It’s awesome to see your journey from being a full aikidoka to an well rounded martial artist, and making aikido useful in some parts. Good on you, Rokas

@andrewrex9041

11 ай бұрын

he studied MMA to make aikido work

@leoxanxe3420

11 ай бұрын

​@@andrewrex9041you can't make aikido work in a street fight, rokas has been able to become a competent guy in self defense because of his mma training and other combat sports with sparring like bjj and muay thai

@allbthatmom2153

11 ай бұрын

@@leoxanxe3420 duh dummy who said it would work in a street fight? you wannabe tough dudes always wanna bring up the streets when in most situations u should just de-escalate it.

@aviv9400

11 ай бұрын

​@@leoxanxe3420 im training in mma myself and i think anything can work in a fight. You just need a stong base and after that you can train whatever you want and make it useful. And also i can see ways aikido can help in some situations in the street(not many of them)

@ristopoho824

9 ай бұрын

Aikido as a supplementary art seems like a good choice. Not as a primary form, but a solid understanding of controlling the opponent seems useful when the situation arises. And thinking of street fights, Less trained opponents making haymakers at you, yea the hand is there go grab it and wrist throw. Zero pressure training is bad but that's why you take classes of something else too.

Learning how to fight isn’t the only thing Rokas learned. He learned how to make a proper series and enough tension to hook us viewers to wait and even need to see the next video.

As someone who drank from the Aiki Kool Aide, your original video was something I already experienced first hand. Your videos hit the source, prove the point and in a professional manner.

@academyofstreetdance1107

11 ай бұрын

Had the same thing with wing chun. Sparred a boxer and woke up pretty damn quickly. Truth is truth! Have to be honest withourselves and our arts.

@JSmithski

11 ай бұрын

@@academyofstreetdance1107It’s all about the perspective. I did both Wing Chun and Aikido and they are both very nice to train, but if you start thinking it’s going to make you a fighting beast you’re lost. And it’s not even because those MAs don’t work. It’s how they are taught. In MMA you learn how to fight and become a sportsman. In MA it’s completely different attitude.

Love your honesty and transparency. After almost 40 years of training martial arts, I have learned that there are basically two groups of people. Those who are truly seeking the truth and those who do not want their world view to be challenged. Keep it up and continue to seek the truth.

The ending gave me chills man. Rejected by who you thought was family, and accepted by who was your true family all along.

1:01 " I trained 14 days per week"- Rokas, 2023

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

What can I say... I'm a talented guy squeezing out 14 days out of 7 😎

@safdarkh786

11 ай бұрын

Haha. I was about to say that🤭.

@PaMuShin

11 ай бұрын

Psst, no one needs to be made aware Rokas is practice in the dragon ball z Hyperbolic Time Chamber!!!

The physical transformation from old Rokas to new Rokas is inspiring in and of itself.

@ProfessorShnacktime

11 ай бұрын

He was so pretty. 🥲

@prointernetuser

11 ай бұрын

​@@ProfessorShnacktime now he's a badass

@PaMuShin

11 ай бұрын

Wonder why there was any transformation at all? Usually as a samurai art, so to speak guys running around in 20-30 kg armor these guys should not be so negligent with their fitness.

I remember watching your video when i was very new to mma, your willingness to go in there and get your ass handed to you in order to reveal the truth was awe inspiring to me. Thanks for being you Rokas, and for advocating for truth in an ironically blind community.

I've been following almost the same journey with a little bit of delay, and off camera. Coming from taichi and tried many combat sports to test myself, and faced the same doubts and remarks from my taichi peers. But following your journey just kept me motivated to keep challenging myself and learn the real thing through different combat sports. I don't have access to as many gyms has you but my experience was eye opening as well.

@LairdErnst

11 ай бұрын

Do you practice Tai Chi Chuan? That’s supposed to be the combative form of Tai Chi after you learn the forms yeah?

@Jenjak

11 ай бұрын

@@LairdErnst Taichi is just taichi Chuan for short. Most people just practice forms for the health benefits and folklore. But in some places like Chen Village, Taiwan and Malaysia, it's still practiced as a fighting art, with sparring and competition.

