Podcast's debut episode.  Today, I announce the retirement of the podcast.  

The podcast will remain live on the Internet until ...

Sensei Ando Mierzwa of Happy Life Martial Arts joins us to discuss how you can use your smile as "your shield and your sword."  Sensei Ando's approach to martial arts is philosophical without being esoteric.  Sensei Ando is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan, and is a brown belt in BJJ.  He has studied Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Systema, and Aikido during his long career as a Martial Artist and instructor.  Tune in and lea...

This week's episode is a repeat of the awesome joint episode with Jaredd Wilson of Martial Thoughts Podcast!  Jaredd and I talk about martial arts in a variety of contexts, including in science fiction and in the military and law enforcement. This episode was also broadcast on Jaredd's podcast in the summer of 2021.  Find out more about Jaredd, below:

https://www.combatcon.com/speakers/jaredd-wilson/
https://...

Staff Sergeant David G. Bellavia, U.S. Army, distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on November 10, 2004, while serving as a squad leader in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq.   He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry in combat.

Focus on Valor is presented by Col Jay Seffern, and is introduced by nationally syndicated radio talk show host 1...

We support Joe Rogan!  Joe Rogan is an independent voice in the ocean of megacorporate media.  He is a threat to the corporate media narratives propagated by the "news" media, Big Tech, multi-national corporations, and subservient politicians.  He is their competition; they don't own him - nobody does.  Therefore, he is being vilified!  Preserve the Freedom of Ideas!

Joe Rogan on Spotify: https://open.spotif...

We talk about the FBI and whether it has gone woke and whether it is driven by politics.  The catalyst here is James A. Gagliano's opinion piece published on January 18, 2022 in the New York Post.  Jim Gagliano is a retired Supervisory Special Agent and a former commando with the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team.  The Colonel also talks about Andrew McCabe and following the political money.  Tell us what you think!

Link...

Happy New Year! In this episode we talk about the decline of the importance of individual liberty in the democratic West, and the liberty-crushing counter-COVID policies of Australia and of many Western nations and American states.  

Email us at: TheColonel@TheDirtWaspPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: @DirtWaspPodcast
Visit our website: www.TheDirtWaspPodcast.com

Check out the free One Hour Training Method...

November 10th was the 246th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.  November 11th was Veteran's Day in the U.S. and Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in many European countries.  It is fitting that today's episode features LtCol A. J. Dyess, USMC, who fought in the Battle of Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific during World War II.  He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.  Semper Fi!  

Focus on Valor...

Generals and admirals, oh my!  Why don't you see any five-star generals and admirals anymore?  What about six-star generals and admirals?  Six-stars???  Join the Colonel for this episode to learn about US military officer ranks, and some interesting peculiarities surrounding certain flag ranks, and about those you didn't even know existed.

Email us at: TheColonel@TheDirtWaspPodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: @...

At the Battle of Gettysburg, Lt. Alonzo A. Cushing distinguished himself in battle as a Union artillery commander.  Cushing was wounded multiple times before finally succumbing to his last wound.  He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.  Focus on Valor is presented by Col Jay Seffern, and is introduced by nationally syndicated radio talk show host MSgt John David Wells.

Email us at: TheColonel@TheDirtWaspPodcast.co...

Leadership, leadership training, and leaders with leadership coach Jeff Akin!  Jeff is also host of the Starfleet Leadership Academy Podcast.  The Starfleet Leadership Academy is an award-winning leadership development podcast told through the lens of Star Trek.  Star Trek is full of great examples of leadership.  Jeff is a Navy veteran who served on fast-attack submarines, and has been a broadcaster and executive manager.  Like yo...