There was a hashtag on Twitter.
Get John Wayne on Joe Rogan.
Then one day he replied, I'd love to get John Wayne on.
So I shot him a DM.
Hey, my name's John Wayne.
He goes, yeah, for sure.
I'd love to have you on.
Let's pick a date.
So we picked a date.
Got my bag, jumped in a taxi, went straight to the studio.
Eddie Bravo, Brian Kellan, Brendan Shaw, Joe Rogan all sitting there talking about the fires.
And Joe's like, oh, since we don't really know each other,
well, do you want to come to my house tomorrow morning?
And we'll do a session.
Then we'll have something to talk about on the podcast.
I'm like, whoa, yes.
So he goes to me in a dress.
We go back up to his house.
Yeah, it's just amazing.
And then what you see on TV is the same Joe you see in real life, too.
He's so nice and so humble, so funny.
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Empowering Leaders podcast.
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John Wayne Parr is one of the world's most revered combat sport athletes, a 10-time world
champion and a legend of the world of Muay Thai and kickboxing.
Wayne's story is told brilliantly in his new book, The Fighter, The Legendary Life of an
Australian Champion, written by Jared Boyle.
Influential UFC commentator and podcast pioneer, Joe Rogan.
He's a huge fan of John Wayne Parr's
and describes him as one of the baddest dudes ever.
His skill level, his toughness,
his dedication to the sport are unparalleled.
John Wayne Parr moved constantly around Australia as a kid.
His parents were racehorse trainers
and they were forced to regularly move towns
in search of work.
And the story of a young Australian boy
living in the brutal martial arts training camps in Thailand,
going on to arguably be the most revered Westerner ever
in the ancient sport of Mai Tai
is nothing short of remarkable.
Wayne, it's great to meet you.
It's an extraordinary life that you have lived
and it's captured brilliantly in the book
that's just been released about your life
called The Fighter.
The story of a legendary Australian champion
written by Jarrod Boyle.
Can you tell me, how does the boy that grew up
in the Gold Coast and moved house regularly
turn out to be a 10-time world champion?
How did it happen?
So my parents were horse trainers
and we moved a lot as kids.
So I was very isolated.
We lived on big property.
So I wasn't just an only child,
but the fact that our house would be here
and then our neighbor would be like 4Ks
on top of a hill,
like it was so, so bad.
And then my parents worked crazy hours
where they'd have to wake up at 3.30,
be at the track by 4.
So I'd wake up by myself.
There'd be $2 on the table,
I'd get my $2 and then I'd go to my tuck shop
and I'd come home and they'd be at work again
because the afternoon session starts from say 3 to say 6.30.
So by the time they get home,
so I spend a lot of time by myself.
And I was infatuated by martial arts movies.
All I wanted to do was be a martial artist.
I seen the kind of kid.
He's the kid that moves around.
He's the new kid.
I can understand exactly what he's going through.
So maybe if I find martial arts,
that'll help fill in a hole.
And then the moment I started martial arts
at the age of 11,
I haven't stopped since.
And the only regret is that
we didn't start at five instead of 11.
Wayne, you ended up in the brutal training camps
of Thailand in the ancient sport of Mai Tai.
You're a legend in that part of the world
and accomplished things
that almost no other Westerner has been able to achieve.
Tell us about the path to living
in the most basic accommodation
and the brutal training regime you went through.
I'm very lucky to have a Thai sponsor named Richard.
He took me under his wing
at the age of approximately 17.
I fought my first Thai.
He seen my potential.
I got knocked out in 30 seconds.
But the fact that I fought a Thai,
he said, oh, you showed a big heart.
It's very important in Thailand,
the heart's everything.
So even the fact that I fought a Thai,
the fact that I lost,
but the fact that I fought him
was an accomplishment.
And then I lived approximately
a 10-minute walk away.
So during the day,
I'd sit in the kitchen.
And then as he's preparing the chicken skewers
and getting them ready,
I just listened to this mystical place
of this place of that,
that their national sport is Thai boxing.
And it's their heritage.
They're so proud.
And people spend their lives
from the eight years old
living in this camp.
It just sounded so amazing.
It sounded just exactly what I wanted.
And then I got the opportunity
to move over there.
Originally just for six months.
Ended up having five fights,
And then I came back to Australia.
A few months later,
the camp rang and said,
can you please send me back?
