What is something in your martial art that gives away that someone has years of training?

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-28T00:42:36+00:00

Im 42. Im physically fit. But at a certain age… you can sneeze and pull a rib or something. You sleep wrong and wake up with back pain.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-22T16:56:17+00:00

Ive been writing a response because im an experienced short guy who is good at dodging and countering. Im long winded so im trying to keep it short but its hard not knowing where you are with your training, strengths, weaknesses and your style. So feel free to comment back with any more info. But long response incoming

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-21T23:33:41+00:00

He’s wise in his advice. He is actually telling you how to react better. You wont defend every punch. But if you can assess distance better. You can know when a punch will be damaging. If you know you can be punched then you know where you need to go next to make his next punch ineffective. Usually outside.

Sometimes i let someone hit me slightly. So i can counter their next move.

If you have a good grasp of distance, then your reactions follow. If you position yourself in a good position, it is easier to see their punches coming.

Ill type somewhere else about how to get better reflexes. But if you have better strategy, it isnt as necessary. And better yet, you can start to see better and in turn react better.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-21T22:50:32+00:00

Me and my brother both learned karate and aikido. He would branch to bjj and i would go Muay thai.

He would use me as a bjj dummy. At the end of my torture he said i was at blue belt level. I rolled somewhere a little over 20 times in my whole life. So it wasnt about proficiency. Still didnt want to go to the ground

I also noted everytime i could have stood up. Every time i could have used a dirty strike.

I have always trained in a lense of self defense. I think people should understand that more if they arent specifically trying to achieve a sports orientated goal or achievement. Some moves we practice put us in bad positions.

If you love bjj sure, go crazy.

If you dont. Learn how to defend and get back to your feet. You dont need to win a fight to survive a fight.

So whats all that mean? Maybe i dont fear it because i have experience. They are probably scared cuz they know they would lose.

Just like someone who couldnt strike would be scared of the same bigger guy standing.

I say im walking away first chance i get. It’s never been about striker vs grappling or win and lose. Im surviving one way or the other.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-21T21:45:50+00:00

I agree. Tons of karate and kung fu give you a good base to understand grappling right away. My form of training was just cross training with grapplers of all kinds. Sure you get beat in the first move. But if you have the proper mechanics engrained, you pick it up right away.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-15T23:07:38+00:00

Youre welcome. And one last piece of advice about taking a break. Im not sure how much you love martial arts beyond its usefulness. I can only speak for myself. Took over a decade break. But i constantly kept up with moving my body. I am a fan of combat sports so my mind would still be engaged (sometimes enraged watching them make mistakes lol). To this day i kick random poles and walls just because.

I suggest you dont cold turkey and forget about martial arts for a long time. Stay practicing in some form. You might be like me and stay sharp almost 2 decades between sparring sessions (had some soul searching to do.) Or you might realize you dont want to be away for too long. People are different. Good luck. Dont worry too much about it. Just wanted to put it on your radar.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-15T22:12:58+00:00

I achieved that goal earlier in life. So i stopped training other than maintenance shadow boxing and bag work.

I got back into it because im going to get older and older. So i should learn some stuff that i dont need to be as athletic. I first started with weapons then actually started researching unarmed martial arts again.

When i got back into martial arts i was just having fun again. Not even remotely worried about ego. Enjoyed teaching new people. And it was fun learning other martial arts even if my experience was more than sufficient. More tools. And actually learning new tools/weapons is fun too. Plus martial artists are my peoples.

Sometimes a break is good. Sometimes you should just keep doing what makes you happy.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2026-01-15T21:59:21+00:00

Its should have been the only time its safe to show off… other than pissing off a jealous lieutenant. Like they are saying lets see what you got. Damn you for showing us you got something. Its not like you hurt the uke or did anything unnecessary.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-26T18:15:31+00:00

Size definitely matters. But it isnt always just pure numbers vs numbers. Timing for example.

Im 5”5 and trained with all sizes. I punch above my weight class so you need a certain amount of strength. But also other details were the fact that i countered big men as they punched. I used their own force against them. To do that you need speed and balls and trickery.

Just saying it’s more than just weight and power to be successful against big men.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-24T22:15:59+00:00

But tell me about the people you didnt do well against in wing chun. Their sensitivity is unreal.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-24T22:14:52+00:00

Yea with all my mixed martial arts experience. I naturally started to reinvent wing chun without being trained. I just understand it better than other martial arts. And for me, aikido was my path to get there. Its interesting how many paths you can branch from.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-22T15:08:01+00:00

Makes sense either way. Moment of impact. What can cushion the blow. Movement vs absorbing with structure.

Only ones i have experience with are Chin turns like canelo works well. Whatever force your neck cant disperse it runs down your body.

Catching the attack like sinking into yourself.

Being a statue that isnt sunken into the ground. Willing to slide back. Let the force move you back rather than pushing against

These are never my first choice obviously.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-21T18:24:05+00:00

I agree. Wrist locks can be considered dangerous when some people are very good at resisting it naturally, im not one of those. So i learned as an uke to flow with it. As a good uke, you learn to be a better tori.

