The Art of Fighting BS

In this episode, Jack and Phrost dive into the growing wave of right-wing influencers abandoning Trump. From Joe Rogan's stunned reaction to the Iran war, to Nick Fuentes and Alex Jones turning on the administration, to Tucker Carlson's performative outrage—the rats are leaving the ship. Also covered are the Epstein files cover-up, with Phrost reading from a harrowing victim's journal, debate on whether MAGA reformers deserve forgiveness, and a for pitch the world's greatest charitable organization: Bum Justice.

Wrapping up 2025, Dr. Jason Goldsmith from The Immunology Podcast comes on to update the crew on the state of Public Health in the USA, including COVID-19 and flu vaccines, Tylenol use during pregnancy, and the broader implications of scientific literacy. Is everything as bad as everyone thinks it is? Well, that depends on how much you pay attention. Listen here below, or on Spotify, iTunes, or the 5G connection you have from your Covid vaccines. Bullshido · 60 End of the Year Health of the Nation 25 with Dr. Jason Goldsmith

Phrost and Jack wade into the skeevy world of AI scams and human trafficking to discuss pig butchering, crypto rip-offs, and how lonely idiots get taken advantage of. They actually cover a lot of ground on this one, from AI-generated stories and images used in social media scams, to sophisticated deepfake and voice cloning scams, plus the deeply troubling rise of human trafficking in scam call centers.

In this episode, Mike Mahaffey, a second-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, shares his experience in martial arts and his advocacy efforts for communities currently being targeted by hate groups. Also in this episode, Phrost's microphone decides to stop working correctly and his audio sounds like garbage, prompting a disclaimer before the damn episode ever starts.

Griffin Barber is a retired police officer, science fiction and fantasy author, and Editor for Baen Books. He also hosts and produced The Baen Free Radio Hour. We talk about the mind-blowing scale of the 1632 (“Ring of Fire”) series in which Griffin has written, up and coming authors, and the role SciFi/Fantasy plays as a tool to sort out our biggest challenges in society.

BJJ legend Stephan Kesting comes on the show to discuss misinformation and chronicle his adventurous canoe trip through Canada's wilderness. Highlighting issues from medical systems to social media polarization, Stephan emphasizes preparedness, critical thinking, and experiences with nature, including encounters with polar bears and wildfires. His book, Perseverance: Life and Death in the Subarctic, is available everywhere NOW, including on Amazon and Audible. Timestamps 00:00 Brandolini's Law and Social Media Rants 04:07 A Journey and a Book: Writing and Publishing 05:26 Health Scare and Kidney Transplant 06:30 Modern Medicine and Big Pharma 07:38 Polarizing Figures in the BJJ Community 08:25 COVID-19 Expertise and Political Stance 16:47 Organ Donation and Personal Stories 19:03 Canadian vs. American Healthcare 21:56 Political Climate and Authoritarianism 24:37 Jordan Peterson and Self-Help Gurus 27:59 Elon Musk and Fascism Allegations 31:41 Parenting and Critical Thinking 33:15 The Role of Hierarchy in Emergency Situations 34:32 Training and Challenges in the Military and Firefighting 38:40 Personal Reflections on Mortality and Life Choices 41:46 Exploring the Canadian Wilderness 46:19 Encounters with Wildlife and Survival Strategies 50:44 The Ethics and Practicalities of Hunting 54:06 Unforeseen Challenges and Problem-Solving More info: The Strenuous Life Podcast GrappleArts.com Bullshido · 56 Stephan Kesting: Strenuous Living

