Joe Rogan Experience #616 — John Wayne Parr Transcript

Transcript

0:00 the Joe Rogan experience very famous in the world of combat sports, both for your accomplishments in Muay Thai. and went to boxing for a year. And, yeah, it's been very cool. I wanted to follow in his footsteps still to this day I still try and emulate everything that he's That's where like Ramon Deckers was. But a lot of those guys were, like, sloppy boxers who had to throw a certain amount of kicks per round.

3:18 He did Muay Thai. it over to Australia at a very young age. Yeah, well, UFC's, they're doing the pay-per-views, and they're doing the roads through the UFC, and they're showing all the replays. And still, look at UFC. technique wise Whereas the UFC, I know everything about George St. Pierre without even meeting him. One of the things that I really love about just striking,

6:48 I had conversations with people that say boxing is better. with Muay Thai and with kickboxing you don't get to see the real high-level stuff That's what I felt like today. and you try to have a conversation with someone, Well, you're that way with striking. For you, it just flows out of you, you know? is my life. All I do is go to the gym and come home. And then what do you do for fun?

9:34 And I wouldn't change it for nothing either. I'm not good in it and they wore boxing gloves. um it's it's amazing that's interesting that you say that because I can't just I get that i mean all high level such a big part of me now This is hilarious. It's like over and over and over and over and over. You mean that guy, meaning getting the respect or getting the adulation or getting the focus on you that these guys are getting?

13:17 chance between watching a choice rather between watching high level boxing and watching high level Yeah. The exposure's not there, I guess. And I would tell them that I-fight interviews, and I would tell But now it's a normal, like if you tell people the UFC, oh, I worse than porn. It was like animal porn or something. It was strange But now it's a normal like you tell people the UFC

15:12 And I beat the Russian, the French. I've just won this. She was like, something for you. because I like a lot I watch stupid shit, but cricket. they just keep going you just fucking duke it out. still illegal in Melbourne and still they've just banned it in Perth in that's a meter and a half high. Well, Dylan, last time you were here, he's not on camera right now.

18:26 Denver's Rainbow. he puts his hands out, the brace he's for, He fell over the top rope. and they had all the big boys like Tama Tahuna and Jamie Tahuna And I think it was Paulo Filho once caught some guy in a triangle through the ropes. and hang on, your arm was here, this is your, and go. a flat surface would eliminate a lot of the stalling and a lot of the uh you know the pressing

20:51 You've got to actually fight for it. but he's got a vicious guard. I feel like that's more more honest see the judges and then it it just feels like the the arena it's just just you and him yeah that is And then when I first started out as an amateur, of course, I just started babies and baby There was leg kicks involved, but the leg kicks didn't score.

23:13 That's interesting. Or K-1 had it for you could only clinch with one hand for a while? And then that gives the guys that are proper, more boxing-orientated, an opportunity to fight guys like Borkel, where they had no chance before. He clinched with both hands behind the neck and hit him with a knee, It doesn't make any sense to me. It's not quite as good.

25:14 But, yeah, so they made it more entertaining for the crowd, I guess. Like, they're fucking working, okay? And unexperienced referees Elite XC was the worst example of that. holding, holding, and you're not throwing anything, Cain Velasquez never gets warned to and it'll go on where it looks like as a stalemate for He's gonna figure out the right combination of things to do to this guy, and he's going to have his back.

28:51 I think stand-ups are, I think it's a travesty, I really do. sudden it's like a one knee combination before they break it up. Yeah, this morning we mentioned it as well. It's just, I really have to get over there. Body kicks, knees, and elbows. If you get kicked in the arms without attempting to try and block it, that's a free point. That was hectic.

31:16 Not only that, he had to get the pins in Thailand. Yeah, yeah. Fucking American asshole. Yeah, just snapped. In the last 15 seconds. Okay. Yeah. And then that was his main weapon was the leg kicks with the hands. Yeah, he was. It was a check kick. God damn. Through it's like kicking through a baseball bat. Oh It's rare that you see it on two high-level guys like that,

34:06 kicks. Did you ever see that? No, no. a weird sort of karate style, but he you got to go to what we talked about earlier, What about the foot things did you want to wear the foot cushion my first fight was the shin pads with the foot cushions and they didn't have a cage. You're 38 now right 38. Yeah, we could tell people you're not a chick Okay. It was like I touched a lightning bolt.

36:24 And the number one thing that I talked to Dana White about, I mean, if you look at that product, I couldn't imagine anybody not wanting to put on those fights. It was just unbelievable. And then I remember coming up through the floor as you're on your way back to the hotel. time that i my knees went weak because as far as i could see was an ocean of heads and i started

38:53 I got invited back the second time There was 10 Westerners versus 10 Thais. Yeah, it was nuts. Just to get through. And then you go and beat one of them It's all about heart in Thailand. is that in Japan, they appreciate effort. That adversity from loss in those really high-level fights I find Muay Thai and MMA, ufc especially um the crowd i think You're not going to lose anybody.

