Bro been following for a few weeks and from your journey from fake Aikido to full mma and then improving those techniques, *I can say that you are a real fighter* You never gave up and fought your way through and even became 3rd best in ultimate self defense martial arts Beating really good martial artists. As a martial artist from India, You have my respect 🙏
Give yourself some time Rokas, to regenerate and to think. Having a bad foot takes realistically 1-2 years to heal properly and come back to good usable state that not breaks again so fast. I doubt you quit, by maybe you gotta find a better direction to walk that way.
I was injured quite badly when training in a judo class and was thrown wrong and when i landed it tore muscles in my back and hip, i have not been able to fully recover but am trying to get back into shape because i want to start training again as i love the martial arts. all of us have our own journey to travel and were all behind you my friend.
Rokas, I've been in the MMA ecosystem since 1997 (longer if you count wrestling and boxing) and I am now an old man. Out of all the people I used to train with, fight for and fight with, there are only about 5% of us left still doing it. Part of the reason I feel I am able to still train, despite training with world champions, pro fighters and world beaters is 1) I rarely went super hard 2) I trained 2-3 a week 3) I took time off when I got an injury. You obviously have a love for martial arts and losing it will be like losing a piece of yourself, but it is just too much for anyone to train 4-6 days a week for years. Take it down, be a "hobby level" martial artist and understand your still-impressive limitations. Heal up well and keep going with the channel.
Martial arts will harm you more than any attacker will. In fact, you'll never get attacked in your life if you live in a good neighborhood and stay away from drunk people.
@@-whackd That’s not entirely true. Martial arts are about much more than self-defense, they improve discipline, confidence, and physical fitness. Plus, even in 'good neighborhoods, unexpected situations can happen. It’s better to be prepared and empowered than to rely solely on your environment to keep you safe.
There are a lot of old okinawan karate guys around that are still agile on their legs in their last quarter of life that prove a point for martial arts done the right way
I haven't seen updates from this channel in a while, whether because of algorithm or what I'm not sure, but I'm really sorry that happened man, that's gotta be tough, and I relate, although my sport was football not MMA. I was 3 days from starting my first Varsity game when I was in high school when I tore just about every ligament in my leg. Kept me out for a whole season and psychologically I never really recovered so got reduced to second string in my senior year. Nobody ever talks about the psychological toll of serious, potentially career ending injuries. Praying for you dog.
Thanks man! And thank you for sharing. I can honestly tell you the injury had a psychological toll on me too. I don't think I'll train martial arts with the same enthusiasm as before anymore.
@@MartialArtsJourney maybe it is time to rethink about the term martial arts. maybe its time to do les martial and more art, as self cultivation. aikido is great, but i would suggest go for internal chinese MA, such as xing yi, ba gua and tai ji. those MA will give you the balance of solo training with longevity as an important part of it, and, still, under the right teacher you can deal with self defense and sparing. you dont have to quit on bjj or anything, but as a part of the journey, wide the horizon. there is a good reason why you can find many very old aged people training Okinawan and Chinese martial arts whit very impressive mobility.
I'm following you since your aikido days and i was always wondering what part of it you'll be keeping while you transition into a more hardcore style. I've always liked how you (and Ranton oddly enough) seemed wiser than other the other martial arts youtubers and I'm sure your aikido background will help you transition and progress in your future projects 🙏@@MartialArtsJourney
That terrible that a “training partner” used Kani Basami during an open mat session. I feel for you and wish you the best. Also, I have come to the same realization: -Training to improve strength and mobility -Being selective with training partners -Making peace with martial arts as a hobby
Yeah, scissor leg takedown is no no in most places. This "partner" is either a spazzy white belt, or a douche higher belt. Either way people need to flag them out
You and all the other martial arts youtubers I found through the USDC have really helped guide me into a healthy approach to combat sports. I managed to find a kickboxing gym where people are safe and friendly, with a relaxed environment that still allows for plenty of personal challenge. So if it makes you feel any better, your reports on your injuries have so far helped me avoid such injuries in the first place. Huge thanks for that!
@@qefewfwdcwdc are you aware that most sports you do have an acknowledged risk to it? Once you enter a facility you accept the risk, like if you go price boxing and they hit your head to the moon there is no way to sue, if you go icehockey and you lose teeth, there is no way to sue ...
Actually thats passive accepted risk is actually the reason why people stress the rule of always protect yourself under any circumstances. if you are not up to the task, its not the fault of the training partner if it is an acknowledged risk
One gym brute ....and look at all the pain and time and resources depletion he brought on. Absolutely, if you're not a professional fighter, after such an injury....train/spar only with people you know well. May you have a speedy recovery and continued health, Rokas.
I'd argue that if you're a professional fighter you are more cautious of who you train with since your livelihood relies on trust that your partner won't do something stupid to hurt you. But completely agree with the sentiment
You'll be surprised how much your dog helped on your recovery. When I broke my legs my dog was so chill and supportive, he laid by me the whole time. Dogs are amazing.
I'm so sorry, man. That's a seriously brutal injury, and what's worse is that it sounds like it could have been avoided if your training partner had more sense and restraint. I've probably suffered more injuries from over-eager sparring and grappling partners than I ever had competing, so I understand it's almost inevitable, but those partners are supposed to help you improve your skills (as you're trying to do the same for them), so it's especially upsetting when it seems like their motives don't align with those principles. I wish you all the best with your continued recovery, Rokas.
I'm a black belt whose leg got crippled, then amputated, so I relate to your story. Being a martial artist was part of my identity and I felt lost when I didn't know if I'd ever get that piece of me back. I fought so hard for many years to get back on the mat and discovered that there are a lot of things I can still do, but I have to be a lot more careful about injury. I asked myself why it was so important to me to get back on the mat. Some people do martial arts because of fitness, the comradery, or they like the culture. For me, martial arts makes me feel alive in a way nothing else does, and without that my life doesn't feel complete. I love how both my mind and my body are pushed at the same time, unlike standard exercise. I ended up acknowledging that my former martial arts aren't the best place for me anymore. I started parafencing, because I can push myself to the max without fear of injury and it still has that chess-like strategy that I love from sparring. I'm training for nationals and, despite the grief I went through, I feel happy and complete again. It's hard knowing how to move forward after a major injury. I'd suggest asking yourself what is at the heart of your martial arts journey and why you chose to be on this path in the first place. Once you know those answers, it'll guide your next steps. Best wishes, Rokas!
Maybe doing the Ultimate Self Defense Challenge fulfills whatever need it is that made you like martial arts in the first place? Either way, we love USDC. Get feeling better!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have some similar scars. Broke both legs in a motorcycle crash, surgeries on both legs. I had been teaching a high-school martial arts class before the wreck, and it one of the biggest things for me in the recovery was how emasculated I felt. Like many guys, I occasionally will daydream about fending off attackers (fighting off the ninjas or shooter or whatever with objects lying around the room). The thought of these random attackers didn't stop during my recovery, but in all of the daydreams, I lost and was helpless. It was the first time I felt helpless and dependent as an adult. Like you, I am now able to walk and train again, but this taste of weakness and vulnerability has made me much more cautious (no more motorcycles, at least until the kids are grown). Martial arts was largely a power fantasy for me before that point, and this was dispelled. I currently teach a free martial arts class at my church for fun and as a way to give back some of the health, focus, and mentoring I have been given through this practice. Martial arts are a what, but it is the why that matters and the why that changes with maturity. I wish you success in your journey.
I have a motorcycle and I have a lot of trust in my skills. But I have lost most of my trust in the driving skills of others. Honestly, it's only gotten worse. People on their smartphones left and right and a lot of drinking and driving. I'm thinking of selling the bike because I ride around paranoid as soon as I see another car.
As someone who spent a lifetime in martial arts and who had a very similar injury among others and is now past 50, I'll say that there's a huge difference between training as a combat athlete and training as a life long martial artist. The injuries build up, age is a real thing, and you have to approach training differently. The focus becomes consistency and technique. Way better to go 3-4 times a week at 70% intensity for a decade than to take time out due to injuries. Because once you hit mid 30's and especially 40's that downtime you never get back. And you feel those injuries every time it gets cold or rains. There is a lot of wisdom in TMA approaches. They can keep you strong from the inside out and help you still practice for the long road.
I'm 54. This validates my decision to train BJJ almost exclusively with my adult and teenage sons. We love each other and are determined not to injure each other. None of us are in it to be athletes. And they know how to keep my aging body safe. It's the comradery that makes it worth it for us.