We believe there's a big future in the sport.
So Richard had a courtesy
But he said, instead of six months,
I'll just send you back for 12 months
so you make sure you get the techniques down perfect.
So I went for another 12 months,
had nine fights that year.
I won, I think, seven.
I'm pretty sure seven.
I fought in the stadiums
and the big things,
but that's 100,000 people.
for the first time.
And I just kept snowballing
and snowballing and snowballing.
And then once I started
making a name in Thailand,
and then the rest of the world
wanted getting offers
from every country,
I've even fought in Jamaica.
I fought in Jamaica once.
That's pretty cool.
Jamaica, China, you name it,
I've fought there.
So I think I worked out,
I've had 149 fights
and approximately 85 of those fights
have been international
because I lived overseas for so long.
So yeah, I've had more fights overseas
You fought some of
the most important
and the most dangerous people
you could possibly imagine.
And reading the book,
and I encourage people
to read your story.
It's an amazing story
of courage and resilience.
But the names are incredible.
Arono, the black Superman,
Break Hell with Punch,
the Deadly Kisser was a mentor,
the Thai called you
the dangerous kangaroo.
So the Deadly Kisser,
Sengten Noi's fight name,
the small candlelight flame.
So he used to put a candle
and then the name was
and the Deadly Kisser
that was preceded by him
after he showed the people
that are gambling in the crowd
that he gave his kisser
and then around two,
he believed that it was his fight
so they'd all bet on him.
So that was his way
yeah, and that sort of stuck.
But the Sengten Noi
the small candlelight flame.
And you're talking about
stepping into the ring
where you're fighting warriors
of the highest order.
How do you deal with fear?
that have never done that,
what's your secret
to being able to fight?
you have some level of fear.
How did you deal with it?
I want to be best.
I want to be regarded
to prove to be I'm a champion
is to cross the ropes.
how scary they are,
yeah, I can do this,
Here'd be nothing.
Unless I cross those ropes,
So it's very important.
That's the hardest part.
all the fear goes away
because you're already there.
It's just that block.
also the passion.
I told myself early,
I'm there for a reason.
I'm there to be successful.
I'm there to be great.
The only way to take
is to get in there
and the facial fears.
where I made $35,000
rematching a gentleman.
He cut me four different times
in two different fights.
And then as I'm walking
this is going to hurt so bad.
an incredible life
on so many levels.
I look at a great warrior
going on the ring
and when you win,
you celebrate as you should,
but the defeats are brutal.
And when you see a fighter
exit the ring having lost,
that looks as painful a loss
as you could imagine.
How did you deal with those?
Because every fighter,
almost every fighter
has to deal with defeat.
How did you handle that?
Oh, it's terrible.
I won my first live fight,
St. Thylian Street.
So I was very fortunate.
The ranking's really fast.
I got to number four
at Lumpini Stadium
and I was one fight away from,
actually the promoter
came into my changing room
if you win today,
your next fight will be
for the Lumpini title.
And then I was so excited
and then I ended up
getting cut 21 stitches
and the fight ended up
stopping round three
from too much blood
and the whole business.
for the next week,
I just hid in the room
because I was so embarrassed.
Even though the guy was a legend
and the inclusion to him
it's just the fact that I fought him,
and every media outlets
Thylian's finally got their
after the Australian
had won in the first nine fights
And then I front page
of the magazine the next day
showing the suit.
But during the fights,
I knew I made my mistakes
and just having the pain of a loss,
you don't want to have that feeling again.
And then as soon as you come back
and you have another win,
you feel that rush
and that's the reason you're there
to get that endorphin drop.
Have you ever seen the movie Highlander
when the lightning comes down from the sky?
That's what I feel like
is when you're wounded by KO.
And then you can't sleep
for three, four, five days.
your skin's always,
you're just so happy.
the fastest growing sport in the world
by almost every measure.
it's a brutal world.
It's a world that you know really well.
is it something that you admire?
if you were born in the UFC,
born a generation earlier,
that would have been your path
The fact that these guys
are making hundreds of thousands of dollars
getting pay-per-view points
and we're getting generational money,
not just retirement money,
generational wealth.
it's so exciting to see the sport
because it helps me as well
because people need more high schools
to get into the next level of UFC
I've started Jiu-Jitsu at my gym
the last five years also.
