John Clarke: A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, former MMA fighter, and UFC cornerman coach who runs Broadway Jiu-Jitsu in South Boston (Lex's own coach). A one-time philosophy major, he now hosts his own podcast 'Please Allow Me.'
What this episode covers
John Clarke joins Lex Fridman for a wide-ranging, often profane conversation that moves from the romance of the great American road trip to the philosophy of martial arts. Clarke argues that real respect goes to those who eliminate every excuse before competing, and explores the dialectical tension between violence and kindness in fighters like himself and Mike Tyson. They debate the greatest fighters of all time, dissect the Kyle Bochniak vs Zabit fight Clarke cornered, and weigh Conor McGregor's innovation against Khabib's dominance. The talk closes on loyalty, love, the corrupting nature of politics, social media's effect on identity, and the books that shaped Clarke's worldview.
Recommended on this episode
Self-Reliance
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“i read self-reliance and you know he's got a ton of good essays but i thought self-reliance was probably the most impactful to me”— guest
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Richard Bach
“there's also a book called uh jonathan livingston seagull by richard bach and um it's kind of along the same lines”— guest
American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis
“a pleasure of mine was a american psycho just from a writing standpoint yeah i found that the writing was was awesome”— guest
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Hardcore History
Dan Carlin
“it takes me back to i don't know if you listen to uh dan carl in hardcore history and genghis khan”— Lex Fridman
The Town
Ben Affleck
“have you ever seen the movie the town there's a great line in the movie where one of the main characters walks into his friend's house”— Lex Fridman
Whiplash
Damien Chazelle
“you've seen the movie whiplash by any chance yes it seems like in a man's life”— Lex Fridman
The Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx
“the communist manifesto is truly frightening if you read it in in like modern context it's worth reading”— guest
Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler
“so is mineconf not obviously well it's not obvious but it is not very well written uh but all the ideas that led to the evil”— guest
Big reveals from this episode
- Clarke recounts his cross-country road trip with a friend who was on the run from the cops and got arrested again in Pennsylvania.
- Clarke calls 'I respect anyone with the guts to step on the mat' the biggest load of shit, arguing signing up is the easy part.
- Clarke admits wrestling gave him joy in dominating and 'driving you through the mat,' not just pinning opponents.
- He shares his loyalty test: only about three friends would get a no-questions-asked 'help me bury the body' response.
- Clarke names Murilo Bustamante alongside GSP and Anderson Silva as among the greatest, most-overlooked MMA fighters.
- Clarke reveals he was so caught up in the Bochniak fight he forgot they had lost, and told Kyle 'you're my fucking hero.'
- Clarke says no one who made the McGregor-Khabib fight thought Khabib would win, calling McGregor a fed cash cow.
- Clarke psychoanalyzes Lex on-air, saying Lex avoids putting his full self online out of fear of being his lesser version.
Worth remembering
- Clarke argues we romanticize the past because we only remember the brightest stars of history, not the average.
- He cites the claim that most people stop searching for new music after age 19.
- Clarke distinguishes people who DO a thing from people who do it only to signal that they do it.
- Genghis Khan was the first military leader to pay the families of soldiers who died, splitting raid booty.
- Clarke's rule: to get a great relationship you must be comfortable being alone; to chase money, comfortable being poor.
- He tells of Dioxippus, a 4th-century BC pankration champion who fought an armored Macedonian naked with a wooden club and won.
- Clarke traces McGregor, Machida, and Stephen Thompson's in-and-out distance style to point karate.
- Clarke believes the vast majority of people are forgotten within 12 months of death, so he takes a 'me first' approach to life.
- Clarke claims most people don't actually want success; they want the appearance of trying without doing the work.
- Clarke recorded his early podcast episodes drunk on tequila, learning that being too shit-faced leaves nothing worth editing.