Tim FerrissUFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten on Self-Defense, Savage Fight Stories, Breathing Techniques, and More
CHAPTERS
- 0:15 – 3:28
Tim’s first encounter with Bas in Japan and the origins of the conversation
Tim opens by explaining why Bas Rutten has been a long-time fascination, tracing it back to early-1990s Japan and the shock of seeing Bas’s early Pancrase fights. The two set the stage for a wide-ranging conversation spanning Dutch kickboxing roots, Japan’s fight scene, self-defense, faith, and breathing training.
- •Tim recounts being an exchange student in Japan and following early shoot-style and Pancrase events
- •Tim describes Bas’s first fight he saw: a very fast finish against a much heavier opponent
- •Bas and Tim establish the arc of topics to come, including Pancrase, Pride, self-defense, and the O2 Trainer
- 3:28 – 5:58
Why the Netherlands produced so many elite fighters
Tim asks why the Netherlands seems to have an unusually strong martial arts tradition. Bas offers a theory tied to Dutch kickboxing’s evolution and explains how early setbacks against Thai fighters led to a hybrid style that later dominated.
- •Bas says he isn’t sure of the root cause but suggests the Netherlands wants the world to notice a small country
- •Bas recounts a story of Dutch teams getting beaten in Thailand, then combining Western boxing with kicks to form a distinct style
- •Bas highlights Ramon Dekkers’s impact and describes the atmosphere-shifting knockouts that inspired him to train at the same gym
- •Bas connects Dutch success to a pool of natural heavyweights and the later spread of the style worldwide
- 5:58 – 10:53
Childhood illness, bullying, and the moment martial arts became a lifeline
Bas describes a difficult childhood marked by eczema, asthma, hospital stays, and relentless bullying. Seeing Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon becomes the turning point that convinces him he can change his life through martial arts.
- •Bas recounts severe eczema and asthma, being treated as contagious, and being bullied daily
- •He describes sneaking into Enter the Dragon and seeing a path to stopping the bullying
- •Bas explains it took two years of persistence to convince his parents to let him train
- •He describes early rapid improvement in adult taekwondo classes and how praise from adults changed his self-image
- 10:53 – 14:26
Birds, tree-swinging escapes, and the first street fights
Bas explains how spending hours in the forest and raising a jackdaw shaped his childhood when he had no friends. He then tells the story of confronting his biggest bully and how that shifted his identity from victim to protector—then to someone who hunted bullies down.
- •Bas says he bonded with birds because other kids avoided him; he spent hours in the forest climbing trees
- •He describes raising a jackdaw from a nest and the bird following him everywhere, even to school
- •Bas tells the story of being chased by a group of bullies, choosing to stop running, and knocking out the main bully with a punch
- •He explains the consequences: police at his parents’ door and being pulled from taekwondo, followed later by restarting martial arts as an adult
- 14:26 – 17:18
Odd jobs and hard pivots: culinary school, quitting a kitchen job, and modeling
Bas walks through his early career paths outside fighting, including four years of culinary school and work as a cook/sous chef. He describes the confrontation that made him quit abruptly, and how modeling work ended once martial arts injuries started showing up.
- •Bas says he always wanted to be a chef and trained formally, then worked running a kitchen
- •He recounts a blowup with his boss over an unexpectedly busy night that ended with Bas quitting on the spot
- •Bas says he also modeled for a period and earned good money for his age
- •He explains the modeling work stopped once black eyes and other signs of fighting became frequent
- 17:18 – 22:07
How Pancrase happened: bouncer life, a surprise fight, and being scouted
Bas explains how boredom with kickboxing and an unhealthy bouncer lifestyle set up a turning point. After a short-notice fight loss damaged his reputation back home, a choreographed performance troupe unexpectedly led to a scouting moment with Minoru Suzuki and Masakatsu Funaki.
