Welcome to Dark Martial Arts History, an 8-part audio documentary exploring how the fighting arts have been used for propaganda and extremism. Massive in its scope, this series traces 2,400 years of martial arts history to uncover how tools designed to build strength and character can also be used for manipulation.

Your hosts are Ben Van Doren (BJJ black belt under Lucas Lepri) and Eva Schubert (educator & host of the Villains and Virgins podcast). Ben and Eva's guests include philosophers, historians, professors, investigative journalists, and martial arts educators discussing topics from ancient warrior culture to modern-day warlords.

These discussions are uncomfortable, but necessary for martial artists to understand. If you train jiu-jitsu, judo, MMA, or any other fighting art, these stories are part of your sport's history.

Ep. 1: Masculinity and Warrior Culture, feat. Angie Hobbs.
Philosopher Angie Hobbs (University of Sheffield) on Plato, the Stoics, Sparta, and how extremists misuse Homer and Nietzsche.

Ep. 2: Fascism and Sports Under Mussolini and Hitler, feat. Fabio Sappino.
How fascist regimes turned athletics into propaganda, including youth programs and the cult of the "strongman."

Ep. 3: Disinformation, feat. Barbara McQuade.
The law professor and author of Attack from Within on how false information divides people, and what martial arts communities can do to bring them together.

Ep. 4: Organizational Power and MMA, feat. Karim Zidan.
The investigative journalist from Sports Politika on how Kadyrov uses MMA to enforce loyalty and project power.

Ep. 5: Active Clubs & Other Extremist Groups, feat. Karim Zidan.
How the Active Club movement uses MMA culture, fitness, and online propaganda to recruit.

Ep. 6: Mainstream Extremism in Martial Arts, feat. Stephan Kesting.
How conspiracy thinking and extremist rhetoric became normal in MMA and BJJ, and what the community has tolerated.

Ep. 7: Kano's Vision for Judo and Society, feat. Daniele Bolelli.
How Judo founder Jigoro Kano helped keep martial arts alive in late 1800s Japan, and what happened when rising nationalism collided with his vision.

Ep. 8: What Do We Do About It?, feat. Sarah Stein Lubrano.
Why debate doesn't change minds, and why martial arts communities might be in a good position to do something about extremism.

Dark Martial Arts History includes a free month of BJJ Mental Models Premium.