Real Fighting Changed Me Beyond Recognition
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- Опубліковано 18 лис 2022
- Welcome to Martial Arts Journey, where as a former Aikido instructor I challenge myself by trying different martial arts, sharing my journey as honestly as I can, while aiming to become better on and off the training mat.
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Welcome to the Martial Arts Journey UA-cam channel!
My name is Rokas. I'm a Lithuanian guy who trained Aikido for 14 years, 7 of them running a professional Aikido Dojo until eventually I realized that Aikido does not live up to what it promises.
Lead by this realization I decided to make a daring step to close my Aikido Dojo and move to Portland, Oregon for six months to start training MMA at the famous Straight Blast Gym Headquarters under head coach Matt Thornton.
After six months intensive training I had my first amateur MMA fight after which I moved back to Lithuania. During all of this time I am documenting my experience through my UA-cam channel called "Martial Arts Journey".
Now I am slowly setting up plans to continue training MMA under quality guidance and getting ready for my next MMA fight as I further document and share my journey and discoveries.
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If you want to support my journey, you can make a donation to my PayPal at info@rokasleo.com
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► • Aikido vs MMA - REAL ...
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Many of us had high hopes for traditional martial arts only to be disappointed when the threat of real violence reared its ugly head. Your courage to share your story is impressive, and I applaud you for staying the path.
Traditional martial arts arent that old or
Traditional. Fighting classes don’t keep the doors open so it gets watered down
The problem is they made them NOT traditional but modern. To acquire students. Traditional martial arts were all about effectiveness for fighting back then but no parent would sign their kid to where they fight and teach violence nowadays. Not many would have even heard or cared about karate or TKD if they didnt do fancy cool looking kicks that you should never throw in a real fight. Most dojos have to adapt to the market requirements because its a buissenes. And when the competitions are also soft like TKD and for Kyokushin rules are quite frankly fucking stupid(no punches to head but you can kick high) it leads to the art not being pressure tested and becoming very innefective for combat.
So you say but may not understand martial art etiquite. This martial art Vs that is 100 percent a modern invention. While it's true that older forms of combat reflect that of wrestling most wrestling schools as is do not teach a static approach to training. I personally feel that Judo is the corner stone of modern day jujitsu and it's effectivness relies on grabs. Older traditional hard styles of Karate put a huge empasis on grabs and it's these grab arts like Aikido that are not always that universal due to the nature of how they are taught I.e. Aikido is a soft flow art but it's older Daito ryu is much harder. If you can grab a jacket are even shirt you can easily block a punch with the right training and how you follow up with takedowns are throws really from then is up to you. I.e. grabs are universal then again so are takedowns it's just a matter of how are when it is applied that really gives the essence and meaning to the martial art flow and dynamics. Aikido may not teach a lot of rational self defense but it does teach mindfulness which is still very much needed in this day in age.
@@californiacombativesclub202 plus traditional combat sport rules absolutely nutered any real fight training left on higher level. unless you go out of your way to train things not alowed most of the stuff your taught is surprisingly basic and/or only applicable in vary small situations if it works at all in a real street fight.
No one is born is a warrior, punchers are made, not born! (That's a Dempsey quote)
Nice!
When Dempsey says stuff you listen. Which further just proves that this quote is 100% true
Wrong. Some people are just different breed.
That's complete bullshit! Why can't all boxers hit like Tyson? They all train essentially the same way...but very few boxers are legitimate knock out hitters. It's all genetics.
@@idx1941 Dempsey didn't deny talent was a thing, he just said that everybody sucks at the start regardless of how much a physical beast you are (which is true)
I appreciate how you said, "The nice guy I used to be didn't disappear. I'm still calm, gentle, and caring." You learned a useful skillset that gave you confidence. I've always been a really nerdy guy, but I recently came to the conclusion that I need to focus on my body as a resource to help other people. Maybe that means protecting someone, but it for sure means playing with my kids as I get older. Thanks for this encouraging video.
Rokas, I started watching your videos with a lot of respect. You have gone on your journey, and we went along with you. We see how you literally "Leveled up" both physically and mentally. the amount of knowledge gained has been inspiring!
