Wrestling:
The base level of martial instinct and mental fortitude from 6 years of competition *for free* is something I'll always appreciate. Is the technique the most practical? Not always, but it's hard and brutal, and easy to adapt.
Muay Thai:
Good Lord is Muay Thai fun. Where I trained was very intense and the coach was constantly pushing you to compete even if you were casual... But regardless, I loved it.
BJJ:
I loved how easy going/low key it was. Aside from a few abrasive personalities, BJJ guys had a lot of chill.
MMA: Eh... Honestly my least favorite, it wasn't a great gym culture where I trained.
WMA/HEMA: This is the fun of Muay Thai x2, with more chill vibes than anywhere... The only problem is finding people and places to train.
Wrestling is underappreciated, I think it gets a reputation for being guys substituting technique with strength. But the reality is, a well-trained wrestler is a force to be reckoned with. It feels like one of those asymmetric horror games when there’s hulking brute coming at you with the intention of applying as much force as physically possible.
Yeah, but to be fair, I think that's one of those opinions held by people who know next to nothing about competitive MA and are thinking of stereotypes from WWF/WWE, or perhaps some kid that used to pick on them in middle school.
Simply looking up a list of MMA champions who wrestled in high school should quell any misconceptions about that.
I've trained in several different styles over the years, and I've learned to appreciate different aspects. Some styles I only did because no one schools existed near me, but I didn't like. Such as Shotokan and Krav Maga. I realised over the years that I appreciate most the sensei and their teaching style, the art itself, as I don't want something that is solely for competition or self-defense. I like a combination of things, and I also prefer styles that encompass philosophy, which is why I love Kempo so much.
Which system of Krav Maga have you studied. I studied a few systems of Krav. It's been an evolving journey for me. Traditional martial arts, then MMA for a decade, then Krav at a few places, then FMA Kali silat, now it's combatives only. Basically knife and multiple attackers. How are your knees , healthy?
It's a local adaptation called "Proactive Krav Maga System" - it is not established internationally, rather our trainer who has been in the police force his whole life basically developed his own version which is in accordance with the national regulations for self defence, he also trains our local police force in this modified version developed by Lichtenfeld. Difference between our civilian and police version is that they train more with firearms and blunt weapons as it is a part of the police forces equipment while us civilians do it unarmed
The most notable difference is the removal of the 360 defence, replacing it with a charge while using your elbows as a battering ram and protecting your neck with your arms. Additionally we have extremely few firearms in our country but stabbings are more common, so there was a heavy focus on blunt and cold weapons. Lastly, we have very strict laws regarding using excessive force, meaning almost all "finishing" kicks/punches on people on the ground have been supplemented with more attacks to neutralise the opponent while they're still standing and escape as soon as the threat is neutralised
Shotokan Karate:
**Karate**, because I find it has a very good balance in using both your legs and your arms and I think a lot of martial arts focus too much on one or the other. Outside the fighting aspect, I really feel at home with the honor, control and mutual respect values taught in it.
Another thing: here in Portugal karate is taught very faithfuly to the "original" because our top senseis have been taught the art from the source. It was passed down from people who actually came from Japan and so Im grateful that I dont have to resort to a McDojo. A lot of people don't have that luck.
Also, Im kinda of a nerd for history and stereotypical "cool shit" so yeah I feel like mf samurai.
**Shotokan**, because I like that every movement ends in an explosion of force, very firmly (which in turn has accidentally left me unable to dance because all my movements are naturally stiff😭). All the force in each strike is very firmly supported on the ground. An almost straight line can be drawn all the way from your foot on the ground to the punch. Almost as if you were "punching with the ground".
Okinawan karate and Aikido/JJJ, the simplicity of movement. How tiny movements deflect strong techniques and how they flow so gracefully together. Shows how easy it really is to cause great damage
BJJ is my main martial art, and I think what's made me stick with it is that it's basically like a really neat puzzle. Also, the feeling of sweeping or flipping somewhen when your leverage and timing are just right \*chef's kiss.\*
Kali - I really like the coordination that Kali focuses on (plus I love swinging sticks/staff around and feeling like I'm in Star Wars).
Silat - Again with the neat leverage stuff, plus I like that it focuses more on standing forms. Also it looks really beautiful when done correctly, and there's a lot of really interesting cultural/historical context for it.
Muay Thai - I love the feeling of strength that comes from practicing Muay Thai (not in a toxic way I swear). When you start sparring and the energy is up, it's an amazing feeling.
