BJJ Spotlight: Joe Rogan Embodies Balance and Excellence in Life

The spotlight for this article is on UFC commentator, stand-up comedian, podcast host, and taekwondo and BJJ black belt Joe Rogan! He’s funny, he’s well-spoken (and sometimes quite outspoken!), and he’s had success in a variety of areas in his life. This makes Joe Rogan an ideal figure to examine in this spotlight article!

Keep reading to learn about Joe Rogan’s journey through martial arts and life. Plus, see how he embodies balance and holistic well-being in all areas of his life.

Martial Arts Upbringing

Joe Rogan is a fascinating example of someone who has a very diverse background in a variety of martial arts without ever actually competing in mixed martial arts.

During his teenage years, he wrestled, trained kickboxing, boxing, and taekwondo. In fact, he was a serious taekwondo competitor, winning several important tournaments in his teens. However, it was only in 1996, when Joe was in his early twenties, did he participate in his first BJJ class at Carlson Gracie in Hollywood, California.

He progressed through the first few belt ranks under legendary Jean-Jacques Machado, then spent 8 years from 2002-2010 as a BJJ brown belt! A busy work life and time off the mats were the main reasons for such a long time at brown belt. This is yet another example of how everyone has their own path to becoming a BJJ black belt!

BJJ Journey: 2 BJJ Black Belts!

In 2010, Joe Rogan received not 1, but 2 BJJ black belts! The first BJJ black belt was in the gi, and it was given by Jean Jacques Machado. Then, Joe received his no-gi black belt from Eddie Bravo (creator of the 10th planet no-gi jiu-jitsu organization and system).

This gave Joe a black belt in taekwondo, years of experience in kickboxing, boxing, and wrestling, and 2 black belts in BJJ! Along with his years of commentating for the UFC, Joe Rogan has become the epitome of mixed martial arts!

Joe has spoken a lot about BJJ on his podcast, explaining how great it is as a martial art because of its straightforward application (i.e., you can protect/defend yourself in physical altercations), and because of the lessons it teaches you about life (i.e., to stay calm under pressure, to think deliberately, to use strategy, etc.).

Martial Arts and Balance

Beyond martial arts, Joe Rogan is a great example of someone who maintains balance in life. Known for his professional success across multiple domains, Joe worked as an actor, a T.V. host (i.e., Fear Factor), a commentator for the UFC, a podcast host, a stand up comedian, a business owner (e.g., Onnit), and more, all while maintaining a balanced life as a husband and father.

Many martial artists study samurais, and in particular, Miyamoto Musashi is one name that is brought up quite often by Joe Rogan (he even has a tattoo of Musashi!). Musashi insisted that balance and harmony across all domains of life was the only way to optimize performance as a warrior/fighter, and it seems that Rogan has taken this advice to heart.

Joe Rogan is a great example of someone who has been able to create the life that they wanted by finding the ideal balance of activities that can earn you income, make you happy, and help people – all at the same time.

Martial arts can play an important part in all of our lives. But balance is what we should be striving for. With martial arts and BJJ, we can move closer to living a balanced life, in which physical activity/fitness, a healthy lifestyle, and positive contribution to a community are pillars of this balance.

As Joe Rogan often says on his podcast episodes, jiu jitsu can teach you a lot about yourself, and a lot about life. I believe BJJ can also teach you a lot about balance, too.

If you train, ask yourself this: what has BJJ taught you about life?

If you don’t train yet, ask yourself this: what can BJJ teach me about life?

Come try a class to find out, and see how BJJ fits into your lifestyle!