Know Fear With Tony Blauer

I've known Rodney for years. Decades actually. We share a lot of the same philosophies. We share many of the same goals and ambitions. Our approaches to training and safety are philosophically very similar. We've had very similar experiences in business, from the incredibly positive, like amazing success stories of our students to the very negative like betrayals by those we've mentored and trusted. We've also experienced similar injuries and have been living with chronic pain from the wear and tear on our bodies because of the path we chose - bluntly, we've beaten the crap out of our bodies to better understand violence. I consider Rodney a peer and a friend. We've done many interviews in the past on each other's platforms. But this was before I started the KNOW FEAR podcast and before Rodney earned his Ph.D., which is a significant achievement for anyone, but when you hear his story, his background, his WHY? it's even more impressive and you'll understand why I wanted him on KNOW FEAR. Meet my friend, Rodne

I always took breathing for granted. I think most of us do. I’ve been teaching self-defense since 1977. I trained for hours. Sparred every student. Taught 7 days a week. I did this for decades. I always assumed my breathing was on point. It wasn’t. That didn’t mean I didn’t have excellent cardiovascular conditioning, I did. But it was adapted for a specific scenario (even today, in my late 50s, I can do scenario-drills with 30-year old military studs and hang with them - but again, that’s ‘adaptation’., my body had acclimated. I needed to understand breathing outside my sport. Enter Belisa Vranich. Belisa had been on my list of breathing experts to connect with and we finally linked. Within minutes I learned I wasn’t breathing efficiently. I didn’t really understand the role of the diaphragm or how it moved. My Vital Lung Capacity (VLC) was restricted from scar tissue from broken ribs. I didn’t know this! I was a vertical breather. Ugh! All of this impacted my athletic potential and it contributed to other su

My relationship with pain is a long one. For better worse (mostly worse), I grew up in during NO PAIN NO GAIN era and as a result, my body has nagged at me for decades. In my frequent search for the next magic pill to manage my back and neck issues, I discovered Dr. Eric Goodman. I was intrigued by who he’s helped from A-list actors to professional athletes, firefighters, BJJ practitioners and of course regular people like you and I. A year ago I finally had the chance to work with him and his amazing team. His method called, Foundation Training, has really helped me. If you’re a human, living on planet Earth, you’re working against gravity, looking down on a cell phone, hunched over a computer, sitting a lot (car/desk) and you likely experience back and neck pain.  Meet my friends, Eric Goodman and Jessie Salas. Learn more here: https://www.foundationtraining.com/about/  

Katie Toliao Hurd is the Self Defense Program Director at CSA Gym, she's a Krav Maga Black Belt, a member of the Krav Maga Alliance Training Team, an MTAA Champion, a KMA Force Instructor and last year, she was voted the Krav Maga Alliance 2017 'Instructor of the Year'. Katie recently had a very cool experience during one of her Krav classes and called me to share it.   I love how much it excited her! This experience epitomizes what we strive to do at Blauer Tactical with our SPEAR System programs for all martial artists and self-defense instructors around the world.   This is 15 minutes of passion! 

I started following Michael Mihas on Instagram where he has a very popular and irreverent page called MR JIU-JITSU. Many of his posts are very very funny - so funny in fact, that I private messaged him and asked if he had a team of comedy writers helping him. To which he LOL'd and admitted it was just him having 'deep thoughts while on the toilet'. No shit, I thought. I had to get him on KNOW FEAR. I didn't know him outside his posts, and as you can tell from his page name, he loves BJJ. Separate to his funny posts, his message is consistent - train -train - train - No Excuses. He pulls no punches when he posts or replies. So I knew our call could get controversial because of how I have created categories separating martial art training from martial training. Regardless, I wanted to get to know Michael, and hell it didn't matter if we ended up disagreeing on methods, as long as we had an intelligent conversation and inspired some people to train.  Our call was pretty animated, here's a link to it too: https:/

IMPORTANT:  This is the AUDIO version, the KEYNOTE presentation with the SLIDES is available for you to watch on VIMEO - Here is the link. I invited Ryan to talk at my training camp after reading powerful sections from his book F**K Your Feelings. Ryan's passion for performance, his knowledge about how the brain works from neurotransmitter to the muscular extension and contraction made him a great choice to talk about the science inside of the SPEAR System. What was awesome is that Ryan didn't just show up onsite and ask for his dressing room...he came in early and trained with all the martial artists, cops, self-defense experts and then after doing a full day of training rewrote his presentation now that he had tasted and felt the connection between physiology, physics, and psychology - which is why I refer to my system as the 'science' of self-defense. If you're sitting on the fence about my system this should help push you over the edge. If you enjoy SPEAR, this will take your understanding to a deeper lev