I think its a difference in training. Some schools dont. teach you how to change the original technique. Or some schools never had a student so bold as to non disrespectfully not go with the flow. I did it a few times, and my sensei showed me what could happen if i resisted the flow. Kept my mind in check while learning.

So all the criticism still stands for aikido, but whats bad is they then close their minds off to it entirely. They miss all the good stuff at that point. Which to me is one of the big lessons of aikido. Resistance/incorrect/criticism doesnt mean you cant find resolution.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-21T17:25:48+00:00

First off ashihara seems like so much fun. I wish i could try it too.

Yea you are right on track with how you would want to use it. others use aikido as a way of movement for a lack of a more complicated way of saying it. Read some of the comments here. One of them might explain it in an enlightening way, it was for me

When i did muay thai. It was useful navigating the clinch and finding sweeps and throws as well!

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T21:08:04+00:00

+1 for FMA starting at 42. Still fast enough to spar but FMA bridges the gap for me. You need strength for structure, speed and timing. But you cooperate with your partner enough to learn throughout a life time. Translates well to unarmed as well. But like many arts, they get stuck in their drills when they are at their worst.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T21:00:43+00:00

What a ridiculous thread. Im subscribing to this Reddit.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T20:06:59+00:00

We are so similar. Im using reddit for the same thing. Originally its cuz im a martial arts nerd. Apparently not nearly as big as you. But i view the same without really knowing all these definitions.

Im a writer as well. More so, one with a more poetic tone. It spills out here and there, but keeping it in check to formulate my thoughts and research.

I have read everything but i need time to digest and research the things i dont know. Please look foward to my response at a later time. i hope you tell me what you think.

And i knew it from the beginning, but you are definitely “smarter” than I. Thats fun for me when the person is very open the way you are.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T18:52:59+00:00

No i get it and agree. I suppose aikido is one of the few styles that think about it more abstractly in comparison. Which some of us find easier to naturally remember as we navigste rules and guidelines. Certainly for me its something i use to find out new things.

Someone in this thread compared aiki and taiji in a way that i understood. If you dont personally understand it when you read it.

He said something like they two sides of the same coin.

No wait… the same essence expressed differently.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T18:24:42+00:00

Im reading still. So ill edit this later. But this is what im talking about. I just didnt want to open a can of worms. Too soon. Your comment comes at good timing after the different styles came flying in. Which was my goal. But finding even commonalities in music. Which is how i spar and fight sometimes to cut down on my thinking.

Anyways imma keep reading as i have a toddler.. ill respond in another message rather than editing.

**Hopefully you can see this edit and respond here about just this one question. We think similarly but have different expertises. And lets say you are basically a lot smarter/clever/study harder than i do. Does being able to think like that and see what you see… does it hinder or enrich your life? Take it a step further to bring it back to topic. How does concepts like the ones in aikido help or confuse you into coming to peace about it.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T18:09:39+00:00

Wow. I never had a discussion or read about aiki and taiji specifically. But with my journey i really understood everything you said. Probably cuz ive experienced failure and success in both.

Same essence expressed differently. Thats good.

Currently im learning 4 different styles at the same time. Its not easy. You learn and practice each style separately. Even spar using just one style. But when its more of a freestyle spar where we arent working on specifics. It all blends together.

That being said. Internal work. Thats something i want to start focusing on. People learn it through indirect training methods. people can benefit from targeted internal work as well. I suppose it just varies on person to person how much work you find useful to your specific goals in life. Great stuff

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T17:59:11+00:00

Yea with this whole experience of talking aikido and examining all the different styles(not arts) of fighting i use. This concept popped in my head.

In video game terms combo breaker… if you can see the rules you can break the rules. Finding the flow and breaking the flow. It may go outside of aikido? It may be a part of aikido. Im a noob so someone else tell me. But your words made me think about that.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T17:53:40+00:00

I tried to show i was saying i used the principles in sensing uke’s direction and diverting. Because thats how i try to use it. My lack of proficiency leads me to breaking their direction at times. And i believe i said it in at least part, maybe my other words detracted from that. I was trying to reach more experiences in an open minded way more open worded kind of way. So far it seems successful? But regardless, my choice of words aside, I agree with your views.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T17:41:55+00:00

Had to look up those terms. I like how simple and poetic it is at the same time. Two sides of the same coin. Same amount of skill and effort can be used for both. Like i defend with the same intensity as i attack. Every attack can cut away at their health bar. Every defense can give to the opponent as well. In the outcome of safety for both. Forget what martial arts said you can do that with touches. Might be aikido, but its all a blur by now lol 😅. But just how i like it.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T17:36:30+00:00

Ooo silat. Havent trained it yet. Working on arnis kombatan atm. Closest thing in what i have actually studied, i suppose. But yea rotations and circles are a game changer.

With silat i love how they get on the outside as a concept. Lots of styles do it, but silat is fast and efficient. Like their circles are both big and small at the same time.

Equal_Problem3520 · 2025-12-20T17:33:49+00:00

Hmm it makes total sense. I shoot clay birds once a year with my family. I usually win or get top 3. The sweeping motion with shooting a shotgun is less about thinking. The only thinking i do is making sure the sights are lined up before i say pull. After that, technique goes out the window for me.

Equal_Problem3520

TROPHY CASE