Joe Rogan and Joey Diaz are known for their candid and often hilarious takes on pop culture, and Steven Seagal is one of their frequent topics of comedic dissection. During a segment of The Joe Rogan Experience, they broke down what they found amusing about Seagal’s persona, his unique running style, his storied Aikido background, and his often-exaggerated on-screen heroics.
One of the highlights of the conversation was their riff on Seagal’s distinct running style, which Rogan described as “strange,” noting the looseness of Seagal’s arms. According to Diaz, it’s as if Seagal’s body was built for everything but running. Rogan, amused, commented on Seagal’s “short steps” and the odd way his wrists flail. Diaz adds his spin, humorously alluding to Seagal’s Aikido training as a potential reason behind his unconventional movement, explaining that Seagal was used to Aikido’s deflective techniques, which might explain his particular approach to hand movements.
The roast continued as they explored Seagal’s impact in martial arts cinema. Rogan, acknowledging Seagal’s skill, admitted that movies like Above the Law did showcase a unique martial arts style, featuring Aikido—a discipline Rogan respects but doesn’t believe is the most effective in real-world combat. Diaz added his own skepticism about the cinematic sequences where Seagal’s character appears nearly superhuman, able to bounce back from life-threatening injuries and decimate opponents with ease.
Rogan and Diaz’s roast culminated in a humorous yet critical analysis of how martial arts were represented in the 1980s and 90s compared to today. The rise of the UFC has shown that some martial arts, like wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, are more effective in practical fighting, which Rogan and Diaz pointed out, casting doubt on the utility of Seagal’s Aikido-centric action scenes. They agreed that while Seagal’s movies had a nostalgic charm and entertainment value, they didn’t always reflect realistic combat effectiveness.
Through their relentless yet hilarious commentary, Rogan and Diaz turned a critical eye on Seagal, mixing admiration for his early work with a playful mockery of his Hollywood persona. Their roast serves as a reminder of how comedic insights can shed light on the changing perceptions of martial arts, action films, and the memorable characters that shaped them.
