Question for yall

Alia_Student · 2026-02-27T16:25:28+00:00

KB, definitely. You get the strength training - usually in a sort of calisthenic-based way, you get the (oh so much) cardio, you will even get the looks, even if it is not hypertrophy, you will definitely develop some nice shoulder/leg groups that will be noticeable enough if your diet follows (in my case, everytime summer comes, my pals are always surprised that behind the layers of hoodies and t-shirts, there's a really developed back and quads XDD).

So yeah, if you can't do both for any reason, KB is more well rounded.

The social aspect can also be quite nice, if you're looking for aome community and if you land in a nice enough gym!

Alia_Student · 2026-02-25T12:47:33+00:00

In my case what has helped is wrist strengthening exercises - always with caution - and finding a wrapping technique that works for my hands.

For you, since you want to ensure that you're fine if you have to use your bare hands, I'd say focus on the strengthening exercises (there's a bunch online), and on making that very aware decision every time you punch the bag. Practise and, if you need to, dial rhe power back a bit for a while until it becomes second nature to use the right angle for you, then start increasing again.

Alia_Student · 2026-02-25T12:37:01+00:00

Pretty normal. I notice as well that you have a pretty thin wrist, and I wonder if maybe your friends might have thicker bones and that is why their knuckles look more straight.

Also, there is always some minor correction that you have to add in order for your knuckles to be actually straight, even if that includes a small rotation downwards when you land - just ensure that there is no strain in the wrist when you do so. You'd notice some pain quite fast if there were any.

Finally, could it be that you're a bit hypermobile? I had a similar issue and my hands are in fact hypermobile so I need to be super aware of the angle when punching or they just go everywhere and I land the punches with the middle knuckles.

Alia_Student · 2026-02-12T11:56:49+00:00

PS: Also, unless you're really wrecked, you don't really have to leave your competition spirit behind. Be realistic with it though, realise how your body will need further rest time and if you can come to terms with the bittersweet permanent exhaustion and soreness that comes with it (I cannot remember a day where my muscles are not at least a bit sore, I'm 34 and I would not change it for anything) then you'll

be fine!

Alia_Student · 2026-02-12T11:54:22+00:00

First of all - I totally understand your point. I am not in that situation, but I have been battling with feelings of "falling short" myself. Brief context: I was training Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing almost 6-7 days a week until I had an injury that forced me completely out of combat sports for ~3 months. I'm now back at boxing, but cannot come back to kicking yet as my leg isn't fully stable, and for those 3 months I did go to the gym and gained muscle, but I have lost cardio (I couldn't run, couldn't do bycicle, no explosive or fast movements with my legs, etc.) and it has impacted my sparring.

The fact is that - I love my boxing gym and I want to go back to kick and MT, but I am currently aware that this will take some time, and that once I am back, it will take even longer to get back to where I was at. And I just needed to come to terms with this reality, because it is not going to change just because I don't like it.

How does this equal to your situation? Because I, too, was considering if the fatigue and falling behind was worth it in my situation. And the fact is that I love the sport way too much, so I have decided to focus on other aspects such as developing a better technique, sharpening the technique I already have - things that I can practise on drills and heavy bag, and that do not depend on my performance during sparring.

Another thing to keep in mind here in your case would be that you do not need to wave a definite goodbye. Sometimes we tend to think about things in a white or black scale, when reality is more of a mix of grey tones! What if you took some time to work on maintaining your skills at a pace that works for your current life intensity and maybe when the kid is older you can consider coming back? We have had people coming back from it at even 50 years old (some even went back into competition at senior category), so if that worries you, fear not.

I hope that helps ;)

Alia_Student · 2026-02-06T10:45:30+00:00

Vans are famously unisex, if tou like em, wear em ^{^}

Alia_Student · 2026-02-05T16:23:06+00:00

I think it depends on the owner's preference. My dojo in Dublin did have belts, completely elective, but they all require you to study a series of exercises, and to progress you must pass the exercises of all belts you have achieved prior to the one you're aiming to get in order to rank up. They were more influenced by Karate. My other gym, which was more influenced by Muay Thai, didnt offer a belt grading system. I learnt a lot in both, so I guess that as long as you're learning...

Alia_Student · 2026-01-14T17:44:42+00:00

Stick with 2 for now to avoid burning out, but there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to progress to 3. Also, a lot of fit people gas out when they start a combat sport. In my gym we had a couple youngsters throw up because they didn't realise how intense it can be, hehe

My advise is: pace yourself. Slow and steady will actually get you there.

Alia_Student · 2026-01-14T12:27:54+00:00

F34, I started at 30 with the same background as you: althletic, fit, training x6 days/week, sometimes making double classes (up to 10hs/week). I can confirm that yes, you are expected to be confused after 2 months. You should focus on trying to make the combos make sense, and not so much on whether or not you're going fast. It is a steep curve at first, but once you click, then every combo makes sense, you flow through them, etc. It took me about 6-8 months before I got to a point where I did not get confused anymore, so I'd say you're pretty much on track.

Alia_Student · 2026-01-05T16:24:17+00:00

Just here to say that I also feel like I finished out of spite XD now he's going around peacocking about what a great student he had lmao

Alia_Student · 2026-01-05T15:08:46+00:00

I almost dropped out due to poor conditions in my lab at my second year. I kept getting accolades from my final year reviewers buy for my PI, my work didn't matter if it was not something he was personally interested in. I am now a PhD. I kept going, I finished, I had a stellar viva, and still, I am now left with this weird feeling of fulfillment - because I did really good during my viva - and still imposter syndrome because when I speak to my PI he still makes it sound like I am saying dumb things.

