The Art of Fighting BS

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.

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.

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

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

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

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, 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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.