It's almost like you need to practice fighting in order to be comfortable with fighting.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah... Crazy huh? Who would have thought that... 😂😂

@SavedSnake

3 жыл бұрын

AGREE.

@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522

3 жыл бұрын

Like swimming

@zegarek840525

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney crazy... "concussion 2015" "respect your uke because you will have none" the paradox is that in strong / hard sparring, when you already know something, it is easier to avoid punches / kicks, it is also harder to hit ... do the same with beginners, you will have no one to practice with and no one to learn, experiment with ... ---------------------- "szanuj uke swego bo nie będziesz miał żadnego" paradoksem jest, że na mocnych/twardych sparingach gdy już coś się umie łatwiej uniknąć ciosów/kopnięcia, ciężej jest też trafić... zrób to samo z początkującymi, nie będziesz miał z kim ćwiczyć i na kim uczyć się, eksperymentować...

@VestigialHead

3 жыл бұрын

Nope - you need to pressure test to be comfortable with fighting. There are no legal martial arts that actually practice fighting. Pressure testing, rolling, full contact sparring and then competing in MMA or grappling events is about as close as you can get. Otherwise you need to go out and start fights in the street which is really not recommended by any one sane.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to act in the presence of fear" ~ Bruce Lee

@wizrom3046

2 жыл бұрын

1. Its a much older quote, and was not Bruce Lee. 2. Bruce Lee was an entertainer and performer, not a fighter.

@WilliamRNicholsonLST-1195

Жыл бұрын

Those whom lack fear lack general awareness usually . If you are at peak of awareness you can use that to realize you might not make it home tonight and must make every move count ; just like Bruce Lee ! The most efficient fighter in the public view. Nick , NavyBlueSmoke , LST -1195

@johnreidy2804

Жыл бұрын

Those who fear are intelligent. Only the stupid have on fear

@vikingdrengenspiders7875

3 ай бұрын

@@wizrom3046mayby but he was still wise

@wizrom3046

3 ай бұрын

@@vikingdrengenspiders7875 sure, he was smart guy, a brilliant developer of fight techniques and had super fast reflexes. And a fantastic showman/entertainer. I have a lot of respect for Bruce Lee, but just dont believe he was "able to beat anybody". Its the Brucey lovers fan base that tick me off

Thanks for sharing these reflections!

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

🙏

@williamsmith8790

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney Sounds like you did use good aikido. Who says atemi is not part of aikido? The only aikido guy I ever met that could make aikido work as advertised had great atemi.

@Alpha_zone84

3 жыл бұрын

@negteninja difference between fearless and lack of common sense I believe one can have no fear and still be a good human

@rykadabyka6047

2 жыл бұрын

The art of fighting without fighting. Being able to neutralise potential conflict is in itself a skill. A few well chosen words and positive body language can deter those keen on causing harm.

The art of “fighting without fighting” is what you learned. I wish practitioners would remember what being a “Martial Artist” truly means And yes you are a bad ass, Rokas.

@joeclark7160

2 жыл бұрын

Man... my aikido teacher would tell us that we'd b able to fight a wild russian bear if we knew aikido. Reality was that we couldn't even throw a punch if anything happened😭😭😭

@MrCmon113

6 ай бұрын

It means being capable at fighting. And if you never fight you won't be capable.

I too had a fear of being attacked. Especially getting punched in the face. Once practiced, you realize you don’t even feel it during your adrenaline rush... Loving your content!!

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

True point! Thank you

@SavedSnake

3 жыл бұрын

Adrenaline is addictive LOL.

@georgetsoukalas1409

3 жыл бұрын

Getting punched in the face for the first time teaches you so much. I still remember my first sparring session and the first punch I received. I think that knowing how to handle being punched in the face is one of the most important things MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing etc teach you.

@niteliniN

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgetsoukalas1409 I've been Practicing Box for a 3 months now, I've had 3 sparrings so far, the first two were with head gear, today was the first time with no protection (other than mouthguard) and a clean hit landed on my nose. Gotta say it was needed and I'm more into boxing now than before.

@WhatsEvenRealAnymore

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgetsoukalas1409 Yes!!! And knowing you have to act after getting punched in the face too. It’s one thing when you hear these stories but a whole different ball game once it happens to you. Can’t just stand there and freeze from shock. You must move in or get away if possible. (I apologize but Rules for men and women can be taught differently - I was taught to run if I can). Point being you never know how you’ll react till it happens to you, and you better be prepared! 👊🏼

The fact that the shirtless guy walked away, and you and your friends didn’t get hurt and avoided a fight, is a total win.

@gabrielsierra865

3 жыл бұрын

I agree, but this is hard to understand for many.

@blaedus5318

3 жыл бұрын

From a physical standpoint, it _is_ indeed a total win. But I think the problem and point of the video was the psychological damage it did to Rokas's confidence and to his students' confidence in him.

@Baalaaxa

3 жыл бұрын

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu

@aplus1080

2 жыл бұрын

😂 uh huh

@nicholasbiddle7893

2 жыл бұрын

Easy to say but the heart doesn't lie

I grew up being attacked constantly. I was a bit of a loner and made an easy mark. I was scared every single time. As I got older, I realized this was normal. I made peace with my fear. I never trained. I just decided I would only fight if there was no escape or no other choice. One night I was with my brother and another friend when we were attacked. I could have slipped away relatively unnoticed but I knew the only way to help my brother was to turn back and face one of the attackers, to even the odds. At that point, my brother and friend ran away and left me. I don’t blame them. Things happen in battle. And they had their hands full. But I had no fear at all. It was like a computer program was running through my brain, programmed for survival. When they ran off, two attackers gave chase. The remaining attacker turned and saw me walking towards him and it was then I saw the fear in his eyes, even though he outweighed me easily by 50 lbs. He hesitated, then attacked but it was like he was in slow motion. I easily dodged his kicks and punches. And then, the computer program running inside my head told me to run. And that was it. He had no chance in catching me. I was a trained soccer player with extraordinary speed and quickness. Clearly I’m no fighter. But I am a survivor. And I’m good with that. I decided I would win by getting out of that neighborhood and that’s exactly what I did. I have a great family now and a good job. Most of the guys that terrorized me in my youth ended up in prison or worse. The important thing is to win the war. Don’t worry about losing a few battles.

@ghanimalghawanmeh1457

2 жыл бұрын

You and your brother are a shame on humanity.

@blacktsukuyomi8309

2 жыл бұрын

@@ghanimalghawanmeh1457 LOL

@idkhahahaha

2 жыл бұрын

@@ghanimalghawanmeh1457 you are shame on humanity

@ekaterinab6064

2 жыл бұрын

awesome story dude.

@rjwelch17

Жыл бұрын

It’s the confidence, I don’t flinch at people when they start to get confrontational and aggressive, the doubt sets in as soon as they don’t receive any sign of fear or even sometimes the respect of facing them… straight up ignoring the would-be attacker sometimes (always aware, calm and aware of my surroundings) They see no fear, repeating themselves hoping I’d “hear” them and at least flinch or give them the validation of looking their way to assess the threat… nope. I casually sip a drink or look past them and use my periferal eyesight to track them. They always crumble if I decide to casually acknowledge them dead eyed and silent while my hands are down, relaxed, and moving slow. It gives the impression of complete dominance and they know that I’m only able to be this way because I’m a black belt with a hidden gun… ha

Your honesty with some hard to swallow emotions is fantastic.

