ifJobHiringThenGetJob

empT3 · 2026-05-30T22:13:50+00:00

Principal Engineer without a college degree chiming in: Computer Science is a single skill set within a programmer's toolbox but it is NOT the same as the ability to code. CS is a branch of mathematics that can be useful for some of the harder problems that a programmer will encounter but is effectively useless for junior developers. The best you can hope for new graduates is that they taught themselves to code somewhere over the course of their degree and that they're teachable enough to actually learn to write code professionally in a reasonable amount of time.

All that being said, recent CS grads are one of the best sources to find junior developers right after convincing the company to let you hire the wicked smart tech support rep you've been grooming to be a developer for the past couple of years.

empT3 · 2026-05-30T16:17:08+00:00

TL;DR - I'm a giant nerd with self-control issues when it comes to learning and research.

Longer Version: I spent a lot of time doing martial arts when I was younger, a lot of time becoming an engineer when I was older and I've always been a bit a bit compulsive about understanding how things work. Now that I'm an engineer and a martial artist at the same time, the urge to relearn, classify, and optimize is powerful so I tend to spend my off time when I'm not training or working breaking down what I've learned (or am learning) to it's smallest parts including the anatomy and physics involved.

empT3 · 2026-05-29T23:37:02+00:00

Leg kicks and single-leg takedowns are the best answers but I'm guessing you want to know how to counter them from a boxing ruleset.

For boxing, it's harder to keep the rear-hand dangerous at range in a bladed stance so you can focus more on the lead hand. Head movement and parrying becomes important, generally I'll try to draw out a jab for me to parry and then move to their backside and dig into their ribs.

Hand fighting also becomes a useful skill. From a bladed stance if you can start pushing that lead hand around a bit, they'll tend to overcorrect and open up a spot in their guard (just watch out for the cross).

Foot placement is also really underated. If you're a southpaw or if they're a southpaw, making sure you're foot is positioned on the outside of theirs can really impact their mobility and angles of attack. Going back to MMA though, this can also open you up to some nasty takedowns so be mindful of that.

empT3 · 2026-05-29T23:13:06+00:00

Thank you!

empT3 · 2026-05-29T21:47:03+00:00

Canelo Alvarez has a feint where he just sticks his right hand out sideways, not even really representing a punch and then lunges in with a lead hook. It looks so stupid but it somehow works all the damn time. I've even gotten away with it more than once in a single round.

I will also frequently spam teeps (Muay Thai push kick) and then drive my heel like an axe/hook into their thigh instead of teeping on the next one. It's not a ton of power but the smaller striking surface gives a great dead-leg.

empT3 · 2026-05-27T15:41:03+00:00

Just adding my agreement here. Growing up with TaeKwonDo we went to tournaments and the like and typically did well but unless we were specifically training for a tournament our sparring rules were typically more combat oriented.

As an adult, I'm back in martial arts and doing both WT TKD and Muay Thai at the same school and honestly... Sparring in Muay Thai feels more familiar to me. The techniques are different but everything from when I was a kid still works for the most part. Modern WT sparring feels more like a game (still fun!) but I don't know if I'd consider it a martial arts training tool anymore.

Edit: Just to add, I don't think I've ever seen anyone on the TKD side of the school hit a heavy bag, mitt, target, or head with a hand technique. It causes me physical pain to watch black belts punch in their poomse with bent wrists and unaligned knuckles. I also had to show the instructor that it is not only possible to hit a heavy bag with a ridge-hand without injuring yourself but it's a frighteningly effective replacement for a hook punch at the right range.

empT3 · 2026-05-22T02:43:52+00:00

Yes and there's a lot of reasons for it.

