JRE #489 – Liam & Dylan Resnekov

This podcast features an engaging conversation with Liam and Dylan Resnekov, brothers who run VT1 Academy in Australia. Liam is a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and Dylan is the 2009 World Muay Thai Champion. The episode dives into their unique journeys in martial arts, their experiences in Australia and Thailand, and their perspectives on various aspects of life, including hunting, diet, and the psychology of success.

Major Topics

1. VT1 Academy and MMA in Australia:
   1. Liam and Dylan’s journey of establishing VT1 Academy in Sydney, starting from a small space and organically growing into a larger establishment.
   2. The current state of MMA in Australia, with a focus on its potential decline due to a lack of prominent champions and opportunities for aspiring fighters.
   3. The challenges faced by Australian fighters, often leading them to seek opportunities overseas.
   4. The impact of a lack of prominent Australian fighters on the younger generation’s interest in the sport.
2. Dylan’s Journey from Motorcycle Racing to Muay Thai Champion:
   1. Dylan’s experience with multiple concussions while motorcycle racing, forcing him to retire from the sport.
   2. His transition into Muay Thai, despite the potential risks for someone with a history of head injuries.
   3. Dylan’s remarkable success in Muay Thai, culminating in him becoming a world champion.
   4. The challenges and sacrifices involved in reaching the top of the Muay Thai world.
3. Life in South Africa and the Role of Family:
   1. Liam and Dylan’s upbringing in South Africa, immersed in martial arts due to their father’s karate schools.
   2. Their experiences with the complexities and dangers of life in Johannesburg, including instances of armed responses and shootouts.
   3. The stark contrast between Johannesburg and Cape Town, where the brothers are from.
   4. The profound influence of their family on their lives, shaping their values and driving their determination.
4. The Israeli Army and Dylan’s Near-Enlistment:
   1. Dylan’s decision to consider joining the Israeli army at age 18, influenced by his family ties and a romantic relationship.
   2. The logistical and emotional challenges involved in enlisting in a foreign military while living in Australia.
   3. Dylan’s father’s reaction and his ultimately choosing to cancel his plans.
   4. The unexpected turn of events that led him to Thailand instead, marking a significant turning point in his life.
5. Dylan’s Muay Thai Fight and the Importance of Coaching:
   1. A detailed account of Dylan’s world championship title fight, highlighting his style, strategy, and the intensity of the competition.
   2. The role of coaching in Muay Thai, emphasizing the importance of having a clear plan and avoiding conflicting advice.
   3. Dylan’s experience with different coaching styles, highlighting the benefits of having a single, cohesive approach.
   4. The unique training methods employed in Thailand, emphasizing clinching and pad work, and the differences compared to Western approaches.
6. The Tsunami in Thailand and Dylan’s Rescue Work:
   1. Dylan’s experience with the devastating tsunami in Thailand, narrowly avoiding it due to his brother’s actions.
   2. His decision to join the rescue effort, facing the horrors of searching for bodies and witnessing the aftermath of the disaster.
   3. Dylan’s experience with post-traumatic stress and the lasting impact of the event.
   4. His continued work with the Khosomuri Rescue Team, providing a sense of purpose and connection to the community.
7. Dealing with Online Toxicity and Finding Personal Sovereignty:
   1. The challenges faced by public figures, particularly in the realm of martial arts, dealing with negative and often unfounded criticism online.
   2. Liam’s approach to online toxicity, viewing it as a side effect of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
   3. The importance of personal sovereignty and not allowing online negativity to define or affect one’s identity.
   4. The potential impact of anonymity and the lack of real-time interaction on online discourse.
8. The Art of Conversation and Podcasting:
   1. The benefits of podcasting, particularly for enhancing conversational skills and learning the art of active listening.
   2. The challenges of navigating different personalities and egos during conversations, particularly in the context of podcasts.
   3. The importance of genuine interest and authenticity in creating engaging and meaningful content.
   4. Liam and Dylan’s advice for aspiring podcasters: start small, listen to feedback, and practice.
9. Diet, Hunting, and Ethical Considerations:
   1. Dylan’s experience with a predominantly meat-based diet while hunting in Australia, highlighting the adaptability of the human body.
   2. A discussion on the ethics of hunting, contrasting different perspectives and addressing common misconceptions.
   3. The realities of animal agriculture, highlighting the often hidden costs and ethical dilemmas.
   4. The complexities of veganism, specifically in relation to the dietary needs of pets, and the potential impact of plant-based diets on health.