Punching a bandit in the face when you don't know what to do. This is exactly what happened with me when I was training Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. And the "masters" also reacted in the same way: they blamed me.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

F**k... 😕 Well, there seems to be plenty of us who went through the same experience 👊

@michaelnurge1652

3 жыл бұрын

You fight how you train. And if you're used to being in places you might get hurt, you get pragmatic. I liked the story about preparing to use the tripod against a machete. Exactly the right thing to do. Reminded me of something that happened a year ago or so. Three guys, probably gang members, against two, one of whom was my downstairs neighbor's son. Heard stuff, picked up a kitchen knife, held it backhand so it wasn't too obvious, and just watched from the top of the stairs. Interfering in a fight with multiple people isn't something to do unless there becomes danger of death or GBI, but if I had needed to, I could have done a little bit, and was preparing to do just that if necessary. When he took my statement, I don't know if the cop liked it when I mentioned what I'd prepared to do but I've had a little training and I work inside a prison, so he gave me the benefit of the doubt on that probably.

@kwihan7262

3 жыл бұрын

Why did they blame you? You defended yourself, after all. One piece of advice: don't tell your teachers about your fights, it will save you some trouble.

@te9591

3 жыл бұрын

How long were you training tai jutsu? One problem with the tai jutsu in the dojo is that it may not be in the best reaction to a full Street punch. You might be up against a type of boxer and the striking and foot placement is different coming at you.

@entubadao

2 жыл бұрын

...because if you fail, they subconsciously, think it's THEIR fail, or at least, bad light reflecting on them. It's a common reaction from any immature coach/trainer in any sport, not only in martial arts.

I think it’s worthwhile to note, the conflicts you resolved in your favor were completed without physical violence. Because you were able to get past the fear, made a plan, and had the will and confidence to enact that plan, it never got to that point and everyone was able to walk away without injury. That’s a good reason to train.

@koborkutya7338

2 жыл бұрын

absolutely, my thought too, well said

The only way to learn how to drive a car is by driving a car.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

As simple as it is - that's a great point 👊

@zazugee

3 жыл бұрын

yeah, i remember when i 1st learned with a driving school, bc the instructor kept pushing in pedals to help me while i wasnt aware in the actual exam i stalled the car it's kinda when you rely too much on helping wheels, you end not learning the actual driving but the helping wheels are there to reduce risk but that's the problem of sport focused martial arts, they elimate risk and thus are out of touch with reality there are rare people who learned how to fight in the streets but most people can't learn this way or will end disabled the rest of their lives or dead

@TheIronhyde1

3 жыл бұрын

pretty much, its kinda like , whats the difference between a scientist & a mechanic? If their car breaks down, who will fix it? the Mechanic , cuz he has practiced it while the scientist was in his closed up class room studying it only in theory.

You were still able to run away far and fast enough after being pepper sprayed? That is freaking badass, dude! After I was pepper sprayed in police training, I was on my knees crying for like an hour lol

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Haha 😂 I'm glad I did! It's actually a great story on its own. When I started running the pepper spray kept getting deeper and deeper into my eyes and it hurt like hell when I opened them. So to see where I was running I opened them only once in a while, evaluated the obstacles and continued to run. Then it was really tough when I had to cross the street while cars where passing since I only saw bright lights. Luckily I managed to do it and in the closes store I got to asked for a guard to help me out :) Glad this decision came to my mind at that point 😁

@ThatKenpoGuy

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney Wow! That is incredible! If I was a instructor, I would have promoted you on that alone. It seems like the only reasonable criticism anyone could give was what you said: it is probably best to run after dropping the first guy! My story was pretty funny too. I was actually just out of the Army and had been through the tear gas chamber so I thought I was going to be so tough and badass about it. After they sprayed me, I made it like two steps before it took effect! It was pure agony! After I could walk again I stumbled into my car and just sat there with my eyes as close as possible to AC vent with the AC on full power. It kept reactivating and getting deeper so I ended up having to call my dad to pick me up and drive me home from the training facility. It was so humiliating but hilarious having big old Army veteran and Police Cadet Crawford getting picked up by his dad like a kid getting out of school! All sorts of fun times lol Now I'd be legitimately more scared if someone pulled pepper spray than if they pulled a knife or gun. Like I assume if you are showing me your weapon, I don't know that you are committed to using it. But you pull out pepper spray, I am going to hand you my wallet, bank account info and the keys to my car! ;) Thanks for sharing your war story Rokas, I know it's kind of funny now but I am glad you were alright! That is truly a wild experience you had!

@DavidJohnson-tv2qq

3 жыл бұрын

What percent of Major Capsasinoids was used in your training? Was it a Sabre Red?

@f_USAF-Lt.G

3 жыл бұрын

Pepper Spray huh? How about the Tazer training - learning the different "kinds"(sciences behind...) of Tazers, like one that shocks core · one that shocks localized · and one that shocks endo dermal (throughout the surface of the body)... Interestingly, the first two can be used against the attacker(or officer) by allowing conductivity of your own body😂😂😂 The Tazer that shocks the nerves throughout the skin actually block the neural muscular transmissions (unable to move.)

@DavidJohnson-tv2qq

3 жыл бұрын

@@f_USAF-Lt.G The largest fundamental flaw of using a taser for self defense is it's reliability. You need two prongs to stick into the target to get the electrical current you want in their body. Tasers only work around 50-60 percent of the time. If you get somebody in the face with an OC spray, it won't matter how high or drugged up they are, their bodies will respond to that.

The thing is, you've always been a true badass, it just took you this long to realize it. You faced your fears and never gave up even when your whole world view was flipped upside down. You even stood up and rejected your old training to embrace what you found to be more practical, which is something that takes bravery to go through. There are no free lunches, and the secret people don't tell you when you're young is there is no way to learn to succeed without learning to fail. I've enjoyed watching your channel from the beginning, and it's amazing to see you come from being so awkward and unsure of yourself when sparring into being this confident badass fighting machine.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you man...

Humanity needs people like you. I hope you keep going until you're old and grey

@MartialArtsJourney

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

This may be my favorite video from Rokas. This story sheds light on why practicing modern martial arts (BJJ, Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling) changes people's lives for the better.

I have to admit that I belonged to the second group. It is good that we now have Facebook so that I could contact those whom I bullied and apologized.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, that's cool!

@worldmumble1612

3 жыл бұрын

Admission is the first step. You’ve started. Continue. Respect.

@awakenow7147

3 жыл бұрын

You're one of the rare ones man. Many of us who've been bullied would love to get an apology.

@robertmoorefield670

2 жыл бұрын

Hell no I will not suq yadiq. Mudafaka

Happened to me too. Was in a fight where two of my friends got knocked out in front of me and I was complettly frozen. They guy would have knocked me out too if his friends had not intervened. My illusion of being able to defend myself was shattered.

8 years of Aikido training certainly helped me during my 15 year transportation security officer work, (but Aikido was also the third martial arts training journey to add).

@andrewruddy962

2 жыл бұрын

Security does not fight. Arrests maybe. Curious , what were your other martial arts ?.

