The Joe Rogan ExperienceRZA on Joe Rogan: How Qigong Clears Mental Noise Before Noon
RZA frames qigong, Eight Pieces of Brocade, and cold plunges as will-training: mood and mental clarity are the real goal, not physical fitness.
CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 1:03
Flying Guillotine merch, bar design connections, and catching up
Joe and RZA open by bonding over the Flying Guillotine brand and the shared designer behind RZA’s bar and Joe’s Comedy Mothership. They settle into a friendly catch-up and set the tone for a wide-ranging conversation.
- •Richard Weiss designed both Flying Guillotine’s space and The Mothership
- •RZA and Joe compare Flying Guillotine T-shirts and screenings
- •Reconnecting after years and setting the conversation’s vibe
- 1:03 – 9:01
Staying centered: exercise, tai chi, and not drifting from your foundations
RZA asks whether Joe still maintains the wellness practices he explored years ago, sparking a discussion about staying aligned amid busier schedules. They agree exercise and movement are crucial for mental clarity and emotional balance.
- •How momentum and busyness can pull you off-center
- •Exercise as a mental-health requirement, not just physical
- •RZA’s recent stretch/tai chi reset after days of travel
- •The idea of returning to the “blessings” that made you solid
- 9:01 – 13:36
Cold plunge mindset: discomfort as training and dopamine as reward
Joe explains his cold-plunge routine and why the hardest part is overriding the mind’s urge to quit. RZA shares his one ice-bath experiment and considers starting with cold showers.
- •Joe’s 3-minute cold plunge routine and breathing/counting strategy
- •RZA’s anti-cold temperament and his competitive ice-bath story
- •Cold exposure as a mental game and post-plunge mood lift
- •Discussion of dopamine/endophin benefits and tolerance building
- 13:36 – 20:22
Martial arts as mind training: willpower, awareness, and “planes of energy”
The conversation expands into martial arts as a vehicle for concentration, spiritual development, and self-control. RZA frames training in terms of willpower and higher “planes” of realization, with Joe adding practical reflections from combat sports.
- •Martial arts as meditation-through-movement and deep focus
- •RZA’s view: being a martial artist in mind, not claiming to be a fighter
- •Tai Chi concepts, the “eight pieces of brocade,” and unblocking chi
- •Willpower as influence (and the cult-leader joke)
- 20:22 – 26:41
Tai Chi vs real fights: rules, survival instincts, and why street fights are dumb
Joe challenges the idea that Tai Chi can reliably redirect a skilled, charging opponent, pushing the discussion toward the reality of fighting. They contrast sport combat with no-rules violence and emphasize avoidance and de-escalation.
- •Theory vs physics: Tai Chi concepts under real pressure
- •Mike Tyson as an example of “fight mode” vs sport skill
- •No-rules violence (eye gouges) and the moral/spiritual barrier to brutality
- •Advice: avoid street fights; put aggression into training or art
- 26:41 – 31:27
Art as a pressure valve: RZA’s anger, creativity, and the meaning of ‘One Spoon of Chocolate’
RZA describes how early anger fueled Wu-Tang energy and how he now channels intensity into filmmaking. He breaks down the film’s core metaphor—small wisdom changing a whole situation—and the importance of elders’ perspective.
- •RZA’s past anger and how music helped metabolize it
- •Film tie-ins: naming the lead ‘Unique’ as homage to ODB
- •The breakfast scene: “one spoon of chocolate changes a whole glass of milk”
- •Anecdote: life-changing advice from an unlikely older figure
- 31:27 – 42:18
Opioids, pharma incentives, and a dark side of medicine (chemo fraud)
Joe and RZA pivot from heroin history to today’s opioid crisis, discussing incentives that drive over-prescription. The tone turns darker as Joe recounts cases of medical exploitation, including a doctor giving chemo to people without cancer.
- •From heroin to modern opioids and overdose numbers
- •The Sackler family and the ‘Painkiller’ docudrama
- •Joe’s own experience being offered opioids after surgery
- •Chemo-profit incentives and the shock of fraudulent cancer diagnoses
- 42:18 – 1:02:58
Modern slavery for modern tech: Congo cobalt, conflict minerals, and RZA’s prophetic lyric
Joe shows footage of cobalt mining conditions in the Congo and connects it to the supply chain behind phones and electronics. RZA reacts strongly, then highlights how he referenced the same dynamic in his lyrics, linking it to colonial history (Leopold, rubber).