10. Traveling and Respecting Different Cultures:
    1. The importance of respecting local customs and traditions when traveling abroad, especially in Thailand.
    2. The potential for cultural misunderstandings and the need for sensitivity when interacting with locals.
    3. The impact of tourism on local communities and the need to be mindful of one’s actions.
    4. The importance of venturing beyond typical tourist areas to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures.
11. The Growing Downside Project:
    1. The concept of “growing down,” a mindset shift emphasizing personal autonomy and rejecting societal expectations.
    2. The psychology behind the pressure to conform and the potential consequences of following societal norms blindly.
    3. Liam and Dylan’s shared frustration with the constant inquiries about their career paths and expectations for success.
    4. The importance of challenging the status quo and embracing individuality.
12. The Future of Kickboxing and the Tournament Format:
    1. The growing popularity of kickboxing in the United States, with organizations like Glory gaining momentum.
    2. Dylan and Joe’s concerns about the tournament format, specifically in relation to the potential for increased head trauma and the lack of a true Muay Thai style.
    3. The importance of recognizing the evolution of the sport and adapting to new information about head injuries and training.
    4. The need for a comprehensive Muay Thai style that includes clinching and elbows, providing a more complete and safer experience for fighters.

Memorable Quotes

• “We just kinda needs someone coming up that makes it. You know, like, a lot of the guys were fighting now, like, a Jamie and Tejuna and Anthony Parashin them. They’re they’re they’re already quite established before they hit the UFC. So I think kinda we need kinda like a GSP sort of character, you know. Every man saw the guy.” – Liam Resnekov
• “The worst thing is seeing the other people Morgan. We’re gonna wrap this thing up anyway. We’re gonna — We’re gonna — attention spans, don’t really. Yeah. It’s we’re at 6 o’clock already. It’s it’s been a lot of fun, dude. It has a 3 hour podcast. Unfortunately, you got 2 sick residents of the coast today, but — No worries. — it was great. It was fun. No. It was fun. It was real. I’m glad we did this. Yeah. Of course. So your gym give people the the how do they get a hold of you? What’s the website? Yeah. It’s okay. So Jim’s w w w don’t v t. We don’t have to say w w w n r. 2014 sweatshirt. What about HTTP? I don’t think you need even that anymore. I always got the slashes backwards. But what’s the name? Okay. No word. VT1 Academy. VT1 mma.com.au. That’s btonemmma.com. There you go. Here’s the website. That’s On the left, just one quick thing. Do you know that a lot of French girls in Canada called Lawrence? Yes. That’s really weird. Last name or first. That is the problem. And only because also intended there that we found. Wait a minute. Their first name or their last name. First. Now if you cycle back that big Chinese guy on the left there. When I say Lawrence, I think of a big Chinese guy with a guillotine that kills you. Right? Lawrence. But on on Tinder, all the girls were Lawrence. That’s so weird. Really weird. Tinder than the house. On a random note. Get your free gun. So that’s us down there. Come visit us. We’re really friendly, everything, and our other side is peak peak dash@dashu.com. Oh, other side is peak. Peak? p, double e, k. p, double e, k. Yep. Dash atatdashu.com. So why are you? What is that? That’s that’s the project, the growing downside that we’re working on. We’re gonna put all, like, the stuff talent stuff on, and we’ve got the psychologist who’s doing the podcast on and stuff. So that’s that’s our kind of site. We’re just gonna host everything because that’s our business side, obviously. Okay. So just need to find that? Yeah. What is it again? It’s so it’s pake p p e e k dash dash dash u@atdashyou.com. That’s that’s oh, it’s not up there. I’m just pointing it, Joe. I’m just This is awkward. Amen. Okay. And you’re right. There you go. That’s a scary downside. Okay. And that’s gonna have the Thailand. That’s just gonna have all our projects. It’s growing down. Growing down is a project we launched because we were sick of basically, it’s growing up. sick of growing up. So it’s so gross. Sick of being at the dinner table, and everyone comes up to you. So what you’re doing with yourself lately? Are you working hard? That’s also the African accent. Right. You know, so my friend is a psychologist, and he just started getting pissed off. And so he coined this whole growing down thing, which is about Stop listening to other people and stop fucking listening to yourself, basically. Beautiful. Yeah. That’s that’s great idea. because by the way, not only will other people give you shitty advice, They will give you shitty advice because they got shitty advice and they want you to continue the tradition of suffering. People love watching people