I too had the same experience. A brown belt in Judo, and a confident one at that, but outside of the Dojo I had the fear of being punched in the face and being humiliated. I joined a boxing gym, mainly to learn to avoid being punched in the face. But of course it doesn't work like that. Very soon I realised I was no longer thinking about being punched, I found it did not hurt as much as I had thought, and I could use it to my advantage. I unintentionally offended someone in a bar one evening and was called out, I was not afraid, in fact I was confident I could hold my own. I gave him a beat down, my own friends had to hold me back and he gave in gracefully. Once the adrenaline rush had passed I became aware that something had changed, I had confidence in myself. The skills I had learned over several years meshed and I found I could teach! At seventy I still train my two youngest children, both achieved Black belts in Traditional Karate before reaching their teens, but I also teach them Judo and boxing also street fighting. I do not want them to be fighters, I want them to have the self confidence that I did not have when I was young.

Pressure testing does wonders to show you what you can do. It becomes instantly obvious when someone "new" joins the gym you are training at, and you spar with this beginner. I'm not kidding. It's like he is moving in slow motion and gets winded down after just 30 seconds. Meanwhile you are standing there barely tired. Greetings from Poland, we've also had a lot of the adidas folk in the 90-s ;)

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

100%! My next video is actually going to be on a similar topic 🙂

@glennrobinson7193

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney The problem with pressure testing and reality based type training is very high chance of injury. I used to train in Krav Maga and hurt my ankle in training one night and after that I couldn't hardly walk. I remember thinking, as I hobbled to Krav Maga class one evening in the dark, what hope would I have of defending myself in this debilitating condition? THAT'S one reason why I started training in a Target Focus Training school (Tim Larkin) and I NEVER had one injury in all that time I trained there. (I don't need to know what "it's like" to be hit in the face. I've experienced that in the street!)

Also the thumbs down is from that shirtless guy

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Haha 😂

I absolutely LOVE this video - it speaks to me on a spiritual level. This is essentially my exact story as well. I remember after I tried to defend myself against my bully in high school (he beat the crap out of me), I questioned my instructor as well, and he said it was my fault for not applying the techniques correctly. It wasn't until I eventually found MMA that I truly gained confidence after successfully defending myself against a bully much older and bigger than me. This is a huge part of the reason I feel compelled to test nonsense techniques to show what happens against real resistance. I spoke to this in my recent video, but I think if more GOOD people trained MMA, the world would be a much safer place for those who can't physically protect themselves.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Matt! Really glad to hear you liked this video. I put a lot of work into it, but so far it's not blowing KZread up 😅 So hearing supportive words is awesome. What you said at the end reminded me of what a friend of mine who's ex SWAT, undercover officer, etc: it's all about making good people dangerous to bad people. By the way: I'd love to have a live chat with you on my channel if you're up for it. If yes, shall we connect up via email? I'm rokasleo at gmail.com ;)

@scottoshea9440

3 жыл бұрын

Pepper spray works better than any martial art

@willjoo5976

3 жыл бұрын

@@scottoshea9440 this exact concept is applied to gun ownership

@blop-a-blop9419

Жыл бұрын

@@scottoshea9440 Yes, in the way of efficiency, let's agree on that, it's good to know. However, efficiency in fighting I only maybe 1/3 of what you learn while practicing martial arts. It's also about mastering yourself, as a body and mind. And about your relationship to other people. I often say that we learn to fight, and learn not to fight. This educational value can't be bought in a store. And for improving society, I rather have an educational program that makes people confident, able to fight, and willing not to ; than having everyone own a weapon.

@scottoshea9440

Жыл бұрын

@@willjoo5976 true, but pepper spray doesn't kill people

What a great path you've been on, man. Props to you for overcoming your fears, realizing what wasn't inherently yours, and owning yourself fully.

Bravery isn't the lack of fear, but pushing through that fear and taking action.

@DundG

3 жыл бұрын

Clearly you never had an anxiety attack

"They were recognizable by their Addidas sweatpants" Is that the universal Eastern European uniform of wannabe (or not so wannabe) thugs? Lol But good on you facing fear. It's important for every human to do this at some point in life.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

I think it was a universal wannabe thug thing 😁 Still is at some places, but it's not as popular anymore I think (at least in Lithuania)

@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522

3 жыл бұрын

Yes

@michelb8976

3 жыл бұрын

Complemented with a leather jacket it's indeed the official gopnik(tm) uniform.

@deifor

3 жыл бұрын

Stereotipes. I spent part of my childhood in Communist Hungary in the 80s. At the time, the status symbols were sports brands from Germany instead of luxury brands from Italy. I remember I always wanted to have Adidas or Puma track suits but they were our of reach, even for my parents who earned good salaries working for international organizations. So that is probably part of the fascination with track suits in Eastern Europe. I am in my 40s, in Canada, and I still love them, although I never wear top and bottoms together, go figure.

@zbigniewp1810

3 жыл бұрын

Some of them are wannabes, but its far from majority. Not as numerous as they used to be in '90s and 2000s, but they are still around. You will be smarter to always treat them seriously.

Coach Thornton is one of the best in the business! His speaches on aliveness in martial arts were the truths I needed in the early 2000s to sort out the difference between functional combatives and traditional martial arts. Armed with a much clearer picture of what techniques and types of training are higher percentage. While using his i-method undoubtedly is where I learned to increase my skills as well as my inner confidence! Oss!!!

If you don't feel ready for a fight and you're one of the better students in your class, it means your martial art isn't effective, period. It's time to change, especially if you lose a fight, and your teacher blames you for not using the art properly rather than try to fill the gaps in your self-defense. True confidence comes from competence.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Nice. Really great points. I keep having to argue for the point that it's not the "martial artists fault", but the point you made about being one of the better students but still not being able to defend yourself is a great one!

@nicholas8381

3 жыл бұрын

Well your first test against 5 guys most arts don't train you for this as well with the most of weapons. When I was just in school I was able to use my environment with my aikido and I got 2 down and ran cause 1v8 is hard without practice

@christiangauthier727

3 жыл бұрын

Great points! I'd like to note that NO martial art will enable you to beat up 8 guys by yourself if the attackers have the intent of harming you. Which leads me to the point I want to make: you talked about not feeling confident enough, but much more dangerous is Martial Arts Teachers who are so full of BS that they instill a false sense of (over)confidence in their students, not only thinking that they can take on multiple opponents without breaking a sweat, but even having the delusions that they can safely disarm attackers with knives without getting hurt and even disarm a guy pointing a gun at you... This is how teachers get people killed. When facing multiple opponents, if you control your environment and manage to line them up so you only have to face 2-3 at a time, you might end up taking care of 2 few guys, 3-4 with luck, but you'll get HURT BAD and won't be able to kick 5-6 guys' asses... and unless it's a life or death, fight or die situation, you should never even think it's a good idea to fight a group of people. You never know what their training is, if one or more of them have a concealed weapon they will resort to after getting beaten up and there's a high risk of being caught off guard and stabbed or shot as you cannot watch every single attacker 100% of the time, especially if you're in an open space and can't manage to avoid being surrounded... The most important aspect of being well trained and having experience is to know when to avoid a fight at all costs and run. There's no shame in that. There's no shame in staying alive! Know your strengths, know threat assessment, know your limits.

@allopez8563

3 жыл бұрын

He was pepper sprayed.