I took Gracie Jiujitsu Combatives and some certification courses at BJJ Fanatics. I'm not going to BJJ classes because I'm not into it for sport and it's not worth the risk of injury to me.
55, almost 56. Athlete my whole life. Purple belt. Started BJJ in 2017. 2021, rolling, torn labrum and detached bicep. Surgery, recovery. Back on the mat for 2 months, torn MCL. Your decision to only roll with your son, I'm heading that route, he's an amazing brown belt, 20, and a ninja....but he knows I'm broken....
Thank you for sharing your story. A couple months ago, my pancras teacher was teaching this move. I told him not to show it to the beginners as it's too dangerous,or at least show another safer variation. I got kicked out of class since, and he injured his uke who was a 16yo beginner.
I personally don't recommend AG1 as they're going through some scandals through unsure practices. Regardless i love you man and appreciate your work in the Martial Arts community
Recovering from a serious injury such as yours is a long journey. In my aikido training during my 30s, I separated both shoulders and caused damage that took years to fully recover from, even w/surgery. Then, in my early 60's, a large tumor was found on my hip and that really screwed me up as my femoral nerve was damaged in the process and never recovered. Like you, more than 60% of my frontal thigh and shin area are numb. I walk funny- w/a limp now- because of the surgery which causes my back discomfort and both hips are in constant discomfort. Martial arts training is long over for me but I continue to work out daily w/rigorous walks and weight lifting. One simply cannot give up or give in. My best to you on your continued recovery and journey.
Hi Rokas I watched your injury story since it happened. I am really happy to hear that you can walk again. Being able to walk is more important than being BJJ superstar. Just continue with your rehabilitiation and training, because based on my own experience it's not done when you think it is. I would definitelly add swimming as part of it. Whish you the best, happy Christmas and BIG THANK YOU for USDC !!
Well, illegal moves are illegal for a reason, that was probably meant for self-defense or the battlefield and not for a sport. At least you got a loyal doggo to support you all the way
in judo they got that technique from traditional juijitsu, and then as bjj was created from judo it got the technique. But in judo there were many guys with broken legs with it so they banned it and I've never seen a dojo that teaches it so far
@@revbladez5773 Or something a bit more nefarious. Someone shows them in a context of historical martial arts training, whilst stressing it's sports illegal because how dangerous it is, they try it, feel overconfident in their ability to pull it off safely / neglectful about others getting hurt, go to a gym with no sctrict rule enforcement, gradually pull off more dangerous moves to push the bar, and this happens.
My old judo dojo taught it - but we were taught to do it safely. They emphasized how to do it properly, and not deviate from the technique. But out of respect for each other, we didn't use it.
Just listening to the first few minutes here hurt like heck!! OUCH! Holy Moly!!! I wish you the all the best in your healing and recovery. I've learned a lot from watching your videos for the last few years. Blessings to you and yours.
rokas, i really recommend starting to lift weights more seriously. it not only strengthens the muscles which supports the joints but also causes growth and strengthening of tendons and bones. i did bodybuilding/strength training for 4-5 years gaining 50 lean lbs before i started grappling, and though i have gotten some acute injuries the general wear on my body is much lower than my peers. because, think of it like this: if i can build myself up to squat 500 lbs, then my knees are going to be much more durable than someone who buckles under 200 lbs. in fact, my biggest issue is a recurring shoulder tweak that happens when i DONT lift for a while. lifting really does strengthen your body. if you wish i can share my routine, it's not so much for performance but rather injury proofing. i also think your new philosophy to training is also very wise, i think you will see that this mindset leads to more sustainability and being able to practice more deliberately. i've been trying to adopt this approach too; many great combat athletes use this, notably GSP and most thai muay thai fighters
I second this comment. I started to have back aches after bjj, but I started to left weights, mostly pull ups and dips and the pains went. I also started to take yoga/stretching more seriously for flexibility
@@kingartifex At 47, mobility work, yoga, and meditation have been my adaptations from combat sports. I now spend more time sparring against those parts of myself that are no longer serving me
I think you guys should stop giving advice for medical conditions if you are not working in that particular field. It is correct that muscles help joints but body building has its own problems by itsself and should not be thrown in there just Willy nilly as a normal means to strengthen the body. This kind of injury rokas has should first and foremost concentrate on functionality and training with his own body weight. Of course there are Training machines that are very helpful but for him its not necessary to go beyond your body weight training to be healthy and stable. Muscles grow faster than tendons and in body building this can cause tendon problems and pain all by itsself at some point especially when people go for numbers instead of quality.
@@Dragens2 not medical advice, just sport performance advice. also, i study this in college, undergrad in bio and have taken classes in sport science. muscles typically only grow faster than muscle in untrained hyper-responders or steroid users. besides, this discrepancy is only relevant at maximal efforts which are rare in combat sports (this is most commonly a problem in powerlifting, under 3 reps)
I am sorry for your injury. You have responded like a champion. Thank you for sharing your story with such honesty. Actually quite inspiring it is. I would show this video to all practitioners once they have a some beginning experience , especially cross art trainees and instructors. I have judo and aikido experience myself.
I actually remember when Kami Basami was still legal in Judo. And in karate. Used it several times. In full contact larate we would do it as a “flying scissor” take down. My father taught it to me when i was a teen. I shiver now thinking how close I came to getting a blown knee, or blowing out someones knee. Man.
You're a good guy and exactly the kind of creator this platform and genre need. I have no doubt that you'll get out of it and start training again in no time. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Rokas I'm really happy to hear that you're recovering well. There are many things you can train that wont destroy your body and allow you to continue to train. My training partner had an internal injury and had to have surgery. After his recovery he took up Tai Chi. Not that in the park stuff but martial Tai Chi. It helped him recover and also remain in the martial community. He's a bad bad man now. I wish you well.
I know that doesn't have to do with the topic in the video, but i've been following your channel since long ago, I was a former aikido student in Cuba, in a dojo with a lot of emphasis in traditional aikido but in self-defense at the same time, as cuba is a really dangerous country. After some years my teachers figured out themselves that aikido was very far from reality, and we started to practice MMA. The cool thing is that when i started to investigate if aikido was actually worth it, you were the first channel that appeared in that search and helped me to open my eyes, I've been watching you since your first fight against the MMA dude and is a shame that your leg got injured like that, i really hope that you recover soon as you are a great martial artist and helped to open the eyes of a lot of people.
I would say, after such a horrible injury this is a rather fast and spectacular recovery. Never mind the bump and the scars. That you can walk is already a small miracle, not to mention that you can train. Keep it easy, make the part you enjoy. …And a 6 month (forced) pause isn’t so much at all; happened with me several times already. …And obviously you learned a lot from the experience. Well done! …Perhaps the time arrived for you to begin to learn Aikido. I mean the real AI-KI-DO😉.
I'm recovering from a knee surgery after an acl rupture and meniscus injury during bjj practice. My injury takes much less time than yours to heal, but i've been facing the same dilema about going back to martial arts. I've been training BJJ, boxe and muay thai for years and now I really don't know if it all makes sense for me anymore. It feels good to know I'm not the only one facing this. Hope you recover well!
Glad you are back on the mat. I hope everything goes well for you. There are many different martial arts you can train in if you wish to do so. Good luck with your journey 👍💪🥋
Most people don't do kani basami correctly anyways. Much like tani otoshi. There are a handful of old jujutsu techniques that are just cripplers: standing kimura then sprawl, sasae tsurikomi when you step on the foot and don't take your weight off of it, sankyo where you spin under the arm then swing for the fences, a rear naked choke with a sprawl, osoto gari to the side of the knee, uchi mata as a mule kick to the balls.
I hate how stupid people are. So many people do the Uchi to the balls, when that's not the mechanic at all lol. But 100%, those are all so accurate. The Osoto to the side of the knee is also so common. I feel like you need to pass an IQ test to participate in combat sports.
Hey Rokas. You really deserved for an emotional refreshement period at least. I think you can go as your passion goes here, without overpushing yourself. And personally I think that you already proved your skills in good and actual fights and sparrings. Btw, your video about summarizing your trip from Aikido to amateur MMA was one of the most intesresting I have ever seen in Martial Art youtube-segment. So, all the luck here. I would say that your interest will resurrect when it is time.
I took 24 years off after a judo injury- broken collar bone. I too was aggressive in pursuit of some perceived master skillset when this happened. Currently I train in shotokan and I take my time. I train for the long game of being healthy and enjoying the process. It did take 24 years to get back into martial arts for all the reasons you stated in this video. I'm glad you're healing and processing life. Cheers.
