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November 22, 2025 58 mins

Josh Fridgen is a member of the Army Special Forces, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and current instructor and owner at The Academy Plymouth. He was a 2nd place finisher in the All-Army Combatives tournament, a grueling 3-stage event open to members of the army and special forces.

John Castaneda is a professional Featherweight UFC fighter with a pro record of 21-8, and one of four UFC fighters in the state of Minnesota. He is originally from Waconia, MN and is now also an instructor and owner at The Academy Plymouth.

Josh and John share stories of how they got started in martial arts, some insider stories from time in the military, and a never before publicized story about John's early career in fighting.

The two also discuss the expansion of Academy Plymouth, which is currently underway. Josh also shares his experience with physical therapy and how it's helped him stay healthy and at the peak of his game.

00:00 Intro & Josh's military career

02:23 All-Army Combatives tournament format and results

06:10 Getting started in martial arts training

10:07 Stories from training in the army

17:45 Intro John and background in wrestling

19:00 Making the switch to MMA

20:40 Opening an MMA training facility

22:26 The Waconia Fighter

28:01 Sexy Mexi

30:02 UFC's new Paramount deal

33:11 New training facilities

34:36 Physical therapy experiences

38:39 The coolest magic trick

42:30 The methods behind the magic

45:58 Insurance vs direct pay physical therapy

47:55 Performance is the new healthcare

53:01 Bringing it back to jiu jitsu

Academy Plymouth: https://academyplymouth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/academyplymouth

John Castaneda: https://www.instagram.com/johncastaneda_/

Inspired Athletx: https://inspiredathletx.com/

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