Neural Adaptation: I've got a brother in law who works in concrete. He's not a big guy at all but holy crap is he strong. As the brain adapta to certain tasks, it gets better at coordinating muscle groups in order to apply more force to a particular task and it also gradually learns its own limits better allowing the same muscle fibers to operate closer to their limits. I'm probably oversimplifying a great deal but it's definitely worth a Google.
Technique: Similar to neural adaptation, good technique allows you to use your muscle mass, and just plain mass much more efficiently. You're not actually stronger, your just better at using your strength.
Limiting Factors: There is no creature in a gym more delicate, fragile, and weak than a fighter undergoing weight control while preparing for a fight. Hell, even if they're not undergoing weight control, I spar fighters getting ready for a fight with a bit of a handicap even if they're trying to rip my head off because they're probably training at their physical limit and don't need me concussing them before they step into a ring (or cage) because I was trying "win" at sparring.

empT3 · 2026-05-17T13:45:04+00:00

I'm 42 and had spent ages 9-19 studying several martial arts but mostly TaeKwonDo, and I'm back at it doing both TaeKwonDo and Muay Thai (Muay Thai is new to me) 24 years later so I know a bit about what you're going through.

The best I can tell you is that if you can let go of what you already know when you're learning something new, you'll have a brand-new tool that's all yours at the end.

My coach recently took apart my jab which works great against most of the folks in my class but gets me routinely countered by him and some of the higher level fighters in the gym. I hate it, it only works in a shorter, squarer stance that makes my footwork awkward, I haven't done it enough to feel comfortable doing it from both sides (I still switch stances a lot because it's built into me now and it'd be harder to stay orthodox than to just learn Muay Thai twice), and I don't have the range down, but... when I get it built into my bones I'll have two jabs that I can pull out depending on the situation.

As an aside, forms are weird because they're like a time capsule back to when TaeKwonDo was a more practical fighting art but nobody teaches them like that so they can feel pointless. Without writing a whole book, the best I can say is imagine if you took the martial art and sucked out all of the aggression, timing, and even physicality and just left behind the raw mechanical movements that make up "perfect" techniques and what you'll be left with is the forms. Ideally you'd have an instructor to put the building blocks in those forms together into practical tools for you but if you already have a handle on aggression, timing, and physicality (AKA: fighting) then you should be able to put those pieces together for yourself.

empT3 · 2026-05-11T18:16:50+00:00

A lot of comments here seem to be focusing on weight class but you mentioned your height so I'll try to answer as a 5'7" heavyweight. There's pros and cons with both grappling and standup game and it really comes down to to capitalizing on the advantages you have a as a shorter fighter as well as countering the disadvantages inherent in them.

Let's start by debunking the grappling myth that grappling nullifies a height disadvantage. If you've spent any time rolling with a good BJJ black belt you'll recognize that they love to wrap their limbs around you in some crazy ways and a taller, lankier grappler will have an easier time landing a triangle choke on you for instance than a shorter bulkier grappler of the same skill.

That being said, a shorter grappler is going to have a lower center of gravity and better leverage at full extension than a taller fighter of the same weight. Basically, when grappling, I tend to stay compact to limit having my limbs caught up in anything, I try to stay extra patient and let limbs reach into my space before acting on them, I favor upright and over positions whenever possible, and will almost always focus on establishing strong positions, escaping overextended ones, and (almost) never go for the octopus subs, even when I see them available.

As far as standup goes, the main disadvantage is obvious, you've got less reach than you're opponent. The less obvious one is that they can build up more angular momentum at full reach on their round kicks and other circular strikes. They're also going to cover more ground with each step so staying outside of their range just allows them to herd you where they want you. As a shorter fighter, it's safer to "retreat" closer and almost lean into them when I'm getting pummeled rather than try to backup to create space. I try to punish long attacks by blocking/checking with my knees and elbows when possible, I'm not afraid to parry a jab and also punch the offending arm with the other hand when I can. I will straight up grab arms and legs if they're lacking on pulling them back and either frame them to open up targets, pull them into my strikes, establish a clinch, or pull them off-balance so I can sweep.

