Kaunas – a well -known and unparalleled reality show in the world

A unique project

The history of the « cream » of the interwar Žaliakalnis has recently come to life on the lips of guides. When they stop at one or another building, they tell the participants of the excursion about the fates of the people who lived there and the work they did.

« Literary writer Kazys Binkis, Vincas Mykolaitis-Putin, Balys Sruoga and Antanas Vienuolis wrote their most mature works. The traveler, publicist Matas Šalčius and artist Juozas Zikaras lived further, » Hotel, « Ultimate Self Defense Championship participants and the entire creative team were staying for a short time in May 2025. »

Some Kaunas residents know this reality show really well and are eagerly awaiting the third season, which is likely to start to turn this fall in the virtual space. The rest of the speakers were straightforward.

Ultimate Self Defense Championship? I didn’t hear it, but this young man … ”,-after closer to the mobile screen, younger Kaunas residents seemed to know Rock Leonavičius quite quickly. The 35-year-old man-YouTube content creator with 600,000. followers.

« Less than I should have in views. The latter – 100 million in combination. My colleagues, friends with so many views, have over a million followers, » said a professional, who has called himself since Youtube has become his main activity and source of income. « I often get the question of whether I live only. Yes, I only live from that. Then there is another question: how much I earn? Normally. It is enough for everything. »

Action: Throughout the week, various challenges were facing participants in Kaunas Ultimate Self Defense Championship. Photo by Master Ken Personal Archive

Myths destroyer

Before becoming a content developer, Rock was a Aikid coach. Had a studio in Šiauliai. It was founded by returning from the Martial Arts School in Switzerland, where she spent three years.

« Why Šiauliai? For a city, where there is nothing special, I wanted to give something special, » though not everyone liked, Leonavičius was well realized.

At that time, the Aikido coach of just 23 brought together almost one and a half hundred martial arts enthusiasts. He could continue to expand his audience, but did not.

« People often identify with martial arts, and I started to see Aikido’s flaws. Soon I realized that Aikido was completely ineffective self -defense, that it is more of the practice of movement and self -improvement, » Leonavičius said in empty words. He persuaded the Šiauliai MMA fighter Tadas Aleksonis to meet in the ring and see who he would be able to withstand. It has been confirmed by what Rock thought about – although Aikido is said to be art to accept another person’s attack and to repel peace, without violence, the fight ended with the victory of Tad.

When such a hotel, doing something non -standard is very interesting.

« I just got to the bones, » Leonavičius was completely open. What’s more, he filmed his fiasco, shared his record with his followers and commented on himself.

« There were craftsmen who, when rehabilitated Aikido, said that I only failed here, but there was another master after me. He also failed, » Leonavičius did not intend to stop. – In general, self -defense is business sphere. This is not effective. ”

Stopped by pandemic

Rock matured the idea of ​​a reality show while destroying myths. The young man decided to invite Martial Arts on Youtube content creators and, after building certain self -defense situations, see how they would react. Will I cope with an attack on a moving bus? When a cinema broke out in a dispute, a nanny, a drunken harasser, or calm the girlfriend?

« I met one of the Australians who gave my students similar scenes. I told him my idea, I suggested that I join forces, but then the quarantine started- » Leonavičius believes, Covid-19 pandemia was on time. « 

The first season of the reality show was filmed in Australia. The fighters from around the world were then settled in an abandoned building around which kangaroos were running.

« It was funny because one participant – a well -known fighter in cages, had to live in a cage. We just got a mattress, » said Leonavičius, who was the second of the season, and the questions floating in the first season.

A sequel was filmed in Australia. The participants stayed in a house at that time, rented to Rock by one of the creator of the YouTube content.

Tandem: The unconventional hotel met the needs of the unconventional company. Photo by Edgar Cickiewicz

Famous names

Not Australia, but Lithuania, was chosen for filming the third reality show season. In the last week of May, all Ultimate Self Defense Championship participants were flown to Kaunas: Professional Israeli Mixed Martial Arts Nathan Levy, Kickboxker Gabriel Vaiga, famous martial arts master, Youtube content designer Kevin Lee States Sensy Seth, Krav Maga Instructor Shane Langwellis, Kudo and Kiokushin Master from Lithuania Vilius Terasevičius. The biggest reality show star is the invited guest Matthew Page.

« He is a director, a professional actor, more known as Master Ken. Matthew parodies all those who try to sell self -defense lessons. He is very popular both on Youtube, Tikinok and Instagram platforms, and have billions of views. Even here in Lithuania, where no one knows me, it is easily recognizable, ”Leonavičius was pleased that persuading the star to participate in the project was not difficult. Smiling through the glued mustache, and Master Ken himself was happy.

« I have heard a lot of good reviews about the reality show, and I have seen a few records myself, » Page was not sorry for the adventure. The reality show is an interesting experience, and there was an opportunity to get to know Lithuania and talk to the locals more. At the end of the filming, the fighters gave one day a seminar and a meeting with their followers, and then went to a week -long camp, where similar tasks were waiting for them and pre -registered enthusiasts. True, no filming cameras.

Attention: The biggest star of the reality show is actor Master Ken. Photo by Master Ken Personal Archive

Was kindly accepted

Although popular abroad, in Lithuania, the reality show « Ultimate Self Defense Championship » is little known, so rock proposals were often accompanied by skeptical local gaze and categorical « no ». As many as five nightclubs abandoned the creative team until finally the sixth managed to shoot several scenes of nightlife.

« We explained that everything we were filming would serve as a preventive measure, but we didn’t convince. I was already preparing to rent a warehouse and create a nightclub atmosphere, but then we were allowed by the » audience.  » We are grateful to the team for that, ”said Mantas Skukauskas, the owner of Very Bad Hotel, who opened his own non -standard hotel door to the participants of the reality show and the creative team.

After buying a house in Žaliakalnis four years ago, Kaunas founded a hotel there. Initially, he wanted to name it « Adams Family », but eventually baptized the « worst. » Still, the most common epithets have been here: the most original, strangest, most interesting or even horrible.

Attitude: M. Skukauskas does not think that filming a reality show will serve the hotel as advertising, in any case – it was just fun. Photo by Edgar Cickiewicz

« When such a hotel, it is very interesting to do something non -standard, » Skukauskas did not hesitate for a moment when he received a suggestion, or to let the reality show participants. – You know, it is said: You want to be disappointed with people – open the hotel. Want to love people – open the hotel.  » The reality show team, according to M. Skukauskas, confirmed the second option.

« Have you ate more than other hotel guests? We should ask our girls here. If and so, that’s perfectly normal, » said M. Skukauskas, who walked through the hotel restaurant just at the time of breakfast fighters. Hello fighters responded to « Good morning » and leaned over their plates to strengthen the new challenges of that day. M. Skukauskas was also preparing for the latter. After a long time, the hotel owner no longer had excuses when the reality show team arrived – the ice bath was installed in the middle of the yard.

« If not Muhammad to the mountain, the mountain comes to Mahomet.