JRE MMA Show #27 with Robin Black

Joe Rogan (0:02)

4, 3, 2, 1

Robin Black, ladies and gentlemen. What's up, buddy?

Robin Black (0:09)

Hey, man, it's great to see you.

Joe Rogan (0:11)

Are you fresh back from Singapore?

Robin Black (0:12)

I am. Yeah, I was in Singapore like 48 hours ago.

Joe Rogan (0:15)

Did they make that special shiny silver one for you? Because that looks like that's designed for you.

Robin Black (0:20)

No, it's, I mean, yeah, it does kind of look like it's designed for me, which is why I wanted it.

Joe Rogan (0:24)

Yeah, it's a rock and roll one championship, one FC championship.

So what's it like over there, man? So let me explain to everybody. One FC is like the Asian version of the UFC. It's a gigantic organization that has been going on for how long now?

Robin Black (0:38)

2011

Joe Rogan (0:39)

So solid seven years and really high level fights over there.

Robin Black (0:44)

Amazing, amazing fights. Singapore itself is wild. So I went over there to chat with them. So Chattery, City of Tong runs it.

And he and I had been chatting and I love kind of how they see martial arts. So they don't call it even FC anymore, it's just one championship. They don't even use the word fighting really.

It's martial arts.

And the way I see it and the way I study martial arts and share it is an art form, like painting or yoga or things of that nature. Less spectacle, that's always how I've seen it and always how I love it. And that's how they see it. And that's how they present it. And it's presented from this sort of inspirational, own your history kind of way in Asia. And that was what attracted me to them right away. I mean, it's definitely an art form. It's values based, like they're kind of seeking to inspire people through these athletes and artists. It's pretty fucking cool.

Joe Rogan (1:39)

Really? So what's motivating them to take this sort of radical approach?

Robin Black (1:44)

So it's wild that you say that, because to me, this is the approach.

So, I think what we do, or the way that we present it in North America, is radical.

I think martial arts is an art form. Martial arts is this inspiring thing. I mean, you take, say, for example, Aung Laun Seng. He is their 185 pound and 205 pound champion. He's from Myanmar. They have never had a world champion in any sport ever in their history. I don't think they've had a gold medalist in the Olympics. They've never had that.

This guy's a two division champion. I don't think that will... And when I talked to Chotri about it, and he was talking sort of about why he sees it this way and why he's proud to present it this way, he's like, he knows without question that there are kids... And he won his 205 pound title in Myanmar, in a stadium in Myanmar. And he said he knows without question there's a kid in there going to become a lawyer one day because of that. And they can feel it. And it's real.

It's not like a marketing strategy. Like this is how they see martial arts. And it's how martial arts is viewed in Asia. Martial arts, I get to travel so much now. It's viewed different in Russia. It's viewed different in Brazil.

Joe Rogan (2:56)

How's it viewed in Russia?

Robin Black (2:58)

Russia's wild, man. I got to work for ACB. You know, ACB.

It's another big organization. Another big organization. So in Russia, it's very masculine. And it's about victory and about showing your power and your strength. And Russia is like that.

You know, it's a reflection kind of of Russia.

Joe Rogan (3:20)

Um, the martial art thing I absolutely agree with you on that it is an art form, but I also think it's a fight. Like Gilbert Melendez versus Diego Sanchez. That's an art form, but it's a fight. That was that was a fucking wild fight. And there's no way that's just art. That's art and a fight.

It's both things.

Robin Black (3:43)

But a fight is art. It's an expression of who you are.

Joe Rogan (3:46)

It is, in a way.

Robin Black (3:47)

It's an expression of of your personality, your individuality, your heart, your fearlessness.

Joe Rogan (3:52)

Hundred percent. But it's a fight. I'm not scared of the word fight.

Robin Black (3:55)

No, I'm not.

Joe Rogan (3:56)

Like, I like it. I like that word.

Robin Black (3:58)

Yeah.

Joe Rogan (3:58)

Like it's but that it is an art form.