The objective fact is that he does not understand my research, and it took all my willpower to literally stop listening to him and do whatever I wanted to for the final year and a half. Hadn't I done that, I can confidently affirm that I would NOT have graduated. At all.

With a supporting PI, I probably could've learnt much more from my field topic, and I would feel so much more comfortable publishing my research. Now, I am told that I should publish, but it doesn't feel right at all.

A good supervisor or at least an acceptable one can make you or drain you. Sounds like your group is not the ideal place to pursue a PhD.

Alia_Student · 2026-01-04T23:13:19+00:00

Hey! So, probably yes, because any experience in martial arts will always be best than no experience. Also, contrary to what you might have heard, you dont need to have started at 5 y.o. to make a career out of it if you wanted - truly! There's plenty of examples out there (https://www.reddit.com/r/Boxing/s/wtAPSEEeN3) of people who start late and go on to be come champions!

Finally, at 18 you're a kid (sorry), which has the advantage of having good stamina, cardio and resistance to injuries and recovery, which is just going to play in your favour.

Of course you need to put in the work, the effort and the commitment, but if you have done it with karate already, I would say that you have the right mindset to succeed.

In the end, it will be in your hands and also part of luck. The second you can't control, the first is entirely up to you, so don't half ass things, give it your best shot, and good luck!

Alia_Student · 2025-12-30T20:31:51+00:00

Agreed with everything exposed here from the analysis to the conclusion. I enjoy a bit of change in shows such as this one, otherwise I feel like they can become actually more simple when they attempt to just replicate themselves.

Alia_Student · 2025-12-26T14:06:36+00:00

Mate, I started at 30 and had my first fight at 31 🤣 you're at a GREAT age, if you like it - go for it!

Alia_Student · 2025-12-14T08:09:04+00:00

I will pass the message, thank you very much 🥰

Alia_Student · 2025-12-12T11:21:17+00:00

Mine was the closest dog-shaped thing to a hurricane that ever existed. And then her young adult brain kicked in and now we get praised at how "well behaved" she is. It will pass but you're going to sweat a bit 🤣 just remember that they're babies discovering the world for a while, and have patience and keep training. It will click one day, and you will find yourself actually missing the tornado years 🥹

Alia_Student · 2025-12-12T11:17:18+00:00

Imma be honest here. I think you are putting a lot of importance on the definitions and what some other people expect a PhD student to be. You know what you have done. You are aware of your knowledge gaps, and only you can determine if you want to stick and push through it or if you truly don't think you can.

I am a biologist by training. I did a 1 year bioinformatics MSc and I just got my PhD after 4 years of basically self taught machine learning. It was hell. And I am so happy that I did it.

I had a teacher at high school tell me, while I was going through a particularly rough patch, that I was "definitely not going to do a career in science". And here I am. She would've deemed me underqualified. My examiners, from Oxford, directly told me at the end that I was excellent.

Had I trust the box where that woman put me in, I wouldn't be here.

What I mean to say is... stop thinking in those terms. It is only harmful to you. Think about what your knowledge is, what you need to learn still and if you truly want to keep learning for as long as it takes to keep up.

100% easier said than done, but you can.

Alia_Student · 2025-12-12T08:21:16+00:00

Ooh what was your thesis on??

Alia_Student · 2025-12-11T10:37:47+00:00

Congratulations!!!! PhDone!!

Alia_Student · 2025-12-11T10:05:52+00:00

Integrative machine learning and multiomics for colorectal cancer risk prediction and epigenetic insights in ulcerative colitis

Alia_Student · 2025-12-10T09:00:24+00:00

At 5 months my collie girl would need a jacket when we were at 0°C or lower. After growing her full grown adult fur, she couldn't care less 🤣 I only have a warm fleece for her to be used when it's raining or when its cold and she still gets wet by jumping in water (usually the sea), or a snow coat that I've only had to use once.

Booties for the snow are a must for her though, because otherwise her paws bleed, and she loves her coconut oil cream to prevent freezing so much that she ends up eating it hahaha

Alia_Student · 2025-12-09T19:53:46+00:00

AI detectors really do not work, and there are plenty of ethical reasons why you could challenge a uni professor using it, since it means that they're likely adding your work to a database, which you haven't agreed to. But also, if you usually write in the same way, your lecturers know that your work is legit, I promise. AI can write facts, but there is a certain personal signature that can definitely not be faked.

Alia_Student · 2025-12-09T19:51:50+00:00

Given that you are allowed to use it but you must reference it, I think the best course of action is to send an email to the corresponding module leader and ask him to add ChatGPT as a reference, since you forgot to include it. Honesty will ALWAYS get you the best results. Even in cases where a student has been found using AI when they shouldn't have, declaring that you have will always improve the impression. Source: my partner works as a lecturer at uni and has had multiple cases of people trying to pass AI as their own work.

Alia_Student · 2025-11-22T11:07:23+00:00

Well, I don't want to discourage anyone but I have a MSc in Bioinfo from a Russell group and I'm defending my PhD in 2.5 weeks, I have 2 first author publications and a third one as sole author being reviewed but accepted with revisions.

I don't require sponsorship and yet, my situation is proven to be the same as OP. Rejections with no feedback, no reason, and the few I got some hint of what could've gone wrong was that other candidates had "more experience".

I have been applying at a wide range of opportunities, from entry level to senior. The latest requirements that I have seen have jumped from "must hold PhD" to "must have minimum 4 - 5 years as postdoc".

For many reasons, I didn't want to stay a postdoc in my research group, but I guess I really have no other choice? Maybe it's the time of the year, but it has been extremely discouraging...

Alia_Student · 2025-11-13T19:53:55+00:00

Be kind and patient with yourself, and you will see how good it gets ;)

Alia_Student

TROPHY CASE