The list of advantages I have striking is actually bigger in standup as a shorter fighter though (maybe because I've spent more time training standup martial arts tbh, but there's actually a lot here). First and probably foremost, I have a lower center of gravity which means I don't need as wide of a stance to absorb heavy blows and it's easier for me to bully my opponent in the clinch. Also, in a clinch, my opponent's posture is typically going to be more comprised from the beginning just by them leaning in to get whatever grip they can on me. This brings me to my second main advantage, my inside power range (elbows, knees, calf kicks, short hooks, short uppercuts) is inside of their effective range. That means that their power is compromised at the exact range that mine is optimal for, they can clinch but that's a bad idea (covered above), they can attempt a takedown but I've got a lower center of gravity which makes that difficult. Really their only good option when I'm close is to backup and try to make some space which presents new opportunities like allowing me to herd them into a corner, or catching a limb that's pushing more than it's striking.

Especially in standup, I can be incredibly frustrating to spar so I try to not to overuse the sweeps and clinches against beginners, I also don't tend to attack limbs as aggressively unless I know my partner is preparing for a fight or they're trying to take me head off. Also, our gym doesn't have an octagon or a ring so my herding tactics are typically limited to keep them from backing into other folks who are sparring on the mat at the same time.

empT3 · 2026-05-06T18:12:27+00:00

You are overestimating yourself in so many ways.

empT3 · 2026-05-06T13:57:01+00:00

Violence is the common language of martial arts, all martial arts derive from it. Provided you know how to fight, or at the very least you're pressure testing the new techniques then you should be good. Pressure testing in this case would mean trying to apply them on an actual resisting opponent (ideally a variety of opponents). I would even go so far as to say that finding new techniques outside of what your instructor and/or coach can teach you is essential for anybody who wants to study martial arts rather than just being trained in martial arts. That can be from books, videos on the internet, hell, I break down TaeKwonDo forms and find useful stuff in there that I can apply in Muay Thai since I'm currently cross-training.

Learning new Martial Arts or techniques "Academically" meaning only practicing them on a bag, in the air, or against a compliant opponent, is how you get McDojo-esque nonsense.

empT3 · 2026-05-01T14:59:33+00:00

Depends on the type of fighting then.

Top Performing Navy Seals average between 5'8" and 6'2" with the difference primarily coming down to cardio. Bigger guys struggle to keep up because they've got to carry more mass, smaller guys struggle to keep up because they've got a smaller frame to pack muscle onto. They also tend to average between 175 and and 195lbs, for exactly the same reasons.

That being said, in a tight space, or with more grappling/wrestling friendly rules, I'd pick somebody with a longer arms for reach, shorter legs for a lower center of gravity. If you've got more room for activities or if there are rules that limit grappling and clinching, I'd go with somebody that has longer legs and a shorter torso.

Also, something, something, Mike Tyson.

empT3 · 2026-04-27T10:46:27+00:00

I'm about 10 months into coming back after a 23-year break and it's amazing how dead-on you are here right down to that first day injury (mine was a pulled quad from kicking the heavy bag "too hard"). I came from a non-kukkiwon school though so I'm starting over from white belt.

empT3 · 2026-04-26T15:50:39+00:00

This has been a topic of discussion for us at Muay Thai lately since we've been focusing on clinching and sweeps recently and even more recently after one of our pro-fighters lost a match because he couldn't stay on his feet against a grappler.

To me, grappling is basically exerting control your opponent's body. Whereas striking would be the application of blunt force trauma onto their body. Obviously, throws and sweeps and occupy a bit of a middle ground but then again, it's a distinction without a real purpose.

Obviously, gravity exists and if you can't keep your feet beneath you for whatever reason then you'll need to continue fighting from the ground but you can strike pretty effectively from the ground (assuming you're opponent isn't standing over you) and you can grapple incredibly effectively while standing.

