In the early 2000s Denis Kang was one of the top MMA fighters in the world with wins over Minoru Suzuki, Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua, Akihiro Gono and Marvin Eastman.
In this interview, Denis opens up about:
- The mindset shift that took him to a 22-fight undefeated streak…
- How he dealt with the death of his fiance while competing for the biggest MMA organisation in the world…
- How fighters should know when it’s time to quit fighting…
- How MMA training has changed since the early days…
- And what good training looks like.
Denis Kang Podcast Episode in Audio Format
This conversation with Denis Kang published as episode 409 of The Strenuous Life Podcast.
You can listen to the audio-only format of the episode on all major podcast platforms, but here are some of the links to get you started…
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify Podcasts
- And most other podcast players
More Denis Kang
Denis teaches at Pinnacle MMA in Richmond, BC, and can be followed on Instagram at @thisisdeniskang
More Stephan Kesting
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You can order my new book “Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic” on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indigo/Chapters, or your local bookstore!
Other Episodes of The Strenuous Life Podcast Content
What the Hell Happened to the UFC?
Luke Thomas is one of the most influential MMA analysts in the game and the host of The Morning Kombat Podcast. I was delighted to talk to him about ow the sport of MMA has changed, the rise of Eastern European fighters, why terrible behaviour of MMA fighters is tolerated, drug testing in the UFC, and more.
Click here for the podcast episode with Luke Thomas
Strength vs Endurance Training, with World Record Holder James Pieratt
James Pieratt is a hybrid athlete who does things like deadlifting 520 lbs in the morning and then running fifty miles in the afternoon. I caught up with him shortly after he completed a 500-mile, self-supported mountain run along the Pacific Crest Trail.
In this interview, we went deep into…
- How to balance strength, endurance, and skill training,
- The role of prehabilitation and rehabilitation,
- The role of strength and conditioning in jiu-jitsu performance,
- The effect of hard training on life expectancy,
- What drives someone to these extremes,
- And much more.
Click here to check it out – it’s super inspiring!
The Most Successful Gracie Family Fighter of All Time
Robert Drysdale a BJJ and ADCC World Champion and has conducted extensive research into the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In this interview, he reveals some of what he’s discovered, including…
01:54 – The first wave of jiu-jitsu in Brazil – Helio Gracie and Carlos Gracie
04:35 – Exhibition and carnival fighting in Brazil
06:55 – Traditional jiu-jitsu style vs modified judo
12:14 – Training methods of the Gracie Academy in the ’30s, 40s and ’50s
18:43 – The second wave practitioners
19:47 – Waldemar Santana
22:49 – Carlson Gracie and the Rua Figueiredo Magalhães school
33:19 – How BJJ rule changes changed the sport
42:31 – Rolls Gracie
48:51 – Self-defense and Vale Tudo training
55:28 – Rolls Gracie death
1:00:55 – The Carlson Gracie tragedy
1:13:54 – Carlos Gracie Jr.
1:21:03 – Future rule changes, luta livre, and the sportification of jiu-jitsu
Click here to listen to my interview with Robert Drysdale.
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