@Lutonman2010

3 жыл бұрын

I’m nearly 50. My years of martial arts are numbered. I’ve trained on and off since I was 21. I don’t feel ready for a fight anymore because I think about how different I am now. A tired body, the flexibility of that twenty year old is gone, the stamina of that thirty year old is no more. The speed and strength of the young man I remember is just a memory now. I train because my brain still thinks I’m 25. I train because the people in my classes are some of the nicest people I’ve met. I don’t think I could fight for s#it these days if I had to. And if I’m honest I hope I never have to find out.

I have great respect for the martial artist who never stops seeking improvement, you are one such martial artist man. Thank you for this valuable perspective!

Your honesty and self reflection is refreshing brother... With any form of combat, exposure to it as far as training often and consistantly over a long period of time is the best way to deal with the situations you are going thru.. there is No substitute for time and practice...there are No shortcuts... Gradually ,one gets more and more accustomed to Being In that position of facing someone who is trying to attack... Composure and an at easeness come gradually along with an inner confidence that cant be faked but must be earned with time . A change begins to happen, on an inner level as the outer work is being done..It is truly an Alchemy, wherein the inner nature you had at the start begins to change into "something else"... this is the true goal of all matrial arts no matter their outer form, they are also meant to change and shift the practioner on the inside for the better.

Thanks for your honesty and vulnerability 🙏🏾 this shows your inner strength... you are a bad ass 👊🏾

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

🙏🙏👊

When I started Jiu jitsu I felt the same way. Although I have trained And at times I worked as a professional bouncer I still had fear when confronting someone or being ready to defend. In my second year of training, I started to feel different, I felt more confident in my abilities I actually was better at defusing vs fighting. Fighting everyday with people more talented higher trained was a challenge, but when looking at other possible opponents on the streets or my job as a paramedic it gave me the confidence I needed to defuse knowing if it went violent I could handle myself.

Interesting stories. Im glad MMA helped grow your confidence. We should all feel empowered to some degree by learning martial arts. The best self defence is learning how to spot dangers, have a keen awareness and to avoid danger.

I practiced Aikido myself for about 4 years, sporadically, in the 1990's in the Chicago area. While I didn't quit because of being disillusioned with Aikido (I had to drive an hour and 15 to 30 minutes to the dojo which grew tiresome for me), I do understand the feelings Rokus describes on a smaller level. I remember getting qualified for the blue belt test and felt totally inadequate. For me I think that lack of confidence was largely do to my limited practice time. And so I never took the blue belt test. Now, the thing I really wanted to say was that about the time of my Aikido training a couple of guys came walking into my fireworks store smoking a cigar while I was in the back room. When I came out I smelled the odor instantly and began walking in the direction of it. That's when I saw two guys walking in the rear aisle away from me and I began walking, and then jogging, and then sprinting, after them. It might have been due to Aikido, or my earlier wrestling training in high school, but I wasn't scared to go for the guy's wrist with one hand while with the other I took the half-smoked cigar. I think he was a bit surprised. So, in that one small instant I felt the Aikido had been good. I was used to bodily contact.

@mikuspalmis

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, smoking in a fireworks store. What a bell end.

by the end of this story, you had become the lithuanian batman

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, thanks Santiago! 😂👊

@comicsans6487

3 жыл бұрын

Wow so badass yelling to a homeless man.

@boriboribo

3 жыл бұрын

Loled hard XD

@za.monolit

3 жыл бұрын

@@comicsans6487 don't tell me you're defending the homeless guy

@ksan1648

3 жыл бұрын

Is Lithuania really that dangerous?

This is so open and honest and I needed to hear this today. Long story short. Just come back to Muay Thai after 10 years doing no martial arts. I am a 36 year old woman after having a baby and i know i want to do it to feel safer and more confident out there but I am sparring against men half my age and i just had a huge wobble last few weeks... i am too old. I am not strong enough. I cant do it. I practiced Karate and WuShu in my younger years and began to realise that these martial arts didnt provide me with much in the way of real life confidence! I also witnessed people being involved with violence and i just froze.... I hope i can keep the negative self talk down so that i can keep going with Muay Thai. Thank you for this video.

@MartialArtsJourney

Жыл бұрын

It's all about becoming 1% better each day!

@jenlewren

Жыл бұрын

It will be great to not go through a sparring session and walk out of these thinking I just got my ass kicked for 2 hours straight 😅

Thank you for sharing your story! I was myself growing in Siberia, in the city packed with students and convicts. The "GULAG" thing, you know. What I have learned there was that your attitude is pretty much everything. No matter how well you trained and what was it that you learned, no matter how big you are, no matter what you have in your hands, or who your parents or friends are... If you are "peaceful" and lack confidence - one day you will be beaten up badly. The world of violence belongs to those who have no hesitation in causing harm to others. They don't think once before they strike, no matter what the consequences will be. That is what divides us - the readiness to cause harm. If you are are unwilling to cause harm - you are a game. The rest is only details of how deep you are going to hide, how fast you are going to run or loud you are going to scream. That's how it is in Siberian small towns. I'm pretty sure it is the same in other places around the world. Same animals - same ethics.

I was not expecting the pepper spray hahah... kinda sounds like you actually won that one. Knocked one dude out and then they turned into girls walking home alone with spray lol.

I just discovered this channel. I love how you just jumped into W2W. Much credit to you sir. By far what I love about this video is your honesty to yourself and your subscribers. Best way to grow as a Martial Artist and a human being in my opinion. Subscribed. 🙂

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Really glad to have you here! Thank you 🙏

When I was a skinny teenager, in my former town in Brazil, I was attacked by 3 adult guys... They've sent me to ER... Almost lost my left eye sight... That was a pivotal moment in my life, because I was so frustrated for being a "victim". Short story, my professional life made me a catcher of bad guys. After training and effort, I was able to put them down, if they chose to attack me. Not bragging, but learning martial Arts it's always, for me, more than an external expression of certain capabilities, but a change that happens inside oneself... Confidence, prudence and humility.

Since I became a lot more confident in my fighting skills it became a lot easier not to get into a fight. I've managed to de-escalate those situations verbally and successfully so far. Your confidence is perceived by the potential opponent, and feared.

I appreciate how you handled the situation. It’s a sad situation when real fighting come to the front. Don’t blame yourself for problems like that. Fear and combat go hand in hand. You have to face it, but keep in mind love in your heart.👍😂.

Man,your videos are top notch. You have a way of narrating stories that makes them so captivating. Fear when attacked is so common.A guy once confronted me(he was much bigger)..and I was so hesitant to defend myself.He ended up striking me twice and I did nothing about it.Mark you,I had been training boxing on my own(plus Muay Thai stuff) but I hadn't been sparring enough. Of course,I felt bad for it. Your story is much relatable!

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Best Life! I'm all about sharing stories these days so I'm really glad to hear you liked it! I'm planning to share many more 😊🙏👊

it takes a lot of courage to share to anyone times in our lives that we consider moments of shame. your stories are really moving. it's a situation that many wouldn't even admit themselves but are actual true personal problems. with your peaceful inner self and hunger to be better, progress will just pass by and still maintain a humble master in the end.

Thank you for sharing your story. We are at the same age, and I as well have been under 'bad influence' of karate. In some karate styles in competition you are not even allowed to punch to the face! As you said yourself, the most simple and instinctive reaction would be to use your fists not legs, grips or locks. Today I keep boxing in much higher regard.