- •Bas describes agreeing—while drunk—to a fight he didn’t remember, then losing on short notice after being out of shape
- •He says public perception in the Netherlands shifted sharply after that loss, pushing him toward quitting competition
- •Bas explains joining choreographed nightclub fight shows that grew into TV and European performances
- •He describes Chris Dolman introducing him to “free fighting,” and a sparring session that ended with a head kick and stitches
- •Bas says Suzuki and Funaki selected him, partly impressed by his athleticism—down to jumping into the ring over the ropes
- 22:07 – 27:09
First Japan trip and the brutal reality of early Pancrase matches
Bas recounts traveling to Japan for the first time and discovering there was no weigh-in, a heavier opponent, and a single 30-minute round. He details the finish of his debut fight and the surreal overnight fame that followed.
- •Bas describes learning—on fight day—that his opponent was much heavier and the bout was one 30-minute round
- •He says he tried to manage his aggression with “relax” cues to avoid gassing in a long match
- •Bas recounts the knockout sequence and the fear when his opponent didn’t wake up for two days
- •He describes becoming instantly recognizable in Japan after appearing on a newspaper cover, including his airborne split celebration
- 27:09 – 29:57
Pancrase rules and why they forged unusually complete fighters
Bas breaks down Pancrase’s rule set and argues it was designed to favor Japanese ground specialists. He explains how open-hand striking, shoes, and rope escapes created a unique environment that produced fighters with extensive real-time experience across striking and submissions.
- •Bas says rules favored Japanese fighters: open-hand strikes to enable grappling, plus shoes and shin protection that affected leg locks
- •He explains his bouncer background made palm strikes and forearm attacks natural for him
- •Bas describes rope escapes and why he thinks they increased total meaningful “fight time” and skill development
- •He says many submissions effectively occurred even when opponents reached the rope, and that constant resets created more exchanges
- •Bas credits this format as a key reason many fighters from that small organization later became champions elsewhere
- 29:57 – 34:49
Funaki and Suzuki: friendships, suspicion, and Bas’s most memorable Pancrase rivalry
Tim asks about Ken Shamrock’s name in Japan and about Funaki’s personality. Bas explains the “Wayne Shamrock” naming and then dives into his relationships with Funaki and Suzuki, including a lingering suspicion about advice he received and the intensity of his rematch with Funaki.
- •Bas explains why Ken Shamrock was called Wayne Shamrock in Japan, tied to avoiding confusion with prior pro-wrestling usage and using a middle name
- •Bas describes Funaki as a friend who helped him, but notes a moment that made him wonder about conflicting loyalties
- •He recounts losing to Funaki via toe hold and emphasizes how dangerous that submission can be
- •Bas describes the rematch where Funaki made a throat-slitting gesture pre-fight, which Bas says felt out of character
- •Bas details the brutal back-and-forth and says it became his best Pancrase fight, ending after repeated damage and a finishing knee
- 34:49 – 1:00:22
Underrated Japanese fighters, a shin-breaking heel hook, and what made Pride different
Bas names Japanese fighters he thinks deserve more recognition and shares a cautionary story about trying a technique he’d only seen the day before. The conversation then shifts to Pride, where Bas describes massive crowds, spectacle matchups, and how business decisions shaped its fate.
- •Bas highlights fighters he found impressive, including Yuki Kondo, Shibuya, and Takahashi
- •He recounts seeing an inverted heel hook on a big screen preview, attempting it the next day, and breaking an opponent’s shin bone
- •Bas describes Pride as far ahead of the UFC in scale, calling 45,000 a “small show,” and recalls even larger events
- •He explains Pride’s appeal with wild matchups and a stacked roster of notable fighters
- •Bas says Pride hesitated to expand to America, later struggled with commissions, and then faced damaging controversy that led to TV pulling out and the organization being sold
- 1:00:22 – 1:13:47
Street self-defense and bouncer de-escalation: what Bas says actually works
Tim asks how Bas would teach self-defense to non-fighters and what bouncers can do to prevent fights. Bas emphasizes fundamentals, pressure testing, situational awareness, and simple, high-percentage actions—along with avoiding ego-driven escalation whenever possible.