On this episode of The Art of Fighting BS podcast, Steve Kwan from the BJJ Mental Models podcast discusses the journey and philosophy underlying his role in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world as a coach and podcaster. Steve emphasizes the importance of education beyond just techniques, focusing on human learning, strategy, and the community aspects of martial arts. The conversation addresses broader issues such as the cult-like potential within martial arts communities, the treatment of women in the sport, and the irresponsible spread of misinformation by influential figures. Steve also shares his pragmatic views on the best fighting strategies, both in competitions and in hypothetical scenarios; and Steve's goals for fostering a supportive and inclusive community within the BJJ Mental Models platform. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Steve Kwan and BJJ Mental Models 01:07 The Value of Jiu-Jitsu Beyond Techniques 02:42 Community and Culture in Jiu-Jitsu 03:56 Addressing Toxicity and Predation in Martial Arts 25:48 The Impact of the Pandemic on Martial Arts 37:19 Conspiracy Theories and Martial Arts 40:51 The Myth of Hollywood Fitness Routines 41:51 Survivorship Bias in Sports 42:55 The Misinformation Pipeline in Jujitsu 43:19 The Rise of Unconventional Health Practices 52:59 The Importance of Safe Training in BJJ 57:30 The Role of Chiropractors and Pseudoscience 01:02:39 Fighting Misinformation in Martial Arts 01:08:13 Final Thoughts and Community Building Bullshido · 55 Steve Kwan BJJ and BS

Professor Rob Tuck, author of the Critical Ninja Theory substack, comes on the pod and discusses his curious road from specializing in Japanese literature to becoming an expert on the historical and mythical ninja. He discusses how his academic background and research led him to debunk many popular misconceptions about ninjas, highlighting the distinction between historical 'shinobi' and the fictional 'ninjas' popularized by media. With insights into his research process and experiences in academia, Rob underscores the importance of critical literacy in understanding Japanese history. He also delves into amusing aspects of ninja fiction and its cultural impact, making the conversation both enlightening and entertaining. 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:27 Discovering the Ninja 00:55 Research and Collection 02:29 Support and Academic Journey 05:20 Critical Ninja Theory 11:20 Real History vs. Fiction 17:16 Ninja in Popular Culture 21:47 Misconceptions and Realities 35:12 The Flexibility of the Ninja Concept 35:45 Western Influence on Ninja Weapons 37:15 Japanese Perception of Ninja 39:25 Ninja in Western Media 41:48 The Fascination with Ninja and Martial Arts 45:17 Anime and Japanese History 54:49 The Evolution of Ninjutsu 57:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Media mentioned in the show Resources and More https://criticalninjatheory.substack.com Bullshido · 54 Critical Ninja Theory with Prof. Rob Tuck

In this episode, philosopher Aaron Rabinowitz, PhD., from the 'Embrace the Void' and 'Philosophers in Space' podcasts, joins the discussion to delve into the nuances of Taiji (Tai Chi), masculinity, martial arts in general, and the philosophy of moral luck. Aaron talks about the importance of healthy masculinity in the context of martial arts, the philosophical concept of luck and how it challenges traditional notions of free will and responsibility. He further discusses his experiences with Tai Chi (Taiji), the value of different martial arts styles, the just world illusion, and the Creator Accountability Network. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Healthy Masculinity and Political Directions 01:54 Martial Arts and Masculinity 04:52 Aaron's Martial Arts Journey 06:48 Understanding Taiji 28:40 The Philosophy of Luck 47:31 The Just World Illusion and the illusion of Deservingness 48:39 Hardwired for Fairness 50:20 Social Dominance and Masculinity 51:12 Privilege and Luck 54:38 Restorative Justice and Criminal Reform 56:30 Community and Cancel Culture 01:08:41 Masculinity and Virtue 01:14:45 Final Thoughts and Recommendations Aaron's Taiji instructor can be found at:https://members.molingtaiji.com/index.php The Embrace the Void, and Philosophers in Space podcast can be found on all major podcasting platforms, and at the links below:https://www.voidpod.com/ https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com