42:37 Every Vanderlei Silva fight, it's like, ready, ready, chaos. know and and he was like i can't believe people are upset at me for being good you know because I beat their hero you astonished when you gonna finish a fight fuck man every single time he fights? his skills instead of, Oh, yeah Getting punched by a rapper. It was time. 97-0 Yeah. He's never in a war.

46:09 Good luck trying to catch Floyd like that. Floyd doesn't do that shit. yeah if he had strong hands if his hands didn't break all the time you know like floyd he's had Very rarely see him in trouble. He's very versatile. Back in them days, I don't want to fight you Why hasn't it taken so long for Mr. Pacquiao to get this fight to be done in this five five five year old fight that should have been done ages ago well probably

49:10 I don't know if it's true. a guy cheat his way to victory. That's something that drives everyone crazy. But that guy has got a lot of weird shit attached to him. But now, man, it's now with these more stringent tests that are being performed, But, you know, it's a part. For 20 days, and they cut you off after 20 days? Jesus fucking Christ. 50%. So the deal with my camp was I live for free, train for free,

52:36 What is a million okay? I think the Australian dollars about equivalent to a peso. I don't know You chose to move to Thailand. You didn't know the language and you immersed yourself in Thai culture The movie Kickboxer came out, the Van Damme. from the best I'd love to learn from the best I'd be amazing he said if you can And then there was no toilet paper,

55:04 like a big blanket down as a time you got to promise me 12 months don't come back within 12 months you got to commit your whole he was supposed to fight one of the big ties. I'll let him fight, though. And then the number one promoter in Thailand said, And then, yeah, then I started reaching the A-class guys, then from then on and backwards and forwards backwards and forwards and then

57:54 world I was a somebody now The promoter ring, hey, do you want to fight this guy? Yeah. Yes, but at the same time it's been working what I've been doing is working everybody in australia already set for my last one but um yeah no it's been good i like it you The crowd's going, why are you fighting this guy? You're 38. How many more years do you think you can do it at 38 years old?

1:01:17 She's like, well, I'm good. Yeah, he's a great guy. don't get famous writing cool Facebook posts. for a young man to have what do you what do you attribute that to like to want to want He died of a heart attack while riding a bike, right? You were talking to me earlier about the And then if it broke, it broke. fought in the um dwayne lugwig on the his last fight on k1 uh we caught an elevator together

1:05:12 Because on one hand, I admire mental toughness. It's like you redline your body, because that's how he fought. Just so hyper aggressive and vicious knockout power beautiful It seems like, like look at Cain Velasquez. and it's just, he's a champion. forces their body to just like their body says listen dude you're you're I was on a 506 fight winning streak.

1:08:38 because it is the most exciting thing that you could possibly do on earth No. Really? Yeah, I know Mark. And then so many Crew is teacher. For me, yeah. Lived in... But whatever you commit to you must stay there for that amount of time. You can't To make you look like a monk. And then every morning we had a blind lady and her sister would come out, hold her hand, put the spoon into her bowl would say this chant and it just was so special that

1:12:02 don't lie. And then Christianity took those and they added a few things to So if you stay away from those things, you should be, life should be okay. Yeah, for sure. You're the white version of one of them. So after we get the, we have breakfast in the morning, we do Buddhist studies for about They really had this thing where they'd really believe in them so the thai the ghosts have a more of a tendency

1:14:40 No, please do. sitting on your chest oh no worries just makes me feel better ghost trying to fucking kill you So this would happen on a consistent basis? this whole new world that you're living in and you probably have a lot of questions and doubts the fly screen open. doom. No one's going to close the door. the door the door opens again bang no one's closing the door no footsteps this time i look

1:17:19 He left the door open and got up. This is not about me, it's all about John, and they have a little house in front of their house, capabilities. The mind has the ability to heal you if you're sick. The mind has the ability to there's two types of people. borders in his hand he's saying this big prayer before sleep I said I don't be worried there's no we're not in a thailand now there's no ghosts here we're sweet

1:20:29 because I was too petrified to sleep by myself for about two weeks. It's very possible that what you're experiencing is some semi-dream state. It's a big part of Thailand, though. They believe the ghosts live in trees. fight because it helped get us fit for that six weeks eight week prep and then just um so and where you believe you've appeased the ghost

1:23:17 So we should put up a video of that so people could see it is pretty fucking cool from God to give you all this inner strength. Wow. If it goes the distance, it's a draw. It's brutal as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that like to protect you from kicks? then you go, ah, this guy's got this for sure. is getting connected to the universe and trying to get good energy.

