Stephan Kesting to Speak at Texas Tech Webinar on Science Denialism

Longtime BJJ black belt and well-known instructor Stephan Kesting has been an outspoken supporter of science throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Kesting has used his vast social media following to spread information about COVID-19 and the vaccine, encouraging his followers to be vaccinated against the virus.

On Wednesday, September 15, Kesting will speak at a public webinar hosted by Texas Tech University. The webinar will discuss “vaccine hesitancy and science denialism in social media, martial arts and fitness subcultures” according to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Website. The webinar takes place at 12:00 PM CT; registration is available here.

Kesting, with his academic background in biology, will speak alongside Texas Tech Social Epidemiologist Dr. Jeff Dennis. Together, they will discuss topics including science denialism, vaccine hesitancy, and the prevalence of both in the martial arts. As a prominent member of the BJJ community and one with a substantial following, Kesting is well-positioned to speak on these issues, having witnessed them firsthand.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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