About this episode
We're doing this episode in light of Ben Askren's battle with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan from BJJ Mental Models sits down with Jeff Shaw of Bellingham BJJ and Dr. Clayton Green, a board-certified dermatologist and microbiologist, to dig into one of the scariest health threats in combat sports: MRSA. Why are otherwise healthy grapplers winding up hospitalized with life-threatening infections? Why does doing “everything right” still not guarantee safety? And what can we learn from modern medicine to actually prevent this from happening? With pro athletes like Ben Askren and John Moxley getting sidelined by staph—and regular gym-goers like Jeff fighting it off with IV antibiotics—this conversation goes beyond hygiene to tackle culture, misinformation, and the war between science and bro science. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: Dr. Clayton Green – Dermatologist & Microbiologist Jeff Shaw @BellinghamBJJ Steve Kwan @bjjmentalmodels ⸻ 🧠 Topics We Cover: • How MRSA actually works (and why it’s deadly) • Why your gym might still be dangerous, even if it’s clean • The science behind colonization and contamination • Best practices for prevention and decolonization • Why “doing your own research” is making you sick • What science communicators can learn from pro wrestling ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Staph Infections in Combat Sports 02:44 Understanding Staph and MRSA: The Basics 05:33 The Ecology of Staph: Colonization and Transmission 08:30 Identifying Staph Infections in Gyms 11:17 Best Practices for Prevention and Hygiene 13:56 Antibiotics and Treatment: What You Need to Know 16:37 Decolonization: Challenges and Strategies 19:28 Prophylactic Antibiotics: Risks and Considerations 22:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 25:39 The Importance of Advocacy in Medicine 28:12 Understanding Staph Infections and Their Risks 37:15 Probiotics and Antibiotics: What You Need to Know 44:20 Communicating Science Effectively to Combat Misinformation 51:51 The Goalkeeper Syndrome in Society 53:09 The Impact of Denialism on Health 54:25 The Importance of Vaccination and Public Health 56:57 The Role of Emotion in Persuasion 58:25 Urgent Care and Access to Healthcare 01:03:14 The Privilege of Health and Misinformation 01:06:48 The Challenges of Chronic Illness and Research 01:10:35 Community Outreach and the Medical Profession