When I was 15, my mom asked me what I was going to be when I was older, lawyer? doctor? work in the family business?  I was stretching on the floor looking at Bruce Lee magazines and I told her I wasn't going to go to school, that I was going to create my own self-defense system and teach that.  She pat me on the head and said, "Ok dear we'll talk about this when you're older". Well here we are 43 years later and I haven't stopped for four decades. When Stephen DiLeo, the editor-in-chief of Warriors Magazine told me he wanted me to be the cover feature of the 2019 New Year edition, I was humbled and flattered. As part of his research, he asked if he could interview me for the article and our talk turned out to be one of the deepest discussions on the science and psychology of self-defense system I've ever done.  I hope you enjoy this. Stay safe, Coach B To learn more about Warriors Magazine click here.  

I’ve been a fan of James Clear's newsletter for years and have enjoyed how strategic his writing was, always lucid, always interesting and logically compelling.  When ATOMIC HABITS was released I bought it right away.  I'm pretty disciplined and was curious to see what I could glean from the book to help me dial-in my habits even more. The book didn't disappoint!  I finished it quickly and incorporated some of James' strategies the very next morning! I especially appreciated how James incorporated biology, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, to explain his system. This completely resonated with me, because it mirrored my approach to designing effective self-defense.   When you understand how the brain works it becomes easier for you to make your brain work.   Enjoy this podcast with James Clear! Click here to join his newsletter and learn more about his book ATOMIC HABITS

MUCH MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE Have you ever met someone who's famous because of their looks or athleticism or some other talent only to discover that's all they have going for them?  Disappointing right?  Not so with Christmas.  Over the years I've gotten to know her and watch her amazing career evolve from athlete to entrepreneur, she's a gym owner, model, author, inspirational speaker, and mom!  She first popped on my radar around 2011 via the CrossFit community. and she quickly went from viral to iconic after INK MAG put her on the cover in 2012. You're going to enjoy her story and philosophy! Bonus! For this episode, I asked my wife Jesse to join me. We've known Christmas for many years and caught up with her just before the birth of her son.  Get ready for Christmas.   The INKED MAG pics that rocked the community 

I’ve known Joe Mullings for about two decades. I met him years ago when he signed up for my SPEAR:PDR Trainer course. He was a standout in the class, not just physically, he had penetrating questions about the psychology - he was fascinated with mindset - I knew we would become friends. Over the years our professional relationship turned personal and now, years later, he's not just a close friend but he's become a business mentor helping me balance the art and science of what I love with the realities of scaling and growing a business, something Joe has finessed. Meet my friend Joe Mullings, entrepreneur, triathlete, BJJ Black Belt, SPEAR Coach, gym owner, fight trainer, Vlog producer, and I'm running out of space. It makes me so proud to see his passion, intelligence and business acumen continue to evolve and be recognized on the world stage. He's most active on LinkedIn

This is one of those topics that is very difficult to discuss let alone wrap your head around. The scope of the problem is mind-boggling.  I sat down with Nic McKinley, the Executive Director of DeliverFund and discussed human trafficking. The topic is very disconcerting and the solutions aren't simple. This happens every day and could happen to someone you know. We cover a lot in this talk.  It's heavy because we are talking about real people and not 'things' like guns or drugs.  Some of the statistics reported will blow your mind. Fortunately, there are some very smart and motivated people fighting this war. Learn more about DeliverFund here: https://www.deliverfund.org/ Watch this video 

Bruce Lee: Icon, innovator, pioneer, legend.  I discovered martial arts the year Bruce Lee died. His spirit and persona inspired me to go after my dreams. And in many ways, he had the most impactful influence on my journey even though I never had the honor of meeting him in person.  I have an extensive Lee collection and have read ever biography printed so I was thrilled to see this new book released and written by an experienced author and researcher.  I contacted Mr. Polly and he agreed to this interview. I met Mathew Polly for the first time during my interview with him.  We connected immediately as we were both Bruce fans from way back. What Mathew didn't know was that I actually knew Brandon Lee for many years. We were friends, trained together, I did a film with him in Hong Kong and more. As a result, this conversation went deeper and was more personal than a stereotypical 'book launch' interview.    "Forty-five years after his sudden death at age thirty-two, bestselling author Matthew Polly has written

I received this message on Facebook: My name is Jamie Dunham, I was explaining to a friend tonight how your tactics saved my life a few years back (outside a gas station in Memphis). I just wanted to finally thank you, because if it weren't for my dad diligently training me with your technique, I am positive that my story would've come to a violent end five years ago. Thank you so so much. I am truly a living testament of your work. Her story is mind-blowing. 