fail. and struggle because they failed and struggled. It’s very rare that someone will tell you, listen to me, I failed. My life is a fucking disaster. Don’t do what I did. They don’t they, why don’t you fucking grow up? I’ve never heard of it say that. I’ve had many people tell me to grow up. I’ve had many people that were fucking miserable telling me that I needed to grow up. I’m like, I don’t get it. I’m happy. You’re not, and I need to grow up. This is baffling. Do you know you’re gonna die? We’re both gonna die. Isn’t the whole point? Do you enjoy this as much as possible? I feel like I’m enjoying it. And I feel like you’re not, so I’m super confused as to why you’re giving me advice. One quick thing just before I wrap up, I just wanna a share because I I it just was something interesting came up. We when we were backstage at the UFC. Right? And this is about growing down. And we’re back there. Our fight is prepared pretty well for the fight. Right? And you go there, and everybody’s telling you what to do. Don’t eat bread. Don’t eat this. Switch a potato or sweet Ted, and everyone means well. Mhmm. Right? Cut weight this way. Cut weight that way. Prepare this way. Guys were holding pads hard as they could. the night before the fight. Now we take it we taper a week before. Right. And we’re there, and our fight starts getting nervous, you know, and he starts copying a little bit because these are professionals. Right? Like, we’re professionals but we study. You know? We we know what we’re doing. But he starts switching to sweet potato. He cuts out bread. He starts training a little bit closer to the fight than he should be. And the the thing was was, like, everybody was telling everybody what to do, and he ended up dropping £5 by mistake because he’d changed everything that week. And I was like, I was thinking about for comedy, for fighting, and all that stuff is like, it’s really fucking hard. to just trust that. Look. I’ve eaten potatoes and red meat my whole life. Let’s just keep doing it till the fight. You know? Mhmm. And so that’s what the whole growing down thing was It seems like if those guys are given that it advice on how to lose weight. That seems like good advice. Well, he seems like the He is way too late. That’s what he meant. No. The well, it’s probably because he probably should be lighter in the first place. I didn’t look. This gets a healthier diet. Well, the the advice is right, but the timing timing is right. That’s right. So, like, you’re about to go up in stage, and somebody comes up. He goes, man, before I go on stage, I usually go do a quick shot of, like, to kill off my nose. Wow. You know, that works for me. And then you go and do it. You go and station everything. Fuck you. Yeah. You don’t have a nose, sniffling, you’re bleeding. So it’s just, you know, for all the Aussies coming up is just having confidence, what you’re doing is good, write notes, and do it after the fight. Mhmm. And that was just something we live backstage, you know. It’s definitely a good point about tapering off, man. That’s one thing that people make a huge mistake about. They they they train too hard. They think it’s good to train hard the day before for the fight, but training breaks the body down. The whole purpose of training is to break the body down. If you don’t understand that, Then you need to talk to someone who’s an exercise physiologist and understand what is the purpose of working out. Working out taxes the body so the body heals. Healing is what makes you stronger. The breaking down of the body forces your body to react to the fact that you’re making it do all this work. So it goes, okay. We’re lifting weights now. We gotta get stronger because this motherfucker wants us carrying heavy things all the time. Okay. This guy wants us running up hills. Boy, we better increase our VO2 max because we wanna stay alive. Obviously, the body has different requirements now. We need more oxygen. But to break it down, the week of is really not beneficial. Some guys do it though, and they get away with it. Some guys look at them and they go, fuck. this is a pro. I better do it. Yes. Well, there’s a lot of schools of thought. I mean, it’s just like hard training. You know, there’s a lot of schools of thought when it comes to hard sparring. Yeah. And then there’s, you know, even prose, like, I was like Martin Campman. They say, he’s just bar once a week at most. Yeah. You know? Yeah. He’s very good. Very smart and very technical. But, you know, a lot of guys didn’t do it that way, and they have suffered because of it. There’s a lot of damage that gets done that’s unnecessary, whether it’s in training, whether it’s, you know, in preparation, strength, and conditioning, whatever it is. There’s a lot of unnecessary damage, and what we’re talking about before about MMA training, I think it’s still in a learning period. I think we still haven’t got it down the way, like, say, football has it down. They know exactly how to train to develop, like, top play football players. Absolutely. Basketball