@SoldierAndrew

3 жыл бұрын

If you get the chance to supplement your boxing consider Okinawan Uechi Ryu. Or Kodokan Judo.

@W_Strone_Swiatla

3 жыл бұрын

@An Drew I trained Shorin ryu karate. Realistically Kickboxing or Thai boxing would be a better bet. But grappling as you mentioning with Judo is also an important part of game.

I really appreciate the thought and effort and bravery of being so honest in your videos. One thing that comes to my mind is that someone like Steven Seagal seems to have NO problems with confidence and that seems to have a direct impact on his Aikido. Yes most of it is in film but I've watched him at training sessions and it does seem that HIS use of Aikido in the appropriate situations Can be effective. I think the mistake is to think you can apply all techniques to all situations. There are times when you need to punch or kick or grab etc. I think it's all about the individual rather than the style. A good fighter will be a good fighter in any style. A pacifist who does not wish to harm others will need to force himself to learn and use a directly violent style. Like boxing. No one needs to learn to punch (apart from how to clench your fist so it doesn't break). You just lash out. But if you're a nice peaceful person, you don't have the instinct to lash out, so you have to be "trained" to lash out and then "bypass" your instinct to seek peace. In short, you're a nice peaceful person and you're having to force yourself to become violent when needed 🙏

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting thoughts, thank you :)

@heinzhuberti3583

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. I'm regarded by my friends and family as a patient agreeable person. After I started doing Krav Maga I noticed that my demeanour changed. I'm now more confident but also more forthright ... and I don't like it! I like the added confidence my training gives me but I don't like how it changes my mind

@blop-a-blop9419

Жыл бұрын

@@heinzhuberti3583 wow, that's interesting... I'd like to ask you : ¿Why did you start Krav Maga ? ¿Why are you forthright and why don't you like it ? ¿Could you see this as sparring with someone to help them grow stronger?

@heinzhuberti3583

Жыл бұрын

@@blop-a-blop9419 I started Krav Maga after I got mugged by three people. I live in southern Germany and my city is relatively save but after this incident I didn't feel save when I went home after sundown. I had this really heightened sense of awareness after the attack but I realized I did not have the proper tools to react if something like this happened again. Hence I started Krav Maga. I'm well aware that no single defense system or martial art can protect one fully but I adds a level of protection and confidence. My demeanor changed because if I get into a heated argument I sometimes think about how I would diffuse this situation using force. Also when I walk down the street I see most people as a potential threat and I don't think this is healthy. I think as human beings we should meet each other with respect and not with fear. If I look at someone angrily because I assume him to be looking for trouble but infact he is just having a bad day and waiting for his bus or something like that, I might add more negativity to the whole situation than necessary. Sorry, I don't get your last question :D

@blop-a-blop9419

Жыл бұрын

@@heinzhuberti3583 okay , I understand... I'm coming from Karate, and it really teaches you about respect of others, seeing them as partners rather than threats and amping up your stress level... So I can recommend you that for a try. Generally all japanese martial arts that end with "do" and not "jutsu" have grown a philosophy about how to treat others and how to feel good in your mind and body, so you could try any of these :) (Karate Do is one of them ^^) Also, I've started Aikido this year and I really like it a lot. It's on the extreme end, both of peaceful relationships, and of inefficiency... So idk if the inefficient part will really make that attitude credible for you ? But that attracts such nice people in ... Try some things out and you'll see :) most clubs offer a free trial. Starting Krav Maga made you gain confidence in your ability to defend yourself. That's good. You've validated that objective :) Now it's more about finding peace with yourself, and others. You my do so by keeping to improve your skills if you want, but with another type of mentality. About my last question : I was assuming that you meant "I was an agreeable person, but krav maga made me more assertive and bluntly honest, and I don't like the harshness of that, but I can't help it.." So I meant "how about, instead of battling between your present and your past feelings, reconciling them together in a further evolution : when you have higher level than someone, whether in skill, knowledge, courage, etc. you also have the responsibility to tolerate their inferiority, while you try to inspire them to improve towards your level. Being truthful requires courage. Not only for accepting truth for yourself instead of denying it when it's inconvenient, but also spreading truth and refusing denial in other people's minds. Respecting the human dignity of the other person up to the point where preferring to hide truth from them in order to protect their weak feelings is not an acceptable option. most of the times... Truthfulness/Honesty is part of the 9 values of the Bushido, the japanese way of the warrior. The way I was taught it. HONOR RECTITUDE FAITHFULNESS HONESTY COURAGE GOODNESS RESPECT HUMILITY SELF CONTROL So, what I was saying is : if you feel uncomfortable about telling some unpleasant truth to someone who might be weak and offended by it, see it as a training fight... You're not gonna go full force with a beginner. BUT, you're not gonna accept that refusing the fight to preserve their weakness would be an option. So fight, gently, to their level, and that will help them gain confidence and level up their toughness in accepting conflict. that's it :) I hope I didn't misunderstand ^^' but either way, I think this long speech can find its use :P do the best of it ! Good luck on the path ! ;)

Interesting. I started with hapkido (basically Korean aikido) as a kid. Eventually switched to Taekwondo, and got my black belt. And then after discovering the UFC, I did wrestling and Judo. Along the way I also trained in “control tactics” as a corrections officer, which included a lot of wrist and arm locks similar to HKD and Aikido. While I found Judo to be the most effective of all the MA I trained (and wished I had trained in that the whole time) I did end up using hapkido/control tactics moves effectively a couple of times. The problem is they only work in limited circumstances.

The best self defense technique any martial arts teacher ever taught me is: "Just run away". Most of the fights people get into are about ego, status or other totally unnecessary things. Do not get into pointless conflicts, and only fight if it's absolutely necessary for your or other's health or life. There is always consequences for violence. That should be the first and most important thing to teach to new students. I've been practicing different martial arts since a kid, and with one exception I've always been able to talk myself out of hairy situations. Only once I got myself in a situation I had to fight myself out of, when I was a teenager. A local gang of thugs was looking for trouble and pushed me off my bike as I drove past them. There were five of them and I got surrounded. Suddenly the main antagonizer threw a sucker punch to my face without provocation. My nose started bleeding. At that moment adrenaline took over and I made a stance, stating I will defend myself if he continues to attack me. He kept coming so I kicked him in the balls and punched him in the face as hard as I could. He dropped and curled into fetal position, and while his comrades were wondering what the hell just happened, I took my chance, grabbed my bike and drove off. That's it. I never boasted about the fight, I actually felt bad about it for awhile, and kept replaying the situation in my head. My martial arts teacher at the time heard about the fight somewhere and confronted me about it. I told him what had happened and he judged me for using my skills "to hurt other people". I questioned his judgment that how should I've been able to avoid the fight, and isn't this exactly what martial arts and self-defense stands for? He said that fighting on the streets makes the dojo look bad, and threatened to expel me if that happened again. At that moment I realised the truth about that dojo, and teacher. They were more worried of their own image than the safety or health of their students, even in real self-defence situations. Soon after that I quit practicing at that dojo.

Geras. This here was really really insightful. especially for me who has had street altercations. What folks never seem to talk about is the mental aftermath that stays with a person for years after a hostile and violent experience. Thanks a lot for sharing this. Aciu.

