During Joe Rogan Experience #2309 featuring comedian Joey Diaz, Rogan shared his perspective on the importance of drilling in martial arts training, particularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu drawing parallels to ecological drilling processes.
Rogan, a longtime martial arts practitioner and commentator, emphasized that drilling is crucial for skill development, despite many practitioners preferring the more engaging aspects of sparring.
“Drilling is so important. And people don’t like to do them because sparring is so fun,” Rogan explained during the podcast. “Same with jiu-jitsu. Like Eddie Bravo used to say that like drills are terrible, they’re so boring, but if you can do them, it’ll make your jiu-jitsu way better.”
The conversation shifted when Diaz acknowledged the growing emphasis on drilling in contemporary training methods. “That’s big now. People are are flow rolling. Like people are selling it more. Even Tom DeBlass is like, ‘Dog, listen. It’s the way to get better,'” Diaz said.
Rogan elaborated on how drilling creates muscle memory and improves technique without the tension that comes with full-intensity sparring: “The biggest leap that I ever got in my like in the beginning of my jiu-jitsu journey was when I became friends with Eddie. We would train in my garage. I had mats in my garage and we would just drill for like an hour and a half a couple times a week.”
He further explained the benefits of flow rolling, a form of drilling where participants move through techniques with limited resistance: “I noticed like my timing and everything was like much sharper because I was going through those pathways and not tense, you know? I was going through those pathways. So sharpening those lanes.”
Drawing from his experience in kickboxing, Rogan noted how Thai fighters incorporate this methodology: “The Thai guys, they just because they fight every week. When they spar, they don’t hurt each other at all. They touch and they laugh like they’re like playing a little game with each other.”
Diaz revealed his own approach to training as he’s gotten older, sharing that he’s planning to incorporate more drilling and flow rolling in his routine. “Now I’m going to go back and do it a little bit differently. Flow. Flow. A lot more flowing,” Diaz said.
Rogan concluded the discussion by emphasizing that drilling is essential for martial arts development at all levels, suggesting that it’s the repetition and muscle memory that builds real skill – a philosophy that extends beyond the mats.
