In this episode of Wellness Rebranded, Brad Evans, the creator of Jukestir, joins the conversation to share how a simple idea born in his garage evolved into a powerful nervous system training tool used by athletes, therapists, and everyday individuals alike. Originally designed as a dynamic punching bag for martial arts, Jukestir has grown into a groundbreaking solution for improving reaction time, coordination, balance, and even emotional resilience. Brad dives into the science behind training the brain, not just the body, and explains how unpredictable movement can enhance neuroplasticity, mindfulness, and real-world performance. From working with fighters to helping older adults overcome fear of falling, this conversation explores how fitness is shifting from “outside-in” aesthetics to “inside-out” neurological optimization.
What’s up everybody? Maria and I are here with Brad Evans. Brad is the creator of the Jukestir, a tool that I use with my clients all the time—and they love it.
When he reached out to us, we thought this would be an excellent guest to have on the show to spread the word about this unique fitness tool and hear his story, because it’s really interesting how this came about.
Brad, welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me—it's an honor to be here.
So can you tell us—what is this thing, and how did it get started?
Yeah, so Jukestir is a punching bag that moves out of the way. I think our missions are aligned when it comes to rebranding fitness. It started off as just a punching bag, but it’s actually changing fitness.
Typical fitness is “outside-in.” People focus on muscles, strength, and aesthetics. But Jukestir is a nervous system training device—it’s fitness from the inside out. That’s a major paradigm shift.
But that’s not how it started. It started as something fun I made—a punching bag to hit.
That’s amazing because we neglect the nervous system so much. We’re all running at this heightened level of energy, so having a tool that trains that is game-changing.
Yeah, the analogy I use is your cell phone. It looks the same year after year, but the internals improve—faster RAM, better processing.
That’s what I’m trying to show people. You can’t see it, but your nervous system drives everything—your muscles, coordination, speed. When you upgrade that, everything else improves.
So how did this get started? I heard you were a history teacher?
Yeah, I was. My buddy and I did martial arts and played soccer. I was in better shape, but in the ring, I’d gas out before him.
I started reading—one book was The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee. He talked about neurophysiological efficiency—how your brain controls your muscles.
If your brain is more efficient, you use less energy and perform better. I thought—how do we train this?
Then I had that “aha” moment: we have punching bags you hit hard, and ones you hit rhythmically—but nothing you miss. Nothing unpredictable.
So I went to Home Depot, bought foam, experimented with weights, ropes—spent a year dialing in movement.
At first, we only showed fighters. But then I sent it to the University of South Carolina. They said, “We’re using it for neurological rehab—for people recovering from car accidents.”
That’s when everything changed. I thought I made a punching bag—but it turned out to be a nervous system training tool.
It also looks fun—which matters. A lot of people feel intimidated by traditional gyms.
It is fun. It’s basically a human cat toy. It moves unpredictably, and your brain loves that.
It’s like a slot machine—unpredictable reward. That surprise keeps people engaged.
Even for me, after teaching all day, I don’t always want to work out. But hitting Jukestir for 5–10 minutes gets me moving and motivated.
In the gym, I’ve seen fighters try it—and they’re shocked when they miss.
Exactly. You grow when you fail. Traditional boxing training rarely includes failure—you’re hitting mitts consistently.
With Jukestir, you miss—and that’s where growth happens.
Let’s talk about mental and emotional benefits.
They’re actually studying resilience—because you hit, fail, and immediately try again.
You’re training yourself to keep going. It builds resilience subconsciously.
It also sounds like frustration tolerance and mindfulness.
Absolutely. Because it’s unpredictable, your brain can’t rely on past patterns—it has to stay present.
That’s mindfulness. You’re fully engaged in the moment.
Have you seen broader applications?
Yes—occupational therapists are using it for autism, ADHD, and sensory regulation.
Also, older adults—70, 80 years old—who were afraid of falling are now building confidence, coordination, and balance.
That’s huge.
Yeah, and now about half our customers are older adults focused on coordination and fall prevention—not fighters.
It really seems like it plays a role in community, especially with Parkinson’s programs.
Yes, especially with Rock Steady Boxing—we’re now an official partner.
And honestly, I’m more proud of that than the MMA side. Helping people heal is more meaningful than helping someone fight.
What’s been the most meaningful feedback?
Seeing videos from Rock Steady Boxing programs—hundreds of people using it and benefiting.
At this point, it’s probably helped close to a thousand people.
And this all started in your garage?
Yeah—over a year of prototypes. Testing weights, materials, movement patterns.
Then working with fighters, then a neuroscientist at Virginia Tech who helped refine it for more neurogenesis.
We launched on Amazon, demand exploded, and we had to move to full-scale manufacturing.
That journey is incredible.
Yeah, and honestly, the reward is the journey itself—the people I’ve met, the stories, conversations like this.
It’s definitely changed how I train clients—especially for balance, coordination, and injury prevention.
And those are more practical than strength alone. You’re more likely to need coordination in real life than brute strength.
What’s next for Jukestir?
We’re part of a major neurological study—the Greenlight Study at the University of Illinois Chicago.
They’re measuring how much it activates the brain compared to traditional exercise.
We’ve also had athletes like Taylor Townsend training with it—she won Wimbledon doubles.
The goal is to keep growing and spreading awareness of nervous system training.
Final question—if Jukestir could talk during a workout, what would it say?
Probably something like, “You can’t catch me!”
Brad, thank you so much for being here.
Thank you—it’s been a pleasure.
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