I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson by osmosis. I'm a strength & conditioning coach with lots of BJJ clients. When I noticed that all my brown belt and black belt BJJ clients were held together with spit, tape, and wishful thinking... I realized it may not be something one should pursue for the longterm. For real though, they ALL have a buuuuuuuuunch of surgeries, chronic injuries, and pain. They move like shit, and their hormones are so bad they're all on trt.
I'm really sorry to hear all of this. You have been an inspiration to all of us. I hope you can continue your speedy recovery and continue to find joy in what you love so much.
BJJ has a particularly high injury rate for multiple reasons. because its grappling only, you end up in positions you might not otherwise end up in, it is also a submission based sport which means you have to put your opponent right on the edge of injury in a lot of cases, and finally, BJJ suffers from popularity: more people doing a martial art means more of all types, good and, unfortunately, bad. I might try devoting more time to a striking art and just not spar super hard.
I agree with what you've said but you cant blame BJJ for that tho. I've practiced BJJ for 18 years and I've never had a serious injury. Like you said there are bad ppl everywhere...
@@henry247and I’ve trained it 25 years and then last year bicep tear because a spazzy white belt…. So yes Bjj overall will cripple you , if not by injury just by doing it. Arthitis , tendinitis etc.
I'm really happy that you recovered that well. When it comes to martial arts, take your time. As you said you don't need to push your self so hard. It is ok to just do it as a hobby for (you know) fun. No matter what, I will allways be interested how your journey will continue.
Why you didn't sue the guy/gym is beyond me. Edit: For all you kids who keep commenting but have no idea about the full story. The gym Rokas was at provided no first aid, left him to crawl off the mat and wouldn't call him an ambulance. That's negligence and a waiver won't mean 💩 in court against that. Also, the guy who injured him knowingly did a dangerous and illegal move.
Glad to see you're having a good recovery! The mind gets hurt also and that is pretty hard to deal with. I've always been afraid of getting injured like that (again... broke my fibula and torn a ligament in the ankle in Aikido, believe it or not... got surgery and pins also). Stay healthy, Rokas!
This would be a great opportunity to explore what traditional martial arts has to offer like Okinawan karate or Kung fu, where the focus is more on forms / kata. I feel it has more of an emphasis on the "art", which may be a valuable outlet.
A great Karate school will accept a person's limitations and adjust training either until they're back to full strength, or until they know what that person CAN do. Karate focuses on natural movement, so nothing should hurt beyond the natural "I've exercised" level of pain.
Hello Rokas, I'm sorry for your injury, it must has been tough. I think you really love martial arts and should continue doing it, even if it become more like a hobby. I trained in traditional martial arts (ju-jutsu-aiki-jutsu) for more than 10 years, then 3 years in MMA as a recreational practicionner (1 or 2 times a week) and never got seriously injured (it never stop me to go at the next training, worst time was a black eye). May be I was lucky, but I think with good consciousness of your body and by refusing to sparre with some few people, you can even go a little hard without injuring yourself. Best support from France ! I can't wait to see the next season of self-defence championship !
Haha 😄 Well, I mean, everything is dangerous to some degree. Riding a bicycle can also lead to injury. My lesson here though was - to choose your training partners carefully and to not push yourself too hard. I think that would have led me to much less injuries over my martial arts journey.
only educated martial arts are safe, meaning that you know about the risks like concussions and sports injury. Like knowing how to diagnose, prevent, treat in first aid etc. Jesse enkamp for example has video prehab. And having a good trainer that restrains and interferes is a safe sport, if you go on alone without knowing what you do then it probably not gonna end well
the golden rule of mma is always protect yourself at all times, which means you must know what can happen and see to it in your own responsibility to prevent it. Sometimes this might even involve people that you angered having fixed gloves that can destroy bones etc.
I think there are videos about Joe Lewis, gabriel varga, superfoot wallace feature it a bit. i think even rokas has video himself on Fighting IQ Is Superior To Power and Speed • Ft. Bill Wallace
tell your mom the quote of cuz d amato (trainer of mike tyson) > gotta be clever, gotta be smart and not get hit, if you are able to do this then you are a fighter. < Thats probably the only reason why tyson is still alive and kickin after so many fights against really incredible opponents. He spend thoughts to basically everything and had people taking care of him in the process.
Glad to hear you're recovering! Hope it keeps going well and regardless of if you choose to keep doing martial arts or leave it behind, hope you have a happy journey.
I know that correlation does not necessarily imply causation, but if in the last 2 years you've sustained more injuries than ever before and that's roughly when you started doing BJJ you might want to look into that... I've heard too many stories like this one to be honest
I feel like there might have been a target on your back because of your online presence and some people out there might just be interested in hurting you. I hope that wasn't the case, but it is something on my mind. I wish you all the best.
It was probably just some martial arts bro that thought he would look cool doing it, no need to make up some weird fantasy and make the guy an actual villain that wanted to hurt someone on purpose. Most people aren't psychos, don't get too conspiracy brained.
@@im1fadedRob "I would love to fuck [martial arts youtuber] up" is, unfortunately, something I have heard a lot in the places I train. I hope that it wasn't the case, but it was a notorious move known for causing a lot of damage and we haven't heard the other side of the story.
It feels like grappling may be the more risky martial art to resume after an injury like that. Something like Kickboxing where you only do very light sparring may be safer and more fun? I know when I was training in Jiu-jitsu and wrestling that was where 99% of my injuries came from. In kickboxing I think I mildly sprained my wrist once from being silly and that's all.
@@PS-lv1mr If it's playful sparring where you're just touching each other the odds of brain injury are quite low, Even Bjj isn't safe for your brain, during rolls it's not uncommon to bonk heads.
@@PS-lv1mr Nope. No head contact sparring is safe for the brain. Any hit to the brain draws money from the limited amount of "money" in your brain's bank account. When you run out.... early onset dementia, alzheimer's, cte...
As someone, who has had multiple knee surgeries and is now in his 40s, I have now the exactly attitude towards martial arts as you described it: I'm a hobbyist and only train for fun an fitness (doing Muay Thai currently). Staying healthy is now my most important thing, I have a family now and I'm definitely not doing ego contests with the young lions in our gym. Therefore, I do light sparring only which is not negotiable. It's just sad, that you have these problems now because of an overzealous training partner. Some guys in martial arts unfortunately have huge egos, are reckless or just idiots. I avoid to train with them if possible.
Congratulations for your channel! I know you since you were doing aikido. Your journey on martial arts is amazing. I hope you the best and hope you recover fast! Sometimes things happen for a reason. You do t have to prove anything! Martial art is a huge part of your life and of what you are! After i broke my hand in kickboxing i never went back to the gym after many years of training. I took a break and i realised that its not for me anymore im 38 also. Now i train my body only in healthy ways and never push any further. Nothing is more important tha our health guys! Love yourself and do what is best for you! Greetings from Greece!
As an Athlete for most of my Life who never got a devastating Inury but who still has nagging injuries on top of various Manual Labor Jobs & Gigs, I can tell you that part of the reason for certain Martial Arts Styles and Philosophy is Aging, Recovering, and limitations. If you're a Star Wars Fan, think of Darth Vader Darth Maul, Old Obi-wan Kenobi, and Yoda. With limitations, you're required to think and operate differently. Take things one day and one step @ a time. Don't overexert and learn your Body more. Become increasingly more Skilled. I really wish you a speedy and well recovery, Brother. 🙏🙏
Really nice to see you getting REALLY better!!! Your determination and awareness, both things are the key for your quick recovery. Last but not least the help of doctors, therapists, supplements, your wife and, why not?, your dog too 😅 I hope you still practice and enjoy martial arts, training safe without any new injuries. PS: I can't wait to see season 3 of USDC 😉 And season 4. And 5! And...
Yeah, I understand a man's gotta eat, but hyping up AG1 after saying he poured hours into supplement research is funny as hell. A cursory Google search would reveal how big of a grift that shit truly is.
Rokas, I'm so thrilled that you are back! I truly hope you be happy in any path you choose. I am learning so much from your experience. Thank you for sharing the journey with us.
I have an expression... "I only fight my friends". Ok, I mean spar my friends. But, fight my friends sounds better . LOL I don't spar ppl I don't know anymore. And I try to make it fun.