I was never sort of a Jiu-Jitsu guy
the last five years,
we have a Brazilian instructor
that comes to our gym
I'm starting to steer into that world myself
I want to start getting into Jiu-Jitsu competitions
to fill in a hole
for where my Muay Thai competition used to go.
Joe Rogan is an incredibly influential figure
Maybe the most influential voice
heading into the US election.
He's a UFC commentator
and he loves John Wayne Parr.
He's a huge fan of yours.
I know you went to his house,
trained him in his private gym
and then you've been a guest
on the Joe Rogan show.
Tell me about your relationship
Yeah, Joe is amazing.
Our first time on the podcast,
there was a hashtag on Twitter.
Get John Wayne on Joe Rogan.
And then one day he replied,
I'd love to get John Wayne on.
Joe Rogan replied to the tweet.
I showed him a DM.
my name's John Wayne.
I'm just wondering,
I'd love to have you on.
Let's pick a date.
So, we picked a date.
I got to the Brisbane airport
turned my phone off,
turned my phone back on
and I get a beep beep
I know we're doing the podcast tomorrow
but is there any chance
you want to come and do
the fight campaign with us now?
So, I went straight from the,
jumped in a taxi,
went straight to the studio.
Joe Rogan are all sitting there
talking about the fight.
And then we finished the podcast
since we don't really know each other,
do you want to come to my house
and we'll do a session
and then we'll have something
to talk about on the podcast.
So, he gave me a dress
and said we could rock up
it's just amazing.
And then what you see on TV
is the same Joe you see
in real life too.
you spent a huge amount
with the Thai people
and understanding
their love of the sport.
your relationship
with the Thai people.
after the first three
or four days of being there,
I'm not going to teach you
I'm going to teach you
how to be a Thai.
learning how to sit on the floor
to eat every meal.
You have to sit cross-legged
a plate of rice in front
so you've got to lean
which sounds easy
until you have to try and do it
and then let's bring your rice
and then sit on the floor
You spoke about their care
and their incredible people
if you do the wrong thing,
they can be pretty brutal
The life's so cheap.
there's a thing over there
where fighters will get
persuaded by the mafia
Let's say you're making
and then the mafia
we'll give you $100,000
but if you happen to
fall over round two,
these fighters have money
and then they do it
and it's obvious,
I've known Thai trainers
that have paid the police
to make their files go missing
for them to disappear
and no questions asked.
there was one camp
and then the trainer's like,
Maybe they shouldn't have
Anyone else want to
no one wants to throw
Oh, Stephen Dazza.
We all are born different.
the experiences we have
develop into outlooks
uniquely our own.
Charting our life's course.
No one sees an idea,
And no one sees you
Victoria University.
My name's Gabrielle.
I'm studying law.
What made me want to get into law
the reward you get after
the feelings that you get
for helping other people.
I'm really passionate
about making sure
that people have that voice,
especially for people
that don't feel like
they can be heard.
And that's something
that's really important to me.
I have quite deep
so it was really important
to me to find a university
that aligns with those values
and VU's that for me.
our signature program,
is something we're really
passionate and proud of.
We bring together groups
of five to six people
from diverse backgrounds,
and to collaborate.
Chief Operating Officer
The Alita Connect experience
transformational.
that I would never have met
from totally different spheres.
It's all about relationships.
how we communicate
and what the Alita Connect group does
that is so powerful
is when you bring two people
from two totally different worlds
It just leaves room
for the real you.
that's what Alita gave me
was bringing back
and really connecting
to my own leadership style.
a very accomplished fighter
and your daughter
has joined the family business
and was a fighter
and you're saluting
watching at a young age
your daughter in the ring?
Do you get nervous watching it?
and I know how passionate
If she was missing days
and she wasn't hitting hard
and she wasn't moving her head
and she was losing in sparring,
I'd be very nervous.
But because I see
how accomplished she is
and how passionate she was,
stubbornness that I do.
So they're helping us
through in the weight
and she's so determined
to be successful.
She started at the age of eight,
which was very controversial
because people weren't
adjusted to martial arts then.
with the popularity,
and martial arts culture
and everyone's a lot more educated,
it's now just the age.
Jiu-Jitsu competitions
are held every weekend.
No one cares anymore.
I find it quite humbling
to have the kids training
in the gym with me every day.