"my desire to be a bad ass went down the drain at that moment" - that's so relatable its not even funny In fact learning martial arts diminishes your desire even more because then you really know whats at stake, especially if you dont find attractive the prospect of potentially fatally injuring someone even with a legit reason

@dennischrysanthopoulos5011

3 жыл бұрын

That is so true. I was hungry to get into fights, and thankfully never did, but, after learning to break boards then bricks, hitting a human doesn't seem fair anymore. I actually developed a phobia of, what if I actually hurt someone.

@verybarebones

3 жыл бұрын

This. I dont see the issue with him trying to avoid the fight. And an instructor that picks up fights with random thugs is not someone i want teaching me.

@TexZenMaster

3 жыл бұрын

A battle avoided is a battle won. -Sun Tzu

You are very brave to reveal your story. Kudos to you! I think you did the right thing. It's okay to be afraid. It is better to walk away ashamed and unharmed than getting beaten up and landing in the hospital. Your students may feel the same way if this alternate incident occurred.

That’s awesome Rokas. Keep growing and learning.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

🙏

Bless you man. It's great to hear your take on what so many experience. Please don't ever become a politician for you would stop being so honest.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

😁🙏👊

The story of you being attacked is similar to what’s going on in the series Cobra Kai

@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522

3 жыл бұрын

STRIKE FIRST STRIKE HARD NO MERCY

@zegarek840525

3 жыл бұрын

@@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 very good to start ... I prefer counterattack, rarely taught even in boxing ... I don't like destroying people, so it's a bit like finding old Aikido while practicing Muaythai sports ... a little link from recent videos watched: *Right Hand That Has Destroyed Champions Revealed* kzread.info/dash/bejne/hXd3xbGBpq-5aKw.html -------------------- bardzo dobre na początek... ja preferuję kontratak, nawet w boksie żadko nauczany... nie lubię niszczyć ludzi, więc trochę jakbym znalazł stare Aikido ćwicząc równolegle sportowe MuayThai... mały link z ostatnich obejrzanych filmów: *Right Hand That Has Destroyed Champions Revealed* kzread.info/dash/bejne/hXd3xbGBpq-5aKw.html --------------------------- ps. @Paweł gadasz po polsku... gdzie MT ćwiczyłem??, w Krakowie w "Raczadam"... Aikido niedaleko na wiśle... jak miałem kartę multisport to i MMA i MuayTahi na Wiśle zaliczyłem ;p - różnica wagi znaczna ;p ... na MT przychodziły ogry +100kg ;p

@chrischanshihyung3155

3 жыл бұрын

@@zegarek840525 vI prefer counterattack, rarely taught even in boxing .

these are precious experiences that you shared with us, I deeply appreciate you

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for sharing that

After six months at SBG Portland you’d wipe the floor with a traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu Dan grade. Matt is the best dude I’ve ever trained with.

@f_USAF-Lt.G

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂and here I thought my wearing fleece to breakdance in was the best way to wipe up the floor...

Thanks for being so open and sharing your deepest fears

It is good that I've trained in Arnis (also called Kali) and I've experienced being hit with a stick many times. I also trained in Filipino kickboxing of Yaw Yan (dance of death). I guess being punched and kicked, and hit with a stick helped me in me being confident in an actual fight.

@TheKb117

3 жыл бұрын

was looking for this... was not disappointed. Noice!!!

@te9591

3 жыл бұрын

Kali actually looks very practical and less complicated.

@ricksterdrummer2170

3 жыл бұрын

@@te9591 It’s kinda a 50/50 situation. Half is great like the guntings, sweeps, dumog and then there’s the other half which relies on a cooperating opponent holding out his arm while you do three trapping based punches.

@yussuqmadiq5274

2 жыл бұрын

@@ricksterdrummer2170 Those are for merely exercising our reflexes. Think of it as a boxer hitting a double end bag or a speed ball.

your work has been extremely beneficial for me. thank you very much!

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 🙏 I am really glad to hear this...

It takes a lot of courage to face your fears. Glad you overcame it.🤘🏻

Your honesty and candor are refreshing, sir. I really enjoy these videos - and have a lot to catch up on, since I just found this channel!

@MartialArtsJourney

Жыл бұрын

Awesome!

That is so true, that's because our natural instinct is to strike whenever we are trying to protect ourselves or anyone w/us. The total opposite of aikido that teaches to evade & defend. After we practiced aikido in the morning, my cousins & I would train w/ knives & lead pipes like in a street fight were we can use punches & kicks, while trying to combine aikido in it. So far, the only thing we were able to apply, is the side step or pivot, but totally important to avoid damage & have a good angle to strike (because I'm a lefty, hehe 😁)

I love your videos showing your martial arts journey. I have my own story of practicing tkd in my country and here in the states. It did help me with bullies, but it also fail me on the ground. Now I'm doing Bjj after quitting tkd. It was hard but it had to be done. I don't think I will ever practice tkd in the states. Tkd is dying here and only gym kids are around.

A hero’s journey of empowerment. The definition of Aikido sounds simply like a good definition for the proper use of martial arts

Brilliant reflections, thank you!

A good way to sum this all up: the best way to be confident in your ability is to spar under pressure (not necessarily danger) a number of times against opponents of your skill level while in the company of friendly and appreciative people. Having experience alone, I keep telling alone, isn't always enough and could be detrimental. You already had experienced real combat before and yet it diminished your confidence moreso than before you were ever attacked. This is because failure usually results in discouragement - thus, spar mostly with people you can win against half of the time. But success is not enough. In one of your fights you knocked down your opponent with one blow - this should have been an impressive victory, but you hung around a toxic community that brought you down when they should have praised you. Trauma is another thing that diminishes confidence. This is why sparring should not be dangerous, and why the atmosphere of the gym should be light. A weakened chin and a flinch tend to develop in otherwise experienced and skilled fighters after getting knocked out.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Nice summary

@yeout4386

3 жыл бұрын

you should spar against opponents who are stronger faster and more skilled than you

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

@Yeou t - I think the best answer is to have a good mix of both. If you go only against better fighters it doesn't improve your confidence and even skill, since you don't have the chance to try out something new.

@yeout4386

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney i prefer it eventoug when i try new stuff i ofthen get pinned to the ground or kicked

@licanueto

3 жыл бұрын

How often are gyms good/bad? I mean what's the ratio? Would one need to look much to find a good place to learn or is an "i'm feeling lucky" approach enough?

Great video, just leaving a comment for the algorithm

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Haha! Thank you Licanueto, very mindful of you 🙏👊😊

I have a 1st dan black belt in karate, also studied judo and taekwondo as a kid. I got into a fight indoors late at night after a new years party. Everyone else had gone to bed but me and the other guy remained away, drinking together. It turned into a fight. I toppled him to the ground easily but he got up and rushed at me. I put him to the floor again, and again. But he just kept getting up. In the end we were both bruised and battered but I learned from that occasion that I wasn't instinctively capable of striking him hard after putting him down so I could end it - but he was happy to strike me hard every time he got back up. That was a heck of a lesson.

We had a talk about this in karate during our beginner course and the basic things our teacher told us was that always be aware of your surroundings, never expect that the attacker is working alone and if you can run away as fast as you can.