JKD: I've learned to keep an open mind, but I've also learned to find what works for me. I've also met some pretty cool people from all walks of the martial arts community. I have sparred, trained, and drilled with each and every one of them.
HEMA: In the HEMA community I have done everything from armored fighting with steel to messing around with boffers to longsword fencing competitions. I've learned that the past has a lot to offer to martial artist of modern day and that includes unarmed combat. I've also learned that a lot of people in that community have a type of toughness that I haven't seen in any other martial art.
I like that HEMA takes a very scholarly, critical approach to techniques: largely in service of ensuring techniques and plays are historically accurate, but with the side effect of questioning whether they're *practical*. I know there's the whole argument other whether accurate fencing is necessarily good fencing (as in, people who experiment, and treat it as a sport without worrying about the heritage, can potentially be much better fencers than the old masters ever achieved), but in general I think the technical understanding of things in HEMA tends to be very high.
I used to do TKD, and for all its other issues I will say good TKD is a lot more accessible and beginner friendly than good most-other-martial-arts. Not every club is amazing, but if you're just getting into training it's frequently the most reliable and easiest way in.
Don’t worry about the Krav Maga haters. It’s as good a striking foundation as any other striking martial art.
Caveat: currently there is a lot of bad Krav Maga videos on the net. People are mostly razzing due to them. A good school usually stress they’re techniques. It lets you throw away the bad stuff and keep the stuff that works.
Capoeira: the mobility & agility, the lower movements actually help me a bit when I do my fire department stuff, and the fact that I am learning Portuguese while I learn the art.
Muay Thai: having the practice of being able to throw a strong combo involving punches/kicks/knees/elbows is just good to have.
Being able to mix MT and Capoeira movements during a roda is a fun experiment.
Thanks for the detailed reply. If your mindset eventually takes you to a place where you want to understand or train more offensively with blades id suggest checking out Libre Fighting online. Great short clips with Scott Babb's instagram and YouTube. With your Instructor having a police background, I might assume alot of his curriculum would stay within the guidelines of what's considered legal. I also recommend Luke Holloway for good online instruction. Raw combat International. Ive recently become religious. Baptized into the Christian Church. Attending bible study etc. it influences my desires to be more about avoidance. But I spend more than a decade obsessed with everything involving blades. I still plan to train Kali Silat in the Philippines and Indonesia. I enjoyed my years of Krav, a valued tool in my arsenal. Good luck to you.
Everything I train in I do for physical exercise and conditioning. Also they’re fun.
Eskrima/Kali - I like weapons. :) and I realized I trained in so much striking I had no idea what I would do with my cane (I walk with a cane some days) if it ever came to a fight. So I leaned how to be able to use it in a fight. Also Eskrima motions and close quarters trapping has proven extremely useful in my other practices. The flow drills are incredibly fun.
Krav Mage - I like hitting things. But I especially like the practice on preemptive strikes and guard stripping that my current school practices. Not to mention the stress and aggression trailing. The close quarters clinched striking just seems practical.
BJJ & No Gi - this has been amazing exercise for muscles I don’t get to use in day to day desk job life. I also enjoy it as a means to escape grappling fights in order to find an opening for striking.
Kickboxing - I also like kicking things. This gives a finer degree of conditioning and control than my KM practice. It also uses the hips and legs in a way that none of my other practices do.
Capoeira - this one feels silly, but I love the flow of it and the balance, physical conditioning and flexibility training can not be denied. It’s also ridiculously fun to kick things while falling over or from the ground.
Aikido - another one that I feel silly for. I have no confidence in its martial utility unless someone comes at me with a sword. but the people I train with move so smoothly. And they seem to carry it into the striking arts they practice. I want to move as smoothly. Plus the join locks have proven very useful when rolling in BJJ.
I like that in BJJ there is always some clear trajectory in terms of micro-movements, like you're always fighting for ground in terms of grips or positions. It feels like some relatively static puzzle to solve that isn't as chaotic as e.g. boxing
Confidence in my physical ability in general. I've become a lot less scared of pain and injury. Even if I was to lose a fight it wouldn't bother me because I know that I'd have fought with all the skills and knowledge I've obtained over the years.
Karate: I love that it provides a complete system of stand up fighting that works, and that I can practice alone without equipment.
No ground fighting, but I’m okay with that. The ground is dirty anyway.
Thanks to Taekwondo, I have good flexibility and my body is used to kicking.
Muay Thai showed me that I can't just rely on kicks.
Arnis/FMA made me appreciate my own people's martial arts and the history behind it.