So a lot of people,
they'll go to work,
and that's their day
to spend all my time
with the kids in the gym,
And then I'm so happy
I bond through fighting
and then we're there
in each other's corner
and then we have a thing
where if someone's fighting,
So you're not allowed
to swear at that person.
They're not allowed
or pick up rubbish
and then they can say,
hey, pick up my plate,
And then they've got
because it's their day.
they're the special player
and after their day's done,
you've got to pick it up.
The only thing is
you've got to get in the ring
and fight an opponent
which for most families,
most people would be happy
to do the dishes, Wayne,
but it's a unique family
I love asking these questions,
of different people,
whether you're talking
to someone who's been
a conductor of an orchestra
or a legend of their sport
or an entrepreneur with success
and what great leadership
and yours is a brave story
to leave as a 16 or 17-year-old
to live in Thailand
and take on the world
to be one of the world's
great combat sports athletes.
I want to ask you
about this idea of
how do you make sure
you're at your best
so that you've been able
to lead others in your family
and have an impact on others?
to fill your cup up, John,
before you can help
I haven't had a trainer.
I've been self-driven.
I'll pay my friends
to come and I'll pass for me.
The promoter will call me
hey, we want you to fight
this guy in this country
for this much money.
I'll study my own opponents.
I'll matchmake myself.
that I get my weight down.
I've never replied.
The only person I need
is someone to help pass for me
and their sparring partners.
have I woke up in the morning
and not wanted to
and go for a run.
I face is all me.
you want to fight my dean?
You want to fight this guy?
The only way to prove
that I'm the best
is I have to fight him.
I have to beat him.
it doesn't matter
but I want to leave
even when you look
at Muhammad Ali now
how amazing he is.
Or there's a gentleman
And I think of those guys' names
I can be put in that
hopefully still be inspired
when I was younger.
if you read the book
the incredible story
that is John Wayne Parr
and I love this idea
what leadership looks like
and yours is a unique story.
who maybe want to
from a leadership
You have to want it
You have to want it
more than you want
My thing since I've
been approximately
is no one's going
to get in my way.
nothing's going to
achieving what I want
There might be hurdles
going to stop me.
So if the girlfriend
My last retirement
work's going to get
You've got to want it.
you've got to want it
as much as you want
You had this vision
from a young age.
You wanted to be a champion.
It's the final words
and the very best.
it's an incredible
vision from a young age.
How do you go about
working with a team
to allow that vision
What did you put in place
to make that happen?
Just being successful
Every win is a new
impression on a new
And not just fight,
but fight exciting.
Everyone can fight,
but I want to fight.
matter where you're
on the card to be
the first fight of the
card or the middle,
I want you talking
when you're walking
but if you're going,
how good was that
I can't wait to watch him.
And then all of a sudden
you've got more money
generating and then
the promoters know
that you're an asset
and then your prize
might go from $1,000
and all of a sudden
you're on $10,000
you're on $15,000.
So important to fight
exciting so people
cancel their events
to make sure they're
coming to see you fight.
When we see people
who are successful
like you in whatever
I just heard you talk
about adding jiu-jitsu
Do you relate to that?
different rabbit holes
of where curiosity
Can you tell us a story
about how that works
Martial arts is amazing.
Martial arts never ends.
It just keeps going
and going and going.
there's the 10,000
but the good ones
and so addicting.
You're going to have
and come into a session
and then leave it here
with the worst day
and then leave it here
with the biggest smile
it makes you forget
about whatever problems
You walk in the door
and then you just want
in there for an hour.
Once you walk out
to thinking about
whatever happened
before you walked in,
but while you're in there,
it's just thinking
chatting with your partner,
That's the best part
is it's not a job,
And you can see that
in the smile on your face.
Everything you say,
lived this joyful life
and it comes out.
We love this quote
of great leadership
nothing gets in your way
to be a world champion,
but how have you been able
and have two kids
to make all that work?
What's your secret there?
I'm not really a money guy.
When it comes to money,
when I was competing anyway,
or anything like that.
Because of being a millionaire,
as long as I can get
to my next fight,
that's all I need.
And that's all I did
is just trying to get by,
even when times were tough
and I was in debt,
but my next fight
will get me above water again.
And then it just so happens
every time I needed money,
the Thai used to call me
John Wayne Never Dies
because I'd be down
to my last 10 baht
20,000 baht would come.