Thank you!
@@MartialArtsJourneyhere’s different level of martial artist. First, you have one that is extremely good at being a teacher and to teach you not only the fundamentals but the actual techniques but have never been in a real life fighting situation. Second, you then have those that train to get the exercise and not focusing on becoming a master or fighter. Third, you have those that love martial arts and are enthusiasts but do not want to fight at all and are scared. Fourth, you have those that feel invulnerable when learning martial arts and have this crazy idea that they can kill 100 men and feel they’re invincible. Fifth, you have those that only want to fight in the ring for sports competition only. Six, you have those that want to learn how to fight and want to fight to become a master of the art.
how has he leveled up mentally?
@@captainkirk7513 He says how right in the video, you plank.
@@kommisar. he says what changes he went through
That these changes are a "level up" is your interpretation and i would be interested on how your interpretation came together :)
"Kindness without strength is impotence."
What a stupid quote
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth
A real combat gym is a completely different experience from anything else. But once you prove yourself and people trust you they open up and you are part of the tribe. Every man should experience this
Holy shit - I remember watching a few videos of this guys videos years ago, and I was like yeaaaaa this guy is in for a rude awaking.
I’m so glad he pushed himself and made good changes in his life.
I often struggle with my life choices, the bad decision I’ve made. But when I’m in a habit of train martial arts daily or for around 4 to 8hrs a week I end up feeling amazing. Like yea I might have find my self with a shitty job and don’t have much to show in my life but hey at least of got my hands knees elbows and legs to fight if I ever need to. It’s the one thing that I can say I’m proud of in my life.
Thank you for sharing this! A lot of people’s issues/problems stem from feeling alone or embarrassed because they traveled down a wrong path. By sharing you are showing that with hard work, dedication and sometimes by just grinding you can reach that goal. Even if mid-way down the path you realize your goal is not correct. It’s happened to everyone and it’s good to be reminded of that! Thanks again Rokas I really enjoy your content ❤️❤️👊🏻
Many of us were fooled in the 90s... We really didn't know what worked. There were people claiming they had a 300-0 street fighting record. Nothing was verified.
With the beginnings of the Gracie challenge (where Gracie BJJ instructors) were issuing challenges to all martial artists... The UFC came about.
No rules (except no biting or eye gouging) no time limits, no weight classes... and you have to fight 3 times in one night.
From there everyone found out what worked pretty quickly.
Open arts like BJJ, Sambo, Judo, wrestling, Muay Thai and Karate - floated to the surface. They became used by most because they worked.
But the other arts like Kung fu, Aikido Wing chun, went underground, so they could continue to make money. These martial arts still influenced many generations of people who are REVAMPING them today and finding the functional aspects of these arts and incorporating them in to the Mixed Martial arts.
The term Mixed Martial arts was made because a little BJJ rose to the top quite quickly. Back in the 80s and 90s the Gracies were literally feared. For a very long time (even though it was quite short) BJJ dominated and rose to the top... and other martial artists started to cross train in order to beat the Gracies. Guys came out like the Gracie hunter (Sakuraba) - who specifically went after the Gracies in order to beat them. Mixed martial arts was formed because large groups of people wanted to cross train in many different arts, in order to beat the Gracies.
The Gracies eventually did fall from the top and that's because they too refused to evolve as fast as everyone else around them. But it's interesting to have watched this whole evolution of Martial arts, and no one sharing their art... From Bruce Lee breaking the code and sharing the arts... and then the gracies sharing their arts and changing the landscape and then others sharing their arts in order to topple the Gracies.
Now it seems that every martial art is refining itself. Even the ones that didn't evolve much like Wing Chun, Aikido and Kung fu. And now you are seeing people trying to use those techniques from those arts, in real situations and some of it's working.
It will be interesting to see what direction this heads next.
