Joe Rogan is so talented at calling UFC fights that Dana White called him the greatest combat sports commentator of all-time. But how does he know so much about fighting? Well, that’s because he is an extremely skilled martial artist himself.
Practicing karate since the age of 13, Joe Rogan has 3 different black belts in martial arts. He has been practicing karate over of 40 years and has competed as an amateur in both Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing.
- Tae Kwon Do
- Jean Marques Machado’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu
Rogan has an impressive martial arts competition background. He won the Massachusetts full contact Tae Kwon Do championships (4 years in a row). And later, won the U.S. Open Tae Kwon Do championship, winning the lightweight division, in addition to beating the light-heavyweight and heavyweight champions. When he earned these distinctions he became what is called a Grand Champion.
In amateur kickboxing, Rogan held a record of 2-1. At the age of 21, he ended up retiring from fighting all together due to migraines and his desire to pursue stand-up comedy. It’s interesting to think about “what if”, because if not for the headaches – would Rogan have become a UFC fighter?
***Also see: The Best Joe Rogan Fitness, Workout, and Exercise Guide
Which Black Belts Does Joe Rogan Have?
Over the years, Rogan has exposed himself to a lot of different martial arts. His versatile background and knowledge base is what makes him such a great UFC commentator.
1. Tae Kwon Do – Black Belt
Rogan started practicing karate at the age of 13, and specialized in Tae Kwon Do. He would go on to earn his first black belt in this practice, which he did as a young man.
Tae Kwon Do, originating in Korea, is a type of karate that emphasizes punching and kicking, especially high-head kicks. It is where Rogan mastered the art of throwing devastating leg kicks.
Rogan received the bulk of his highest competition success in Tae Kwon Do. As mentioned before, he became a U.S. Open champion, and was the Massachusetts champion four times in a row.
Displaying his thunderous leg kicks, he had the ability to knock opponents out with them. Check out Rogan’s spinning back kick (YouTube) from the 1987 U.S. Cup in Connecticut where he landed an immediate knockout blow.
2. Jean Jacques Machado BJJ – Black Belt
Rogan earned a second black belt under the tutelage of legendary martial arts instructor Jean Jacques Machado.
Specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Machado runs an extremely successful academy with a large amount of students and multiple locations. The highest ranking belt is, of course, the black belt. But, you have to earn your way up the belts from white, blue, purple, brown, and then finally, to black.
Rogan earned his black belt from Machado’s academy in September of 2012, according to their website. In fact, it really cool that Machado lists his students and the belts they have earned online. Among these students is Eddie Bravo, who has earned a 3rd degree black belt from Machado.
In 2019, Rogan brought Machado onto his JRE podcast, in an episode titled: JRE MMA Show #73.
Todd White, another disciple of Machado, is an instructor at Machado’s academy in Austin, Texas. Rogan brought him onto his podcast in episode #1584 and he has earned a 4th degree black belt. It must be super convenient for Rogan to attend this branch of Machado’s academy because he lives in Austin now.
***Also see: The 10 Reasons Why Joe Rogan Moved to Austin, Texas
3. Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu – Black Belt
The third black belt that Rogan earned is from Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. It’s amazing that Rogan has two different black belts from the same niche martial art. According to their website, Rogan earned his 10th Planet black belt on June 26, 2012.
What’s different about 10th Planet jiu-jitsu than normal Brazilian jiu-jitsu? Bravo’s 10th Planet is considered a non-traditional jiu-jitsu, which does not require wearing a gi. And it features a ground game implementation of a technique called the rubber guard.
Bravo opened his own gym, located in Los Angeles, after training with Machado and created his own style of jiu-jitsu. Interestingly, Rogan helped him pick the name 10th Planet.
Remember Royce Gracie in the early UFC’s that was destroying people while wearing a gi? Well, the days of wearing gi’s in mixed martial arts are long gone. Nowadays, UFC fighters are not allowed to wear gi’s while in the Octagon and Bravo’s 10th Planet specializes on that new-age practice.
A recurring guest since the very beginning, Bravo has been on Rogan’s podcast over 50 times.
***Does Eddie Bravo make this list? The 25 Best Friends of Joe Rogan
Why Did Rogan Give Up Fighting?
According to the bio on his website, Rogan gave up fighting at the age of 21, although it wasn’t from a lack of talent or passion. He began experiencing painful migraines from shots to the head and various other injuries. He was smart to retire when he did because it was probably going to get worse.
Although, it is important to note that Rogan has never stopped practicing martial arts. He simply gave up competition fighting as an amateur. He maintains his skills by practicing almost everyday, using it as a form of exercise, discipline, and camaraderie with his closest friends.
So many of Rogan’s close friends practice jiu-jitsu, including Eddie Bravo, Brendan Schaub, Jocko Willink, Lex Fridman, and John Dudley. Even Joey Diaz practices BJJ now!
***Also see: Why is Joey Diaz called Mad Flavors?
Some fans may remember when Rogan was fully prepared to un-retire and face Wesley Snipes in a MMA fight. Rogan was ready to do it and actively training, but ultimately the two sides did not come to a financial agreement.
Joe Rogan Was A Karate Instructor
With a black belt in tow and multiple Tae Kwon Do championships in his trophy case, Rogan became a karate instructor when he was young. While in college and trying to make ends meet, Rogan taught Tae Kwon Do in his free time. He did this after he quit school and was beginning the pursuit of a stand-up comedy career.
It was actually Rogan’s friends from karate that encouraged him to pursue comedy. That shows one benefit of training in martial arts – there is a camaraderie of support that seems counterintuitive to the competitive nature of the sport. But, from the shedding of blood and sweat there is deep mutual respect, brotherhood, and sense of having each others backs.
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