I hear ya dude. I'm almost 30, and i feel my body's wear and tear. I still want to train but I'm now paying attention to my body and who I train with. I'm already a smaller dude, but an example is this dude who has 50 pounds on me rolling like he has something to prove. First time, bad experience, whatever. Second time, he hurts my neck. Advocating for myself is something I'm not used to, but I've developed resolve to tell this guy to fuck off if need be. I want to be in this for a long time, maybe even teach on the side, but I also want to have a great quality of life when I'm older and have a kids and family to look out for. I need to curb my competitive nature and my stubbornness but I'm willing to take a few L's if I can do this for the rest of my life. Best of luck Rokus, hope you're back at least 95% of who you were, if not better than ever!
So glad to hear that you are making a speedy recovery. Make sure you get healed 100% and don't over do it. Hit the mitts and the bags and keep yourself in shape, but no need to take chances with your health.
Imagine if Rokas watched Undisputed 3 lmao Jokes aside brother you're stronger that you realise most people would give up after such serious injury but here you are. Respect 💪🏽
Great video. So glad you're back!!!! Glad there's a gym with people you can trust as well! Idk I'm just super happy that you can at least entertain the idea of training again, even if it's just as a hobby.
Everyone is being mean to Tai Chi for not being effective enough, but now might be the time to take a look at the gentle side of Martial Arts. Good luck with your journey!
I agree. The big lesson I'm taking away from this is unless it's your career to fight and win, martial arts aren't about effectiveness. Enjoy the process of learning and perfect the art. It really doesn't matter if you could beat up this or that guy. With some rare exceptions, you will never need to actually practice self defense.
Scissor takedowns are banned in most BJJ academies; it's crazy that someone with so much martial arts training was naive enough to even let that happen.
I bet you $1 million that dude wasn't expecting rokas be so good. Got his ego hurt and then just wanted to hurt him. That is the typical jiu-jitsu culture mentality.
MMA ,kickboxing and boxing are dangerous in another way:they can give you fake confidence in the sense that you think that if can beat a fighter in a cage ,you are invincible and you can fight any aggressor or aggressors on the street.Which is not the case.Some years ago ,a boxer was stabbed in Romania(a country in which I live).He thought that he can defend with boxing techniques against an attacker with a knife but in the end he got stabbed and died.Some months ago ,in Romania again ,a kickboxer attacked 3 guys in a gym and one of them had a knife and stabbed the kickboxer.He ended in the hospital.MMA ,kickboxing and boxing are do not make you invincible and can give you a fake sense of confidence.And this can prove even more dangerous than Aikido in a way.
You can get hurt inside your house waking up and leaving your bed. My point is, anything you do can hurt you, just take the steps to minimize the risks
Watch out they don't even strengthen your neck before they have you out there grappling first day no neck training out there grappling so many people get their neck hurt. The whole thing is goofy and needs to be revamped.
Glad to see you giving us an update and more importantly, glad you are healing quickly. I hope you can continue martial arts, perhaps not so hard and competitive, and maybe not solely for fighting, but the work you did to help facilitate truths about martial arts and the production and filming you did to get the self defence championship the exposure and popularity it deserves was absolutely a joy to watch, and I could tell you enjoyed it too (when someone enjoys their project, it comes out in their craftsmanship).
I have a ridiculous amount of respect for Rokas. To detail all of why would take a while so I'll summarize. It takes a special kind of person to challenge their beliefs and themselves so often. It takes someone more special to do it so openly and honestly with the world. Thank you for posting your martial arts journey for us to see.
And here I am feeling down because I got my rib pushed in at wrestling class and cant roll for a few weeks. I wish you a thorough recovery, and that your path will be made clear to you.
@@hannibalwantsahuggrande3433 yup. can happen in any combat sport lol. except these "freak injuries" in striking sports lead to TBIs that permanently impair your brain function.
Hey Rokas I hope you are getting well, keep doing your rehab and keep your heads up, man. Best wishes for you and hope that you can resume the pre-injury life as soon as possible
Damn, this is very unfortunate. It's particularly sad, because you're literally the nicest guy in martial arts. I'll send some positive energy your way... and pray for your speedy recovery. Cheers!
🙏🏻 I am currently in a brace with a fully torn MCL 🤞🏼hoping for a full recovery with no surgery, heal up Rokas, thank you for continuing to make videos and producing content despite all your challenges
After 50 years of martial arts, I’ve had 6 knee operations, and two knee replacements. For me, still worth the experience. I wish you the best on your recovery Thank you for sharing.
I think you practicing mostly for fitness and fun is good, you can still learn a lot of technique from it while going easy. I hope you recover well and become able to fully enjoy martial arts again 👍
Glad your recovery is going okay, brother. Keep building up that slow stable strength. A lot of the older masters hit the same point in their journeys when age or injuries make you shift from speed and athleticism to balance, isometric strength, and structure. I've also been going back to some Tai Chi and Aikido exercises/drills while making sure my BJJ rolling is based on strategy and proper structure. It's definitely helped me to be far more efficient and less injury prone.
Sorry to hear about your injury. Got quite much injuries myself from MMA and BJJ so it is pretty easy to relate. You have now been in "jutsu path" and if you want still continue with Martial Arts there is still the "Do path" of Martial Art journey. Get well and healthy!
Use this link to subscribe and save $20 off your first subscription of AG1: drinkag1.com/rokas
Bro been following for a few weeks and from your journey from fake Aikido to full mma and then improving those techniques,
*I can say that you are a real fighter*
You never gave up and fought your way through and even became 3rd best in ultimate self defense martial arts Beating really good martial artists.
As a martial artist from India,
You have my respect 🙏
fuck AG1 bro overpriced garbage
Rochas you've got a superpower now you got the superpower of steel knee
Give yourself some time Rokas, to regenerate and to think. Having a bad foot takes realistically 1-2 years to heal properly and come back to good usable state that not breaks again so fast. I doubt you quit, by maybe you gotta find a better direction to walk that way.
Scam product.
Happy to see you back on the mat Rokas! ☺️ ”The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” 🙏 Keep it up!
Absolutely, Brother! 👊👊✊✊👏👏👌👌
This is fortunate for those of us with only one foot...
I was injured quite badly when training in a judo class and was thrown wrong and when i landed it tore muscles in my back and hip, i have not been able to fully recover but am trying to get back into shape because i want to start training again as i love the martial arts. all of us have our own journey to travel and were all behind you my friend.
@@DavidMartinez-wf5jg J'ai été aussi gravement blessé.
La leçon ?
Choisir son partenaire d'entrainement avec sagesse.
@@laurentlejuste207 Very true but sometimes in a small dojo you dont have those options.
You're a true warrior who already made notable contribution to martial arts, you deserve our support regardless of where you go from here.
Thank you man! I really appreciate that
@@MartialArtsJourney No, really, thanks for everything you have thought us.
It's all coming full circle... Rokas is going to go back to Aikido as an awoken master.
I was going to say... Time to go back to aikido!
Awaken your Aikido skills, Rokas, and be at risk on fracturing or breaking your elbow and lower arms instead of your legs.
I forsee a KneeOverToesGuy collab in the future
Might aswell play golf
Rokas will become a no touch aikido master like he was meant to be in his early days of aikido training.😂
Rokas, I've been in the MMA ecosystem since 1997 (longer if you count wrestling and boxing) and I am now an old man. Out of all the people I used to train with, fight for and fight with, there are only about 5% of us left still doing it. Part of the reason I feel I am able to still train, despite training with world champions, pro fighters and world beaters is 1) I rarely went super hard 2) I trained 2-3 a week 3) I took time off when I got an injury.
You obviously have a love for martial arts and losing it will be like losing a piece of yourself, but it is just too much for anyone to train 4-6 days a week for years. Take it down, be a "hobby level" martial artist and understand your still-impressive limitations.
Heal up well and keep going with the channel.
Martial arts will harm you more than any attacker will. In fact, you'll never get attacked in your life if you live in a good neighborhood and stay away from drunk people.
@@-whackdyeah, but... I like to explore.
@@-whackd That’s not entirely true. Martial arts are about much more than self-defense, they improve discipline, confidence, and physical fitness. Plus, even in 'good neighborhoods, unexpected situations can happen. It’s better to be prepared and empowered than to rely solely on your environment to keep you safe.
There are a lot of old okinawan karate guys around that are still agile on their legs in their last quarter of life that prove a point for martial arts done the right way
best advice
I haven't seen updates from this channel in a while, whether because of algorithm or what I'm not sure, but I'm really sorry that happened man, that's gotta be tough, and I relate, although my sport was football not MMA. I was 3 days from starting my first Varsity game when I was in high school when I tore just about every ligament in my leg. Kept me out for a whole season and psychologically I never really recovered so got reduced to second string in my senior year. Nobody ever talks about the psychological toll of serious, potentially career ending injuries. Praying for you dog.