Seems like your background's a lot like mine. I was a skinny nerd who got bullied a lot until I discovered martial arts in college. But it didn't really click for me until a decade later when I started training in Muay Thai and sparring every class. Your philosophy of pressure testing martial arts is spot on. And I've enjoyed watching and been inspired by your journey over the last few years. Looking forward to where it takes you next! 👍
makes one wonder how those kids who were not training in MAs were not getting bullied huh?
Same here bro
@@championblessed2917 Similar for me too. Im slightly less skinny now atleast lol.
Respect. Not all of us can be open and vulnerable when admitting to taking wrong turns. You are doing the right thing, and I hope it brings even more success to you and your channel.
Thank you Uldis!
There is no wrong turn, it always seems like a right turn at the moment you take it. It's a learning experience
Your journey reminds me of that of the martial arts writer Daniele Bolleli writer of the book "on the warriors path" he started off with traditional martial arts and moved onto combat sports now has black belts in Judo and BJJ he also trains his wife who is a highly successful one fc fighter, he talks about how the traditional martial arts help you to contextualize the combat sports.
Yeah, sure, whatever you say.... You're way better off skipping the bullshido.
@@kommisar. Between person who is an expert on multiple martial arts, and random guy off youtube. Sorry dude you lose, I now train at an MMA club (BJJ, Kudo, boxing) but it was doing Bujinkan and Shotokan in uni that helped me get to where I am.
@@lewisb85 If you seriously think your time is better served studying TMA instead of combat arts, you're an idiot. This guy's entire channel is devoted to showcasing exactly that: He didn't learn how to fight for shit while studying TMA (i.e. aikido) and only started finding what he was truly seeking once he started MMA. Same applies to that author you referred to. He would have been better off just jumping right into BJJ and all that from the beginning instead of training TMA. Same for you. Unlike Rokas here and many others with far more humility than you, you're absolutely unwilling to admit you wasted your time with bullshido. Those years you wasted on bullshido could have been that many more years you spent getting better at MMA. If all that crap you and that author trained before was so beneficial, you'd both still be training in it.
Did he remarry? I see his wife died in 2011
@@jacksonmuaythai He's married to Sovannahry Em of one fc I believe. Her domination of Choi Jeong Yun was one of the most one sided mma fights I've ever seen.
Where you state that you were spent more time with the MMA guys and realized you were interesting to them, too, and that you became more comfortable around them over time... that part is I think so crucial for the social anxiety that gets to a lot of gentle people who want to but are anxious about joining an MMA gym. Great stuff, and very helpful.
Big respect for you! It takes a real man and maturity to admit to your own past and mistakes and embrace the journey to progress and see success. In this case, if you became the person you needed to have next to you a few years ago, then that can be called success.
From me, firm handshakes and a bow.
lol. whatever.
Thank you man, your videos helped me a lot!
I'm 42 and was doing kettlebells for like 5 or 6 years so was not in a bad condition, but two years ago started to train boxing and this year - jiu jitsu. That is changing my life in real time! 😊
Awesome!
how?
@@captainkirk7513 said _"how?"_
For me, BJJ not only changed my body, but it was the changes in the mind that really mattered. When I would walk around in my life before BJJ... I didn't feel nervous but I was just unsure. I felt confident but it was actually a false sense of confidence. BJJ introduces to a whole family of brothers and family. It gives purpose. You make your way through so many obstacles... like sparring with someone who is really large or strong... and then you get that feeling... I just killed that guy... I just choked him out. You think you are going to get your ass kicked and you sorta do, but you also kick a little ass... on people that you'd think would beat you.
Some start out very aggressive and BJJ actually teaches you NOT to fight.
I can remember going out after I got my blue belt and we got in to some "situations" and we knew we could take this group of guys... pretty easily that wanted to play on our pool table. They wanted to take our pool table... lol
So what we did, is instead of fighting with them - we bought them a few drinks and played pool with the whole group. A really cool group of guys.
It's a paradigm shift. From aggression to humble relaxation. It allows you to treat people differently (after you get out of your aggressive stage)
This is how it changes your life. And if you watch the Martial arts Journeys youtube path... he is right in the middle of this journey.
@@rcchristian2 why was your feeling of confidence a "false sense of confidence"?
