Koa Viernes is the undefeated champion of Slapfighting Champion. Everyone he's faced has either tapped out or been knocked out. We talk Slapfighting techniques, internet fame and his quest to take a fringe sport mainstream. Then, we countdown a special slap-worthy Top 5.
Koa Viernes: 01:30ish
Pointless: 22:18ish
Top 5: 42:21ish
https://www.instagram.com/da_crazy_hawaiian (Koa Viernes Instagram)
Interview with Slapfighter Koa Viernes
Nick VinZant 0:11
Hey everybody, welcome to Profoundly Pointless. My name is Nick VinZant coming up in this episode, slap fighting and slab bubble offenses,
Koa Viernes 0:21
the drive that I have now to be the best slap fighter is unparalleled. And I don't think I'm going to lose, you know, people might see it as you know, reckless and, you know, idiotic and all that. But, you know, I see it as an opportunity to create a sport. Anyone can be a software, anybody, you know, you want to try it, try it out if you if you got the character, if you got the willingness to continue, surround after around and you can become a thing.
Nick VinZant 0:55
I want to thank you so much for joining us. If you get a chance, like, download, subscribe, share, we really appreciate it really helps us out. So you've probably heard of slap fighting, or at least seen some videos of it online. At the very least, you have to admit, it's interesting. So we wanted to know more about the people who are participating in this sport. Our first guest is an undefeated slap fighting champion. This is co v arnaiz. So slap fighting, like how did you get into this?
Really, really, I got into it by watching YouTube. It was just a thing that I thought, you know, at first, I was like, I can do that. And then I was working. And on my break, I saw on Facebook that there was a slot for a competition on down the road from where you know where I live. And I contacted my wife and I said, Hey, I kind of want to try and do this. So she was like, go for it. You know, she's super supportive of me whatever stupid things that I do. The rest is history, man. I just decided to do it.
So you had no like you just showed up yet never
Koa Viernes 2:15
know. The first one that I did was a hillbilly versus a crazy wine versus hillbilly hippie. And that's one that you know, a lot of people recognize me for. For me, I'm a big critic of my own technique. So it's not my proudest performance, but it's the one that got me probably got me to where I am now. Because it's a went 21 rounds. And he was a tough guy. He was a really tough guy out of all my stop fights. You know, no one went 21 rounds with me. So kudos to him. And the drive that I have now to be the best lap fighter is unparalleled. And I don't think I'm gonna lose, you know, and if even if I do, I'll take it like a champ. You know, I asked for a rematch. But you know, slot fighting is a thing now. And a lot of people don't understand that it's gonna be a thing. It's not going to stay a spectacle.
Nick VinZant 3:19
What about it drew you to it?
Koa Viernes 3:22
So savagery, the rawness just just being being able to actually do that. I mean, some, some will say is kind of like evil in a sense, but really, it's it. It's no less fun than going in there in a boxing ring and doing the same thing to somebody. But this time, they're, you know, they're not trying to move their head back and forth and stay away from your punches. So really, it's it's, it's who got the best chain. Really, that's, that's really what it is. And I'm right now on you know, I'm the best at it and taking on challenges, you know,
Nick VinZant 4:03
from what I've seen, right? Like, is there anything more to it? In a sense, it's just around is he slaps you, you slap him?
Koa Viernes 4:11
Yeah, it's a coin toss. And then you get as soon as you get slapped by opponent. Um, you get a minute to recover and a minute to to answer back. And, and that's the basic rules of it. Sometimes you have around limits or five rounds, seven rounds. And sometimes you go unlimited rounds. And I've done a bunch of them. Super fun, but you know, people might see it as, you know, reckless and, you know, idiotic and all that. But, you know, I see it as an opportunity to create a sport,
Nick VinZant 4:50
from the outsider's perspective is like, man, why are people doing this? Right? Like, what would be I guess what would be your answer to that question?
