About this episode

Pete Deeley interviews Ryan Hurst about the impact of martial arts on his life and teaching philosophy.

Host Pete Deeley interviews Ryan Hurst of GMB Fitness about how martial arts shaped his life and teaching. Hurst began martial arts in high school, visited Japan at 18, and an influential kendo instructor encouraged him to stay; a planned short exchange became 28 years in Japan, including training connected to police/self-defense groups and working eight years at a martial arts complex in a shrine. He emphasizes posture, breath, and mindset as core principles for both fighting and life. After moving back to the U.S. four years ago, injuries and cultural differences in training made him consider quitting, leading him to form the non-competitive, free "Jiú Kai" group focused on longevity and mutual benefit. He discusses judo maxims (maximum efficiency, mutual welfare/respect, and pausing to ask "is this necessary?"), training modes (maintenance, exploration, "monk mode"), and how being an outsider improved his coaching awareness. He previews a forthcoming book on staying on the mat forever. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:36 Martial Arts as a Life Path 02:55 Japan Exchange and Kendo Mentor 06:02 Posture Breath Mindset Framework 09:54 Coaches and Work Ethic Origins 11:40 Kendo…

People in this episode

Host: Pete Deeley

Guest: Ryan Hurst

Topics covered

• martial arts
• life philosophy
• coaching
• longevity
• training methods

Keywords

• martial arts
• Ryan Hurst
• GMB Fitness
• Jiú Kai
• training philosophy
• longevity
• kendo
• judo

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: GMB Fitness

Books & works: Jiú Kai

Places: Japan, Osaka

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