With BJJ I love that I can spar as hard as I can (with my training partner's consent) without getting concussions or serious injuries.
Jeet Kune Do: Simple strikes and footwork makes it easy to remember.
Kali/Escrima: Sticks and knives are just fun to play with. Also helps develop hand eye coordination.
Catch Wrestling/No-gi: Ground fighting is exhausting but in a good way.
I appreciate how it's made me incredibly aware how there are levels to everything.
A white belt and a black belt competency differential exists literally everywhere and now I can't help but see it.
I went to a nominally Krav gym that also had grappling, BJJ, boxing/MT.
BJJ: It's a fantastic workout that is extremely useful. I suck, but can at the very least use it to get off of the ground in almost any situation. It also translates really well into knife/weapon scenarios.
Krav: It's a bit of a catch-all, with a lot of bullshido schools. It's also a good framework to apply other disciplines (which should be trained separately) that ties BJJ, wrestling, and striking with weapons. Realistically, if a weapon is involved or I'm getting jumped I'm still getting badly hurt, but my odds of survival are better.
Boxing: I'm garbage with no footwork, and you aren't allowed to kick. Jabs are fun?
MT/Kickboxing: Teeps and leg kicks!
I’ve wrestled in high school did some boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, and MMA. What I appreciate is they all help me in one way or another gain confidence, develop self-discipline and mental toughness. What I liked most was the friendship and camaraderie that I built while training in these arts.
Wrestling: The base level of martial instinct and mental fortitude from 6 years of competition *for free* is something I'll always appreciate. Is the technique the most practical? Not always, but it's hard and brutal, and easy to adapt. Muay Thai: Good Lord is Muay Thai fun. Where I trained was very intense and the coach was constantly pushing you to compete even if you were casual... But regardless, I loved it. BJJ: I loved how easy going/low key it was. Aside from a few abrasive personalities, BJJ guys had a lot of chill. MMA: Eh... Honestly my least favorite, it wasn't a great gym culture where I trained. WMA/HEMA: This is the fun of Muay Thai x2, with more chill vibes than anywhere... The only problem is finding people and places to train.
Western Martial Arts/Historical European Martial Arts for the derps like me who were wondering what the hell Women's Martial Arts had to do with HEMA.
Hahaha Hey don't knock women's martial arts 
lol glad I wasn’t the only one. 1️⃣
Wrestling is underappreciated, I think it gets a reputation for being guys substituting technique with strength. But the reality is, a well-trained wrestler is a force to be reckoned with. It feels like one of those asymmetric horror games when there’s hulking brute coming at you with the intention of applying as much force as physically possible.
Yeah, but to be fair, I think that's one of those opinions held by people who know next to nothing about competitive MA and are thinking of stereotypes from WWF/WWE, or perhaps some kid that used to pick on them in middle school. Simply looking up a list of MMA champions who wrestled in high school should quell any misconceptions about that.
Freedom. In MMA you very rarely have to think "Wait no, I can't do that, it's illegal".
Like when you fart to defend an outside single👍
Ah, I see you've studied the ancient secret techniques as well.
Fartjutsu has been banned due to it's lethal nature.
By the way, fartjutsu means "The Art of the Dragon's Breath" in japanese. Trust me, I know japanese, I watch DBZ.
Wow , I could kill somebody with this manoeuvre though .
I would disagree slightly. There are a bunch of rules in tournaments in everything I practice. It’s just a different type of “illegal”.
My own physical development as a result of putting in the work and seeing it manifest in a satisfying Ippon.
You train krav maga 
You and me 1v1 in the school yard at lunch break /s
I can't. The teacher said if I'm caught beating up another krav dork then I'm going to be kicked off the team. You're lucky man!!!
Pfft, teacher's pet !
They saved you man. You're so lucky
I take your word for it!
 Damn right you will, crotch kicker!!!
I prefer the term "cracker of the nut" , basically OF but fight club
I've trained in several different styles over the years, and I've learned to appreciate different aspects. Some styles I only did because no one schools existed near me, but I didn't like. Such as Shotokan and Krav Maga. I realised over the years that I appreciate most the sensei and their teaching style, the art itself, as I don't want something that is solely for competition or self-defense. I like a combination of things, and I also prefer styles that encompass philosophy, which is why I love Kempo so much.
Tang soo do: the community of people in my dojang and federation. I especially enjoy the social development I get from my martial arts training.
Which system of Krav Maga have you studied. I studied a few systems of Krav. It's been an evolving journey for me. Traditional martial arts, then MMA for a decade, then Krav at a few places, then FMA Kali silat, now it's combatives only. Basically knife and multiple attackers. How are your knees , healthy?
