Podcast
H-Hour
Hosted by Hugh Keir · EN
A former sniper interviewing fascinating human beings.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
“Stand-up fighting is what people want to see. They don’t want to see rolling around on the floor” H-Hour #283 Joe Brooks – world champion fighter
Apr 1901:47:48Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #283, I welcome martial artist Joe Brooks for a wide-ranging conversation on his path in combat sports, his recent Total Kombat world title, and what makes the promotion feel different from the usual MMA startup. We dig into the fight itself — the range battle, the clinch exchanges, the scoring system, and what he felt he did well or could sharpen next time — before moving into his broader philosophy on combat, coaching, and staying dangerous across multiple disciplines. Joe explains why he likes Total Kombat’s format, where clean, committed strikes and takedowns are rewarded, and why he thinks that kind of rule set gives kickboxers, Taekwondo fighters, Muay Thai athletes, and other stand-up specialists a real platform. We also get into the MMA question: whether it’s better to come up through one traditional martial art first or train MMA from the start, and Joe gives a balanced view on how mastery, adaptability, and solid fundamentals all matter. We cover his enormous competition experience, including back-to-back fights at a major Italian tournament, the demands of coaching while competing, and the reality of staying sharp across hundreds of bouts. Joe also shares some great stories about knockouts, damaged toes, hard training, and the constant mindset of chasing improvement — even after winning a world title. https://www.instagram.com/joebrooks30/
Transcribe →Joe Brooks – world champion fighter. H-Hour Icebreaker guest.
Apr 1900:23:44Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For this Icebreaker with martial artist Joe Brooks, answering patron-submitted questions he reflects on how being a trained fighter makes him far less likely to get into street fights, because competition gives him the confidence not to “prove yourself” outside the gym. He talks about the mindset behind combat, including how he visualized becoming Total Combat world champion for weeks before the bout, and why he thinks hard work can ultimately beat raw talent. The chat also covers how he sizes people up by body language and eye contact, why he believes calm confidence is a bigger tell than loud bravado, and why kickboxing is his pick as the best single martial art for real-world self-defense. https://www.instagram.com/joebrooks30/ @joebrooks30
Transcribe →“If we had to get rid of one of our values, it’d be tolerance, because we put up with too much shit”Pro Fighter and Dominatrix – Monique Etienne
Apr 1202:59:44Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #282 I welcome Monique Etienne, a Muay Thai fighter and dominatrix, for a wide-ranging conversation on masculinity, relationships, censorship, and national identity. We discuss the rise of figures like Andrew Tate - does it reflect young men feeling attacked or undervalued? We debate chivalry and evolutionary sex differences, and discuss modern dating, porn, the “orgasm gap,” and whether married men using sex workers or porn can be morally acceptable. Monique explains her path from stripping to fetish wrestling/BDSM sessions, her Sex & Rage project bridging sex workers and non–sex workers, and her Substack on “sex, morality, censorship and fighting,” including opposition to the UK porn “choking ban” (“I’m just against censorship in general”). We cover men’s mental health, self-criticism, fear and capability, Total Kombat - a booming new fight promotion, self-defence, and end on immigration/patriotism, ideology, and trans people in sport. https://link.me/ladyblackvenus https://www.instagram.com/ladyblackvenus.x/
Transcribe →“The whole cult manosphere thing is nuts” Pro Fighter and Dominatrix – Monique Etienne
Apr 1200:17:33Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For this Icebreaker with Muay Thai fighter Monique Etienne, answering patron-submitted questions she breaks down the hardest part of Muay Thai—its brutally full-contact nature—contrasting it with junior karate where you had to pull strikes and she was once disqualified for making contact. She reflects on her two losses, including a 2024 bout against European champion Sigrid Kanan and an earlier amateur fight soon after her dad died that helped prompt a gym change, insisting “losses are lessons.” The chat hits fighter reputations, her own style as calm but confident, and a sharp take on the manosphere—calling Andrew Tate “a dick” while arguing the trend is “symptomatic” of wider male disenfranchisement—before rolling into the full episode. https://link.me/ladyblackvenus https://www.instagram.com/ladyblackvenus.x/
Transcribe →“I was either gonna die out there or make it” – British adventurer Annasley Park
Mar 2202:37:22Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this episode I welcome Annasley Park - a British adventurer and former elite cyclist who, after overcoming career-ending injuries and an eclectic journey through sports and global exploration, became one of only nine women ever to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean. https://annasleypark.com/ We discuss Park stumbling into elite cycling after overtraining as a runner (Osgood-Schlatter’s and back pain), joining Team GB at 17–18, learning the brutal technicality and team tactics of track/road racing, and racing at the Doha World Championships alongside Lizzie Armitstead, while managing chronic pain, weight scrutiny, WADA/UKAD restrictions, and internal politics. We talked about the end of her pro cycling due to EILO (exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction) and unaffordable surgery, triggering an identity crash and jobs from cleaning to running a solo chalet in the French Alps, then four years in superyachting. After burnout and glandular fever in 2023, she did a 10-day silent Vipassana course, trauma-informed somatic training, and set out independently to row the Atlantic solo; after capsizing 10 hours in, she decided, “I was either gonna die out there or make it,” completed 54 days, and now builds a resilience framework around solitude, magnitude, and attitude, emphasizing authentic reputation, clear “why,” and support during reintegration.
Transcribe →“Certain countries would get their females pregnant” to gain hormonal advantages.