Dr. Jason Goldsmith from The Immunology Podcast comes on to discuss the looming appointments to federal agencies overseeing the American healthcare system including Dr. Mehmet Oz, and RFK Jr.—and all the fallout we should expect from the upcoming changes. Listen to the episode below (like a weirdo), or on your favorite podcasting platform (as long as it's Apple Podcasts or Spotify, we have no idea where you're getting this from otherwise). Bullshido · 52 The Wonderful Land of Oz

With how social media is these days, it almost seems reasonable to assume that anyone who demonstrates a lack of social skills and/or a fixation on edgelord, meme culture is on the spectrum. And in a culture where so many young males are being raised by the internet rather than strong men in their actual lives—and everything that results from that—the issue can get even more confused. In this episode, Jack talks to Phrost about his experience working with actual autistic people, the particulars of the condition, and their place in our society, while Phrost goes into the history of the term "Weaponized Autism", and the ways in which young men are victimized by our culture, then weaponized by the worst actors in our culture—against their own best interests. Then, as always, the show goes off the rails. Enjoy. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, etc. Don't forget to leave a comment and a rating. (A good one, MF.) Bullshido · 51 "Weaponized Autism vs. Actual autism

For our 50th episode, we invited a few people to join in live and help us rank a set of popular conspiracy theories on their threat value to society brought by people who sincerely believe in them.

If you have an internet connection (which you do, otherwise you're reading this in the far future via gravitational waves or sophons or something), you're probably aware that a significant portion of any fandom is wet garbage on a hot day—and we're not just describing the smell at your local convention. And as we've been pointing out for the past several decades here on Bullshido, where there are sad, pathetic losers, there are the people who make their livelihoods preying on them by validating their garbage opinions. No bro, it's not your fault nobody invites you to the panel discussion, "they" are out to get you. In this episode, Phrost and Jack discuss a few examples of these people, such as "The Critical Drinker", explain the history of the weaponization and monitization of nerds, incels, and related losers, and try not to cut back on the profanity... and fail at that, and then fail at bleeping it out in the audio, because fuck it.

In this episode we discuss the burning dumpster clown assault rifle rodeo that is America right now, and Phrost nearly gets himself canceled over a "hard-R".

In this episode, Phrost and Jack do a short dive into the "Manosphere" —the corner of the internet that targets emotionally vulnerable dudes (mostly younger), and exploits that vulnerability to sell them garbage supplements, "how to get a date" programs, and much worse.

On this episode of The Art of Fighting BS Podcast, Steve Mix and Phrost discuss an overview of how disinformation works and how to counter it, then the discussion goes completely off the rails and ends up about the origins of the "warrior cop" mentality and how much law enforcement sucks as a career. Also, violent terrorist acorns. Listen here, or anywhere you get your podcast episodes, via iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, actual clouds, or the 5g reception from your latest Covid booster shot. And subscribe to our Patreon here to get the raw episodes on the same night they're recorded! Bullshido · 46 - Disinformation, Soldiers vs. Cops. vs. Acorns And here's the video referenced in the podcast: https://youtu.be/LmUphvIxIig

Steve Mix joins Phrost and recounts his experiences on the darker side of the Internet, the differences between police and soldiers, and art. Listen here below, or subscribe to The Art of Fighting BS podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. Bullshido · 45 Messages From the Dark Web

Gabe Pearlman is a BJJ Black Belt under one of the first Americans to receive a black belt in the sport, Tim Burrill. We discuss the role training in a full contact style plays in having a meaningful life at all ages, the differences between BJJ gyms, and the value of a BS-free training experience.

Dr. Jason Goldsmith (MD, PhD) and attorney Dante Bradley, join us to discuss the massive drama and BS in the... *checks notes* world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Matt Thornton of the Straight Blast Gym is an icon in the martial arts world, and in particular, has been beating the drum about functional training even longer than we have. In this conversation we discuss violence, how it is an unavoidable part of the human experience, and how to ensure good men are better at it than bad.

