#17 - Ari Shaffir, Eddie Bravo

Ari Shaffir (born February 12, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, writer, and producer recognized for his provocative humor that frequently examines taboo subjects, personal vices, and societal hypocrisies through a skeptical lens. After growing up in an Orthodox Jewish family and studying at a yeshiva in Israel, Shaffir graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in English and moved to Los Angeles to launch his comedy career, initially working as a doorman at The Comedy Store. He gained prominence through stand-up specials such as Passive Aggressive (2013), Double Negative (2017), Jew (2022), and America's Sweetheart (2024), alongside hosting the storytelling series This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central. From 2011 to 2023, Shaffir produced and hosted Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank , a podcast featuring interviews with experts and individuals to probe human motivations, pseudoscience, and experiential narratives. Shaffir's unapologetic approach has sparked controversies, including a 2020 video on social media deriding the death of Kobe Bryant, which prompted backlash from celebrities and fans but was upheld by Shaffir as emblematic of his boundary-pushing style unbound by public mourning rituals. Ari Shaffir was born in New York City to parents of Romanian Jewish descent, with his father, Nat Shaffir (born Nathan Spitzer in 1936), a Holocaust survivor who lost 32 family members and emigrated to Israel before settling in the United States in 1961. The family initially adhered to Conservative Jewish practices during his infancy and early years in Greensboro, North Carolina . At around age nine, the Shaffirs relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland , where they adopted Orthodox Jewish observance, transitioning from a more lenient approach to stricter adherence to halakha (Jewish law). This move immersed Shaffir in a Modern Orthodox environment, characterized by daily Torah study , Shabbat observance, and communal isolation from non-religious influences to preserve piety. The Orthodox framework emphasized ritual discipline and ethical rigor, fostering a worldview centered on divine covenant and moral absolutism , though it also highlighted tensions with broader American secular culture evident in Maryland's diverse suburbs. Shaffir grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Kemp Mill, Maryland, part of Montgomery County, after earlier relocations from New York City and Greensboro, North Carolina . He attended Jewish day schools and Hebrew academy during his formative years, immersing him in religious observance and community traditions. He completed high school in nearby Rockville, where exposure to broader social dynamics began introducing tensions between his insulated upbringing and external influences. Following high school, Shaffir studied briefly at Yeshiva University , adhering to strict religious study, before transferring during his sophomore year to the University of Maryland, College Park . There, he earned a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1999, shifting focus to arts courses including screenwriting . This transition marked a pivotal departure from religious orthodoxy, as the secular campus environment—characterized by diverse ideologies and personal experimentation, such as marijuana use—clashed sharply with his prior god-fearing lifestyle, prompting initial doubts about inherited doctrines. At the university, Shaffir engaged with prevailing campus subcultures, including leftist-leaning activism and intellectual debates, but these encounters fueled rather than reinforced dogmatic adherence. Assigned initially to political science coursework, he observed ideological rigidities akin to those in his religious background, leading him to question unchallenged assumptions across spectrums.

Eddie Bravo (born Edgar Cano; May 15, 1970) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, innovator, and founder of the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, a no-gi grappling methodology that emphasizes high-flexibility guards and unconventional submissions. Born in Santa Ana, California , to Mexican immigrant parents, Bravo initially pursued wrestling in high school before discovering Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the 1990s, earning a black belt under Jean Jacques Machado in 2003 after developing his signature rubber guard technique, which involves wrapping the legs around the opponent's head and arm to control and attack from the bottom position. His most notable competitive achievement came at the 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, where, competing as a brown belt, he submitted Royler Gracie —grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie —with a triangle choke , a victory that highlighted the effectiveness of his unorthodox style against traditional Gracie lineage practitioners and propelled his influence in no-gi grappling . Following this, Bravo established 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu , expanding it into a global network of affiliated gyms that prioritize no-gi training, innovation over tradition, and techniques like the rubber, truck, and twister guards, fostering a subculture within jiu-jitsu that challenges gi-based orthodoxy . Beyond grappling , Bravo has gained prominence as a podcaster and frequent guest on the Joe Rogan Experience , where he discusses martial arts alongside advocacy for conspiracy theories such as flat Earth , directed-energy weapons in the 9/11 attacks, and elite cabals, positions that have rendered him a polarizing figure in both combat sports and broader cultural discourse, often critiqued for diverging from empirical consensus yet defended by supporters as emblematic of independent inquiry. Edgar A. Cano, later legally known as Eddie Bravo after adopting his stepfather's surname, was born on May 15, 1970, in Santa Ana, California . His biological parents were Mexican immigrants who had settled in the United States, instilling a Mexican-American heritage in a working-class environment typical of many immigrant families in Southern California during that era. Bravo's early years were marked by a strong interest in music, beginning at a young age when he learned to play the drums and guitar. He formed several bands during his formative period, harboring aspirations of becoming a professional musician in the rock genre. This pursuit reflected an independent streak, as he channeled creative energies into self-directed musical endeavors rather than conventional paths. Eddie Bravo was born on May 15, 1970, in Santa Ana, California , to Mexican immigrant parents, later adopting his stepfather's surname. Limited public information exists regarding his formal education, with no verified records of attendance at community college or university ; his early development appears to have prioritized self-directed practical skills over structured academic paths. Before discovering Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1991, Bravo's primary non-martial interest lay in music, where he developed skills on drums and guitar during his youth. He formed the band Blackened Kill Symphony as an outlet for his creative ambitions in the music industry. These pursuits reflected a hands-on, experimental approach to self-expression, aligning with his later problem-solving mindset unburdened by conventional frameworks. Eddie Bravo first encountered Brazilian jiu-jitsu through Royce Gracie's dominant performances in the early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, particularly UFC 1 in November 1993 and UFC 2 in March 1994, where Gracie submitted larger strikers using ground control and chokes, proving the art's efficacy in unsanctioned combat against diverse martial styles.