Matt Thornton on martial arts, self-defense, and building a healthier relationship to violence

Matt Thornton received his blue belt from the legendary Rickson Gracie in 1993 and was the first person in the state of Oregon to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also gave the father of MMA in Ireland and trainer to UFC legend Conor McGregor, John Kavanagh, his black belt. Matt’s school, Straight Blast Gym (SBG), became Oregon’s first MMA-style gym. His book, "The Gift of Violence: Practical Knowledge for Surviving and Thriving in a Dangerous World," comes out on April 11, 2023.

http://mattthornton.org
https://www.straightblastgym.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Violence-Practical-Knowledge-Surviving/dp/1634312309
~~~
To gain early access to interviews and exclusive access to select content, consider becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/meghanmurphy
Watch me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/MeghanMurphy
Subscribe to The Same Drugs on Substack: https://meghanmurphy.substack.com/
Support my work with a donation: https://buy.stripe.com/6oEbLI7tFgie2wEaEE
Donate Bitcoin: 1BHmHSyCPbQDE5FCueUBzjuf95kwvCaGME
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanemilymurphy/
And Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeghanEMurphy
And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanmurphywriter
And Minds: https://www.minds.com/meghanmurphy/
Check the podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-same-drugs