same thing. You go to basketball camp. You’re dealing with top flight strength and conditioning coach. They really know how to deal with I mean, they’re you’re dealing with multi, multimillion dollar athletes, and — Mhmm. — they have that investment, and they they wanna keep it healthy. And Really no one should apply that more than MMA fighters because who the fuck gets hurt more than MMA fighters. White side. White side probably is the worst taught sport in the world, especially in Thailand, because there’s no history of teaching. Yeah. So it’s like — So fighters teaching fighters. Well, they just copied me, isn’t it? Yeah. Really? Pretty much. So I was like, that’s one of the both backwards sports and the one. Never mind. Never mind. And there’s been a lot of smoking and drinking as well. Man, we had we had to be better now. like, they’ve got a lot of, you know, fight against alcohol, fight against drugs. Mhmm. Mhmm. So there’s a lot of promotion now. You got a lot of guys like Jotun Clyde Fair decks and Malapeno. He’s actually American, you know, and Borkau. And these guys are heroes. So for people, there’s a lot more push towards to be healthy, get fit, you can make good money now, you can go to Japan, You can fight in America. — do dives. Yeah. So yeah. I have friends that that trained and fought in Thailand, and they were telling me about everybody smoking cigarettes. And I my friend Chris started smoking when he was in Thailand because he’s fighting. He’s fighting in Thailand. Everybody was training in smoking. He started smoking too just like to be one of their gang. No. No. He smokes cigarettes. You know, Champ Champagne. You know? I’ve heard the name. He’s the one who, like, Tongbo is sort of based on him. You know what I mean? Oh, really? Yeah. We broke Rick Rufus’s leg. You’ve seen the fight, I’m sure. You’re the one who is he he puts him and he, you know, he breaks his leg the fight. I didn’t see that feeling. It’s on YouTube as we’re catching, but We saw him, and he’s a and he’s a legend. He fought Andy Hoggy for all these guys. Right? And we go to Thailand and Pataya, and he’s just sitting there smoking. So if I buy him a box cigarettes. He’ll let me film him kicking the bag. Yeah. He’s not kicking a box of cigarettes, and he kicked the bag for me. Yeah. Show me the technique. You know? And, like, they’re just smoking and alcohol over there is out of control. Wow. It is. Last question before we go. I’m a big fan of of kickboxing, obviously. And kickboxing is starting to make its way into the nine States in a big way with glory glory seeing you on spike. My only problem with it is I don’t like tournaments. I don’t like the idea of making someone fight twice and I and I definitely don’t like them doing it with, like, high level kickboxing. Mhmm. Like Nathan Corbett fought. GoCon Soccer. That’s right. Gokonsoiki knocked him out in the first round, broke his eardrum. That’s right. the fight. And then he had to he had to go into the the final round, go Konaki did against Tyrone Spong, where Tyrone Spong fought 3 hard rounds. Yeah. This young Brazilian kid and then fought in the round and and broke his contract. I don’t think the shin brake came from the fact that he had to fight 3 rounds and broke on how to fight 1, but the idea that one guy could fight one round, and then the other guy could go three rounds, go to war — Yeah. — and then they meet in the finals. I think that’s fucking crazy. And I think in this day and age, in 2014, with what we know about combust fighters, exact head injuries, and then taking a break and cooling down in between — Yeah. — that fight and having an hour in between the first fight and the second. I think it’s fucking crazy. But also the removal of Klipsch makes it fucking dead. Exactly. And the elbows. No elbows. No clench is awesome. Someone would’ve won that fight, I think, with elbows. Well, he’s a real muay Thai specialist. He is an elbow guy. They took away one of his best weapons. That’s right. The clinch and the elbows. 22 of his best weapons. A very bad weaken us the thing about glory though for us is that it’s getting us on a bigger scale — Yeah. Absolutely. — which is good. Like, in that way, it’s good. I understand the tournament. Like, your your perspective, the tournaments kinda a green away. But to get striking with competing against UFC is so hard. Yeah. You know, it’s funny. It’s it’s hard. Well, I think that, first of all, they’re on spike. which is a huge company. His his bike is Viacom. Their own bike is huge, huge, huge, $1,000,000,000,000, you know, backing behind them. There’s a shitload of money. in in involved in spike in Viacom. But I think that the tournament format is dangerous. Yeah. I really do. I think it’s antiquated. It’s dangerous. I loved it. That’s exactly when it was on day 1. It’s amazing to watch about pride. But I think for the athletes — Mhmm. — when you’re dealing with world class athletes, like a Tyrone spawn, like a go khan soc, I just think it’s unfair, and I think it’s fucking it’s