@@captainkirk7513 said _"why was your feeling of confidence a "false sense of confidence"?"_
Because if a large mean dude gets angry at you, when you're out with your girl or friends... you BELIEVE you know how to fight but you really don't. It's just belief.
It's a false sense of confidence because you are not tested and trained.
So you may act tough, but you really don't know if you're going to get your butt kicked or actually die that night... lol
What comes with training is the fact that you spar against people that look like they will beat the hell out of you. They are bald, they have tattoos... they lift weights... they look strong... and you BELIEVE you're going to get your butt kicked.
But, because you spar, you face these guys all the time in the club. And after awhile you realize, yes it's going to be tough, and I'm going to get roughed up sparring... but I can actually choke this scary guy out.
It gives you a large smile on your face... this stuff works!
So when you are really out with your friends and you have this training... if you get in to confrontations ... you think ... its going to suck, but I can probably choke this guy unconscious... I should be okay.
You still don't want to get in to a fight, but you KNOW that if you do get in to that situation, you won't have to think. You can let your body do the work and you should be safe.
This gives you a confidence and humility ... that you don't have to bully others. AND if someone is bullying you... it doesn't make you angry. You just walk away.
The reason is simple. You know what it's like to spar and really fight... and you don't want to do it in the street. You don't want to fight in the street because you probably will get injured and you can't train on Monday....
So in effect it gives you incredibly stable confidence and pushes you towards not fighting. But you know if you are forced to fight, you're going to screw someone up.
Maybe dislocate his arm, break his arm or leg, or choke him unconscious, so you get out of that situation.
Before training, I had this fake confidence because I thought I was tough but it was never tested, so I didn't really know. This breeds false confidence and most people have this. Even the really large strong guys have this false confidence.... most of them don't know how to fight.
After martial arts, you know you're a bad a$$, so you don't have to fight. But if someone pressures you, you know that you can take care of yourself and your friends.
This is why it breeds true confidence. So when you walk out in to the world... you feel really good and comfortable.
I remember I devoted 3 years to a Korean variant of Tae Kwon Do when one day my teacher nonchalantly said “yeah, don’t ever fight any type of wrestler; they’ll fuck you up” and it just so happened that I got hurt that same class, and was left to meditate on what he said for a whole month. After hearing that, I just decided to stop showing up because I couldn’t help but think “what the hell are you even teaching me then?”.
Your coach was honest you should respect him for that. Most coaches would never admit it. Any striking art is like this. You can train for 10 years at the best kickboxing or muay thai gym under the best coaches and with the best sparring partners you can even become a kickboxing world champ yet a grapler would very likely still F U up in an MMA fight and much worse in a street fight. You have to know why you are doing this. Most want to be effective for self defence in street so a striking art is much better than a grapling art since you want to always be on your feet in a melee or when jumped by multiple people. If you want to be good specificaly at 1 versus 1 figthing than grapling is better. If you want to compete in MMA and become a pro fighter you have to do both.Seems to me your training didnt have a purpose. "Why the hell are you even teaching me then?" Why the hell do you want to be tought martial arts then?
You have been a fighter your entire life! It just took a while for you to understand and see it! Those MMA people saw it right off! great video!
Rokas, you’re an inspiration to us all! I began my own martial arts journey around the same time you were pressure testing your Aikido against other fighters. I’ve watched as you became who you are now. Thanks you, thank you, thank you!!
I've been following your journey since that first fight with the MMA armature. You've come so far, it's truly amazing
Wow that's insane. I remember seeing a video of yours years ago, and I genuinely could not believe this was the same person. Awesome and genuinely inspiring to see. Good for you, man
Thanks man!
I been following your Journey and i love how open minded and honest you are... It's amazing that you are an MMA fighter now
Much love and respect
Why is being an MMA sport fighter, considered "Amazing" ?! lul. Seriously, there are millions that do MMA, and most of them cant fight for Beans. Especially when the gloves and tape, is taken away.
why is it amazing that he is an mma fighter?
That is not a sarcastic question
What a beginning to your journey, thank you for sharing and looking forward to anything you release in the future. Keep grinding bro, I am!