Koa Viernes 5:00
Wow, man. Um, okay, so when you when a boxer respected boxer because I respect the art of boxing, if he comes into the ring and he gets hit really bad, you know, and some of them they get knocked out this really is to test your, your, your willingness to keep on going, you know, and you know, people might say oh man, the CTE and you know, brain damage and all that, but all these guys that are doing, you know, MMA, boxing, kickboxing, they're getting hit in the head tube. You know, it's not, it's not a contactless sport, you know, it's to say that there's a lot of things that you need to take into account, like, I gave myself a limit, you know, I've got I've got two more years to do this, and then I'm going to slowly work on work my way into boxing. And, um, you know, we'll see that how that goes. But, you know, this is not a lifelong career of mine. I just, I want to turn it turn it into a sport, I want to be a pioneer. I want to when they say oh, slot fighting is stupid ball, and then they look oh, check Did you didn't know about the crazy Hawaiian who tried to make it legal, we'll try to make put license behind that try to get physicals done before that even even the sport, you know, even before you walk up onto the table and risk your life. I'm not just a competitor, you know, I'm trying I'm reaching out, you know, to people that that are reaching out to me, and I'm trying to figure something out where, you know, who knows, it might be an Olympic sport all I don't know.
Nick VinZant 6:51
Who knows? You never know, right? Or you never know, I guess any sport. When it starts out, you're kind of like, what is this? Like people on the water taking a boat back and forth across obstacles? Well, I guess that's now an Olympic sport of kayaking, right? Like, right, everybody, I guess everything's kind of strange when it starts out, right, right.
Koa Viernes 7:10
I believe it's most strange to have this because people love it. And people love to hate it. And it's, it's some that, you know, that will drive a conversation for hours, you know, and I'm here to I'm here to make a splash in that you know, and be and be the, the one guy that stepped up because right now, all slot fighters all I want to try stop fighting. And they don't realize that, you know, right now there's no money and stop fighting. You know, and, and, and the people that are doing it right now is doing it strictly for the sport and it to be a thing. And when the money comes, that's when everybody's gonna be like, wow, this wasn't such a bad sport.
Nick VinZant 7:54
So is there like, do you have it? Is there a technique to it? Are you just, I'm just gonna do this as hard as I can. Right?
Koa Viernes 8:01
I have a little story behind that. So the first one I went to, I literally came off the couch. Well, really, I was working construction, but I really wasn't doing anything. Nothing really to prepare myself for that. So if you watch that video, you're like, wow, you know, whatever. But, um, I watched that video and, and I watched it over 100,000 times. And I every time I watch it, I'm just disappointed. Because I didn't have any technique, I didn't have any any aim. I didn't have any respect for the sport. So I watch it over and over again. And I promised myself like, I'm not gonna make myself look stupid like that again. So I'm gonna have a technique. So a lot of my technique is we're already I'm already over 200 pounds and power really ain't got nothing to do with it. Um, it's, it's your speed at this size is just really it's your speed and your aim. And as soon as you get all that down, and you know, you'd be you'd be knocking them down, one after another, but uh, it's it's not like boxing or MMA where you got to learn a whole bunch of techniques and all that. It's really simple people overthink it. And, you know, it's, it's a simple, easy sport, and I like to capitalize on that. And that alone.
Nick VinZant 9:29
So is there is there a rule in terms of like, Alright, cuz you're slapping somebody, but I can hit you with my fingers or I could hit you with my whole hand. Or I could kind of like, hit you in my palm. You know that hard part or like your palm? Right? is there is there a way that you have to hit somebody?
Koa Viernes 9:46
So um, for me, by experience, your whole hand counts as a slap. So your palm your fingers in this whole area, anything below your palm Wouldn't be considered, you know, clubbing or hitting with the wrist. And really, if you hit, you know, if you hit and you hit you with your fingers, it's kind of a missed hit. The aiming part about it is is 100% where it's at, but you know, don't tell everybody.
