Martial Arts General

[Optimus Princeps]

As much as I disagree with Rogan on a lot of things, I do like this quote by him.

Martial arts are a vehicle for developing your human potential.

In middle school I was very weak, mentally and physically. And I don't blame myself as I had no role models or structure to help develop me into a man. I started wrestling in 8th grade and slowly transformed. I became stronger mentally, physically, more confident, and calmer. I learned a lot about myself and what my body and mind are capable of. I experienced comradery, brotherhood, adversity, failure, and achievement. "One you wrestle, everything else in life is easy."

I am starting this thread for men to post anything martial arts/combat sports related. After wrestling I had dabbled a bit in BJJ and am now about to learn Muay Thai and possibly join an MMA gym. I think it is primal for us men to enjoy fighting and it is not only a healthy outlet for that, but also is good for physical health, confidence, personal development, and also likely a good men's space to develop friendships with red-pilled, masculine men.

With the talk going around that Orthodox men should not work out due to vanity or temptation from women, I think this thread would be a welcome change to remind us that while modern gyms may have some downsides, physical fitness and exercise in the most primal ways is without a doubt Godly. We were gifted physical bodies by God, and just like Orthodox worship with their whole body, it is best also to keep that body healthy with regular exercise. I beleive especially in this day and age, this type of physical strain is very much needed for us men. So feel free to discuss what martial arts you've done or are currently doing, opinions on the best ones, best for self-defense, etc.. If anyone's done muay thai in particular I'd love to hear what you thought of it, as I've never done striking before and am excited to learn it.

I have also been following Charles Oliveira and enjoying his recent fights, I think he had been underrated for a while. If he fights Islam I am confident he will handily beat him and would even beat Khabib if he came out of retirement. Just look at some of those standing RNC's he does, he is a real treat to watch and has a pretty inspiring story with major health issues as a kid and growing up in the slums of Brazil.

 

[Patriot]

I was thinking about starting a thread like this. I love Jiu-jitsu, its a great martial art you can do well into old age if you are smart about it. Any martial art is good for comraderie and healthy competition as well. And of course, practical application should you ever find yourself in that unfortunate situation.

 

[Jive Turkey]

A lot of BJJ guys are based and redpilled. A friend of mine told me he has encountered many higher belts who are flat earthers. Maybe Eddie Bravo is an influence on them?

Either way. Good idea for a thread. Martial arts teaches respect, hierarchy and discipline. I encourage all men to participate.

 

[WatchingWatchmen]

A lot of BJJ guys are based and redpilled. A friend of mine told me he has encountered many higher belts who are flat earthers. Maybe Eddie Bravo is an influence on them?

what's redpilled about being a flat earther?
It's very easy to observe an earth's curvature with your own eyes

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

Every man should train some form of unarmed martial art, IMO, as well as practice with firearms to the extent they are legally able to do so where they live.

Lots of good info here:

TravelerKai’s Martial Arts Datasheet

TravelerKai’s Martial Arts Datasheet My background: I hold black belts in the following styles: Kenpo, Japanese Ju Jitsu, Judo, and Brazilian JiuJitsu. I have over ten years of Traditional Muay Thai experience and training. I am a former Mixed Martial Arts fighter. I have trained and...

www.rooshvforum.com

 

[Jive Turkey]

what's redpilled about being a flat earther?
It's very easy to observe an earth's curvature with your own eyes

I said a lot of them are based and redpilled, not all of them. IE that post means the guys I have personally met have been cool. A friend of mine has met guys who are flat earthers at BJJ, I have not. Also just because someone doesn't believe in all the same conspiracies you do, does not mean something is wrong with them. I personally am undecided on the flat earth question. Neither it being round or flat would upset or shock me.

 

[indokiwi]

As much as I disagree with Rogan on a lot of things, I do like this quote by him.

In middle school I was very weak, mentally and physically. And I don't blame myself as I had no role models or structure to help develop me into a man. I started wrestling in 8th grade and slowly transformed. I became stronger mentally, physically, more confident, and calmer. I learned a lot about myself and what my body and mind are capable of. I experienced comradery, brotherhood, adversity, failure, and achievement. "One you wrestle, everything else in life is easy."

