Joe Rogan Experience #645 - Joe Schilling

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• Joe Schilling's Unconventional Cardio: A central theme was Joe Rogan's astonishment at Joe Schilling's exceptional cardio and ability to fight multiple grueling rounds despite being a smoker.
• The Rigors of Tournament Fighting: Detailed discussion of Schilling's performance in the "Last Man Standing" tournament, where he fought three times in one night, including a four-round war in his first fight.
• Smoking and Athletic Performance: An extensive conversation about the impact of cigarette smoking on Schilling's cardio, his attempts to quit, and the general perception of smoking for an elite athlete.
• Energy Management in Fights: Strategies for pacing and hiding fatigue during intense combat sports matches.
• Transitioning Between Kickboxing and MMA: The challenges and frustrations Schilling faces competing at a high level in both Glory kickboxing and Bellator MMA, particularly regarding grappling and wrestling.
• Weight Cutting Dangers: A significant portion of the discussion focused on the extreme and dangerous practice of weight cutting in combat sports, its cultural roots in wrestling, and its potential health consequences.
• Cigarette Industry and Marketing: A brief tangent into the chemicals in cigarettes and how different brands are marketed to specific demographics.
• Diet and Training Camps: Schilling's approach to diet during training and the specific challenges of low-carb diets for fighters.

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• Joe Rogan expressed genuine disbelief and admiration for Schilling's ability to maintain high-level cardio in multiple fights despite smoking.
• Schilling admitted to having a cigarette after his first fight in the Last Man Standing tournament, before going on to fight two more times.
• Schilling revealed his "secret" for hiding fatigue during a fight: taking a brief "walk-off" after a referee break to catch his breath.
• An interesting anecdote about Schilling quitting smoking for one amateur fight and paradoxically feeling more exhausted, speculating it might have been nicotine withdrawal or overconfidence.
• The deep frustration Schilling experienced when an MMA opponent held him down, preventing him from utilizing his kickboxing strengths, highlighting the mental battle of mixed martial arts.
• Rogan labeled extreme weight cutting as "The Dark Secret of Combat Sports" due to its inherent dangers, including the recent death of an amateur fighter from kidney failure.
• The hosts discussed the "misery culture" within wrestling, where athletes take pride in enduring severe suffering, which influences extreme weight cutting practices.
• Schilling recounted a terrifying weight cut experience where he struggled to walk up stairs and was almost medically pulled from a fight.

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• Joe Rogan: "How the fuck does this guy have this kind of energy... you're smoking cigarettes yeah how's that possible?" (Expressing his shock at Schilling's cardio).
• Joe Schilling: "Joe Joe's the reason when I quit this will be the reason." (Jokingly blaming Rogan for his eventual decision to quit smoking).
• Joe Schilling (on hiding fatigue): "I usually the way I hide it now the Secret's going to be out there but like I'll do like a little walkoff and if you notice like the ref broke us... I turned my back and I was walking away and I was like catching my breath."
• Joe Rogan (on fight strategy): "if you try to win by knockout but don't win by knockout you often lose the decision."
• Joe Schilling (on frustration in MMA): "that was incredibly frustrating incredibly frustrating... not really cuz I I'm you know it's just not who I am when things are frustrating and hard I don't quit."
• Joe Schilling (on tournament smoking): "after Simon I went outside and had a cigarette true story."
• Joe Rogan: "The Dark Secret of Combat Sports is the weight cut it's very dangerous."
• Joe Rogan (on wrestling culture): "wrestlers only seem to be happy when they're miserable... they take pride in the fact that they can suffer and endure it."

Overall Themes

• Resilience and Tenacity: Joe Schilling exemplifies an unwavering will to compete and improve, consistently pushing through physical and mental barriers, whether it's smoking, tough losses, or brutal weight cuts.
• The Dichotomy of the Modern Fighter: The episode highlights the complex demands placed on fighters who compete across different disciplines (kickboxing, MMA), requiring diverse skill sets and training methods that often conflict.
• Health vs. Performance: A recurring tension exists between the pursuit of peak athletic performance and the long-term health consequences of practices like smoking and extreme weight cutting.
• The Mental Game of Fighting: Beyond physical prowess, the discussion emphasizes the crucial role of mental fortitude, energy management, and psychological resilience in surviving and thriving in combat sports.
• Critique of Combat Sports Culture: The podcast critically examines the ingrained, often dangerous, practices within combat sports, particularly the culture surrounding extreme weight cutting and its detrimental effects on fighter safety.