Excellent, can't wait to see the next one. It won't be long before you are a Hollywood bigshot making martial art films. You have the talent and vision, keep going👍👍

@vonb2792

11 ай бұрын

We néed a New Bruce Lee! Go Rokas... Btw when Rokas mentionnéd His âge..i réalized i am older (by2year!). Yet i thought he was older but ageless

@Erime

11 ай бұрын

I'm also looking forward to 'the making of' series about this series, plus a 4D remastered version of the original first video on limited edition Blu-ray.

I'm not a fighter, but I've been keeping an eye on your journey since that epic beginning because it is inspiring. The real lesson I learnt here was that the same dynamics apply in any other field of expertise: it's very challenging to disprove common myths and demonstrate how things really work. I've been building a channel and although I get a lot of encouragement I never expected in a 'niche' market, but no matter how hard I try and demonstrate the correct approach to solve problems, people still keep asking me the same old and wrong questions. It is truly a journey.

I just wanted to say thanks Rokas. I've been wanting to do a martial art so I can build up a little confidence and improve my health. I watched your self-defence tier list video today, the one with Icy Mike, and it inspired me to sign up for a local Muay Thai gym, so this is the beginning of my marital arts journey now.

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

Awesome! Congratulations

@michaelmartinez3893

11 ай бұрын

You're gonna love it. Muay Thai is great :)

@vicarious7858

11 ай бұрын

Good luck! Muay Thai is a hard slog but well worth the effort and bruised legs.

🥰 honesty. You are a part of why I started doing aikido again. It's not about which style is the most functional, it is just about being real and having fun

I was one of those MMA people that found that video a few days after you published it. I cant believe it's been six years already! Cant wait for USDC2 btw!!

After the Ultimate Self-Defense Championship was over I thought long and hard what content I will release in between season 1 and season 2 of USDC, and that's when the concept of Aikido Quest came about. One of the biggest requests I received on my channel over the years was to deep dive into trying to make Aikido into a functional martial art, and while I was resistant for a long time, I decided that it's finally time to give a shot and to see where this journey will take me. In order to begin the journey of exploring what functional Aikido would look like, first I decided to recap what happened until now in a series of episodes produced in the highest production quality that I can deliver, and once I will summarize my story to a new audience and refresh the memory of everyone who's been on this ride together with me for a while, I will start pressure testing and evolving my Aikido with other martial arts.

@saurocapozza7512

11 ай бұрын

Would it be interesting to see in which instances it could be useful/effective? E.g. against different kinds of opponents? (Someone untrained in combat/ma vs trained in combat).

@thestruggler340

11 ай бұрын

Training 14 days per week is insane 🤣

@PhilosoFox

11 ай бұрын

Christopher Hein's approach to Aikido seems similar in direction. Another collab in the making? I'm curious to see where the both of you are standing a year later☺️

@kaanaslim

11 ай бұрын

Just training with real randori (sparring) will do the job.

@PhilosoFox

11 ай бұрын

@@kaanaslim Agreed! But as long as it's empty hands sparring, typical aiki grab and stab defences will rarely get a chance to be shown either.

It takes serious courage to step outside of your comfort zone and put your skills to the test. Your journey is quite inspirational.

Man I remember when that video came out. What you did before and after it happened is absolutely inspiring. I wish to be an MMA fighter while also in pursuit to learn Japanese Jujutsu, Judo, and Aikido ☺️.

Just realized you are the same guy who was from the first Aikido vs MMA, big character growth!

It's good to see that you're working towards making your Aikido functional.

I feel that what you did and continue to do is absolutely necessary. Many people benefit from your thought experiments and honesty. So many people turn to martial arts to better protect themselves and you’ve shown vulnerability that all those people share, doubts they have, and created a path for them to seek the skill and confidence to walk taller in life. You and Sensei Seth dabbling in the conventional and unconventional show us where the truth and the deception lies in various arts as well as clearing up misconceptions. You took it to a new level with the Self Defense Championship! Great work and thank you!

Love your videos so much Rokas. As someone who's been doing Judo/Jiujitsu/Kickboxing for about 10 years, I've had a lot of friends that were in martial arts "cults" that thought things like aikido or tai chi were effective in real life situations. You may be the only one I've seen that was willing to test it for real, and for that, i have nothing but incredible respect. You went out, got your butt kicked, and became better. Much love and support❤

Tadas' takedown was like he's putting a baby in a crib. No slam at all. Pretty funny.