I'd be down to my last 50 baht,
another 20,000 baht.
It would come or something.
the Thais were astonished
how I kept surviving.
I made all this money
from competing professionally.
that's how I got to live so long.
off my prize money
that whole time I was there.
Which is amazing,
Most people can't cope
with that level of stress
of not being down
to your last dollar
and you read the book
and that was you.
You just seemed to find a way
even when you had,
your daughter was born,
you'd jump on a plane
and you'd find a fight
It's an incredible story.
This idea of people
being able to communicate well
You moved to a country
where you didn't speak
a word of the language
and you didn't have
any formal training.
How were you able
to build that respect
that you work with?
And there was no iPhones
back then either.
There was no Google.
then you had to read a book
and then you'd read
the words in the book.
but the only thing
was the pronunciation
were two different things.
and what that writes
It's not even close.
it just had to be a fact of,
so where I lived,
imagine you're the only
in all of Sydney.
So where I lived,
And then I'd go to the shops
and people would stare at me
because I'd never seen
a white person before
So then I got to the stage
where I can't do hand signals
so I couldn't eat,
I've got to learn.
every day I'd try
and give myself five words.
And then the next day
I'd start another
and then I remember
my first sentence.
I want one bag of ice.
Pom dong ga nam keng nung tung.
Pom dong ga nam keng nung tung.
And then I got my first
I got my first sentence.
And then I could just
change the last word
I know I can ask for stuff.
And then it slowly progressed.
And then I got to the stage
where I'd hear the Thai songs
and I knew they were popular.
So I'd go down to the radio,
add the record store
And then I'd press play
And then I'd write in English
And then I remember the words
that I'd go to the Thai karaoke
and all the Thais would be there.
I'd put in my suggestion.
They'd look at me going,
and then I'd start singing.
And everyone would start
and start jiggling around.
And then even the guy
doing the karaoke goes,
do you know any more songs?
I know the whole album.
oh, can you do us more?
And then I'd hear
and it was so much fun
being the only white guy.
I didn't know if I was
saying the right stuff or not,
but at least the Thais
were getting into it.
That made me laugh
at the party then.
Learning Thai by karaoke.
That's a unique way
who's been the greatest leader
Probably Raymond Deckard
that I mentioned from Holland.
Just aspiring to be like him.
He was the first Western
to go to Thailand
and beat the Thais
and not only win,
but knock them out.
everyone just feared them
because they were untouchable.
So he inspired me.
When I was living in Thailand
for the long term,
every time I went to the stage
where I was homesick
come home and say,
what would Raymond do?
All right, I'll stay.
And that would just inspire me
to say another six months,
how long I ever was there.
Wayne, you're revered
in the fight game
and around the world
and taking any fight
anytime, anywhere
and you've been able
to connect with unique people
around the globe.
We're a bit obsessed
that collaborating
with other people
is how great things happen.
that you've thought,
whether it be in the fight game
or another area of your life,
God, I'd love to have
been with whoever,
or another fighter
or is there a story
that springs to mind?
I actually had Raymond Deckers
come to Australia
one of these fighters
competing against
another gentleman
called Nathan Corbett
here in the Gold Coast
and then the promoter
rang me and said,
oh, because it's my show,
I can't have Raymond here.
Is there any chance
can train in your gym
for the next seven days
as they prepare for the fight?
So Raymond brought
his fighter here.
Every day we'd hang out
and after the session
we'd go for lunch
and I'd sit there
like a little boy
when you brought this guy?
Well, I went for a vet class
and then I was like
and then he got my shirt
and we corresponded
regularly after that
and then unfortunately
So I lost one of my heroes
but he's still there
He's still always there.
I'll still never forget
how much he inspires me.
There's an old saying
meeting your heroes.
You can be disappointed
but it sounds like
the opposite for you
in that experience.
I encourage everyone,
like-minded fighter
of an Australian champion.
The story of John Wayne Parr
is a remarkable story
If you haven't had
any exposure at all
it will blow you away
the life this man's lived
and to see the smile
still loving life
and with all the things
that you've been through
is a great story.
It's written by Jared Boyle.
It's a great book
it's a great privilege
to spend some time with you.
Thanks for taking the time.
Thank you so much
for such a positive interview.
I really appreciate it.