I feel you bro ! Fighting was the best thing that happened to me too. You learn so much about yourself and also about other people too.🙏.
The honesty is refreshing. A lot of that is hard stuff to admit or reflect on yourself, let alone in a very public way for UA-cam. Congrats. I think many people have had similar journeys from our roots in traditional martial arts to more combat sports related training and application.
I have watched this journey from the beginning with so much love and fascination! You are a real role model!
Btw I started doing Aikido because of you and I will never regret it
Nice!
well u should regret it, its useless for self defense in real life. Its just a fancy dance.
Thank you for your work and this video !
Keep Up The Good Work!
This was a REAL video. It takes strength to be honest with your low points and failings, and it makes the triumph even greater. Congratulations to your transformation, and I applaud your personal self awareness and ability to make really tough decisions. Inspiring.
Rokas, you're the man. You speak from the heart, and have a great amount of humility. Thank you for the video 💪
Real talk! This is what me and my friends can relate to. Thank you for sharing brotha!
This is such a beautiful story and evolution that nearly brought me to tears. Martial Arts is so much more than learning to fight, it can be a way to reinvent your mind.
Man, I watched all of it. It was beautiful! Such good storytelling and you seem like a really nice guy!. Thank you for sharing it!
I’ve been following your channel since the beginning of the journey and I’ve said this a lot but your story is truly inspiring and anyone who understands what you did should have mountains of respect for you. You’re a beast brother.
Thank you Allen!
Of my favourite martial arts youtubers, you are the one that started from scratch. You are a great role model. Thanks!
i love you and your channel because you are honest and insightful. long may you journey.
This is about as inspiratial as it gets with martial arts🔥, You Rock!
I'm so happy for you! My journey at 57 the first twenty was just like yours. I love being confident in my fighting ability now....but I say just train and hopefully someone will find their own path in martial arts like we have! 🙏🏾
Love this!!! When I saw your first video about you doing some real training I was so intrigued to see where it took you and seeing this video was so heartwarming
Appreciate your honesty. Sometimes we need those moments where we question everything to find the answers
Rokaasssss what a journey man!!!!! Love seeing you! Great work!!!!
I had watched your vids on day 1.. much love broski
This was amazing. I really enjoyed hearing your story!
Thank you Jordan!
Thank you for your raw honesty.
Your journey has been great to watch. Thank you for telling your story.
INSPIRING journey Brother. Thank You for sharing 🙏🏼💚🥋
Great story man!!! You truly have a fighter’s mentality!
Glad you kept pushing on and refining your craft! A true martial artist. Keep up the great content
It takes alot courage to do this your an inspiration my friend, this just shows the person you are and that no matter what if you are willing to do so you can always make it out the dark.
Very inspiring story. Thanks for being open and sharing.
Sometimes you need a hard fall to realize you need to change. Thanks for having the courage to speak about your journey down to its most humbling, but also pivotal, moment. You look and sound great, keep it up!
Congrats on your journey, you've really come a long way.
proud of you. great video and self awareness
And above all, you are such a honest person!
Rokas, you're an inspiration. You demonstrate what it means to be a true martial artist.
I remember seeing the beginning when you were training akido, I can notice some BIG changes. Keep up the great work man lots for respect on your journey
I really felt this video, good on you man
Amazing journey. Lots of respect man. And thank you
I'm the exact opposite of you, my father used to be a fighter and most people in my family were military at some point, so i was raised by a very intimidating Italian/portuguese family in Brazil. I am not specially tall(1,82) but i always looked strong, i was always fit, confident and even violent, It took me a while to start trying to evolve myself to something that could feel peace. I'm still working, i try to be more gentle, to talk more to people but everyone that start to know me always say i look problematic and intimidating and they can know it's me approaching even from far because of the way i walk. I envy naturally peacefull people, people with easy smiles and that make others confortable, i wouldn't change the person i am but i hope someday i get better at understanding those around me.
That's really interesting. We are both going through our journeys just almost from different ends to a similar goal of balance
Godspeed, Struggler.
