#223 – Travis Stevens: Judo, Olympics, and Mental Toughness

Lex Fridman Podcast

Travis Stevens is the 2016 Olympic Judo silver medalist and BJJ black belt. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Travis’s Website: https://www.travisstevensgrappling.com/
Travis’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/judosilencer
Travis’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TravisStevensgrappling
Travis’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judosilencer

PODCAST INFO:
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Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
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YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:
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– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(10:08) – What is Judo?
(17:55) – Travis’s signature throw
(23:20) – Fundamentals
(25:12) – Throws
(38:04) – Gripping
(46:37) – Weight cutting
(1:15:50) – Injuries
(1:19:50) – Jiu-Jitsu
(1:23:33) – Lex on his judo competition experience
(1:26:58) – Levels of mastery
(1:40:09) – Matches
(1:54:10) – Travis inspired Lex to practice judo
(2:00:24) – London 2012 Olympic games
(2:42:01) – 2016 Olympic games
(3:16:24) – Mixed team competition
(3:23:50) – The value of epic throws
(3:27:17) – Shohei Ono
(3:33:39) – Chess
(3:38:42) – The coach
(3:45:18) – Advice for young people