@neilquechon8716

3 жыл бұрын

It's one of the only downside to MMA for me. It's one of the best (even maybe the best) practice to learn to fight but there is a lot more into real case of self défense than just sparring fight... it even can give some bad habits... but still a fucking lot less than a lot of fantasy martial arts. And the lot of sparring give you the spirit to fight... wich is way more important than simple "technic" (I even considere the fact to be aware of your surrounding into "technic", because if you froze up... you won't even be able to do it 🤷‍♂️)

Thanks for being so honest! I'd like to add: as someone who most of my life had a low testosterone reading, practiced Judo and Karate but never getting past greenbelt because of my lack of aggression and determination; I recognise now that all that could have been improved if I would have sought some sort of testosterone treatment. Seriously, I'm convinced that first of all it was overlooked in my time of puberty 9 to 14 and also I really could have used a personal trainer, someone who should have encouraged and pushed me more. I only proved myself later in life and it wasn't in the Martial Arts but was tested in other ways. Anyway, that's my take on the subject. (I should also mention that if you come from a background of trauma in the formative years (2-5 yrs. Old) or a household with either an absent Father or an abusive Father, this could also stunt or damage your nervous system or "self esteem".)

Hmm the blaming tactic. Your old aikido teacher knew how to keep the curtain in place

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Yup...

@asarishepard8171

3 жыл бұрын

@@MartialArtsJourney i love your videos, man. i watch a variety of topics that show pinpointing lies and liars. in this way you uncovered something in that old aikido teacher thats worth taking away.

@entengummitiger1576

3 жыл бұрын

To be fair I would assume that the old aikido teacher totally believes in what he thinks is truth

@brunoboettcher8921

3 жыл бұрын

Just ran across that one... Can't Believe that your teacher blamed you for "not using aikido " unfit to be an aikido teacher... well I teach that you might enter realm of self defense with aikido once you have a comfortable 4th dan, but that running is allways better :) besides what you startet was Aikido, every Aikido technique starts with Atemi, and as you pointed out, your error was to stay after that first success....

When I was in my teenyears I was a very fearless person, I wasn't afraid of anyone. So it's amazing to see how you had this story with fear and tried so hard to conquer it.

You discovered the reality of violence that day. That's an extremely rough awakening that most people never even get, don't be ashamed of the way you reacted.

So, I've enjoyed watching your videos since your aikido days... this is what I've concluded and this is not an insult on you or your journey. You always struck me as a very timid guy, a thinker, very handsome, a great smile, and a lover rather than a fighter. I know you want to be a bad ass, but I think you have qualities that are so much better than that. I see you using your brains more than your brawn and you've clearly done this in the ending of this story. You cultivated confidence in yourself and that can sometimes win fights without ever getting into fighting situations. That's what martial arts is basically all about! It looks like you've found some good things in your MMA training and it's all good, but please don't get hit in the face!

@clivewells7090

3 жыл бұрын

...someone's got a crush..! X

@claredin

3 жыл бұрын

@@clivewells7090 do ya blame me?! :) but seriously, i'm too old for Rokas :)

@clivewells7090

3 жыл бұрын

@@claredin now, now, it's well known that: "a real lady is only as old as the Rokas in her tuckas!" X

@zurechtweiser

2 жыл бұрын

Do not listen to her. She tries to frame you as someone you are not. Based on your genes she tries to tell you that you are meant to be a certain way and fighting, standing up for yourself, you were not meant for it. Women like that also put people like you in the friendzone. She is very good at doing this, which is why it sounds soothing to you, but it's like taking drugs that leave you much worse off once you wake up.

Thanks for an honest and interesting story

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

🙏

Thanks for sharing this, I can relate. That paralyzing fear of violence can be a real shock. When I was younger I was beaten up and hospitalized by a guy in highschool. As he bashed my face, time seemed to slow down but all I could do was watch as his fists hit me. It was weird. It was like, I knew I should be blocking the hits, I was just incapable of moving... it was so far out of what I was used to, so much aggression, shocking. After the attack I just felt detached, removed from care. He'd thrown everything he could at me, busted up my face, yet I was no longer afraid of him after that. My family sent me to Kyokushin karate lessons after that clumsy episode and I loved it. The most important thing I learned was that self defense was about avoiding harm, the power of a strong connected voice and knowing that I can take a hit. It's helped me to confidently use words to avoid harm when I've since encountered danger to myself and others in the city... It's not so good in a sparing match though but hey, It's only been 25 years, I'm still learning. :)

Rokas the honest. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. You are an inspiration to me.

This makes me grateful that my sensei believes in functional martial arts...

I just watched a bunch of your videos and damn... you're the most humble person I've ever seen. Like... ever. I'm no trained martial artist, but I have learned as much as I possibly can through instructional videos and practicing against friends, and teaching them what I learned so we could be on a level playing field and train together. I did this for a few years in my early 20's. I grew up on Mortal Kombat, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, and Tony Jaa movies, and at a very young age I would mimick all of their moves as closely as possible in their fight scenes. I took as many free classes that I could from all of my local MMA gyms and found that while I was nowhere near good enough to fight competitively, I was definitely able to defend myself. I wish I would have stuck with it despite my back injury that happened when I was 20. I was always too afraid to re-injure myself to go full force in training. In hindsight, I could have done much more than I did. Now I'm just a 31-year-old guy who drinks too much and has a huge belly and am WAY out of shape. I'm embarrassed where I've ended up. I've always loved martial arts, and I wish so much that I would have done something with it because I'm sure that I could have been very good. Even in my free classes, the coaches all told me that I was a natural because I understood how and why certain moves worked and had a general understanding of martial arts, and they all said I was very teachable and soaked up techniques like a sponge.

Your honesty is definitely appreciated

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Thank you for this. You've pretty much lived it for me and I appreciate you sharing so candidly. Now and after all of this, do you see that there might be any place within mma training for where aikido might be useful? Also, I've seen a video in which blocking is called useless and cover-crash(in)-and cut(the angle) is said to be best. I thought it actually looked a lot like aikido' s raised tegatana-irimi-tenkan. I guess I'm asking if you think the way of training aikido were changed could it be more useful and less a waste of time?

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

I don't think Aikido is very useful on a physical level in MMA. It would take a lot of time to make Aikido effective and the question is - why not train something which is already made effective instead?

Fighting is more about the mind than most think.

@TheIronhyde1

3 жыл бұрын

yes & no, If u have mind without body, u will still have to accept the reality that you'r body is incapable of winning. But If u train ur body & skill, you'r mind will be at ease knowing very well that your body is capable of taking the hit.

Holy shit. Subscribed. the ending gave me goosebumps. It takes a lot of courage to do what you’ve done

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Hamad!

The Martial Artist that conquers his fear rules the battle field of life! Most people fail in MA because they fear being hurt, or fear hurting others, or both. Your journey has taught you well grasshopper. Continue on. We are with you!

I faced being hurt and attacked by learning to enjoy violence and pain over time.

You are a good storyteller! I never heard of the force Adidas guys.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Many Aikido practitioners feel like you, totally defenseless in danger o heated situations and decided to practice something else. Others feel confidence and when the first punch was throw things got from bad to worse and decided to practice something else. Aikido seems to be a dogma in itself and with a large amount of students. Anyway I appreciate what you said. For sure was not easy. But we all know when other guys are trying to really hit you in many different ways that martial art is not adequate for it. Really happy you posted this, tell about it and let other Aikido people know!!