Man, I remember watching one of your older videos a few years ago. I thought you were great at what you taught, but never expected you to change this much after so many years. I honestly didn't recognize you when I first saw you again. Honestly, I wish I could improve as much as you did.
Wow what a transformation! Respect!
For someone to have this type of introspection and honesty with themselves is a truly rare thing.
love your journey!!
Incredible story. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Always remember your viral aikido vs mma video years ago. You have come a long way
Your honesty is gold.... 👍👍👍
I’m really glad for you!
I found your channel a few years ago when you first started training MMA. Following your journey has been inspiring, entertaining and illuminating. I'm glad you had the courage make such dramtic changes to your approach to marital arts and training. Many do not and become fixed on the one they happened to pick starting out, espeiclly those who have invested the amount of time you had done and dare I say become a little indoctrinated. Wishing you continuing success on your journey.
Great openness and honesty here.
Congratulations on your journey so far, and best wishes for its continuation.
Rokas, I've been watching your channel for quite a while now and I gotta say that it inspired me to start a martial arts journey of my own. I've been training Muay Thai since may this year and it has improved my confidence, physical ability, stamina and so much more. Your videos are great, they helped me to not make some mistakes early on and choose a better gym straight away. I'm still lacking in many different areas but that's normal after just 6 months. Thanks for your content.
Your transformation from a skinny, not-so-confident guy to what you are now is great and I'm glad it happened.
Remember when you did that training in a Muay Thai gym and thought what it takes to be called a beast?
Well, you definitely ARE one now.
Keep owning your journey.
Thanks so much for sharing this! It means a lot to me to hear about stories like yours!
@@MartialArtsJourney yup you have definitely opened my eyes. ive decided to stop my TKD classes to go for a boxing class this winter, since i need that pressure testing. I need to get my butt kicked a little but mostly i dont want to waste any more time doing forms and irrealistic dance-like shit like that.
When i heard on my last class that you do this strike for "technique" but you don't do it the same way for combat, so you practice one kick 2 ways including a way you can't really use for combat. I mean theres something wrong here.
Also they teach a wave-like motion, as you lower your center of gravity, then up and down again as you strike. But all ive been told is that it is only useful for the forms, the art part of the martial art.
Ive joined the session thinking i could work on my kick but no. At least i got to hit on pads, and some very light sparring, something i didnt do in karate despite taking it for longer.
@@MartialArtsJourney Would make a video testing Wesley Gimenez's knife defense?
He is a krav maga instrutor and I'd like to see you performing his technique
Rokas, we love your journey... You're the man!
Damn I hope your story gets turned into a movie some day 🤩 so great that you found your confidence on your journey, it's a hell to be in that non-confident, sort of a 50/50 state and not find a way out of it. It's awesome that you did, all the best for you 💪🏻🙏🏼👍🏻
Thank you!
@@MartialArtsJourney Would make a video testing Wesley Gimenez's knife defense?
He is a krav maga instrutor and I'd like to see you performing his technique
truly an inspiration mate
My man! I like your redemption arc. Awesome
So happy for your change. Very inspiring. Oss
Congratulations on your continuing change!
Not sure how I found your channel but glad I did. Your journey is interesting and inspiring
Thanks!
@@MartialArtsJourney Would make a video testing Wesley Gimenez's knife defense?
He is a krav maga instrutor and I'd like to see you performing his technique
Incredibly inspiring and relatable
Thank you for sharing this! It is valuable in so many ways that I will not even start to make a list.
I have a lot of respect for you. The journey you went may not be the journey everybody needs. Every person is different and walks different roads to find different answers. But it may be the journey for me.
This is amazing on many levels. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Respect to this man for his humility. It's super hard to admit your failures, embarrassing experiences and being wrong about everything you had ever done before -- especially on social media.
this is certainly true
It a lot of guts to make such an honest personal video. That’s a true warrior.
Such a powerful story. Had / having a similar issue with martial arts and finding the right place to train / the right art to do. This was a good reminder not to just stick to the "nice" environments, but the environment that will take me to where I need to be. Thank you.