Thanks man! And thank you for sharing. I can honestly tell you the injury had a psychological toll on me too. I don't think I'll train martial arts with the same enthusiasm as before anymore.
@@MartialArtsJourney
maybe it is time to rethink about the term martial arts. maybe its time to do les martial and more art, as self cultivation. aikido is great, but i would suggest go for internal chinese MA, such as xing yi, ba gua and tai ji. those MA will give you the balance of solo training with longevity as an important part of it, and, still, under the right teacher you can deal with self defense and sparing. you dont have to quit on bjj or anything, but as a part of the journey, wide the horizon. there is a good reason why you can find many very old aged people training Okinawan and Chinese martial arts whit very impressive mobility.
Are you still part of that gym where the injustice happened? Any feedback from the staff, or even the guy that did you dirty?@@MartialArtsJourney
I'm following you since your aikido days and i was always wondering what part of it you'll be keeping while you transition into a more hardcore style. I've always liked how you (and Ranton oddly enough) seemed wiser than other the other martial arts youtubers and I'm sure your aikido background will help you transition and progress in your future projects 🙏@@MartialArtsJourney
That terrible that a “training partner” used Kani Basami during an open mat session.
I feel for you and wish you the best.
Also, I have come to the same realization:
-Training to improve strength and mobility
-Being selective with training partners
-Making peace with martial arts as a hobby
Must have been Rousimar Palhares
Yeah, scissor leg takedown is no no in most places. This "partner" is either a spazzy white belt, or a douche higher belt. Either way people need to flag them out
You and all the other martial arts youtubers I found through the USDC have really helped guide me into a healthy approach to combat sports. I managed to find a kickboxing gym where people are safe and friendly, with a relaxed environment that still allows for plenty of personal challenge.
So if it makes you feel any better, your reports on your injuries have so far helped me avoid such injuries in the first place. Huge thanks for that!
I am really glad to hear it! Keep owning your journey 👊
@@MartialArtsJourney dude you need to sue your trainings partner.
@@qefewfwdcwdc are you aware that most sports you do have an acknowledged risk to it? Once you enter a facility you accept the risk, like if you go price boxing and they hit your head to the moon there is no way to sue, if you go icehockey and you lose teeth, there is no way to sue ...
Actually thats passive accepted risk is actually the reason why people stress the rule of always protect yourself under any circumstances. if you are not up to the task, its not the fault of the training partner if it is an acknowledged risk
One gym brute ....and look at all the pain and time and resources depletion he brought on. Absolutely, if you're not a professional fighter, after such an injury....train/spar only with people you know well. May you have a speedy recovery and continued health, Rokas.
I'd argue that if you're a professional fighter you are more cautious of who you train with since your livelihood relies on trust that your partner won't do something stupid to hurt you. But completely agree with the sentiment
You'll be surprised how much your dog helped on your recovery.
When I broke my legs my dog was so chill and supportive, he laid by me the whole time. Dogs are amazing.
I'm so sorry, man. That's a seriously brutal injury, and what's worse is that it sounds like it could have been avoided if your training partner had more sense and restraint. I've probably suffered more injuries from over-eager sparring and grappling partners than I ever had competing, so I understand it's almost inevitable, but those partners are supposed to help you improve your skills (as you're trying to do the same for them), so it's especially upsetting when it seems like their motives don't align with those principles. I wish you all the best with your continued recovery, Rokas.
I'm a black belt whose leg got crippled, then amputated, so I relate to your story. Being a martial artist was part of my identity and I felt lost when I didn't know if I'd ever get that piece of me back. I fought so hard for many years to get back on the mat and discovered that there are a lot of things I can still do, but I have to be a lot more careful about injury. I asked myself why it was so important to me to get back on the mat. Some people do martial arts because of fitness, the comradery, or they like the culture. For me, martial arts makes me feel alive in a way nothing else does, and without that my life doesn't feel complete. I love how both my mind and my body are pushed at the same time, unlike standard exercise. I ended up acknowledging that my former martial arts aren't the best place for me anymore. I started parafencing, because I can push myself to the max without fear of injury and it still has that chess-like strategy that I love from sparring. I'm training for nationals and, despite the grief I went through, I feel happy and complete again. It's hard knowing how to move forward after a major injury. I'd suggest asking yourself what is at the heart of your martial arts journey and why you chose to be on this path in the first place. Once you know those answers, it'll guide your next steps. Best wishes, Rokas!
Maybe doing the Ultimate Self Defense Challenge fulfills whatever need it is that made you like martial arts in the first place? Either way, we love USDC. Get feeling better!
Damn just checked out your channel Champ and subscribed... wishing u all the best
Try motorcycling, it's excellent for situational awareness ;)
I'd expect some prosthetics to be better to kick with than a human foot.
You are a legend for not giving up on your passion!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have some similar scars. Broke both legs in a motorcycle crash, surgeries on both legs. I had been teaching a high-school martial arts class before the wreck, and it one of the biggest things for me in the recovery was how emasculated I felt. Like many guys, I occasionally will daydream about fending off attackers (fighting off the ninjas or shooter or whatever with objects lying around the room). The thought of these random attackers didn't stop during my recovery, but in all of the daydreams, I lost and was helpless. It was the first time I felt helpless and dependent as an adult. Like you, I am now able to walk and train again, but this taste of weakness and vulnerability has made me much more cautious (no more motorcycles, at least until the kids are grown). Martial arts was largely a power fantasy for me before that point, and this was dispelled. I currently teach a free martial arts class at my church for fun and as a way to give back some of the health, focus, and mentoring I have been given through this practice.
Martial arts are a what, but it is the why that matters and the why that changes with maturity.
I wish you success in your journey.
I have a motorcycle and I have a lot of trust in my skills. But I have lost most of my trust in the driving skills of others. Honestly, it's only gotten worse. People on their smartphones left and right and a lot of drinking and driving. I'm thinking of selling the bike because I ride around paranoid as soon as I see another car.
As someone who spent a lifetime in martial arts and who had a very similar injury among others and is now past 50, I'll say that there's a huge difference between training as a combat athlete and training as a life long martial artist. The injuries build up, age is a real thing, and you have to approach training differently. The focus becomes consistency and technique. Way better to go 3-4 times a week at 70% intensity for a decade than to take time out due to injuries. Because once you hit mid 30's and especially 40's that downtime you never get back. And you feel those injuries every time it gets cold or rains.
There is a lot of wisdom in TMA approaches. They can keep you strong from the inside out and help you still practice for the long road.
I'm 54. This validates my decision to train BJJ almost exclusively with my adult and teenage sons. We love each other and are determined not to injure each other. None of us are in it to be athletes. And they know how to keep my aging body safe. It's the comradery that makes it worth it for us.
I took Gracie Jiujitsu Combatives and some certification courses at BJJ Fanatics. I'm not going to BJJ classes because I'm not into it for sport and it's not worth the risk of injury to me.
55, almost 56. Athlete my whole life. Purple belt. Started BJJ in 2017. 2021, rolling, torn labrum and detached bicep. Surgery, recovery. Back on the mat for 2 months, torn MCL. Your decision to only roll with your son, I'm heading that route, he's an amazing brown belt, 20, and a ninja....but he knows I'm broken....
@@seamac7564 ouch! We've been training since 2018. I've had a few minor sprains on the mat but nothing like what you've gone through.
Your courage, resilience, and curiosity always astound me, Rokas. You have always owned your own journey ❤
Thank you for sharing your story.
A couple months ago, my pancras teacher was teaching this move.
I told him not to show it to the beginners as it's too dangerous,or at least show another safer variation.
I got kicked out of class since, and he injured his uke who was a 16yo beginner.
Damn
Man this kind of thing needs to be publicized
Your dog is your guardian angel, it's good you have such excellent company while recovering.
I personally don't recommend AG1 as they're going through some scandals through unsure practices. Regardless i love you man and appreciate your work in the Martial Arts community
Recovering from a serious injury such as yours is a long journey. In my aikido training during my 30s, I separated both shoulders and caused damage that took years to fully recover from, even w/surgery.
Then, in my early 60's, a large tumor was found on my hip and that really screwed me up as my femoral nerve was damaged in the process and never recovered. Like you, more than 60% of my frontal thigh and shin area are numb. I walk funny- w/a limp now- because of the surgery which causes my back discomfort and both hips are in constant discomfort.
Martial arts training is long over for me but I continue to work out daily w/rigorous walks and weight lifting. One simply cannot give up or give in.
