These Fists Break Stereotypes: How Martial Arts Films Changed Pop Culture, Hip Hip, Film, and Who Kids Saw as Heroes

What do Bruce Lee, Saturday morning cartoons, bootleg VHS tapes, and the birth of hip hop all have in common?Today on Up+Adam, we go full roundhouse into the cultural explosion that was the kung fu movie craze, and the two men who’ve written the definitive, illustrated, and absolutely jaw-dropping story behind it. Adam is joined by Grady Hendrix, bestselling author and co-founder of the New York Asian Film Festival, and Chris Poggiali, film historian and editor of the legendary Temple of Schlock, to talk about their new book: These Fists Break Bricks.From CIA-funded karate flicks to 10th-grade Black belts starring in Hong Kong films, from Enter the Dragon to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this convo is equal parts history lesson and nostalgic joyride. Even if martial arts movies weren’t your thing growing up, trust us, this one will hit you somewhere surprising. We talk pop culture, identity, myth-making, and the hidden heroes who helped build an entire genre, one flying kick at a time.• Grab the Book: These Fists Break Bricks – Revised & Expanded Hardcover Edition (2025) thesefistsbreakbricks.com• Follow the Authors: Grady Hendrix: @gradyhendrix  Chris Poggiali: Temple of Schlock Blog********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!Window Coverings By DesignWe Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

You’ve heard his voice for decades on The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Supermarket Sweep, and so many more. But Randy West has seen more than just the shiny side of television. In his new book TV Inside-Out, this 30-year TV veteran takes us deep backstage into the chaos, feuds, and unforgettable moments that shaped the medium we thought we knew. From Johnny Carson’s dark family drama to wild nights at The Price is Right, Randy has been there, and now he is telling it all.In this conversation with Adam, Randy shares the stories that shocked even him, the lessons that still stick with him, and why success in Hollywood often comes with a steep price. It is funny, it is raw, it is human, and it is a side of television you have never seen before. • Learn more about Randy at randy-west.ueniweb.com********WE ALSO TALK TO ROBIN COLEMAN FROM WOODS SO CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

In this episode of Up+Adam, broadcaster Adam Montiel chats with urban free climber Adam Lockwood, known around the world as Nuisance. You’ve probably seen one of his videos without even realizing it was him: scaling towers, cranes, and high-rises barefoot, no ropes, no permission, and somehow, no fear. But behind every climb is something deeper.Recorded before his jaw-dropping jump off the Eiffel Tower (yes, that one), this conversation captures the raw heart of why Adam climbs, what it feels like to be alone hundreds of meters above a sleeping city, and how one Polaroid at a time, he’s turning risk into art and adrenaline into awareness.They talk about what it means to flirt with death, to move through trauma, and to make peace with silence at altitude. And just wait until you hear the story behind the Shard climb, the train surfing in Paris, and why fear isn't his fuel,  focus is.Follow & Support Adam LockwoodInstagram: @nuisance69_YouTube: youtube.com/@Nuisance69********Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What do you get when a stand-up comedy set crashes headfirst into a real-life murder? On this True Crime Tuesday, we sit down with comedian Edd Hedges and Emmy-nominated producer Jodi Tovay, the duo behind Wisecrack, a genre-bending true crime podcast that’s part comedy, part nightmare, and completely real.Edd returned to his hometown for a charity show, only to find himself at the center of a horrifying true crime story involving a childhood bully turned killer, a terrified woman at the foot of his bed, and a moment that would change everything.Jodi was on vacation in Scotland when she ducked into Edd’s set to avoid the rain and walked out knowing she’d just found her next big story. Together, they created Wisecrack, a 6-part series that’s already being called the next Baby Reindeer, but this time, it’s not fiction.• Listen to Wisecrack: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-wisecrack-288632921/• Follow Edd Hedges on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddhedges • More on Tenderfoot TV: https://www.tenderfoot.tv********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Why are men the way they are? Why do they forget birthdays but remember every detail of their first crush? Why do they seem stuck at 14... even when they’re 54? Legendary music executive Tom Sturges has worked with icons like Foo Fighters, Outkast, and 50 Cent, but his newest project may be his most revealing yet. His book Men Explained, Finally is a laugh-out-loud, startlingly wise, and surprisingly tender collection of essays that crack open the male mind and help us all make a little more sense of it.In this conversation, Tom joins Adam for a heartfelt, funny, and thought-provoking look at why men do what they do, how to love them without trying to fix them, and why understanding the "14-year-old boy" inside every man might just be the key to better relationships. Whether you’re a man, love a man, or gave up on one, this episode is for you.• Buy the Book: Men Explained, Finally Amazon – Available Now• Follow Tom on Instagram: @TomSturgesIdeas********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with two powerhouse talents, Cameron Douglas and David Morse, to talk about their new film Looking Through Water, a stirring new drama about estranged fathers and sons reconnecting during a fishing competition in Belize.Cameron Douglas, actor, author, and the son of Michael Douglas and grandson of screen legend Kirk Douglas, shares how his deeply personal journey from addiction and incarceration to clarity and purpose prepared him for this role. His bestselling memoir Long Way Home revealed the truth behind the tabloid headlines, and now, in Looking Through Water, he steps fully into his own as a performer and storyteller.David Morse, known for unforgettable work in The Green Mile, The Hurt Locker, World War Z, House, and Escape at Dannemora, joins the conversation to reflect on the quiet power of restraint, the characters who have stayed with him, and what continues to draw him toward projects about pain, repair, and redemption.Together, they explore the layers of legacy, the weight of silence, and the unspoken beauty of second chances.Watch the Official Trailer:Looking Through Water – Trailer (YouTube)Cameron DouglasMemoir: Long Way Home → Buy on AmazonInstagram @CameronDouglas