Ever dream about just saying "F it" and going to train an obscure martial art in a foreign country? Alyxe Khei did, and then lived that dream. He joins us on this episode of The Art of Fighting BS podcast to discuss tips and advice for people who want to visit exotic places and get punched by the people who live there, and we delve into the real history of Martial Arts and how ethno-nationalism looms over virtually every one of them.

Should you get the new bivalent booster? After all the back and forth between public health officials and social media influencer/grifter cranks, you'd think this would be a simple answer.

Is "doxing" ever okay? It is when we do it! Of course, that's exactly what literally everyone thinks—from the cheese puff-encrusted incel to the head of investigations for a grass roots consumer protection organization (ours).

Is the drug Fentanyl dangerous? Yes. Does it cause immediate convulsions on skin contact? No. Do people have an incentive to BS the public? Listen to find out.

The world of martial arts has a persistent, significant problem with sexual predators, particularly those who work their way into positions of authority as instructors and coaches. William Murphy, PhD, a third-degree Brazilian Jiujitsu black belt and instructor, comes on the show to discuss how this problem can be addressed, and the professional ethics involved in being an instructor.

The podcast world (especially the bro-sphere) is overrun with ridiculous misinformation and BS about DMT and psychedelics in particular. We bring on an expert in the industry to discuss what is really going on, and why no, you're not seeing interdimensional space elves you dork.

What is the state of the Russian martial art and sport, SAMBO, in light of the current war in Ukraine and all the associated considerations? David Dempsey comes on the show to discuss.

Pro MMA fighter and Fashion consultant Kin "Kong" Moy comes on this episode of the podcast to give some of his expert advice on both those topics and why men have such a hard time admitting they care about fashion.

In this episode we talk with MMA fighter, coach, and Bullshido legend Mike "Omega" MacDonald on how his Fight gym made it through Covid, and the challenges of being a trainer during a pandemic.

The Omicron variant is all the rage in viruses, and Dr. Jason Goldsmith, Immunologist (MD, PhD), comes on the show to provide his genuinely shocking analysis of the situation—one a lot of our listeners are not going to like. Listen to the episode below, or on any major podcasting platform. Or don't listen, because you are dumb and make bad life decisions in general. Bullshido · 32 Omicron Live and Let Die

Drunk and intoxicated drivers are a risk to the public. But as attorney and Constitutional scholar, Derek Debus comes on the show to explain, the system for arresting and prosecuting DUIs is flawed at every level, creating incentives for bad police practices, and criminals out of innocent people.

Author of "Anatomy of a Catastrophe", Andrew Vaillencourt, comes on the pod to discuss the ongoing trial of Kyle Rittenhouse and the looming fate awaiting Kenosha, WI. Phrost eulogizes Lowtax. Submessenger and BKR chime in with their thoughts as well. Listen below, or Subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Moot, or Rectm. Bullshido · 30 - Kyle Rittenhouse Trial With Andrew Vaillencourt

In a special edition of the podcast, we’re sharing a recent live conversation held with members of the Bullshido.net forums on various, current hot-button topics, including: the difference between being “nice” and being “kind”, the push to de-gender gendered languages, shaming as a method in effecting changes in behavior, exploiting fragile masculinity to sell dudes crap they don’t need

Brian Brushwood is an award-winning magician, comedian, and heir to the legacy of James Randi. Recorded on location at the studios of The Modern Rogue and Night Attack.

In the first of a two part series with the crew of The Modern Rogue, a guide to badassery and one of the most popular channels on YouTube. The conversation covers a range of topics including goat-eyeball-plucking, speech jamming, various Throwdown injuries and shenanigans, and more!

Dr. Jason Goldsmith (MD, PhD) and Phrost discuss the current state of the pandemic, vaccines, and the collapse of the Intellectual Dark Web.

Taking things down a notch and getting back to our roots, on this episode of the pod we feature the world's toughest Otaku, black belt in half a dozen styles (including the ones that actually count), retired US Army officer, and Bullshido forums legend, "Gezere", to discuss his role in popularizing Anime in the United States, and whatever the hell else he wants to talk about.

