In this episode of The Heart of the Bad Wolf, Nicholas James Muscarella sits down with world-renowned striking coach Jason Strout for a raw, honest conversation about fighting, burnout, addiction, fatherhood, and the emotional weight of coaching at the highest level.

Jason opens up about growing up in the Midwest with an alcoholic father, finding himself in hardcore music culture, and how fighting became both an outlet and an identity. He shares why he never drank, how gym life saved him at the right moment, and how stepping into combat sports changes you permanently.

The conversation goes deeper into the realities most fans never see:

• Stopping fights to protect his own fighters • The emotional crash after fight night • The guilt of convincing a fighter to take a payday that ended in a knockout • Burnout from nonstop fight camps • How coaching links you emotionally to a fighter inside the cage • Why he sometimes needs to disappear during fight week to recharge

Jason also reflects on becoming a father and how raising a child forces you to confront your own childhood. He speaks openly about ego, relationships, emotional awareness, and the discipline it takes to evolve as a man.

This is not just about striking. It’s about identity, chaos, masculinity, mentorship, growth, and breaking cycles.

If you care about what fighting really does to the mind and the heart, this episode is for you.

Follow Jason Strout on Instagram: @coachstrout website: https://jasonstrout.com/

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Podcast production by Command Creative Studios https://www.commandcreativestudios.com

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