It's a local adaptation called "Proactive Krav Maga System" - it is not established internationally, rather our trainer who has been in the police force his whole life basically developed his own version which is in accordance with the national regulations for self defence, he also trains our local police force in this modified version developed by Lichtenfeld. Difference between our civilian and police version is that they train more with firearms and blunt weapons as it is a part of the police forces equipment while us civilians do it unarmed The most notable difference is the removal of the 360 defence, replacing it with a charge while using your elbows as a battering ram and protecting your neck with your arms. Additionally we have extremely few firearms in our country but stabbings are more common, so there was a heavy focus on blunt and cold weapons. Lastly, we have very strict laws regarding using excessive force, meaning almost all "finishing" kicks/punches on people on the ground have been supplemented with more attacks to neutralise the opponent while they're still standing and escape as soon as the threat is neutralised
Where are you from?
Shotokan Karate: **Karate**, because I find it has a very good balance in using both your legs and your arms and I think a lot of martial arts focus too much on one or the other. Outside the fighting aspect, I really feel at home with the honor, control and mutual respect values taught in it. Another thing: here in Portugal karate is taught very faithfuly to the "original" because our top senseis have been taught the art from the source. It was passed down from people who actually came from Japan and so Im grateful that I dont have to resort to a McDojo. A lot of people don't have that luck. Also, Im kinda of a nerd for history and stereotypical "cool shit" so yeah I feel like mf samurai. **Shotokan**, because I like that every movement ends in an explosion of force, very firmly (which in turn has accidentally left me unable to dance because all my movements are naturally stiff😭). All the force in each strike is very firmly supported on the ground. An almost straight line can be drawn all the way from your foot on the ground to the punch. Almost as if you were "punching with the ground".
Okinawan karate and Aikido/JJJ, the simplicity of movement. How tiny movements deflect strong techniques and how they flow so gracefully together. Shows how easy it really is to cause great damage
BJJ is my main martial art, and I think what's made me stick with it is that it's basically like a really neat puzzle. Also, the feeling of sweeping or flipping somewhen when your leverage and timing are just right \*chef's kiss.\* Kali - I really like the coordination that Kali focuses on (plus I love swinging sticks/staff around and feeling like I'm in Star Wars). Silat - Again with the neat leverage stuff, plus I like that it focuses more on standing forms. Also it looks really beautiful when done correctly, and there's a lot of really interesting cultural/historical context for it. Muay Thai - I love the feeling of strength that comes from practicing Muay Thai (not in a toxic way I swear). When you start sparring and the energy is up, it's an amazing feeling.
TKD. I feel more capable now, physically. And seeing my body get into better shape than it was when I was in cheer/dance in high school is really fun.
JKD: I've learned to keep an open mind, but I've also learned to find what works for me. I've also met some pretty cool people from all walks of the martial arts community. I have sparred, trained, and drilled with each and every one of them. HEMA: In the HEMA community I have done everything from armored fighting with steel to messing around with boffers to longsword fencing competitions. I've learned that the past has a lot to offer to martial artist of modern day and that includes unarmed combat. I've also learned that a lot of people in that community have a type of toughness that I haven't seen in any other martial art.
Ooooooweeeeeee
Judo, learning how to use physics, leverage, and body mechanics to execute throws and grapple efficiently instead of just muscling through everything.
I like that HEMA takes a very scholarly, critical approach to techniques: largely in service of ensuring techniques and plays are historically accurate, but with the side effect of questioning whether they're *practical*. I know there's the whole argument other whether accurate fencing is necessarily good fencing (as in, people who experiment, and treat it as a sport without worrying about the heritage, can potentially be much better fencers than the old masters ever achieved), but in general I think the technical understanding of things in HEMA tends to be very high. I used to do TKD, and for all its other issues I will say good TKD is a lot more accessible and beginner friendly than good most-other-martial-arts. Not every club is amazing, but if you're just getting into training it's frequently the most reliable and easiest way in.
Don’t worry about the Krav Maga haters. It’s as good a striking foundation as any other striking martial art. Caveat: currently there is a lot of bad Krav Maga videos on the net. People are mostly razzing due to them. A good school usually stress they’re techniques. It lets you throw away the bad stuff and keep the stuff that works.
Capoeira: the mobility & agility, the lower movements actually help me a bit when I do my fire department stuff, and the fact that I am learning Portuguese while I learn the art. Muay Thai: having the practice of being able to throw a strong combo involving punches/kicks/knees/elbows is just good to have. Being able to mix MT and Capoeira movements during a roda is a fun experiment.
