Tariffs and Jiu-Jitsu Economics

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw and Jesse Walker are joined by Jose Fernandez, a health economist and purple belt who chairs the economics department at the University of Louisville. He explains who pays for tariffs, why 70% of the world's gis coming out of one country matters for your gear budget, and what gym owners should do about prices and leases while their students are getting squeezed.⸻👥 Featuring:- Jeff Shaw — https://bellinghambjj.com- Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com- Jose Fernandez — https://louisville.edu/faculty/jmfern02⸻🧠 Topics Discussed:- The tight labor market and consumer sentiment- Gym pricing, leases, and rate freezes- Politics in the gym and local elections- Tariffs on gis and rash guards- The AI bubble and robot labor- The federal debt and taxing the rich- Insurance paperwork and doctor hours⸻📖 Chapters:00:00:00 — Introducing Jose Fernandez00:03:57 — The indicators and the debt00:06:47 — White belt signups slow down00:08:51 — Leases, rent, and expansion00:11:48 — Why you shouldn't cut prices00:13:38 — Family discounts and freezes00:19:05 — Politics in the jiu-jitsu gym00:20:29 — Vote in your local elections00:25:09 — Who pays the tariff on your gi00:28:23 — Trade deals without tariffs00:32:31 — Why the stock market climbs00:38:00 — Robots replacing human labor00:47:54 — AI, drones, and modern warfare00:54:12 — Cheap gas and the oil reserves01:00:03 — The debt and the sacred cows01:11:24 — Insurers waste doctor hours