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# You Can’t "Keep Politics Out" Anymore
- URL: https://fightingmatters.com/you-cant-keep-politics-out-anymore/
- Published: 2026-01-31T02:48:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-12T05:16:30.000Z
- Description: The idea of “keeping politics out” is no longer tenable, especially in Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts communities.
- Author: Fighting Matters
- Tags: Podcast, Video, Activism

The idea of “keeping politics out” is no longer tenable, especially in Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts communities. Against the backdrop of escalating political violence, institutional breakdowns, and global instability, we explore the civic responsibility of gym owners, coaches, and athletes, and why silence increasingly amounts to complicity.  
  
🔗 Links Mentioned:  
• Fighting Matters Linktree — [https://linktree.com/fightingmatters](https://linktree.com/fightingmatters?ref=fightingmatters.com)  
• Fighting Matters Substack — [https://fightingmatters.substack.com](https://fightingmatters.substack.com/)  
• This Is Why We Fight (Jeff Shaw course) — [https://bjjmentalmodels.com/fight](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/fight?ref=fightingmatters.com)  
  
⸻  
  
👥 Featuring:  
Steve Kwan — [https://bjjmentalmodels.com](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)  
Stephan Kesting — [https://www.grapplearts.com](https://www.grapplearts.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)  
Jeff Shaw — [https://bellinghambjj.com](https://bellinghambjj.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)  
  
⸻  
  
🧠 Topics Discussed:  
• Why “keep politics out of Jiu-Jitsu” is a thought-terminating cliché  
• Political violence, accountability, and the role of video evidence  
• Fascism, despair, and overreaction as a martial arts analogy  
• Civic responsibility for gym owners and community leaders  
• Why neutrality increasingly favors the status quo  
  
⸻  
  
📖 Chapters:  
[00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Welcome & January 2026 reality check  
[04:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=280s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Political violence and media narratives  
[13:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=810s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Why apolitical stances are collapsing  
[24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=1440s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Global consequences and U.S. credibility  
[31:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=1860s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — “Keep politics out of Jiu-Jitsu” examined  
[45:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=2710s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Martial arts, pressure, and overreaction  
[54:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=3280s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — What regular people can actually do  
[57:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXo-dJFrd%5Fc&t=3440s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Final thoughts and calls to action