Stephan Kesting 

Stephan Kesting is so many things that it's hard to put credentials on a guy like him.  He's a 4th-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, a certified instructor in Combat Submission Wrestling, a black belt in Kajukenbo Karate, an instructor in Dan Inosanto's Jun Fan JKD, Maphalindo Silat, and Filipino Martial Arts program.  He is an early pioneer in educational instructionals for martial arts, author, content creator, husband, firefighter, scientist, podcaster, outdoor adventurist, and mountain climber.  He is officially in charge of keeping me entertained and being my personal Google.

I was a brand-new, clueless white belt. I was thrown to the wolves for an easy meal at jiu-jitsu classes. The other students worked me over and used me as a disposable grappling dummy.

Something appealed to me about jiu-jitsu. Maybe it was the idea of a smaller person beating someone larger that worked on my inner psyche, but I was not experiencing any of that as a white belt.

I came across Stephan Kesting, and his instructional/educational resources called GrappleArts.  The first thing acquired was a resource called “A Roadmap For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”  I upgraded to the “Gold Expanded Version” because I was a big shot and wanted the 119-page secret sauce to solve my jiu-jitsu problems.

It wasn’t much longer that I found myself at the very start of my jiu-jitsu educational resources consumption addiction.  Early and repeated injuries in class left me at a crossroads. I will either need a new approach to this interest or must quit because, at my age, there is no way I would make it to black belt and beyond with the injuries I consistently sustained in practice.

Kesting produced a DVD instructional set with Emily Kwok called “How To Defeat The Bigger Stronger Opponent.”  If a more petite woman could learn this art, maybe there was hope for me.

Those early DVDs were my first introduction to Emily Kwok. I had no idea who she was back then, but those DVDs would change my life on and off the mats in many ways.

I can’t say I mastered those techniques in the first weeks of buying the materials. More importantly, I obtained hope, a powerful resource when harnessed appropriately. 

I also became more familiar with Stephan Kesting and became a regular follower of his on his newsletters, blogs, other instructionals, and social media.

Stephan became a guiding light for me on a personal level. Stephan had health battles of his own. His kidney issues following a mandatory kidney transplant impacted his training, his immune system, and his ability to take much more into consideration when doing activities.

But that never slowed Stephan down.  Stephan lives a "zero excuses lifestyle."  He is a prolific and passionate educator. Outside of his work as a firefighter, he pumps out content at a consistent and blazing pace. He loves martial arts, especially jiu-jitsu.

But outside of the martial arts, Stephan is an epic outdoorsman, far beyond my desires and abilities. He’s done monstrous solo expeditions, such as a thousand-mile journey through the Arctic, which have led to videos, books, and adventure stories.

Health-related issues be damned, Stephan lives his life with reckless abandon and is fearless in the pursuit of his passions.  I tend to find people full of that extraordinary passion attractive and inspiring.

Here’s a guy who should be spending his days on a couch with every excuse to sit around and feel sorry for himself.  Kidney transplant, immune issues, and COVID to contend with (which is extremely dangerous for Kidney transplant patients) never stopped Stephan from living a remarkable life.

Stephan is also married, has kids, and lost a brother earlier.  He’s an avid reader and a science fan.

As I battled my health issues (brain tumor number four and counting), having lost a brother myself earlier in life, I’m also an avid reader and science fan.  He loved doing epic outdoor adventures.  I loved being an endurance junkie with my marathons and Ironman triathlons.  We both chased experiences in life for the thrill of accomplishment and adventure.

Over the years, I’d contact Stephan, drop a note, ask questions, and ask for suggestions, guidance, and opinions on a range of issues. He would write back, answer my questions, and give me fresh perspectives on various issues I had to contend with.

We eventually became long-distance friends, and during my travels, I made it a point to connect with him in person and establish a traditional friendship with him.

Years later, and now a black belt, one of the best things that happened in my journey was that I came across Stephan Kesting and Emily Kwok. They have had a tremendous positive influence on me both in and outside jiu-jitsu.

Sometimes, I think that Stephan Kesting was put on earth to inspire and entertain me while I battled my own struggles.

I can’t say enough positive things about Stephan and his educational resources, which you can find here at https://GrappleArts.com

I purchased almost every instructional course he published, and those were some of the best investments I made during my journey.

You can also follow his adventures on Instagram at:

@stephan_kesting

@essentailwilderness

To learn more about GrappleArts (one on my favorite educational resources) click on the image.