My best to you on your continued recovery and journey.
Hi Rokas I watched your injury story since it happened. I am really happy to hear that you can walk again. Being able to walk is more important than being BJJ superstar.
Just continue with your rehabilitiation and training, because based on my own experience it's not done when you think it is. I would definitelly add swimming as part of it.
Whish you the best, happy Christmas and BIG THANK YOU for USDC !!
Well, illegal moves are illegal for a reason, that was probably meant for self-defense or the battlefield and not for a sport.
At least you got a loyal doggo to support you all the way
It used to be legal, but the likelihood of unintended injury and the severity of the resulting injuries proved too high.
in judo they got that technique from traditional juijitsu, and then as bjj was created from judo it got the technique. But in judo there were many guys with broken legs with it so they banned it and I've never seen a dojo that teaches it so far
@@josef6126 Issue is that some people see someone doing it on UA-cam and then in their next sparring session, they decide "I am going to try that".
@@revbladez5773 Or something a bit more nefarious. Someone shows them in a context of historical martial arts training, whilst stressing it's sports illegal because how dangerous it is, they try it, feel overconfident in their ability to pull it off safely / neglectful about others getting hurt, go to a gym with no sctrict rule enforcement, gradually pull off more dangerous moves to push the bar, and this happens.
My old judo dojo taught it - but we were taught to do it safely. They emphasized how to do it properly, and not deviate from the technique. But out of respect for each other, we didn't use it.
Just listening to the first few minutes here hurt like heck!! OUCH! Holy Moly!!! I wish you the all the best in your healing and recovery. I've learned a lot from watching your videos for the last few years. Blessings to you and yours.
rokas, i really recommend starting to lift weights more seriously. it not only strengthens the muscles which supports the joints but also causes growth and strengthening of tendons and bones. i did bodybuilding/strength training for 4-5 years gaining 50 lean lbs before i started grappling, and though i have gotten some acute injuries the general wear on my body is much lower than my peers.
because, think of it like this: if i can build myself up to squat 500 lbs, then my knees are going to be much more durable than someone who buckles under 200 lbs.
in fact, my biggest issue is a recurring shoulder tweak that happens when i DONT lift for a while. lifting really does strengthen your body. if you wish i can share my routine, it's not so much for performance but rather injury proofing.
i also think your new philosophy to training is also very wise, i think you will see that this mindset leads to more sustainability and being able to practice more deliberately. i've been trying to adopt this approach too; many great combat athletes use this, notably GSP and most thai muay thai fighters
I second this comment. I started to have back aches after bjj, but I started to left weights, mostly pull ups and dips and the pains went. I also started to take yoga/stretching more seriously for flexibility
@@kingartifex At 47, mobility work, yoga, and meditation have been my adaptations from combat sports. I now spend more time sparring against those parts of myself that are no longer serving me
I think you guys should stop giving advice for medical conditions if you are not working in that particular field. It is correct that muscles help joints but body building has its own problems by itsself and should not be thrown in there just Willy nilly as a normal means to strengthen the body. This kind of injury rokas has should first and foremost concentrate on functionality and training with his own body weight. Of course there are Training machines that are very helpful but for him its not necessary to go beyond your body weight training to be healthy and stable. Muscles grow faster than tendons and in body building this can cause tendon problems and pain all by itsself at some point especially when people go for numbers instead of quality.
@@Dragens2 not medical advice, just sport performance advice. also, i study this in college, undergrad in bio and have taken classes in sport science.
muscles typically only grow faster than muscle in untrained hyper-responders or steroid users. besides, this discrepancy is only relevant at maximal efforts which are rare in combat sports (this is most commonly a problem in powerlifting, under 3 reps)
@Dragens2 right cus recommending basic callisthenics exercises like pull-ups is now "medical advice."
I am sorry for your injury. You have responded like a champion. Thank you for sharing your story with such honesty. Actually quite inspiring it is. I would show this video to all practitioners once they have a some beginning experience , especially cross art trainees and instructors. I have judo and aikido experience myself.
I actually remember when Kami Basami was still legal in Judo. And in karate. Used it several times. In full contact larate we would do it as a “flying scissor” take down. My father taught it to me when i was a teen. I shiver now thinking how close I came to getting a blown knee, or blowing out someones knee. Man.
I used it too when I was doing kung fu in my teens
You're a good guy and exactly the kind of creator this platform and genre need. I have no doubt that you'll get out of it and start training again in no time. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Rokas I'm really happy to hear that you're recovering well. There are many things you can train that wont destroy your body and allow you to continue to train.
My training partner had an internal injury and had to have surgery. After his recovery he took up Tai Chi. Not that in the park stuff but martial Tai Chi. It helped him recover and also remain in the martial community. He's a bad bad man now. I wish you well.
Hope the recovery continues to go well and looking forward to season 3.
I love your Dogo's support on your time of pain. Wishing you the best, and hope you gain your full strength back.
I know that doesn't have to do with the topic in the video, but i've been following your channel since long ago, I was a former aikido student in Cuba, in a dojo with a lot of emphasis in traditional aikido but in self-defense at the same time, as cuba is a really dangerous country. After some years my teachers figured out themselves that aikido was very far from reality, and we started to practice MMA. The cool thing is that when i started to investigate if aikido was actually worth it, you were the first channel that appeared in that search and helped me to open my eyes, I've been watching you since your first fight against the MMA dude and is a shame that your leg got injured like that, i really hope that you recover soon as you are a great martial artist and helped to open the eyes of a lot of people.
Thank you for sharing. I'm really glad to hear the channel was helpful to you!
I would say, after such a horrible injury this is a rather fast and spectacular recovery. Never mind the bump and the scars. That you can walk is already a small miracle, not to mention that you can train. Keep it easy, make the part you enjoy. …And a 6 month (forced) pause isn’t so much at all; happened with me several times already. …And obviously you learned a lot from the experience. Well done! …Perhaps the time arrived for you to begin to learn Aikido. I mean the real AI-KI-DO😉.
Great example of growth mindset as always Rokas!
I'm recovering from a knee surgery after an acl rupture and meniscus injury during bjj practice. My injury takes much less time than yours to heal, but i've been facing the same dilema about going back to martial arts. I've been training BJJ, boxe and muay thai for years and now I really don't know if it all makes sense for me anymore. It feels good to know I'm not the only one facing this. Hope you recover well!
have you injured yourself from muay thai? It apparently has fewer injuries but I worry long term about brain health
Glad you are back on the mat. I hope everything goes well for you. There are many different martial arts you can train in if you wish to do so. Good luck with your journey 👍💪🥋
Most people don't do kani basami correctly anyways. Much like tani otoshi.
There are a handful of old jujutsu techniques that are just cripplers: standing kimura then sprawl, sasae tsurikomi when you step on the foot and don't take your weight off of it, sankyo where you spin under the arm then swing for the fences, a rear naked choke with a sprawl, osoto gari to the side of the knee, uchi mata as a mule kick to the balls.
I hate how stupid people are. So many people do the Uchi to the balls, when that's not the mechanic at all lol. But 100%, those are all so accurate. The Osoto to the side of the knee is also so common. I feel like you need to pass an IQ test to participate in combat sports.
@@af4396I've definitely done uchi to the balls in training when I was still bad at it.😬
Interesting!!!
Why is rnc sprawling bad? Doesn't the choke lose its tightness?
I love that your dog was watching over you bending your leg. I’m glad your recovery is going well! I’m excited for your future!
Hey Rokas. You really deserved for an emotional refreshement period at least. I think you can go as your passion goes here, without overpushing yourself. And personally I think that you already proved your skills in good and actual fights and sparrings. Btw, your video about summarizing your trip from Aikido to amateur MMA was one of the most intesresting I have ever seen in Martial Art youtube-segment. So, all the luck here. I would say that your interest will resurrect when it is time.
I took 24 years off after a judo injury- broken collar bone. I too was aggressive in pursuit of some perceived master skillset when this happened.
Currently I train in shotokan and I take my time. I train for the long game of being healthy and enjoying the process. It did take 24 years to get back into martial arts for all the reasons you stated in this video.
I'm glad you're healing and processing life.
Cheers.
I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson by osmosis. I'm a strength & conditioning coach with lots of BJJ clients. When I noticed that all my brown belt and black belt BJJ clients were held together with spit, tape, and wishful thinking... I realized it may not be something one should pursue for the longterm.
For real though, they ALL have a buuuuuuuuunch of surgeries, chronic injuries, and pain. They move like shit, and their hormones are so bad they're all on trt.