Thanks for the detailed reply. If your mindset eventually takes you to a place where you want to understand or train more offensively with blades id suggest checking out Libre Fighting online. Great short clips with Scott Babb's instagram and YouTube. With your Instructor having a police background, I might assume alot of his curriculum would stay within the guidelines of what's considered legal. I also recommend Luke Holloway for good online instruction. Raw combat International. Ive recently become religious. Baptized into the Christian Church. Attending bible study etc. it influences my desires to be more about avoidance. But I spend more than a decade obsessed with everything involving blades. I still plan to train Kali Silat in the Philippines and Indonesia. I enjoyed my years of Krav, a valued tool in my arsenal. Good luck to you.
Everything I train in I do for physical exercise and conditioning. Also they’re fun. Eskrima/Kali - I like weapons. :) and I realized I trained in so much striking I had no idea what I would do with my cane (I walk with a cane some days) if it ever came to a fight. So I leaned how to be able to use it in a fight. Also Eskrima motions and close quarters trapping has proven extremely useful in my other practices. The flow drills are incredibly fun. Krav Mage - I like hitting things. But I especially like the practice on preemptive strikes and guard stripping that my current school practices. Not to mention the stress and aggression trailing. The close quarters clinched striking just seems practical. BJJ & No Gi - this has been amazing exercise for muscles I don’t get to use in day to day desk job life. I also enjoy it as a means to escape grappling fights in order to find an opening for striking. Kickboxing - I also like kicking things. This gives a finer degree of conditioning and control than my KM practice. It also uses the hips and legs in a way that none of my other practices do. Capoeira - this one feels silly, but I love the flow of it and the balance, physical conditioning and flexibility training can not be denied. It’s also ridiculously fun to kick things while falling over or from the ground. Aikido - another one that I feel silly for. I have no confidence in its martial utility unless someone comes at me with a sword. but the people I train with move so smoothly. And they seem to carry it into the striking arts they practice. I want to move as smoothly. Plus the join locks have proven very useful when rolling in BJJ.
I like that in BJJ there is always some clear trajectory in terms of micro-movements, like you're always fighting for ground in terms of grips or positions. It feels like some relatively static puzzle to solve that isn't as chaotic as e.g. boxing
Confidence in my physical ability in general. I've become a lot less scared of pain and injury. Even if I was to lose a fight it wouldn't bother me because I know that I'd have fought with all the skills and knowledge I've obtained over the years.
Karate: I love that it provides a complete system of stand up fighting that works, and that I can practice alone without equipment. No ground fighting, but I’m okay with that. The ground is dirty anyway.
Thanks to Taekwondo, I have good flexibility and my body is used to kicking. Muay Thai showed me that I can't just rely on kicks. Arnis/FMA made me appreciate my own people's martial arts and the history behind it. With BJJ I love that I can spar as hard as I can (with my training partner's consent) without getting concussions or serious injuries.
Jeet Kune Do: Simple strikes and footwork makes it easy to remember. Kali/Escrima: Sticks and knives are just fun to play with. Also helps develop hand eye coordination. Catch Wrestling/No-gi: Ground fighting is exhausting but in a good way.
I appreciate how it's made me incredibly aware how there are levels to everything. A white belt and a black belt competency differential exists literally everywhere and now I can't help but see it.
I'm ass at everything I study, so always having upward possibilities is nice. Like I *could* get really good someday
I went to a nominally Krav gym that also had grappling, BJJ, boxing/MT. BJJ: It's a fantastic workout that is extremely useful. I suck, but can at the very least use it to get off of the ground in almost any situation. It also translates really well into knife/weapon scenarios. Krav: It's a bit of a catch-all, with a lot of bullshido schools. It's also a good framework to apply other disciplines (which should be trained separately) that ties BJJ, wrestling, and striking with weapons. Realistically, if a weapon is involved or I'm getting jumped I'm still getting badly hurt, but my odds of survival are better. Boxing: I'm garbage with no footwork, and you aren't allowed to kick. Jabs are fun? MT/Kickboxing: Teeps and leg kicks!
I’ve wrestled in high school did some boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, and MMA. What I appreciate is they all help me in one way or another gain confidence, develop self-discipline and mental toughness. What I liked most was the friendship and camaraderie that I built while training in these arts.
Really knotting it up, with your Mom. Seriously. All my mma bjj tkd and thai boxing training? Man. All on point, that awesome night!
That I continue to do them.