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

Very nice of him 😊 I think he was the Aikido expert at that moment 😁

As someone who is currently learning aikido, I very much appreciate your honest approach. I'm under no illusions about its effectiveness in many situations but I don't have many options to train things where I live. Something is better than nothing and it's a great place to start martial arts as someone who isn't exactly a young man anymore. I'm hoping to round it out with some kick boxing at some point, too. I would say that I think you're often much too harsh on your past. It's important to know that you are where you are precisely because of the past you chose. You might not be anywhere near as open-minded now had you not dedicated so much time to something and tested its flaws. That is incredibly humbling but also some of the absolute best wisdom someone can obtain. Nothing is wasted if you learned something from it. That said, I love your aikido videos. I've used a few to help me practice some things! Especially mae ukemi! I look forward to your future videos. Thank you so much!

@gregory4154

11 ай бұрын

You know, that is the truth of things for so many of us. I was learning Judo in Japan and wanted to continue, but when my father was stationed in the States, my particular location was limited mainly to Taekwondo. Sometimes you just use what you have and the choices aren't there. And yes, thinking you can learn via a video isn't the same. You need an instructor with the knowledge and partners who share your goals.

Been here since your first self realization and martial journey! So great to see where you are now.

Man, I already love this new series. I'm so glad you made that video. The world needed (and still needs that). My admiration and respect.

I personally love that you did this rokas. Very honest and very accountable. ❤❤ keep on grinding

Grande Rokas!! aguardo el siguiente video!

Even though i have watched most of your content i love this new series. Keep them coming bro and we love you! And thank you. A year ago or better i found your channel and you n9t only helped me rediscover my passion for martial arts, but also lead me to a handful of other great youtube channels!

You are doing so much for the Martial Artist Community, thank you so much Greetings from Austria

That video was the one that, got me subscribed. But your exploration into different martial arts kept me coming back to view more vids.

This was very important for people to see. Especially those in the Aikido community who don't realize they're training an art that's been heavily abstracted. Can't expect to take on a trained fighter with kata. Traditional Aikido doesn't show any realistic attacks or any realistic entry points into its moves, but the moves themselves are actually grounded in a true understanding of anatomy. Steven Seagal's hand deflections were a game changer for Aikido. Have you ever considered seeking him out? Or continuing talks with Lenny Sly? I don't think Aikido is hopeless, but it needs to be translated and updated. Going back to its Daito-ryu roots might also prove worthwhile.

@MaaZeus

11 ай бұрын

This is my understanding too. Aikido/Aikijutsu does have its roots in actual Samurai combat but as time has passed and art has stopped seeing real life "stress testing" it has become more like a dance than a proper martial arts. But the basics are there and could be incorporated back into something actually functional, something before it got watered down and what was actually used by soldiers back in the day to preserve their lives if their main melee weapon was lost in the heat of battle.

@justinwallace269

11 ай бұрын

@MaaZeus Yep. You've got it right. Post war Japan frowned heavily on killing arts. They changed a lot of it into safer variants like Judo, or abstracted kata like Aikidio. Even Aikijutsu went the same route. Luckily, enough was preserved for people to translate it and bring it back. With pressure testing and sparring based modifications, I can easily see this being excellent self defense. Not so much sport fighting due to the rule set, but definitely self-defense

Wow. What a nice video. Thank your honesty and work. After watching that first video 6 years ago, I left Aikido for MMA. Never looked back. Looking forward for the whole series!

Its been awesome watching you grow as a martial artist throughout the years. Great video, keep it up!

just finished watching your ultimate defense championship series and I’m honestly very hyped to see season 2 and what y’all bring to the table! your videos have been a big reason I’ve gotten back into kickboxing/mma. praying for nothing but the best for you and your channel man. respect 👊

So cool to see your journey in this format, love it!

I have so much admiration for you putting your reputation and ego to the side in search of what works. Such intellectual honesty is refreshing! You're a treasure!

Love your courage & persistence & humility Rokas. Wish I had this channel when I was training Aikido 20yrs ago…would have saved me years of effort.

