“I Was There Everyday!”: Joe Rogan Recalls His Early Days of Getting Into Martial Arts as an “Obsessed” 15 Year Old

Joe Rogan and his obsession with martial arts are well-documented. The famed podcaster sought refuge in martial arts in his early years to develop confidence and also as an escape from bullying. While the color commentator later took up a career in standup, his fascination with martial arts never subsided.

Not only did the 55-year-old take up multiple martial arts, starting from Karate and Taekwondo, but he also had a brief stint as an instructor. Rogan had a booming career ahead after racking multiple Taekwondo state championships. However, a fear of injuries derailed his career. Nevertheless, after venturing into multiple professions, he ultimately became synonymous with the UFC.

Detailing his early martial arts days on JRE, the famous TV presenter recalled he started with Karate at 14 first in Massachusetts. He used to commute to his classes by bus, as it was a “grind to get there”.

Joe Rogan’s obsession never let him take any day off

The UFC personnel then picked up Taekwondo a year later at 15. He told John Hennessey in Ep. #1982 of JRE, his preoccupation reached a zenith in his formative years as he was always present, tumbling on the mat. The culmination of his efforts was the promotion to black belt in a mere stretch of two years.

He said, “While I was obsessed. I mean, when I started when I was 15, I was there every day, I mean every day. I didn’t take any days off, I was obsessed. And I became a black belt in two years.”

The standup comic also doubled up as an instructor almost immediately after he received his blue belt. While he started teaching the intricacies of martial arts in private lessons, those classes also came with added advantages.

Joe Rogan benefitted from teaching private lessons

The podcast host admitted teaching expedited his learning curve. In addition, he revealed he had already started competing professionally when he got his white belt.

He stated, “And that helped me a lot because there is something about teaching that, like, really sort of accelerates your own learning curve. I was obsessed, and I was like of competing already. I started competing right away after getting my white belt.”

Notably, Rogan won the US Open Championship taekwondo tournament at 19. However, it is up for debate whether Joe Rogan could have had a successful career in martial arts if he had not taken early retirement.

Read More: “Total Dominance, Nurmagomedov Is GOAT” – Despite Always Claiming Jon Jones to Be the Best, Joe Rogan Believes Khabib to Be the Greatest in This Aspect

What do you think of this relatively unknown aspect of UFC commentator Joe Rogan? Let us know in the comments below.

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