Nick VinZant 10:23
Where are you aiming for? Like, is there a specific part of somebody's face? Oh, man, you're gonna. Yeah, today is a secret.
Koa Viernes 10:32
Is it a secret? No. I mean, really? It's right under your, your bottom lips. Right? It really is your chin like, yeah, if you put your hand right here, the bottom of your palm really has to sit right here. Oh,
Nick VinZant 10:50
you want your palm? Like, if somebody took their hand and put it right underneath the side of their bottom lip from their palm? That's where you're really aiming. Okay. Is it like snaps their head around? Huh?
Koa Viernes 11:02
Yeah. So, I mean, that's what I'm doing. But I'm sure those are gonna do that. But a lot of people don't realize, you know, it's not just it's not how much of you know landscape you can cover when you slapping people. It's really where where their button is. And everybody has one, you know, I won, you know? And it might be just the way you have to hit me. I don't know. But that's that for me. I practice more on my accuracy now more than ever. And every everything after the hillbilly fight has been a knockout. Anyone can be a sapphire. anybody you know, you want to try try it out if you if you got the character if you got the willingness to continue, surround after around and you can become a thing.
Nick VinZant 11:55
But how much does having another large person smack you in the face over and over again? hurt?
Koa Viernes 12:03
Oh, well. That's why that's why, you know, I got I still got a lot more secrets. But um, you know, if I don't knock you out on the first one, then you you deserve to hit me. And that's how I think like it, if you win the coin toss. You better knock me out. If not, then I'm gonna hit you hard after you hit me. So really, it's the feeling of having somebody slap me is almost exhilarating. Like in and in a sense where? Okay, it's your turn. Here you go. I'm giving you a free shot. Yeah, and it's my turn after that. And it's, it's, it's a mind game when you're up there. It really is. It's more of a mind game than anything else. Because if you break down your opponent before you even slap or you get slapped, you know, it's kind of a win already. And that if you guys losses long without getting a knockout, then really the judges are gonna gonna look at who was more of a character and who was who gave more of effort and who stand who stood there while somebody slapped them and slapped about it or something or scream that then you know, and there's no other person like me in the sport. That's what I that's what I think I mean, there's there's some big big guys and they got you know, they got their techniques, but believe anybody out there has character or made a character or you know,
Nick VinZant 13:42
yeah, sure they can slap and all that but just to make a character out of it. That's hard. And will you will you flinch or anything right when they're hit like what's the trick is the trick to the muscle up when they when you're about to get hit or just to completely relax?
Koa Viernes 13:57
I won't I tense up every bone every muscle in my body. Mostly my back muscles in my neck muscles and my my shoulders and I kind of tense up without looking like I'm tensing up. Yeah, no, and I'm really at the at the point of impact. I'm almost going into it and you can't really tell when they slap me but um, my, the opposite side of you know, the direction they're slapping me if they slap me on my right side of the right side of my face. my left foot is really really bog buckled down to the ground and willing to let that come all the way through me and not just stop right here. You know, I'm really when they when people hit me I would like to stare at them in their face and just take it without you know and scream at them after Like, it's weird, US guy, US bigger guys, and, you know, Polynesians and all that we're a bit will be built different really. And um, you know, I believe that one day in this sport we're gonna dominate, you know it weight has a lot of a lot to do with it too, because if you can swing as much weight as you can, and hit him where you think their button is, then then your last long are most of the people you're up against bigger than you are same size or smaller. I'd say half of the guys that I've went up against are bigger than me. But the smaller guys are really not that much more smaller than you know.
Nick VinZant 15:39
What's the next aisle? Okay, so in the moment you're getting slapped the adrenaline is up there. But what's the next day like? Cuz I mean, you did just get like slap in the face as hard as another person can hit.