1:26:53 it sort of loosened him up. This was way back in the day. machados and me and richard norton uh you know rich he's an australian guy yeah martial arts Just, I mean, just to go there as a young man, as a teenager, and just get immersed in this life. So I'd start talking to them and they'd freak out. It was awesome. and then you go back to Thailand Thailand and you're back to being that

1:29:55 In a sense, is that place like your second home? an easier fight, if that makes sense. I was actually in a taxi about six, seven years ago. I'm like, no shit. They said, okay, we're going to send you to the shop. I can't read or write, but I can hold, I started watching the soap operas on the TV, I was there for that long. Wow, just trying to figure out how to readjust.

1:32:40 It would take seven days to get to Australia, and then she reply so it'd be a seven day return so it was a two week two week waiting period between no Facebook no no Google Yeah enough you don't go those kids in the camp um and then you could joke around with them and if you said something wrong So back there, they still beat their boxers. one thing that maybe people aren't aware of they start fighting very young yeah so if you fight and

1:35:32 Someone your size and weight with rules? a couple years back, It's weird because they don't get a chance, If you're a famous boxer, you might make $5,000 a week. What's the equivalent American? With Thais, I don't know about that generation, He'd be making, let's say, $5,000 a fight. You might drink it and smoke it. first round it might be two for one for the red.

1:38:16 And then round four, all of a sudden, blue starts dominating. I'm going to kick this guy's ass. So it's completely unorganized. You're seeing crazy matches. And then, hey, you want another 50,000? Call them. And then you knock him out and then the guy comes up and he's your $50,000. You put the money on your guy, you might get your three for one or let's just put ten for one.

1:41:02 And then what you have now is, well, forever, Really? and then you get a head kick and that could be the worst possible thing for any Thai boxing camp because now you Beatable where you got to? Because a guy like Yodson Cly yeah, it's crazy crazy so for fighters like That's so crazy that they have to think about that as well as fighting the best fighters in the world in

1:44:29 makes sense if you're talking about that amount of money you're talking about the He'll have 10 phones on a clipboard and he'll talk to everyone at once. It's so full on. Yeah, yeah. paper that comes out every day and they'll tell you that okay poker indoors in their own lounge room. But you can bet on the fights. That's so fascinating. didn't know what was going on either.

1:47:58 And then Put down $1,000 and you get $20,000 back. regularly also but the the tires will come into the change room Or he looks a bit flabby? They might come in and fill your ass while you're guessing. See what kind of quads you got pretty much Yeah, it's just normal. The last 10 years or so. Girl germs. What? You made a fucking good connection with some doctors.

1:51:01 It's crazy that they won't let the girls touch the ring. Been up for a while. The lady boy that used to fight at Lumpini. fighting in thailand because she didn't want to fight other thai boys and they were paying like She's lost that testosterone. Westerners or Japanese because they were a bit easier than other toys Wow so was They used to main event a lot of the big shows.

1:54:02 unconscious for about two or three minutes it didn't go well and they elbowed her three times in the face and then knocked her out unconscious for about two or three minutes. never done any training, Oh, God. They love having people who have never fought before fight someone who's a world champion. I mean, they put Bob Sapp against Ernesto Hoost. Yeah.

1:55:26 That was exciting. I remember Crow Cop was the first person to beat him in K1. Oh, okay. I remember that one. But he he's like he had one eye that was always like really weird after that and because of that like he pretty much never He made a lot of money. They thought it was They had a book of It's such an unusual, unusual culture. he pulled out a watch out of his pocket said i, I was coming to the hotel to give you this.

1:57:56 If you follow American pro wrestler, they'll start crying if they meet you. It's very advanced, very technologically advanced. But it was just, yeah, bizarre, like you said. that's got 90,000 people? old days of the 40s and the 60s and the 90s. And that's what the sports needs for the Muay Thai and the kickboxing. finished now what's replaced it I mean and there's no combat sports that are

2:00:50 The Japanese would talk about selling pride. And then, mm, not going to sell. By pretending they were going to bring fighters over and fighters were going to fight in Pride. The UFC got it, and once they went through all the paperwork, That's all they had. for them. They're working for the UFC. And all the while, they're putting together this Dream

2:03:04 I mean, that's the revenue source. It started the bull rolling. Well, that's one of the things that fucked Bob Sapp over. and Peter Ertz was in the crowd after a few beers forget how many high kick k.o's that guy had i better say the same things because crocop's got He's over in Croatia, but he's just a savage when you get a really high-level kickboxer

2:05:58 ninth-degree black belt in striking you just fucking head kick everybody to night when I told him Brendan I couldn't remember the rest of the fire it went And then the third time we fought was down in Melbourne, that a guy could box the shit out of a tie fighter Well, he yeah, he's still so I got to see a chance to see him fight once in Los Angeles

2:08:16 Yud Singla's punching I'd put my money if Yod, if they ever did And then Borkhouse signed a contract now where he's not allowed to fight other ties apparently. He's not just a fighter. And then he won the K1 um two or three times two He had a pillow that's it, I'm done. Oh if if if Borka if Borka went to fight for Japan again and then somebody else manages him?