The possibility of a man-made origin for the Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic has all the usual conspiracy theorist suspects and even a handful of credible intellectuals furiously arguing back and forth these days. Immunologist Dr. Jason Goldsmith comes on the pod to explain all the origin scenarios, and more importantly, what can actually be done about the problem if Covid really was the result of either negligence or maleficence on the part of a Chinese laboratory or the government overseeing it. Listen here below or on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Bullshido · 24 Covid Lab Leak Origin Theory

The global Coronavirus pandemic has had the secondary effect of reducing incidents of school and workplace violence, especially shootings. But as the deployment of vaccines and recent shifts in policy prove likely to get the virus under control, something resembling the previous "normal" finally seems to be on the horizon. Unfortunately, the occasional mass shooting was also a part of that condition of normality. Morgan Ballis, an expert on mass violence, comes on the episode to explain how and why much of the so-called "Active Shooter" training taught in workplaces and schools is of dangerously low-quality, and how to address that problem. Morgan is an emergency management consultant, Marine infantry veteran, and nationally recognized firearms instructor currently pursuing his PhD in active assailant preparedness and risk perception. You can find his website and organization, the Campus Safety Alliance here. Listen below, or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Bullshido · 23 Active Shooter Training - The Bad and the Good

What the hell is going on with GameStop? Why are your nerdy friends furiously buying a previously worthless stock with looks of pure malice on their faces. What is money? Why are we here? Is there any meaning in the universe? Well if you want answers to the first couple of questions, you'll want to listen to this episode of The Art of Fighting BS Podcast. Andy Meade, an economist out of the Pacific Northwest, comes on the show to explain everything happening right now, and unpack a hundred years of Capitalism into a little over an hour. Listen below, or on your favorite podcast service. Don't forget to subscribe, and comment below to continue the discussion Bullshido · 22 - Reddit Breaks Wall Street

In the last podcast of 2020, Phrost and Submessenger review and ruminate on the events and hot-button topics of the past year, from culture war skirmishes to natural and man-made catastrophes.

As the vaccine for Covid-19 rolls out to the United States and the rest of the world, Immunologist Dr. Jason Goldsmith joins us to discuss the implications, considerations, and specifics of how it was created so quickly, putting to rest conspiracy theories and nonsense about the state of the pandemic.

In this episode we discuss what Grand Juries are and why you should care, along with related issues in the law for which a basic familiarity is an important part of being a competent, functioning adult in the modern age.

"SAMBO" Steve Kopefer is one the most notable icons of this Russian martial art in the United States but for the past several years has established himself as an authority on fighting in films and TV, working behind the scenes on some of the most exciting movies and shows to hit the screen. He shares his time and insight with us.

Engineer and author Andrew "Scrapper" Vaillencourt comes back on the show to discuss the terrible state of everything, recent shooting incidents, and how to solve the damn problems instead of just arguing about them.

Dr. Jason Goldsmith (MD, PhD) and the crew delve into the latest information on the clusterfracas that is the Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States.

Rebecca Little, author of "Swing: Are American Elections Legitimate?" comes on the show to discuss her book and the flaws in our voting system as we close in on the biggest election of many people's lives this year.

There's a billion-dollar industry around BS performance-enhancing supplements, but legendary Bullshido member and supplement industry insider code-named "Roidie McDouchebag" comes on the podcast to separate that BS from facts and provide answers to questions you were afraid to ask.

Clark Neily is the Vice President for Criminal Justice at the CATO Institute and an expert on Constitutional Law, and was co-council for the historic District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court case on the Second Amendment. He joins us on the podcast to address the issue of Qualified Immunity complicating the relationship between police and the public.

With the literal shit about to hit the figurative fan, Dr. Jason Goldsmith comes back on to provide information from the front lines about what to expect in the coming weeks, that you're probably not getting from your chosen news source.