I'm really sorry to hear all of this. You have been an inspiration to all of us. I hope you can continue your speedy recovery and continue to find joy in what you love so much.
BJJ has a particularly high injury rate for multiple reasons. because its grappling only, you end up in positions you might not otherwise end up in, it is also a submission based sport which means you have to put your opponent right on the edge of injury in a lot of cases, and finally, BJJ suffers from popularity: more people doing a martial art means more of all types, good and, unfortunately, bad. I might try devoting more time to a striking art and just not spar super hard.
I agree with what you've said but you cant blame BJJ for that tho. I've practiced BJJ for 18 years and I've never had a serious injury. Like you said there are bad ppl everywhere...
@henry247 yeah I'm not saying it's bad but for his situation it might not be the best fit
@@henry247and I’ve trained it 25 years and then last year bicep tear because a spazzy white belt…. So yes Bjj overall will cripple you , if not by injury just by doing it. Arthitis , tendinitis etc.
@@BuddyRevel I've had tendinitis but i believe it was from playing guitar...
BJJ has become the Crossfit of martial arts...
People need to relax 😂
I'm really happy that you recovered that well. When it comes to martial arts, take your time. As you said you don't need to push your self so hard. It is ok to just do it as a hobby for (you know) fun.
No matter what, I will allways be interested how your journey will continue.
Why you didn't sue the guy/gym is beyond me.
Edit: For all you kids who keep commenting but have no idea about the full story. The gym Rokas was at provided no first aid, left him to crawl off the mat and wouldn't call him an ambulance. That's negligence and a waiver won't mean 💩 in court against that. Also, the guy who injured him knowingly did a dangerous and illegal move.
You can't sue a gym for something some guy did in the gym, and he would have signed a risk waiver.
That's why gyms have waivers
@af4396 the gym left him on the floor and did nothing. They had no first aid and wouldn't even call him an ambulance. Also, waivers aren't iron clad.
@AprehamLincoln Waivers aren't iron clad and the gym did nothing to help him afterwards. He had to crawl off the mat and call his own ambulance.
Then Ramsey Dewey should sue USDC for his knee injury
Glad to see you're having a good recovery! The mind gets hurt also and that is pretty hard to deal with. I've always been afraid of getting injured like that (again... broke my fibula and torn a ligament in the ankle in Aikido, believe it or not... got surgery and pins also). Stay healthy, Rokas!
This would be a great opportunity to explore what traditional martial arts has to offer like Okinawan karate or Kung fu, where the focus is more on forms / kata. I feel it has more of an emphasis on the "art", which may be a valuable outlet.
A great Karate school will accept a person's limitations and adjust training either until they're back to full strength, or until they know what that person CAN do.
Karate focuses on natural movement, so nothing should hurt beyond the natural "I've exercised" level of pain.
You are a true warrior Rokas, i'm glad to see you healthy and recovering! *Hugs*
Hello Rokas, I'm sorry for your injury, it must has been tough. I think you really love martial arts and should continue doing it, even if it become more like a hobby.
I trained in traditional martial arts (ju-jutsu-aiki-jutsu) for more than 10 years, then 3 years in MMA as a recreational practicionner (1 or 2 times a week) and never got seriously injured (it never stop me to go at the next training, worst time was a black eye). May be I was lucky, but I think with good consciousness of your body and by refusing to sparre with some few people, you can even go a little hard without injuring yourself.
Best support from France ! I can't wait to see the next season of self-defence championship !
Normally I’d have skipped through your AG1 advertisement but GOT DANG that transition was SMOOTH!!! So I decided to watch through it.
Just when my mum asked me if Martial arts are safe... thank yoy for encouragment😂😂😂
Haha 😄 Well, I mean, everything is dangerous to some degree. Riding a bicycle can also lead to injury. My lesson here though was - to choose your training partners carefully and to not push yourself too hard. I think that would have led me to much less injuries over my martial arts journey.
only educated martial arts are safe, meaning that you know about the risks like concussions and sports injury. Like knowing how to diagnose, prevent, treat in first aid etc. Jesse enkamp for example has video prehab. And having a good trainer that restrains and interferes is a safe sport, if you go on alone without knowing what you do then it probably not gonna end well
the golden rule of mma is always protect yourself at all times, which means you must know what can happen and see to it in your own responsibility to prevent it. Sometimes this might even involve people that you angered having fixed gloves that can destroy bones etc.
I think there are videos about Joe Lewis, gabriel varga, superfoot wallace feature it a bit. i think even rokas has video himself on Fighting IQ Is Superior To Power and Speed • Ft. Bill Wallace
tell your mom the quote of cuz d amato (trainer of mike tyson) > gotta be clever, gotta be smart and not get hit, if you are able to do this then you are a fighter. < Thats probably the only reason why tyson is still alive and kickin after so many fights against really incredible opponents. He spend thoughts to basically everything and had people taking care of him in the process.
Glad to hear you're recovering! Hope it keeps going well and regardless of if you choose to keep doing martial arts or leave it behind, hope you have a happy journey.
I know that correlation does not necessarily imply causation, but if in the last 2 years you've sustained more injuries than ever before and that's roughly when you started doing BJJ you might want to look into that... I've heard too many stories like this one to be honest
I feel like there might have been a target on your back because of your online presence and some people out there might just be interested in hurting you. I hope that wasn't the case, but it is something on my mind. I wish you all the best.
Was literally my first thought. 🤨
Why else would someone perform a scissor? Only to look cool imo :(
It was probably just some martial arts bro that thought he would look cool doing it, no need to make up some weird fantasy and make the guy an actual villain that wanted to hurt someone on purpose. Most people aren't psychos, don't get too conspiracy brained.
@@im1fadedRob "I would love to fuck [martial arts youtuber] up" is, unfortunately, something I have heard a lot in the places I train. I hope that it wasn't the case, but it was a notorious move known for causing a lot of damage and we haven't heard the other side of the story.
@@im1fadedRob
If he had the ability execute it to such devastating effect, then he's been doing BJJ long enough to know better.
I´m happy that you're getting better. I do hope you can get back to martial arts for FUN and not get hurt again!! Keep it up!!
It feels like grappling may be the more risky martial art to resume after an injury like that. Something like Kickboxing where you only do very light sparring may be safer and more fun? I know when I was training in Jiu-jitsu and wrestling that was where 99% of my injuries came from. In kickboxing I think I mildly sprained my wrist once from being silly and that's all.
If all you do is light sparring is it safe for the brain though? That’s my main worry tbh and why I was drawn to BJJ tbh..
@@PS-lv1mr If it's playful sparring where you're just touching each other the odds of brain injury are quite low, Even Bjj isn't safe for your brain, during rolls it's not uncommon to bonk heads.
@@PS-lv1mr Nope. No head contact sparring is safe for the brain. Any hit to the brain draws money from the limited amount of "money" in your brain's bank account. When you run out.... early onset dementia, alzheimer's, cte...
You are forever a legend for what you have done for martial arts my brother. Thank you for all you have done and we love you for it!
As someone, who has had multiple knee surgeries and is now in his 40s, I have now the exactly attitude towards martial arts as you described it: I'm a hobbyist and only train for fun an fitness (doing Muay Thai currently). Staying healthy is now my most important thing, I have a family now and I'm definitely not doing ego contests with the young lions in our gym. Therefore, I do light sparring only which is not negotiable. It's just sad, that you have these problems now because of an overzealous training partner. Some guys in martial arts unfortunately have huge egos, are reckless or just idiots. I avoid to train with them if possible.
Congratulations for your channel! I know you since you were doing aikido. Your journey on martial arts is amazing. I hope you the best and hope you recover fast! Sometimes things happen for a reason. You do t have to prove anything! Martial art is a huge part of your life and of what you are! After i broke my hand in kickboxing i never went back to the gym after many years of training. I took a break and i realised that its not for me anymore im 38 also. Now i train my body only in healthy ways and never push any further. Nothing is more important tha our health guys! Love yourself and do what is best for you! Greetings from Greece!
The transition to battle android has begun.
Great video. So sorry this happened to you. Very glad to see you're making good progress in your healing.
As an Athlete for most of my Life who never got a devastating Inury but who still has nagging injuries on top of various Manual Labor Jobs & Gigs, I can tell you that part of the reason for certain Martial Arts Styles and Philosophy is Aging, Recovering, and limitations. If you're a Star Wars Fan, think of Darth Vader Darth Maul, Old Obi-wan Kenobi, and Yoda. With limitations, you're required to think and operate differently. Take things one day and one step @ a time. Don't overexert and learn your Body more. Become increasingly more Skilled. I really wish you a speedy and well recovery, Brother. 🙏🙏
Bro you are a warrior. All the best in your recovery!