the wrong way. I’ve I’ve almost feel like it’s disrespectful — Yes. — to the sport itself. and the fighters. To force world class fighters to fight more than once in a night, I think is outrageous. But the thing I was gonna say just quickly about that is one of the bigger problems, I think, with Gloria, is it’s also gonna reduce the the like, okay, moissan America is basically kickboxing with nays and Elvis. Right? the the clinch in Thailand is, like, 30, 40 percent of time boxing. Not in America, not in Holland. Right? So you’re seeing all these guys coming into MMA, none of these can increase head damage because there’s no clincing, but also the skill sets that come from the clinch. They don’t exist in MMA yet. You know? Yeah. Like, it’s it’s Well, you see it a little bit with Anderson Silva. You see it with a few moist Thai guys. They know how to clench and — This sounds great too. — because you you got a bad neck. But I was saying, like, if you get to clinch with, like, a tie tie like, not I don’t I’m trying to say it modestly. Like, real clinch. Like, tie clinch, it’s it’s almost, like, doing flowing Greco. There’s body locks, back takes — Yes. — snapshots. Well, do you like Lion Fight? Do you ever watch Lion Fight? What’s that? Lion Fight’s an organization in Vegas. and they’re putting the malapet fights for them. Right. Right. Yeah. They they have a lot of really high level people that are coming over from Europe and fighting for them. They got really good fights. They putting on. Right. That was Cyborg. Christine, the Cyborg. She she lost to this girl from the hot on her. Fucking hell. said 2 fucking muay thai fights. Yeah. They’re they’re hard on her because she took male hormones. That’s the bottom line. She’s such a nice lady. The reality I’m sure she’s a nice lady, but the reality is she took male hormones. But you’re saying they include clinchers with it. It’s clinchers and elbows. Great. Yeah. I mean, they have it it’s Kevin Ross fights with them. They have He’s cool. Yeah. Ross. Good water. And you know, elbows, clinch, everything. Take downs. They they they trip each other, they drop each other. Yes. It is beautiful. And it’s the comprehensive full style of moist tires. And it’s safer. It’s better. — safer. And it’s also more lethal. It’s more effective. Exactly. Elbows, kicks, knees, everything. Which which what’s what’s the premium car without going forward? Not to even look, he’s got a long way to go. He’s only, you know, he’s 1st fight. Right? But he used Moi Tai, Moi Tai. in the clinch. And, like, people were saying, what what did he do there? And I was like, that’s, like, 1st day stuff entirely. Right. Right. Right. So I think Americans are robbing themselves a bit by doing glory, not moi Tai Tai. You know what I mean? I couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t agree more. And I think that we’re on the same page as far as the respect for the athletes, making them fight more than once a night against world class guys on an even playing field. Like, you could have fought like, you could fight a world class guy and get rocked a bunch of times in three rounds and be really fucked up in that dressing room when you’re preparing for the title. And the other guy lands a head kick 15 seconds into the fight, and you’re both fighting in the finals against each other. I think that’s crazy. Absolutely agree. And they’re gonna have a big tournament in LA, and I’m gonna be there. We’re gonna we’re gonna watch it every time. I I I’m gonna watch it every time too. I’m a big supporter of it. I just think that they should reconsider. I just think — Sure. — and I wish they would go Moitte style. I fucking bringing the elbows in the clinch. They watch some of those line fights. They’re doing it. It’s very it’s great. I’ll watch it. They have them on access TV. Alright. Gentlemen. That’s been a pleasure. A successful fun podcast. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thank you. Alright. Follow them on Twitter. It’s VT 1 under scoremma_ Sydney. And the website one more time? Oh, vt1mma.com.au. Okay. Beautiful. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks also to our sponsors. Thanks to NatureBox. Enjoy some delicious, healthy, nutritious, snacks naturebox.com/rogan. That’s naturebox.com/rogan. Go there, use that, and you will get 50% off of your first box. Thanks also to onit.onit.onit.com, go to o n n i t, use the code word rogan, and save 10% off any and all supplements. Thanks. Also to stamps.com, go to stamps.com, use the code word, jre, and save yourself some money. We’ll be back tomorrow with Andreas Antonopoulos. who will drop some fucking mad knowledge about Bitcoin. Both Ace Freelie and Dave Patel had to reschedule. so there will be no podcast on Wednesday. David Tel will be back on Tuesday 29th next Monday. I have Steve Maxwell on, and then Thursday, Greg fit Simmons. And then next Friday, I’ll be at the Lobaro Theatre in Santa Barbara with Joey Coco Diaz. Alright. We love you guys, and we’ll see you tomorrow. Much love big kiss.