A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the pursuit of holiness and the art of true masculinity.
In this episode of The Catholic Gentleman, Sam and John are joined by legendary UFC Hall of Fame fighter, Bas Rutten, to discuss his life as a world champion fighter and how his Catholic Faith has changed everything he does. We have time to discuss his life of ultimate discipline and the similarities between physical training and spiritual combat. Bas’s conversion to Faith is incredible and matches well with his life as a world-renowned fighter and MMA champion.
In this episode we discuss;
Sebastiaan “Bas” Rutten (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɑs ˈrʏtə(n)];) is a Dutch retired mixed martial artist (MMA), Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt, and Muay Thai kickboxer. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw ) . Bas has been inducted to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015. He suffered severe asthma in his childhood years and inspired by his struggle breathing developed the https://www.o2trainer.com. When Bas is not teaching at his gym in Westlake Village , he might be working on some acting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bas_Rutten or commentating at https://www.karate.com/ with Kenny Rice. https://basrutten.com/
Written interview with Bas Rutten – https://catholicgentleman.com/2017/01/faith-fighter-interview-mma-legend-bas-rutten/
A Podcast for Catholic Men on Faith, Virtue, and the World Today
The Catholic Gentleman is a show for Catholic Men on the topics of living with virtue and holiness in the modern world. Featuring interviews and commentary, the show seeks to provide practical insights for men of all ages.
A Podcast for Catholic Men on Faith, Virtue, and the World Today
The Catholic Gentleman is a show for Catholic Men on the topics of living with virtue and holiness in the modern world. Featuring interviews and commentary, the show seeks to provide practical insights for men of all ages.
Christopher Polen says
I absolutely loved this interiew!!
Chris says
In many ways, this betrays a misunderstanding in our world about what a gentleman really is. A gentleman is not a man who is soft and weak, but instead, a man who is gentle by birth and choice. A man born into a role as a leader, nobility. This is the historical meaning, but most people fail to understand what this means. A noble was not only wealthy and politically powerful, but also a man of responsibility. Noblemen were expected and required by their role to be trained warriors. To stand between the barbarian hordes and those under their protection. Yes, every man was expected to be physically capable of standing with the levies during times of war, but only noblemen were expected to train from their first steps to be warriors, soldiers, knights, and guardians of all under their protection. Their first place was in the front lines, armed and armored, advancing the cause of God, King, and Country against all those who would stand against them. That was what a gentleman was, as recorded across the pages of history and literature. In Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” the female lead warns her powerful father that this young man she is in love with should not be triffled with, because “he is gentle and not fearful.” Gentle here is a reference to his status as a trained killer, capable of great deeds of violence, and not a man to be afraid even of a wizard like her father.
Franklin P. Uroda says
In college, I read “THE MORALITY OF PRIZEFIGHTING,” the doctoral dissertation of Father George C. Bernard, C.S.C. while he was at C.U.A. He convinced me that the answer to your opening question is “NO.”
John Heinen says
Hi Franklin, That is very fascinating. We have never read that dissertation so cannot comment directly. Thanks for taking the time to join us and commenting.