I am starting this thread for men to post anything martial arts/combat sports related. After wrestling I had dabbled a bit in BJJ and am now about to learn Muay Thai and possibly join an MMA gym. I think it is primal for us men to enjoy fighting and it is not only a healthy outlet for that, but also is good for physical health, confidence, personal development, and also likely a good men's space to develop friendships with red-pilled, masculine men.

With the talk going around that Orthodox men should not work out due to vanity or temptation from women, I think this thread would be a welcome change to remind us that while modern gyms may have some downsides, physical fitness and exercise in the most primal ways is without a doubt Godly. We were gifted physical bodies by God, and just like Orthodox worship with their whole body, it is best also to keep that body healthy with regular exercise. I beleive especially in this day and age, this type of physical strain is very much needed for us men. So feel free to discuss what martial arts you've done or are currently doing, opinions on the best ones, best for self-defense, etc.. If anyone's done muay thai in particular I'd love to hear what you thought of it, as I've never done striking before and am excited to learn it.

I have also been following Charles Oliveira and enjoying his recent fights, I think he had been underrated for a while. If he fights Islam I am confident he will handily beat him and would even beat Khabib if he came out of retirement. Just look at some of those standing RNC's he does, he is a real treat to watch and has a pretty inspiring story with major health issues as a kid and growing up in the slums of Brazil.

I have done Muay Thai for three years and im doing BJJ currently. Muay thai is a superior activity if you want to get fit, however due to it being a striking art you are at risk of concussion and other further injuries. You have to think carefully before you pursue a career in it as it can lead to problems later down the line.

 

[Optimus Princeps]

I have done Muay Thai for three years and im doing BJJ currently. Muay thai is a superior activity if you want to get fit, however due to it being a striking art you are at risk of concussion and other further injuries. You have to think carefully before you pursue a career in it as it can lead to problems later down the line.

That's something I'm definitely aware of. As of now I've been going to a muay thai basics class once a week that so far hasn't had us spar. I can always go to the bjj class to go live, but not sure if I ever will in muay thai. That said, I've been having a ton of fun learning it so far.

Also glad to see this thread getting resurrected as it got 0 replies the week I posted it

And please lets not already derail a positive, masculine thread that can help motivate guys into a flat earth argument three posts in.

 

[Optimus Princeps]

View attachment 42485

A lot of BJJ guys are based and redpilled. A friend of mine told me he has encountered many higher belts who are flat earthers. Maybe Eddie Bravo is an influence on them?

Either way. Good idea for a thread. Martial arts teaches respect, hierarchy and discipline. I encourage all men to participate.

As a sidenote though I know a lot of bjj guys are big into weed culture. I used to roll with a group of guys who would just meet up in one of their garages with a mat. They'd all pass around a joint then roll for a few hours. I think that definitely has something to do with them getting into conspiracies.

 

[king bast]

I did various martial arts, but mainly muay thai, from early teens into my 30s, and after my last fight at 35, thought I was done. Recently got back into it at 40, and it was as though id never left. The difference is that Im satisfied with training once a week, and its a lot more "fun", as in im not trying to prove anything, to grind, or to level up. The skills are still there, I just cant rely on youthful athleticism anymore. Ive accepted that Im never going to be as good as I was, but it doesnt matter, as I feel great afterwards.
I might not have dealt with the stresses of covid so uneventfully if I wasnt able to channel some righteous anger towards the pads, as opposed to the faces of vaxxies. I did notice a higher proportion of us older, experienced guys training than there used to be, so anecodtally, it seems something has been stirring among us, driving us to prepare for war. I remember hearing Mike Tyson speaking about sonething like "gods of war" stirring within him before his latest fight, and that struck a chord with me. Its less than ideal that there seems to be realtively few young guys preparing, but I guess theyll learn to sink or swim real quick. Id advise anyone with whom this resonates to get onto it without delay.

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

As a sidenote though I know a lot of bjj guys are big into weed culture. I used to roll with a group of guys who would just meet up in one of their garages with a mat. They'd all pass around a joint then roll for a few hours. I think that definitely has something to do with them getting into conspiracies.

BJJ was first brought to the US in southern California where it quickly picked up a following among the surfer crowd. That's probably the main reason for weed's prevalence in BJJ culture (also how rash guards got adopted into BJJ).