- •Bas says self-defense training should start with basics like footwork, stance, and where power comes from
- •He stresses doing something under pressure, because performance in real conflict differs from training
- •Bas outlines de-escalation as a bouncer: separate people, move them away from an audience, calmly break down how the conflict is usually ‘stupid,’ and watch hands for threats
- •He describes positioning strategies in a bar (wall/corner for visibility) while acknowledging weapon situations may demand escape routes
- •Bas argues most street punches are telegraphed and that distance management is central; he favors a small set of reliable techniques rather than flashy moves
- 1:13:47 – 1:26:56
Faith, discipline, and rewriting habits: rosary as meditation and living with control
Tim asks about Bas’s prayer life and the rosary, and Bas explains how daily prayer and structured discipline changed his temperament and routines. He describes how the rosary functions as focused visualization and repetition, and connects it to the same habit-building mindset he used in training.
- •Bas says he begins the day with extensive prayer and describes the rosary as meditative focus through visualizing specific events while repeating prayers
- •He explains the “mysteries” structure by day, including joyful, sorrowful, glorious, and luminous themes, and gives examples of what he visualizes
- •Bas describes a dog-park confrontation where he chose restraint compared to how he would have reacted years earlier
- •He discusses adopting stricter disciplines (including a structured 90-day challenge) that reduced distractions like social media
- •Bas emphasizes controlling vices and emotions, framing self-control as strength and describing how this mindset reshaped his family dynamics
- 1:26:56 – 1:35:53
Who picks fights with Bas now? The Sweden bar fight with five bouncers
Tim presses on why anyone would challenge Bas, and Bas explains it used to happen more often—until a notorious incident in Sweden. He recounts being ejected from a bar for unclear reasons, being provoked and attacked, fighting multiple bouncers, and then being jailed until influential help resolved the situation.
- •Bas says challenges often came from drunk strangers, but became rarer after the Sweden incident gained notoriety
- •He describes being told to ‘keep it quiet’ upon entering a bar, then being accused of bothering customers despite a patron buying him a drink
- •Bas recounts being physically provoked and then having fingers stabbed into both eyes, which triggered him to retaliate
- •He describes fighting multiple bouncers, attempting to escape via a locked exit, then preparing to escalate further before police arrived
- •Bas recounts being jailed, the surreal transfer to a mountain facility, and later learning about broader issues tied to those bouncers and the venue’s reputation
- 1:35:53 – 2:07:30
Breathing and the O2 Trainer: why Bas thinks most people breathe wrong
Bas explains the O2 Trainer as inspiratory muscle training and argues breathing is both trainable and commonly mislearned. He describes what he sees as widespread chest-breathing, why diaphragmatic breathing matters, and how he believes resistance breathing can improve control, stamina, and even his own past asthma issues.
- •Bas argues breathing is the body’s top priority and says lungs rely on chest expansion driven largely by the diaphragm and intercostal muscles
- •He describes metaboreflex as the experience of “gassing,” where oxygenated blood is redirected to breathing muscles when they fatigue
- •Bas claims most people breathe incorrectly with shoulder/chest breathing and says lower-lung breathing is more efficient
- •He explains how he suggests starting: fully exhale, avoid raising shoulders, use the device to force core involvement, and progress methodically (including back-breathing work)
- •Bas describes how he integrates the training daily and discusses adapting frequency and volume for beginners, including gradual increases on back-focused repetitions
- 2:07:30 – 2:09:25
Wrap-up: where to find Bas’s projects and Tim’s closing
Tim and Bas close by listing resources Bas wants people to explore and where to find him online. They end with friendly banter, a quick aside about unusual routines Bas has heard of, and gratitude for the conversation.
- •Bas points listeners to his self-defense project with Amir Peretz and to his breathing education site
- •He says different breathing methods exist, but frames inspiratory muscle training as a way to strengthen the muscles behind any method
- •Bas also mentions his Body Action System striking device and where to look it up
- •Tim notes the show notes location and closes with thanks and a brief exchange about an extreme ‘morning routine’ Bas mentions hearing about