- •Cobalt mining footage: toxic dust, poverty, and child/women labor
- •Phones and ‘virtue signaling’ contrasted with exploitative supply chains
- •RZA’s lyric breakdown from ‘The Great Fisherman’ referencing Congo minerals
- •Discussion of royalties/resource justice and power structures maintaining poverty
- 1:02:58 – 1:10:48
Film rollout stories: screenings, crowd reactions, and the Donnell Rawlings theme-beat fiasco
RZA shares how different cities reacted to the film and how peers like Dave Chappelle responded to specific lines. A comedic detour follows about Donnell Rawlings losing a theme beat after it got licensed elsewhere.
- •Audience reaction differences: New York vs LA vs Chicago vs SF
- •Dave Chappelle praising dialogue as ‘bars’
- •Donnell Rawlings inspired to podcast; theme track got flagged after licensing
- •RZA’s filmography context and working with actors like Shameik Moore
- 1:10:48 – 1:18:16
Music deep cuts: Isley Brothers, 90s hip-hop tunnel vision, and Joe’s green room playlist
They trade favorite artists and talk about how intense creative focus can narrow listening habits. Joe recommends specific tracks and collaborations, while RZA reflects on rediscovering genres he once ignored.
- •RZA meeting Ron Isley and recommending ‘Sensual’ for “love life trouble”
- •Joe’s eclectic taste: Nina Simone to Zeppelin to Wu-Tang
- •Brand New Heavies ‘Heavy Rhyme Experience’ and 90s rap collaborations
- •Kool G Rap’s influence and why mainstream underrates him
- 1:18:16 – 1:29:19
Weed, legality, and the ‘tool vs abuse’ framework (plus obesity stats)
RZA explains why he largely stopped smoking weed, while Joe defends cannabis as a creative tool when used intentionally. They compare policy inconsistencies by juxtaposing cannabis restrictions with the large death toll linked to obesity.
- •RZA quitting public weed use; controlled exceptions (e.g., with Tarantino)
- •Joe: marijuana as a creativity tool, especially for writing
- •Legal status: federal vs state, Schedule changes, and dosing clarity
- •Obesity-related death estimates as a contrast to drug panic
- 1:29:19 – 2:02:14
Vegan protein, pumpkin seeds, backyard chickens, and the weirdness of food culture
The conversation turns to nutrition logistics: how RZA gets protein as a long-term vegan and Joe’s experience with backyard chickens and eggs. They trade food discoveries, local spots, and observations about waste and convenience culture.
- •RZA’s protein sources: beans, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, seeds
- •Pumpkin seeds as a high-protein snack and overlooked nutrition
- •Joe’s chicken/egg routine and the ‘chickens are dinosaurs’ mouse story
- •Indian vegetarian food, Austin restaurants, and cinema snacks
- 2:02:14 – 2:24:55
Future of movies: 35mm nostalgia, theater windows, AR/VR viewing, and immersive venues
RZA argues cinema should be experienced in theaters and explains technical choices like anamorphic lenses and 35mm prints. They explore emerging formats—from Vision Pro to Sphere/Cosm-style venues—and how social viewing changes the experience.
- •RZA’s 30-day theatrical window and resisting streaming-first releases
- •Anamorphic lenses vs spherical look; digital capture with 35mm prints
- •Immersive venues: Sphere, Cosm, ScreenX and reworked classics
- •April 22 significance: RZA’s acquittal date mirrored in the film’s story
- 2:24:55 – 2:51:58
AI as ‘assisted’ intelligence, authenticity debates, and status symbols (diamonds, Rolexes, superclones)
They revisit technology anxiety through an artist’s lens: AI as an extension of sampling and as an assistive tool rather than ‘artificial’ replacement. The conversation ends on authenticity and status—lab diamonds vs mined diamonds, and high-end watch replicas approaching indistinguishability.
- •RZA reframing AI: change the ‘A’ to ‘assisted/accumulated’
- •Analogy to sampling and why the ‘real thing’ still matters culturally
- •Lab-grown diamonds: indistinguishable without specialized tools; ethics vs status
- •Rolex economics, exclusivity, and Chinese ‘super clone’ watch markets