Weed was never my thing even back in high school/college and guys who use it need to be careful as it has estrogenic qualities and for a small minority of people can have significant detrimental effects (psychosis etc) but I don't think it's any worse than alcohol necessarily.

 

[Optimus Princeps]

BJJ was first brought to the US in southern California where it quickly picked up a following among the surfer crowd. That's probably the main reason for weed's prevalence in BJJ culture (also how rash guards got adopted into BJJ).

That would make sense and I I'm sure Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo helped spread it more to that crowd through JRE. That's where I heard about it first at least and why I decided to try it back when I was a libertarian who'd listen to Rogan, smoke weed and do psychedelics.

Weed was never my thing even back in high school/college and guys who use it need to be careful as it has estrogenic qualities and for a small minority of people can have significant detrimental effects (psychosis etc) but I don't think it's any worse than alcohol necessarily.

I used to think that as well, but I think it's important to highlight the spiritual effects of marijuana. It opens up those spiritual dimension and makes us much more open to possession and demonic influence than something like alcohol would. Although I think alcohol does this to a lesser extent, hence why they call it "spirits".

Fr. Spyridon has a good video on it, and highlights how it inclines us to spiritual laziness and, at least for Orthodox, is in no way compatible with an Orthodox life of spiritual growth.

 

[Optimus Princeps]

I did various martial arts, but mainly muay thai, from early teens into my 30s, and after my last fight at 35, thought I was done. Recently got back into it at 40, and it was as though id never left. The difference is that Im satisfied with training once a week, and its a lot more "fun", as in im not trying to prove anything, to grind, or to level up. The skills are still there, I just cant rely on youthful athleticism anymore. Ive accepted that Im never going to be as good as I was, but it doesnt matter, as I feel great afterwards.
I might not have dealt with the stresses of covid so uneventfully if I wasnt able to channel some righteous anger towards the pads, as opposed to the faces of vaxxies. I did notice a higher proportion of us older, experienced guys training than there used to be, so anecodtally, it seems something has been stirring among us, driving us to prepare for war. I remember hearing Mike Tyson speaking about sonething like "gods of war" stirring within him before his latest fight, and that struck a chord with me. Its less than ideal that there seems to be realtively few young guys preparing, but I guess theyll learn to sink or swim real quick. Id advise anyone with whom this resonates to get onto it without delay.

As someone who'se experienced with muay thai, do you have any advice for starting out? Right now I'm just focusing on the technique and am worried about starting sparring. Coming from grappling where when you go live in wrestling/bjj its usually 100%, i'm not sure how hard youre supposed to go in sparring and how common concussions are from it as I've already had multiple. I'd like to spar and it looks fun but I want to do so safely with minimal brain trauma.

 

[JustinHS]

I’m a 4 stripe blue on the cusp of purple until my ACL and meniscus blew out. I’m post-op on crutches now. I think the rest of ‘22 is shot for me.

Big sad. Please keep Justin in your prayers for fast recovery.

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

I’m a 4 stripe blue on the cusp of purple until my ACL and meniscus blew out. I’m post-op on crutches now. I think the rest of ‘22 is shot for me.

Big sad.

Sorry to hear it brother. Listen to your body, a guy I train with had a similar injury last year and rushed back after about 3 months, within a week or 2 he hurt it again and was out another 6 months or so.

 

[IM3000]

I’m a 4 stripe blue on the cusp of purple until my ACL and meniscus blew out. I’m post-op on crutches now. I think the rest of ‘22 is shot for me.

Big sad. Please keep Justin in your prayers for fast recovery.

Sucks. Had my meniscus torn and some bone pieces floating around in my knee. Almost all of 2021 was lost. Was on crutches for 6 weeks.
Physical therapy is key. Get a good therapist specialized in knee recovery. About 8 months later I started playing Basketball and doing BJJ again. I still feel it sometimes, but after about 12 months I could go 100% again. It took a lot of time and effort but there is no other way. Best of luck.