I really like your honest self assessment and perception of your journey.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks 🙏

Getting attacked on the street is simply a different deal than 90% of training. If you want to train for it, you have to. You have to learn the fence or something similar, have some skill in noticing violent behavior precursors, knowing when people are going to attack and when they are bluffing, etc. It's as much about psychology (more in fact) than it is about a physical strategy and handful of effective tactics. I mean, you need the physical part and the resistant training, etc...but that alone doesn't prepare for the kind of "fighter" you face in many "da street" situations. That situation with the homeless guy could have just as easily gone badly for you, these things are a balance between being confident and being realistic. IMO Geoff Thompson did self-defense with resistant training better than 90% of current MMA people do today, back in the 90's. The reason being that his is actually premised on the behavior surrounding violence, not just effective martial artist on martial artist violence.

@kwihan7262

3 жыл бұрын

I agree about the observation techniques, psychological tactics, etc. With that alone you can win fights without actually fighting. Regarding the homeless incident, those persons usually have a bad nutrition, don't sleep well and of course don't train. To me, chances were in favour of Rokas at that time. Unless the bum was carring a knife or similar. The machete guy incident instead, it was pretty dangerous. In both cases, I think Rokas self-confidence attained by training was central. If those potential attackers might spotted some signal of doubt or fear, the stories probably would have had a different outcome. I can understand he had a bad experience with aikido and when he found MMA it was like night and day. But to me, MMA is overrated. It works great in the cage and has a lot of benefits. But for the street self- defense situations there are better options.

@andrewruddy962

2 жыл бұрын

Train for the streets first. Street survival including improvised weapons. So called martial arts are sports. Pressure test for your strengths and weaknesses. Give a 100 percent concentration to your strengths and discard the rest. Geoff was a doorman and understood reality.

Don't be so hard on yourself. If you can exit a confrontation without anyone being hurt, that is a victory. I've seen people get shot and killed over an insult on social media. You never know what people are packing. A 2in box cutter can kill you in less than a second. Martial arts are great. But no replacement for conflict descalation or a gun.

Thank you for telling us about your journey.

Yes, I feel your story. I have a movement disorder, I was bullied in Jr, High and lacked confidence. Then I was at Utah State University took martial arts and acting classes. I am still on a martial arts journey too, Confidence matters. Thanks for sharing this video!

Great Video! I absolutely get the stories of the buff shirtless dude and the homeless guy and the way you have changed in the mean time, and it's great that you have gained the trust in yourself (which also translates into most situations being avoided anyway, because most people won't harrass someone that's confident) But wouldn't the situation where a crazy person is running around with a machete require the police? If I, lets say, see someone with a bomb (or what I would think is a bomb) I wouldn't be calm - I'd escape and call for help (even if you're the best fighter in the world..)

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Good point about the machete guy! In my situation he wasn't necessarily running around waving it and also too - I was a foreigner in a different country so it didn't feel natural for me to make that decision, given that nothing extreme was happening. One way or another I think you are making a good point and maybe I should have considered that option twice :) 👊

@Defender78

3 жыл бұрын

Ruckus, always good to see a video from you. When did this incident with the shirtless dude occur? Was this late into your aikido days? From what you make it sound that it was shortly b4 before you closed your dojo to pursue MMA

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Very good observation A Chaps. It was indeed about two years before closing my Aikido Dojo :)

@clivewells7090

3 жыл бұрын

If you were there you would probably deal with it automatically. Even if police get there in time you know others could be hurt, maimed or killed. Happened to my mate in the supermarket; security guard headbutted a shoplifter who then drew a knife. Lucky for the guard matey does silat and disarmed the perp but who knows how many people he has or will stab?

Fascinating story. Wow. I actually also from Lithuania, but I grew in so called "wild 90-ties" we didn't have groups like 'forsai' yet, but we had lots of alcoholics and hooligans around, street fights and school fights happened often. My sport was running back then. I was a peaceful runner, but later I had to cross train in martial arts because I was in a harsh school in which one better be able to defend himself or he'd be bullied and beaten all the time. So I started to do karate, boxing and later also aikido, but I was more of a karate guy. Actually I like aikido and I think it can be effective in certain situations, but it's best to mix it with some effective striking martial arts in my opinion. Back in my youth I mostly relied on karate and boxing, I was never able to use those things from aikido, however I seen others who used wrist/arm locks effectively even if they didn't look like in aikido demonstrations.

Hey Rokas, great to see you. Keep up the great stuff love your content and leaving a comment for te algorithm.

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Your journey has been about facing your fear. When you were only doing Aikido you were expecting to be confident in unfamiliar situations without considering that it is a grey area wherein you can be brave as well as scared to varying degrees at the same time. It's great to see that you have developed resilience and learned how to think of options in those confronting situations without being overwhelmed by fear. Any martial art or even non-denomination fighting experience or exposure will give you that skill and personal development.

I challenge all my bullies when I was in high school, Tae Kwon Do and Judo save my life at the time. Once I take on them, they never bully me again.

@m5a1stuart83

3 жыл бұрын

@@maxzhao8331 No all but some but maybe most, since they train with different perspective. The old days was about how to knock out your opponents, the sabeum even encourage us to do so. But today just for points. Just a small touch and it is done, you get the point and won the match.

@m5a1stuart83

3 жыл бұрын

@@maxzhao8331 That happen in 1998-1999. I join Tae Kwon Do twice. When I was a kid and when I was a teenager. Judo when I was at high school. I quit in early 2006 for about 6 years in Judo, and 3 years in TKD. So after I get my red belt, I quit TKD and focuses more on Judo until I was a Brownbelt.

@rstlr01

3 жыл бұрын

Years of devoted training in freestyle wrestling. 1 fifteen year old and 3 seventeen year olds walked into the boys bathroom. That was the day I was glad my father would not let me quit.

@TexZenMaster

3 жыл бұрын

@@rstlr01 It sounds like Stuart here hunted down his "bullies" for the sake of ego. I hope in your case, they became physical first.

@rstlr01

3 жыл бұрын

@@TexZenMaster I was the odd bookworm with glasses That was homeschooled until the age of 14. Somehow I drew the anger of a senior classmen. Sadly I struck first when they tried to block me in a bathroom stall so I failed to live up to your standard.

FEAR is one of the most HEALTHY emotions that you will ever be Lucky enough to have because it is an Animalistic Natural Form of PROTECTION period don't be Afraid to use your FEAR AS A POWER { Spider Sense } not everyone gets that tingling feeling moments before real Trouble

@dennischrysanthopoulos5011

3 жыл бұрын

Some just curl up in a ball though. the body has the fight or flight. Running is good, fighting and either getting smashed or winning have the same euphoric feeling. This that curl up and get smashed end up with PTSD, running expells the adrenalin as does fighting win or lose, not fighting is traumatic.

@verybarebones

3 жыл бұрын

@@dennischrysanthopoulos5011 ptsd requires and deserves therapy though. It's your fear not working properly just like a broken leg wont run. Leave it to the professionals.

The fact you journeyed to your childhoods end goal despite the obvious hurdles is the greatest part of this story. Most people would have quit from shame when their students lost respect, or decided moving countries was too large a dream to achieve. Some climb the mountain through the pain Some just watch & wonder why Thanks for this, very inspiring 👍

Thank you sir! This means so much more than you realize

@MartialArtsJourney

3 жыл бұрын

I'm really happy to hear this!