You have a lot of main character energy, your journey is very interesting and inspiring. I cannot wait to see where it will go from here. Your journey can be adapted into a light novel or a show. Cant wait to see where it will go 🙏

You are one of the best martial arts KZreadr on this platform. Keep up the amazing work!

the master of anticipation sheesh whole video was an intro for a future video lmao

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

Haha 😂

Love and appreciate this channel. Also loved seeing you with Ramsey Dewey. You did a great thing in beginning your Martial Arts journey and you’re a True and respectable martial artist in that you seek to learn, as well as teach, and you seek to improve without ego. You’re awesome!

Great story telling format. Love this 🔥

Awesome to revisit your journey Rokas! I hope we get to train again soon

Love this and I look forward to the future episodes. I feel like I’m going through the same thing with kenpo. Appreciate this channel.

Man, your editing is getting really legit Rokas! Love this new series.

Huge balls Rokas. Total respect to you for facing sheer danger in the name of truth. 💪👍

Wow, I really love your series. Amazing story teller!

I really appreciate what you're doing Rokas. I come from TKD/grecco-wrestling in my teen/younger years and nowadays (past 7 years) I train ju-jutsu and I do see that mma/bjj gets more and more incorperated into the styles at large. Not that we don't have plenty of groundtechnics, though we call it ne-waza. But to evolve and make our "selfdefence" better we do need adapt and you're showing why these older and more traditional styles needs it. Keep it up ;)

ROKAS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO!! I followed you in the Aikido days and had the same conclusions, but wanted to learn for the art's sake. When that first Aikido vs MMA vid dropped, it was EXACTLY what I had been looking for since I started TKD as a pre-teen: HONESTY. The content has only gotten better and the Self-Defense Championship was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

wow your journey is amazing

I always love your honesty and respect that you show all Martial arts. Thanks for you content.

Yeas! 😃❤️ More in depth personal martial journey stuff! I love it!

Top story! Amazing journey. Always on your team Rokas.

Good job Rokas.

Good job on the Video and the Journey!! Love the format keep them coming!!

So proud of you rokas ... You really evolved and reach new heights, I was a fan during your aikido days but now I'm a more huge fan as I watched you grow and evolve to a great well rounded martial artist.... keep it up ..love from the Philippines..osu..

I´ve been following your channel since it was named aikido jurney, I bet that was a defining moment in your life, but what came out afther that it´s so much better looking forward to what you bring next.

This is so freaking right xD I LOVE how humble you were in going through all this. In fact the same honest motivation to get trial by (gentle) fire and get better drives me, nowadays. Because once you know your own truth, is so much easier to progress forward!

I'm really enjoying the episodic approach to videos. Keep up the great work Rokas!

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

Thanks!

You and your Journey is One of the Best Things on the Internet

Great video, Rokas!!

Looks like its going to be another banger of a series Rokas! Looking forward to the next one.

Truth is of paramount importance for every foundation. I'm glad you found this more important than self-indulgence. Keep up the good work.

It takes a lot to step out of your comfort zone and truly test your skill. I'm sure your martial arts has improved greatly as you have made it your own. Much respect.

I like your honesty. I admire the fact that you were willing to not only study hard and train hard, but to put it to the test, and point out what works and what doesn't. I've studied Shorin Ryu karate for 13 years, and before that, Kyokushin and Tang Soo Do. There are things I like about each style, and things I don't. There are techniques in each style I will never use, simply because I don't like them or think they will work. There are things I've implemented from other styles like Krav Maga that other karate practitioners have "corrected" me for. A true warrior accepts what is, what works and what doesn't, is brave enough to test it, and is open-minded enough to learn more. I applaud you, and I'm looking forward to the next video!

I love your videos so much, keep going and doing what you love 💪

Great journey Rokas! Humbling oneself is hard, but win hearts!

For real, i love your channel. It's amazing. Give spirit from Indonesia🔥

love the retrospective.

I’ve been following you all these years. Everyone is gonna have haters. But I love you man

I remember that first video and have been following your progression ever since, commenting a fair bit and even having a few conversations with you, particularly on how you struggled with fighting under pressure. I've admired the courage and openmindedness you showed - the same thing lacking in all the Aikidoka who cannot face the truth about their art - and how it affected other people. I practiced Aikido for almost three years - Shirata style - but I was already an accomplished Muay Thai fighter. I loved Aikido and it did teach me some new things but at the same time it was always clear to me that I could KO anyone in the dojo and they would basically be defenseless. Anyway, looking forward to your next video!