 

[fireshark]

I did various martial arts, but mainly muay thai, from early teens into my 30s, and after my last fight at 35, thought I was done. Recently got back into it at 40, and it was as though id never left. The difference is that Im satisfied with training once a week, and its a lot more "fun", as in im not trying to prove anything, to grind, or to level up. The skills are still there, I just cant rely on youthful athleticism anymore. Ive accepted that Im never going to be as good as I was, but it doesnt matter, as I feel great afterwards.
I might not have dealt with the stresses of covid so uneventfully if I wasnt able to channel some righteous anger towards the pads, as opposed to the faces of vaxxies. I did notice a higher proportion of us older, experienced guys training than there used to be, so anecodtally, it seems something has been stirring among us, driving us to prepare for war. I remember hearing Mike Tyson speaking about sonething like "gods of war" stirring within him before his latest fight, and that struck a chord with me. Its less than ideal that there seems to be realtively few young guys preparing, but I guess theyll learn to sink or swim real quick. Id advise anyone with whom this resonates to get onto it without delay.

Similar story here. Looking to get back into it, both so I don't forget what I already learned, and because it's probably the greatest stress relief activity I've ever experienced. Likely just once a week hitting the pads and no sparring, or maybe just try to spar the really inexperienced guys, haha.

As someone who'se experienced with muay thai, do you have any advice for starting out? Right now I'm just focusing on the technique and am worried about starting sparring. Coming from grappling where when you go live in wrestling/bjj its usually 100%, i'm not sure how hard youre supposed to go in sparring and how common concussions are from it as I've already had multiple. I'd like to spar and it looks fun but I want to do so safely with minimal brain trauma.

I trained MT two years and never had any concussions, but multiple black eyes and bloody noses. I started sparring about 5 months into my training. We were going around 50% strength most of the time, but I had a few 100% mock fights, which were the only times that I bled. We never allowed elbows and leg pads were always required.

 

[Jive Turkey]

As someone who'se experienced with muay thai, do you have any advice for starting out? Right now I'm just focusing on the technique and am worried about starting sparring. Coming from grappling where when you go live in wrestling/bjj its usually 100%, i'm not sure how hard youre supposed to go in sparring and how common concussions are from it as I've already had multiple. I'd like to spar and it looks fun but I want to do so safely with minimal brain trauma.

The rule of thumb with sparring is let the more senior partner set the pace/intensity and tone. If you accidentally deck someone because your muscle control isn't there yet just apologize and say "my bad" and ease back for like 20 seconds. You can also verbally just say "i'll follow your lead" if you're with a higher belt. Keep an open, obedient disposition, and if someone corrects your form just say "okay, thank you".

If you do this your coaches will appreciate your effort and humility and you'll get more attention and advance quicker

 

[king bast]

As someone who'se experienced with muay thai, do you have any advice for starting out? Right now I'm just focusing on the technique and am worried about starting sparring. Coming from grappling where when you go live in wrestling/bjj its usually 100%, i'm not sure how hard youre supposed to go in sparring and how common concussions are from it as I've already had multiple. I'd like to spar and it looks fun but I want to do so safely with minimal brain trauma.

Sparring is great fun, but also seems to be a great source of anxiety, at least until you get into it. The chances of sustaining any sort of injury from it is extremely low, because the pace is set by mutual feedback. As a rule, higher rank/more experienced fighter sets the pace, at a level appropriate for their partner. Nobody wants to beat up on noobs, and if they consistently do, they in turn will get beaten up on, and likely quit. Bullies dont tend to stick around too long because their egos cant take it.

Remember that sparring is not a competition, it is a drill, so dont get hung up on "winning". A good sparring partner wont frustrate you, theyll let you get off some shots, then theyll fire some back. Maybe work on a specific technique/combo or two, even if it initially results in you eating a few shots that you wouldnt have eaten if you were fighting your natural fight. Thats how you bring new techniques into your repertoire. Theyre awkward at first, but like all things, get more comfy with practice.

 

[JustinHS]

Sucks. Had my meniscus torn and some bone pieces floating around in my knee. Almost all of 2021 was lost. Was on crutches for 6 weeks.
Physical therapy is key. Get a good therapist specialized in knee recovery. About 8 months later I started playing Basketball and doing BJJ again. I still feel it sometimes, but after about 12 months I could go 100% again. It took a lot of time and effort but there is no other way. Best of luck.

Thankfully God sent a physical therapist brother to my parish and he’s been giving me a lot of great advice which helps very much.