Never seen a sponsor sales pitch so smoothly integrated
😁🙏
Really nice to see you getting REALLY better!!! Your determination and awareness, both things are the key for your quick recovery. Last but not least the help of doctors, therapists, supplements, your wife and, why not?, your dog too 😅 I hope you still practice and enjoy martial arts, training safe without any new injuries.
PS: I can't wait to see season 3 of USDC 😉 And season 4. And 5! And...
Are you seriously shilling the AG1 crap as if it's going to help with an injury like that. Wtf man
Was thinking the same
Yeah, I understand a man's gotta eat, but hyping up AG1 after saying he poured hours into supplement research is funny as hell. A cursory Google search would reveal how big of a grift that shit truly is.
Got to pay the bills.
Rokas, I'm so thrilled that you are back!
I truly hope you be happy in any path you choose.
I am learning so much from your experience. Thank you for sharing the journey with us.
I have an expression... "I only fight my friends". Ok, I mean spar my friends. But, fight my friends sounds better . LOL I don't spar ppl I don't know anymore. And I try to make it fun.
I hear ya dude. I'm almost 30, and i feel my body's wear and tear. I still want to train but I'm now paying attention to my body and who I train with. I'm already a smaller dude, but an example is this dude who has 50 pounds on me rolling like he has something to prove. First time, bad experience, whatever. Second time, he hurts my neck. Advocating for myself is something I'm not used to, but I've developed resolve to tell this guy to fuck off if need be.
I want to be in this for a long time, maybe even teach on the side, but I also want to have a great quality of life when I'm older and have a kids and family to look out for.
I need to curb my competitive nature and my stubbornness but I'm willing to take a few L's if I can do this for the rest of my life.
Best of luck Rokus, hope you're back at least 95% of who you were, if not better than ever!
So glad to hear that you are making a speedy recovery. Make sure you get healed 100% and don't over do it. Hit the mitts and the bags and keep yourself in shape, but no need to take chances with your health.
Imagine if Rokas watched Undisputed 3 lmao
Jokes aside brother you're stronger that you realise most people would give up after such serious injury but here you are. Respect 💪🏽
Haha. I did see the movie. Would love to do flying kicks like Boyka
@MartialArtsJourney when you get better you can try it's not that hard after a while
Great video. So glad you're back!!!! Glad there's a gym with people you can trust as well! Idk I'm just super happy that you can at least entertain the idea of training again, even if it's just as a hobby.
Everyone is being mean to Tai Chi for not being effective enough, but now might be the time to take a look at the gentle side of Martial Arts.
Good luck with your journey!
I agree. The big lesson I'm taking away from this is unless it's your career to fight and win, martial arts aren't about effectiveness. Enjoy the process of learning and perfect the art. It really doesn't matter if you could beat up this or that guy. With some rare exceptions, you will never need to actually practice self defense.
Therefore, the founder of Aikido invented the arts. But people mock Aikido say it does not work.
@@kenirawadi4689when it comes to combat in the present day, no it doesn't.
Just wanted to say im glad to see you recovered so well man. And while its nice to see you back doin martial arts... stay safe
have you thought about training Aikido?
Don't know if this is a joke but it made me laugh. 😆
I have nerve damage too from prolonged injury, I've been back in the gym most of this year and guys like you motivate me to keep going. 💪
Scissor takedowns are banned in most BJJ academies; it's crazy that someone with so much martial arts training was naive enough to even let that happen.
Let what happen?
it's the other guy who probably decided to do the move, no?
I bet you $1 million that dude wasn't expecting rokas be so good. Got his ego hurt and then just wanted to hurt him. That is the typical jiu-jitsu culture mentality.
MMA ,kickboxing and boxing are dangerous in another way:they can give you fake confidence in the sense that you think that if can beat a fighter in a cage ,you are invincible and you can fight any aggressor or aggressors on the street.Which is not the case.Some years ago ,a boxer was stabbed in Romania(a country in which I live).He thought that he can defend with boxing techniques against an attacker with a knife but in the end he got stabbed and died.Some months ago ,in Romania again ,a kickboxer attacked 3 guys in a gym and one of them had a knife and stabbed the kickboxer.He ended in the hospital.MMA ,kickboxing and boxing are do not make you invincible and can give you a fake sense of confidence.And this can prove even more dangerous than Aikido in a way.
crosses BJJ off of my list
You can get hurt inside your house waking up and leaving your bed. My point is, anything you do can hurt you, just take the steps to minimize the risks
@@RibsBjjcrossing buk off the list is step number 1
That only happens when people try dangerous moves
Watch out they don't even strengthen your neck before they have you out there grappling first day no neck training out there grappling so many people get their neck hurt. The whole thing is goofy and needs to be revamped.
@@Maxmarvelus Ehh...strengthening and conditioning is on your part (I'm a purple belt). We're there to learn BJJ, not strength train.
Nice transition into the ad read, that was slick.
Eww, an AG1 sellout. That stuff has several scandal/scam claims for under dosing the good supplements and using fillers with negative side effects.
Glad to see you giving us an update and more importantly, glad you are healing quickly.
I hope you can continue martial arts, perhaps not so hard and competitive, and maybe not solely for fighting, but the work you did to help facilitate truths about martial arts and the production and filming you did to get the self defence championship the exposure and popularity it deserves was absolutely a joy to watch, and I could tell you enjoyed it too (when someone enjoys their project, it comes out in their craftsmanship).
I wonder which one is the bigger BS, size and strength doesn't matter or BJJ is the safest martial art?
Get well soon Rokas.
I have a ridiculous amount of respect for Rokas.
To detail all of why would take a while so I'll summarize.
It takes a special kind of person to challenge their beliefs and themselves so often. It takes someone more special to do it so openly and honestly with the world.
Thank you for posting your martial arts journey for us to see.
This was the longest ad of supplements I've ever seen.
Your in my Prayers Rokas, nothing but only the best for you. You will never lose your warrior within.
The subtitles about the wife was so sweet lol
But not sweet enough to just record a 10 second snippet in the editing room saying that, rather than relying on 1 second of text?! :)
And here I am feeling down because I got my rib pushed in at wrestling class and cant roll for a few weeks. I wish you a thorough recovery, and that your path will be made clear to you.
That’s it, I will never choose BJJ.
It's a freak injury due to a foolish training partner.
@@hannibalwantsahuggrande3433 yup. can happen in any combat sport lol. except these "freak injuries" in striking sports lead to TBIs that permanently impair your brain function.
@@jacobbertram9929 this was not a striking sport where this happened
What a good news to hear about your healing 🙏
Hey Rokas I hope you are getting well, keep doing your rehab and keep your heads up, man. Best wishes for you and hope that you can resume the pre-injury life as soon as possible
Best of luck for your recovery ! You're right, nothing deserves to put your health on the line.
Damn, this is very unfortunate. It's particularly sad, because you're literally the nicest guy in martial arts. I'll send some positive energy your way... and pray for your speedy recovery. Cheers!
🙏🏻 I am currently in a brace with a fully torn MCL 🤞🏼hoping for a full recovery with no surgery, heal up Rokas, thank you for continuing to make videos and producing content despite all your challenges
After 50 years of martial arts, I’ve had 6 knee operations, and two knee replacements. For me, still worth the experience. I wish you the best on your recovery
Thank you for sharing.
ánimo hermano, te deseo una completa y pronta recuperación. Saludos desde México
Wow, what perseverance...thank you for all that you do Rokas! You've been and continue to be a massive inspiration to so many of us...we're with you
I think you practicing mostly for fitness and fun is good, you can still learn a lot of technique from it while going easy. I hope you recover well and become able to fully enjoy martial arts again 👍
Have a good recovery. Can't wait for the season 3. Love from France
Glad your recovery is going okay, brother. Keep building up that slow stable strength. A lot of the older masters hit the same point in their journeys when age or injuries make you shift from speed and athleticism to balance, isometric strength, and structure. I've also been going back to some Tai Chi and Aikido exercises/drills while making sure my BJJ rolling is based on strategy and proper structure. It's definitely helped me to be far more efficient and less injury prone.
Sorry to hear about your injury. Got quite much injuries myself from MMA and BJJ so it is pretty easy to relate. You have now been in "jutsu path" and if you want still continue with Martial Arts there is still the "Do path" of Martial Art journey. Get well and healthy!