Mar 2200:22:46Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Live-streamed to H-Hour patrons, this Icebreaker introduces Annasley Park - a British adventurer and former elite cyclist who, after overcoming career-ending injuries and an eclectic journey through sports and global exploration, became one of only nine women ever to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean. https://annasleypark.com/ I run through patron questions submitted for Annasley, discussing the hardships of her ocean row and the last two years changing her perspective on life. Discussing cheating in sport, Annasley says cheaters “are only cheating themselves” and steal moments from those who sacrificed, while noting anti-doping scrutiny in cycling (2015–2019) and recounting a shocking claim that “certain countries would get their females pregnant” to gain hormonal advantages. She describes her most scared moment: capsizing 10 hours into her row amid strong winds and a mis-set centreboard. She shares loving six months in Auburn, USA, living outdoors, and says the outdoors improves her mental health through flow and testing conditions. She briefly addresses discrimination as a woman, and says she’d refuse support that violates her moral compass. This is a short episode, leading into the full podcast - H-Hour #281
Transcribe →“What makes [the movie] Warfare so brilliant, is that its not shiny… it’s f**king grim” – Actor Alex Brockdorff
Mar 1501:30:01Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour episode, I chat with actor and ex-Queen’s Royal Hussars Officer Alex Brockdorff about breaking into film/TV via commercial crew work—starting as a runner and becoming a location manager to “keep a roof over my head” while pursuing acting—and why set life suits ex-military planning, teamwork, and initiative. Brockdorff praises the technical craft of production, contrasts commercials with long-form drama, and describes his unconventional audition for Warfare, the film’s memory-based scripting, long takes, tight hours, and why it felt special, calling it “fucking grim” with “no sweeping strings” or “American Eagle” heroics. He recounts leaving the Army, bottoming out in 2015, seeking help through Combat Stress and HorseBack UK, and urges veterans to ask for help. ---- Alex Brockdorff Is an actor and former soldier. He joined the Army in 2008 with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan - in 2014 he left the military to pursue a career in film. He as appeared in a slate of films, network and streaming television dramas, and most recently he played Mikey in the critically acclaimed WARFARE (A24). https://www.alexbrockdorff.com/
Transcribe →New officers should “keep your mouth shut and listen.” Alex Brockdorff’s H-Hour Icebreaker
Mar 1500:21:35Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Live-streamed to H-Hour patrons, this Icebreaker introduces returning guest Alex Brockdorff and runs through patron questions about his Army career and acting work. Alex explains that Sandhurst is designed as a training course—selection should mean candidates can pass—though passing out isn’t proof of “excellence,” and new officers should “keep your mouth shut and listen.” He recalls finishing Sandhurst in 2008 and being sent rapidly to Iraq with QRH in Basra, initially stuck on watchkeeper duties until he pushed to go into the city, and later doing a full Afghanistan tour on Herrick 15. Now freelancing in film, he says insecurity drives stress but he’s learned to “roll with the punches.” He describes pivoting into acting after watching Rafe Spall direct non-professional actors, and praises Warfare’s immersion—real radios and live comms—saying, “Shit’s going fully fucking sideways,” and arguing it should be heard loud in Dolby Atmos. Alex Brockdorff Is an actor and former soldier. He joined the Army in 2008 with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan - in 2014 he left the military to pursue a career in film. He as appeared in a slate of films, network and streaming television dramas, and most recently he played Mikey in the critically acclaimed WARFARE (A24). https://www.alexbrockdorff.com/
Transcribe →Rogue Heroes Military Adviser – “This is what warfare is like. This is what men are forced to do.”
Feb 2202:09:00Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #279 I welcome back “Bags,” a former Royal Tank Regiment officer and military advisor for film, TV, and theatre, where we discuss reviving TV/film episodes—starting with a tank-film theme—and how cavalry and tank regiments evolved from WWI to today. Bags discusses his ongoing advisory role on Rogue Heroes (including season three’s production challenges, schedule compression, and historical-accuracy debates), the mixed military reaction to season one, and his views on the portrayal of Paddy Mayne while balancing authenticity against storytelling, budget, and time. The conversation ranges through theater work at the Globe, the appeal of live performance and improvisation, ticket pricing and ways to find cheaper seats, and how streaming has reshaped pay—especially the loss of residuals and disputes like Scarlett Johansson’s—alongside Netflix’s “second screening” influence and attention spans. We trade film recommendations and reflections and then address patron questions about how much productions act on military advice and whether media shapes public perceptions of war. The episode ends with a discussion of UK defence readiness, reliance on allies, and Bags’ new role at a British engineering firm building UGVs (uncrewed ground vehicles), plus thoughts on future instability, potential reserve service, and legacy prosecutions related to Northern Ireland.
Transcribe →“The whole Afghanistan campaign for it to have worked would’ve taken 40, 50, 60 years.” – Bags Simmons H-Hour Icebreaker
Feb 2200:11:01Tap to summarizeJoin the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, I welcome back Bags Simmons after roughly 18 months since his last appearance on the show. Answering questions submitted by H-Hour Patrons, Bags explains that the British didn’t deploy tanks to Afghanistan, but used heavily protected armoured vehicles like Mastiff/Cougar variants, describing restricted visibility, the need to get out and speak with locals, and the major IED risk posed by predictable routes—especially canals—plus his fear of drowning if a vehicle rolled due to welded front doors and heavy rear exits. He argues the Afghanistan campaign’s aims shifted from al-Qaeda to the Taliban, lacked coherent long-term strategy, and misunderstood Afghanistan’s tribal “donut” dynamic and the Durand Line, concluding there wasn’t a clear “win” and the withdrawal was rushed on a US timeline, leaving allies behind despite strong on-the-ground performance. He also discusses pledging allegiance to the Crown and his views on the Royal Family, praising the Queen’s 70-year reign and saying Charles has transitioned well while criticizing controversies around Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, before previewing the full podcast.
Transcribe →