If you’ve ever told yourself, “One day I’ll write that thing…” this is that day. Adam chats with Meagan Friberg, writer, journalist, and director of the Central Coast Writers Conference, now celebrating its 41st year. This year’s theme? “It’s Time.” And it is.After a few years of pandemic pivots and Zoom fatigue, the conference is back live and in person at Cuesta College. Two full days of keynotes, workshops, master classes, and creative electricity. Meagan shares how this isn’t just an event for writers. It’s a space for courage, for belonging, and for finally hitting “go” on that thing you’ve been putting off.Adam will be there too, hosting a live session on the art of the interview. Come for the craft, stay for the community.Wanna go? Here’s everything you need: • Website and registration: centralcoastwritersconference.com  • Dates: September 26 and 27, 2025 at Cuesta College • Special event: The Princess and the Frog screening with screenwriter Rob Edwards • Keynotes, master classes, teen program, and more********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Andrea Gunning, the voice behind the hit true crime podcast Betrayal Weekly. From fake cancer scams to shocking double lives, Andrea isn’t just telling wild stories, she’s exploring what happens when trust breaks so badly, it redefines reality.A Best Crime Podcast Winner, she will dig into some of the most jaw-dropping cases from the show, how betrayal hits differently than true-crime, and what it really takes for someone to tell the truth after living a lie. Andrea also opens up about the emotional cost of producing stories like these, how the show’s affected her personal life, and why betrayal is the most intimate kind of devastation.Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every ThursdayListen to Betrayal Weekly: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-betrayal-weekly-95632727/ Watch the Stacey & Tyler limited-run series now streaming on Hulu, from ABC News Studios: https://abcnews.go.com/US/discovery-hidden-camera-revealed-doctors-dark-secrets/story?id=124846612Follow Andrea Gunning:Instagram: @itsandreagunning  ********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Few restaurants capture the SLO CAL vibe like Sunsets at Pismo. For six years, Brian Appiano’s shiny silver Airstream on the Pismo Pier has been serving up tacos, fish and chips, and margaritas with one of the best views you’ll find anywhere. But now, because of a decades-old zoning technicality, the City of Pismo Beach has voted to phase out commercial food vendors on the pier, and Sunsets will close in October 2025.In this conversation, Adam talks with Brian about what this decision means for his family, his staff, and the community that rallied around Sunsets from day one. Brian also shares what’s next, from his work at Rib Line and The Switch in San Luis Obispo, to the catering business that’s feeding everything from weddings to major concerts. It is a story about resilience, community, and what it means to keep moving forward when the rules suddenly change.Support Brian and his restaurants:Rib Line BBQ & GrillRib Line CateringThe Switch SLOSunsets at PismoFollow along on Instagram:@ribline@theswitchslo@sunsets_at_pismo********Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conferenceListen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.comApple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple PodcastsSpotify: Up+Adam on SpotifyiHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadioYouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music********CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!********ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!********FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM*********Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!We Help You LegalGeneral Store Paso RoblesDaou VineyardsWoodsHumaneSocietyTin City DistilleryOriginal Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner CollectiveMoonshiner on Spotify HEREPlease Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com