"Genes expect certain behaviors of us" - Mark Sisson How do you apply that principle to food, fitness, sex, relationships, Life? This is just part of Mark Sisson's philosophy and message. Triathlete, researcher, author, speaker, coach, entrepreneur, the list goes on. Mark has created an amazing empire and repository of practical information. One of the things I appreciate most about his message and his writing is its simplicity. His insights on health, fitness, and nutrition will make you re-think your long-term strategy.  Check out his body of work on this page, it's a great resource, click here Sign up for his newsletter 

I've known Dave Lipson for almost 10 years. I've never seen him frown. I've never seen him angry. He's as mentally tough as he is physically strong. I was curious as to how he views obstacles and challenges. For those of you who follow Dave's Instagram page, his online persona is quite different than talking to him one-on-one. You're going to be very surprised by this conversation. Dave's background is fascinating and this interview went deeper than I expected. I love learning new ways to look at life and challenges.  Enjoy this intimate talk with my friend Dave 'freakin' Lipson. Learn more about his training programs here.  

Officer David Sachs was honored with a Medal of Valor for his “extraordinary bravery and willingness to protect the lives of others, without regard for his own safety” the department said. He was also awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries while on duty. I met David at one of our custom CrossFit courses a couple of years ago. He had recently become a police officer after 11 years in the military and 7 years as a federal agent. During a call, the suspect’s mother answered and invited the officers in. After stepping into the home’s kitchen, the suspect attacked Sachs with a knife, stabbing him multiple times in the face, head, and arm. The tactic he used to protect himself and clear the threat was a primal gross motor movement called the SPEAR, which he learned over a weekend at our CrossFit specialty course.  Sachs was stabbed six times. Following seven months of recovery, he returned to full-duty and is still serving today. An amazing story. Click here to learn more about the incident.

I don't really know where to start to describe my friend Dr. Mark Cheng. He's a healer, a student of life and multiple martial arts. He's a teacher, coach, and an accomplished athlete. He's funny, irreverent, philosophical & deep. His commitment to educating and training his children is incredibly inspiring. With all these skills and accolades, you'd think he would be super serious or pedantic. Nope. What is most endearing [to me] is how Mark continues to carry himself: curious, humble and self-deprecating.  Meet Dr. Mark Cheng. Mark has worked with some of the world’s most accomplished performers. From Olympians and CEOs to entrepreneurs and stay-at-home moms to kids and college athletes.  Learn more about him here: https://www.drmarkcheng.com/ Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DrMarkCheng/

Lifelong martial artist, kettlebell pioneer and movement specialist,  Shawn Mozen has been studying 'physical culture' for decades.  His approach to training and coaching is refreshing because it's grounded in a philosophy that mirrors real-life: train to train, embrace the journey, do the work.  Simple.  But in this age of 'shortcuts' and 'secret hacks' many people miss the point of the journey.   I've known Shawn for decades. He's not only a friend but he's a challenge to keep up with because he's also irreverent, sarcastic, witty and smart.  This episode of KNOW FEAR will educate and entertain.  Meet Shawn Mozen. Learn more here

Former Marine, Retired Navy SEAL, Former Air Marshal - after decades of missions around the world, Craig has found a new mission, right here, in the United States of America.  As a parent, what do you know about sex-trafficking? How would you react if it happened to someone close to you? In 2017, after a very personal experience, Craig Sawyer found a new mission and applied his years of training and experience to go after these degenerates. Craig is doing very important work. His thoughts on fear and courage are very potent and his work to find and convict sex-traffickers is amazing. Listen in and please visit the site: https://vets4childrescue.org/ More on Craig's background here:https://tacticalinsider.com/info/about-sawman/bio/Sawyer

From Conor Mcgregor to Nick Swardson. From Jocko Willink to Fedor.  From Monster Energy to Triumph United.  Who the hell is Hans Molenkamp? I connected with Hans about a year ago and discovered a mutual passion for 'creativity with integrity'. The more we spoke the deeper it got. He’s a modern day ‘renaissance man’ with a love of music, art, and physical movement. We’ve both been grinding for decades and it's amazing to me that our paths only crossed recently.  But I’m sure glad they did. Hans inspires me & considering my optempo, that says a lot. During this podcast I found myself simply listening and absorbing, Hans’ story is pretty amazing, from his background in the skate/surf community to his beginning’s with BJJ & MMA and how he built his relationships and brand. He’s been behind the scenes for almost all of it.  But more importantly, he has a legitimate philosophy about life and is willing to share it. Sit back and meet Hans Molenkamp. Follow Hans on IG