Demi Lovato on Doing Jiu-Jitsu

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• Demi Lovato's Passion for Jiu-Jitsu: Discussion about her deep involvement in Jiu-Jitsu, reasons for taking a break due to COVID-19 (asthma, autoimmune issues), and her eagerness to return to training.
• Jiu-Jitsu as a Meditative and Balancing Practice: Joe and Demi explore how Jiu-Jitsu acts as a humbler, a balancing force, and a form of meditation, especially during flow rolling and hard sparring.
• Challenges of Training as a Celebrity: The difficulties Demi faced finding gyms or training partners willing to accommodate her, fearing injuries that could lead to lawsuits or impact her performance career.
• Training Locations and Gym Culture: Mentions of specific gyms like Unbreakable in West Hollywood, known for its no-camera policy, attracting celebrities and creating a relaxed training environment.
• Performing with Injuries: Demi's past experiences with broken bones and having to tour while injured.

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• Demi highlights how Jiu-Jitsu provides a mental cleansing, forcing focus and making everyday challenges seem less daunting.
• The empowering feeling of successfully executing techniques like collar chokes or achieving a dominant position in grappling.
• Demi's personal pride in earning her blue belt, a significant achievement she never anticipated as a singer, proving herself wrong.
• The unique "no cameras policy" at Unbreakable gym that fosters a private and comfortable training space for high-profile individuals.
• A humorous anecdote about Demi bedazzling her broken foot boot herself with "cheapest like old jewels and hot glue" while touring in Ireland.

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• Joe Rogan: "It's a good humbler. That's a good thing to keep you balanced."
• Demi Lovato: "It's the best thing I found for I mean outside of meditation for me."
• Demi Lovato: "Hard sparring is meditative because you're forced to think only of that thing and when you think about that thing only it acts as like a cleansing."
• Demi Lovato: "I just never thought that I'd get a blue belt... I'm a singer... it's just really cool when when you get to prove yourself wrong."
• Demi Lovato on training difficulties: "They were worried about people being like and then you sue the [__] out of them... or or just not being able to walk on stage."
• Demi Lovato on touring with a broken foot: "I just bedazzled it... I did it myself like in the dressing in my hotel room in Ireland like the cheapest like old jewels and hot glue."

Overall Themes

• Personal Growth Through Martial Arts: The episode underscores how Jiu-Jitsu offers not just physical training but profound mental and emotional benefits, fostering discipline, humility, and self-awareness.
• Resilience and Determination: Demi's commitment to her passions, even in the face of health concerns (COVID, asthma) and physical injuries (broken bones), highlights her tenacious spirit.
• Balancing Public and Private Life: The discussion touches on the unique challenges celebrities face in pursuing personal hobbies, requiring privacy and safeguards against potential public or professional repercussions.
• Finding Solace and Empowerment: Both Joe and Demi emphasize Jiu-Jitsu's ability to act as a meditative escape and a source of empowerment, offering a sense of control and accomplishment outside of one's professional identity.