Again and again, I can only thank you Rokas, and share the happiness of your success :) Congrats on the amazing job, hope to get to meet with you someday! Kindest regards from Brazil.

You are so humble and open minded! That made you grow as a Wise man, and martial artist. I thoght people still don't understand what martial art is. It deserves more recognition as Art. It's not conceived for fight, but for disipline, philosophy, self control and consciusness. Don't underestimate this, Art is one of the most important aspects in life.

So much truth in this clip Rokas. Some of the nicest, most welcoming, most open and friendly people I've met in martial arts have been from mma/sub wrestling/bjj. Especially compared to a lot of TMA people I've met and who I still know - including some very big names who have seen a lot. I don't know if you understand how many people you've inspired with your journey.

Heartwarming. Brought some tears to my eyes

Love your vids!

👍looking forward to the next episode of this saga

Well done to you, for putting yourself out there by showing some honesty. You did something that most wouldn't and came out stronger. A true Martial Artist indeed 👏👏👏

Ok that's amazing! Thabks for the work!

you’ve inspired my own martial arts journey… i’ve experieced briefly 15 different MAs and practiced 5 : mhuay thai, BJJ, jeet kune do, kung fu and kali thanks, keep inspiring us greetings from brazil

Your transformation to a full pledged fighter was amazing. You questioned the dogma, explored around and learn real fighting, but also manage to at least make an attempt to preserve the art that you've loved for so long. The way you went so deep outside of the comfort zone and came out on top? Willing to risk deep connections and entire communities for the search of the truth? That's about as manly and as much of a warrior as you can get, and I hope I can get there myself.

@smol_hornet613

11 ай бұрын

It really is inspiring. All the achievements and opportunities within the Aikido community at hand, but in the end... what really matters is the art itself. What you can do with it, and what you can do *for* it. Rokas is the kind of martial artist that makes martial arts good.

honesty is one of the most important things in my life. especialy honesty to myself.

so cool dude. Much love

The fact that Rokas approached MMA with an open and honest interest in applying his training in a sparring environment made me like it bc it wasn’t about boasting that his aikido was better than brute force mma but about making the effort to go the extra mile with his training. There may be aikido martial artists out there who have done the same thing (Steven Seagal for instance) but none I know of who willingly put themselves out there for the whole world to see an criticize before they’ve mastered it so it “looks good.” Keep it up hoss! Can’t wait for the next one.

I've been with you the whole journey Rokas.

@MartialArtsJourney

11 ай бұрын

Awesome

You have put some beef on since that mma vs video lad. It’s an inspiration to see have much you have grown since that video. You still remain humble and unassuming but you do seem to have a greater confidence.

The complete origin story! Super excited!

So proud of all that you've done Rokas :)

Great video! Will be waiting for the next episode And I could be proud as I subscribed to your channel before that video (if I’m not mistaken) being an aikido practitioner and I’m still here with you throughout your magnificent journey)

It's inspiring how you not only have great ideas, but believe in them and are able to implement them.

Very nice and insiteful video.

It's something pretty special to have actually been there for your entire journey

This is a solid retrospective man I know I have not commented in a while but yeah have been watching in the background and well done on upping your game like you have been. Looks like you took peoples feedback on board and have parsed out the useful information and you are working on applying that. it shows in the work it really does, in all the little and big ways. Kind of wish certain other individuals would take a leaf out of your book honestly, You most likely know who exactly I am referring too and I will leave it at that just out of common decency but it is definitely worth the mention and if anything you should talk to him, you most likely can talk some sense into the guy.

Great video bro! It's amazing how many people are disillusioned about MMA.

Love this!

👏 😊 this is a great story, and very important for martial world.

The Greater Good.. Honesty in Martial Arts.. Keep up your good work man..

Your video has made you a legend in the martial arts community. At least, to me and my martial arts nerd friends. It was insturmental in my journey as a martial artist. As well as so many others, I'm sure.

Dang i totally misunderstood that video. Props to you for being an honest bad ass.

You deserve the merit for being honest, humble and for having good intention.