Koa Viernes 15:49
Really, there was only one slap fight that I walked away that I had to recover from. It was the first one. I was probably swollen for a week. And and then it was back to normal. But every flat fight after that I really, I have to after the slap fight. I went to go and get some food Oh, my wife. Is this, like a lot of people? You know, they they're like, oh, how do you eat and you your face swollen, but my face only really went swollen once. And the rest of them were just like kind of red. You can't really tell cuz I'm a little darker. But you know, it it. It stings sometimes, but you know, it's not really unbearable. And it's fun. Like I said, it's fun to me.
Nick VinZant 16:44
Do you know, do you have to hit? Can you just like, hit somebody on the same side of the face over and over again? Or do you have to hit one side then hit the other side?
Koa Viernes 16:52
Well, there's right now there's promotions that are popping up all over. I'm one in Miami, one in California and one away on me. One in New York, Poland Russian Russians, obviously, but every one of them has their own set of rules. If you get penalized for doing some that you're not supposed to do, then some of them they go, Oh, you get slapped again, you get a warning. And then the next one is a penalty. And you would have to take two slaps both meaning lose a turn.
Nick VinZant 17:25
Are you ready for some harder slash listener submitted questions? Yes, I'm done with that. Better Way to slap forehand or backhand?
Koa Viernes 17:37
Uh, I've never really slapped somebody on my with my backhand. Without that would be, you know, that would kind of almost be the same but not really. You got knuckles involved and, and all that. But I would like to try something to hit someone with my backhand, you know, because I've, I've opened hand people before, so that'll be that'll be a fun thing to do. To say that I did at least
Nick VinZant 18:09
when you're in competition, is it better to be able to slap hard? Or is it better to be able to be able to take the slap? What's more often, I guess, being able to hit or get hit?
Koa Viernes 18:22
I strongly believe that anyone can knock anyone out with the right, you know, technique. I feel like it's it's taking it. That's more like defenses win championships, like this kind of the same thing.
Nick VinZant 18:38
Can you tell by the sound? Like are there different sounds a slap is going to make the you're like, Oh, that's a good one.
Koa Viernes 18:44
I can, I can. So when it's just kind of a third. It's more of less of an open hand and more of a cup. And a lot of people do that. That's that is legal. You just can't you just can't do that. You know, it has to be kind of like that. And the open your open hand is is a is more of a high pitch kind of you know and yeah, that that more of a sudden or a cupping? That's more of a thud and yeah, I can I can identify what exactly how they slept and how they landed with just the sound if you play the whole one two different sounds I would I would get it.
Nick VinZant 19:39
Guaranteed best slap you've ever seen in a movie or TV show?
Koa Viernes 19:45
I'm thinking the office never watch the office. Yeah, I know it's Yeah. Yeah, do I got slapped? Oh, Angela, who would you say is a better proportionate slapper men or women? Like if they were if we were all if we if men and women were the same size Like who? Who's the better slapper? Um,
Nick VinZant 20:18
who was how hard when it for men and women were the same size? Who's a better slacker? Um,
Koa Viernes 20:26
I say the one with the bigger chin. Um,
Nick VinZant 20:29
one last thing for me, man, where do you think this? Like? What's kind of the future? Where do you think this goes?
Koa Viernes 20:35
I really believe in my heart that this sport will go further than most people think it will. And, and I have high hopes for it. You know, I'm, there is a production company that that I'm in contact with that, dude, we're just gonna do a documentary series about in slot fighting and how I train for it. So, um, I think that'll be the start of a big change in the sport because no one understands like we were just average blue collar people know I work at Costco is ups and Amazon. Like things that normal people do. And, you know, when people see that they're gonna be like, What in the world? They're wise, they're gonna be like, Hey, I'll be a slap fighter.
Nick VinZant 21:32
Gobi is lap five. Right here. Just mow the lawn.
Koa Viernes 21:36
Yeah. Go get out there slap some man. No, I really and I couldn't do it without the support of my wife and she wholeheartedly believes me as much as I believe in myself. And, uh, you know, if I do get knocked out in the sport, man. Good job. I want to get up and shake his hand. Give him a hug. And tell him good frickin job. No, it's my turn.