@Martial Arts Journey Man, I forget how far you’ve come in such little time…amazing! Too me years to learn half of what u know
Good for you, buddy ❤
You know man, I’ve watched a bunch of your videos and I think there was something useful you got from Aikido. You somehow had the humility to bounce back from the kind of shame and self doubt that would cripple most people emotionally. That’s not an ordinary skill everybody has. I know you’re still on your journey, but while you may have not learn to take a physical hit, you weathered an emotional knockout and still managed to get back on your feet. That counts for something in my book. ❤
It was cool to see the restrospective… ive been following your channel for that past years and your transformation is remarkable ;)
Thanks!
Keep going. Thanks for your content
You have a very interesting story that I really enjoyed hearing, and it really made so many points clear to me, thanks.
Thank you!
I think this is one of the best channels out there
Thank you 🙏
One of the most important videos for people to watch if they want to learn how to fight, or defend yourself.
I'm glad your martial arts journey is taking you to a good place.
Understanding when you need to change your entire life philosophy is a difficult thing, but it is an incredibly important moment in a man's life. I'm in the middle of my transformation and martial arts journey myself. I empathize with your journey and wish you luck.
One thing I definitely have to give you credit for is your willingness to take a risk and just move somewhere and immerse yourself in what you’re learning.
Your story and journey are super inspiring. I have a lot in common with you, and so it's nice to know that I can retain those caring/gentle elements of my personality while I pursue combat sports proficiency and build more confidence.
Not that this matters but I remember seeing your stuff way back and thinking “this dude would get wrecked in a real life situation” I don’t want to say you needed that experience with your students but I’m happy it made you explore all other avenues of martial arts. That frail, and timid personality really blossomed along with your technique all while keeping your gentle persona! Cheers man, I love how you carry yourself and the drive you have to keep on learning ❤
Must admit watching this made me chuckle, In a good way. I remember getting into martial arts when I was younger as way to more productive way to channel my energy as ironically I wanted to stop getting into fights and learn how to defuse confrontations before they can become physical in nature, It did actually help me to stop thinking like a hammer honestly. We all get into this for our own reasons but it's funny how we we end up going to exact same place's from the opposite ends of the spectrum to find the answers we need. I am impressed on this one, you have managed get much more out of the boxing than the Judo which I am glad as that means you are clearly improving.
Not to be a negative nelly you need to go back to the Judo at some point, personally I am of the opinion this is going to be easier said than done. The training is not readily available like it should be or use to be 20 plus years ago (saying that makes me feel mega old and I ain't even that old! Anyways) In the last year or so I have personally become convinced that BJJ really is just No Gi judo with a different label, It's still a real thing and so on obviously but you get my point. Some of the all time current best's of MMA have a "old school" judo backgrounds and wipe the floor with the their BJJ counter parts so take it for what it is, you can't reinvent the wheel and Olympic judo is a cop out and it's ok to admit that.
There are schools that practice good Judo at a high level you are going to have to seek them out though as they are few between right now, it's just how it is. Chadi Iv noticed has had much more success as of very recent in his journey, he's managed to make a few big leaps in applied skill as a judoka to his credit. If you were to roll with him again you might find yourself getting thrown about a bit more this time let's say, He has started to learn how to grapple with stronger more resilient opponents than himself and that admittedly is where you learn to improve quickly as losing is punishing training like that but that's the idea.
Either way congratulations on the recognised gains and improvements you have made you deserve to be proud of yourself, Only been following what you do for just under 2 years now but I am impressed how you have transformed in that time and happy to see people can still shape up in a very short time even as they got on in life as were not getting any younger. People like you are a good example of human potential that other's should look to, It shows you can be an achiever that has a sense of purpose if you want to be one enough and willing to work for it
this was so inspiring and relatable
This is a beautiful story thank you for sharing
Enjoyed watching your transformation and journey. I could almost see your path unfolding. Martial arts will do that to a man. Open a pathway. You were not changed. You were strengthened.
It takes courage to post this video. Anc good luck on your martial arts journey!