2:10:47 He was holding a photo of the king up. And then I believe Singha Bir, they had a friendship with him, And then all of a sudden Borkow is driving a BMW and owns his own place. He's on a farm. Oh, he must be nearly early 30s, probably. That's so weird. Like, a lot of Brazilians do not like to fight Brazilians. instance like we were talking He'd have to.

2:13:30 just a small time and then got in front of the the K1 world scene and then he blew up and then But you see he's got more of a boxing style, and then he's adding the Muay Thai techniques to it. I really hope that promotion takes off. three days left on my schedule before I had to flow back to Australia and then um, So, we're stretching out and say, And then the first 10 seconds, I was so of george's jab and then i've waited

2:16:34 And I said, holy shit. for hendrix we're at about two months any chance you want to come back to montreal and train george personally for muay thai so holy fuck yes wow so i've jumped on the plane george picked me up at the airport and he took me We'll go and meet John Donahue. So I'd become Hendrix when we sparred. So, yeah, I'd becomeendrix and we sparred and then uh i had george just doing basic stuff

2:19:00 so George probably went back to his style. there who's this lady it's just some lady that I'm crazy lady from from As I was looking for flights, a deal came up for MGM. And then I got to see George in the back room, and he's looking at me, So everybody hooked you up. and big body kicks like we're working on. What kind of spinning techniques does he emphasize?

2:21:42 But he's the one that gets the crowd standing up. Your style of standing, your style, that power jab you have is ridiculous, man. How long ago was this? I'll come back. And then he come to Australia. say your name to him i told him yeah you said i'm john wayne parr mother he gave me a polite to the UFC. he gave Stan the Man recently at 50. It's amazing.

2:24:45 know you know I mean there's guys that have come back after all those years and You hear that thump. that fucking thump, that disgusting baseball bat to meat sound. There's a lot of guys winning by body kick now. The Steven Seagal teeps in the face? and you're still worried about the takedowns and, you know, the grappling aspect. a coach's tone yeah yeah and i got to the stage where it's like what's your coach who's the coach telling you that uh

2:27:52 Cub Swanson's a cool dude and we're hanging out. Okay. so we start and I'm moving around. boom, He's quite a big dude. And then about a week passes, Josh loses his fight. I was just that new guy in the gym. boxes him up and fucks him up right before a big fight. Josh's point of view too he had no idea no no no idea I mean imagine you're And the next day is Muay Thai day

2:31:03 is learning, like a lot of wrestlers they And then the whole thing, for me personally as well, The 69 position thing that's rough north-south. Yeah. Yeah, I remember my brother was telling me one of the camps Was it American wrestling camp? Jesus fucking Christ. is just taking a class with a bunch of strangers. I mean, I think that's the future. the tire with the hammer and they've got the ropes on this and they're doing all

2:34:07 when it comes to strength and conditioning, but there's a balance that has to be achieved. programs like they're fit they're physically strong they have a lot of these guys that are in great shape, great strength and conditioning programs. Doesn't look as fluid whereas if you're watching like you know like yachts and Clyde or like you or like his ass up and made him exhaust his arms.

2:36:08 I might be wrong. because he disciplined him so hard he was so like into training him. But his son was like a football prodigy from his dad's strength and conditioning programs. And he instilled this program on BJ Penn the time it's just yeah they're not gonna stand it's almost like MMA has too takedowns mounting guys spinning for arm bars mean, he's caught a few submissions in his day,

2:38:25 He's one of the top contenders at 205. He's dangerous standing up Not worried about getting taken down. Mm-hmm. He's very razor sharp on the ground. and they use that, and they get through, and they win. kicks and knees yeah i believe i've got a lot to offer when it comes to just broadening people's idea of how to execute different strikes. Touch him with this.

2:41:27 If I hit you hard, you don't want to get hit by me again. now and then once i know i'm in your head then it makes it a lot easier for me to start picking things is there a different approach to fighting in a muay thai fight where it's three rounds with these days. like right from the beginning. he's uh teaching these guys so showing big improvements too in a lot of the fighters.

2:43:00 Step into the ring. The Art of Eight. So the Art of Eight. Which is the North Hollywood one. Hollywood too okay cool yeah that's a big gym out here right yep yeah really Yes, yes. And I didn't hear anything from them for like three or four years. I don't know what happened to that. I can't thank them enough for making the documentary. San Chai, It's got to be cool having a documentary on you like that.

2:46:06 then my my head was uh three stories high it was it was such a such a cool buzz wow and one of punching other people to fuck up other dudes It's beautiful, man. all the way from Australia let's do it again some seminars too ladies and gentlemen. All right, brother.