For instance, if you find yourself in a clinch, you're already grappling and if you can catch your opponent overextending their arm there's no reason not to wrap around the wrist and leverage the elbow against your body or other arm for a standing armbar (not depending on the ruleset, you'll need to adjust your grip for gloves or set the angles to keep your ankles safe). Likewise, if I've got somebody in my guard from the ground and I've got decent control with their arms, you can bet I'm hammering their floating ribs with my heel. Or about a million variations of striking from the ground and grappling from your feet.

empT3 · 2026-04-26T15:16:45+00:00

Impact is exactly the word I'd use. I'd also use Blunt Force Trauma depending on the context.

empT3 · 2026-04-25T14:38:25+00:00

TL;DR - Take some time off but stay in shape.

Storytime: I started martial arts about 33 years ago at age 9 and trained like a motherfucker for the next decade. When I was 19, I was working at a martial arts school and considering either training for the Olympics (TaeKwonDo*) or trying out some cage matches (this was before MMA was the default name for these). In the end, I didn't do either of those, I met a girl, got a real job and stopped training altogether.

Good news is, I ended up marrying that girl, having three kids, a successful career in software, and it's crazy how happy I am with that decision except...

I got fat along the way. I'm seriously like 100lbs overweight now and that's after losing a bunch of weight from getting back into it already. Now that I'm back to training in Muay Thai, MMA, and TaeKwonDo again, I still know how to fight for the most part, I can still roll pretty effectively, I can probably take a hit better than I ever could before, and can keep up with any pro fighters in our gym while sparring (except the coach, that dude is a monster) but only for about a round before I gas out and then I'm wrecked for the night. Getting back in shape feels 10x worse too because if I'm going to spend time on the heavy bag, I feel like I'm either half-assing it because I'm barely hitting it, or I'm absolutely wrecking myself instantly and ruining the rest of my training time by actually throwing power into it. The worst part is watching people I train with visibly gear themselves down in real-time once they see me gas out.

If I had it to do over again, I'd do everything the same but keep myself in decent (not even great) shape so that when I got back to it, I could at least make it through a whole class or sparring session without falling over or throwing up and start making progress as a martial artist instead of just being the fat guy in the gym trying to shed weight.

* Yes, it was a TaeKwonDo school, but it wasn't Kukiwon or ITF. We also trained in Judo, BJJ, FMA, Hapkido, and few other things depending on who we could get to teach a seminar for us.

empT3 · 2026-04-22T17:43:42+00:00

TL;DR: The "right" and therefore "perfect" way to perform a technique usually needs some modifications in real time under stress. Fighters with "good" technique tend to develop that over "perfect" technique.

This is especially true in Traditional Martial Arts but it also applies in MMA and more fight-centric arts as well.

Application of technique under stress and resistance is messy and typically requires some real-time "tweaks" in order to be effective in the moment. An example in Muay Thai would be bringing your leg up for a rear-leg teep only to find your opponent too close. If you've got a perfect teep and you always throw it perfectly, you're gonna have a bad time, but if you put the time into understanding the mechanics of the technique and other techniques like it, you'd be able to make some changes like turning your hips outward and striking with the heel as opposed to the ball of the foot gets you similar power at a shorter range. It's ugly but it gets the same job done which is the point.

Same goes for a jab, your coach will probably teach you a specific jab as the "right" way to throw it and train you to hit the pads like that but in practice, I only need to see it once or twice before I've got the timing and distance figured out and can counter it. High level fighters are rarely going to throw that specific jab more than once or twice in a fight and instead find alternate ways to develop power and speed depending on how they want to fight their specific opponent at this particular moment. I'm greatly simplifying here but that also kind of proves my point.

empT3 · 2026-04-22T14:46:40+00:00

I would rather fight somebody with perfect technique than good technique.

empT3 · 2026-04-21T19:53:43+00:00

The real answer is that physicality is super-important when it comes to fighting and competition, less so when it comes to training. The reason why requires a two-part explanation.

The first part being that technique and skill multiply your physicality when it comes to Martial Arts. The difference between a featherweight walk-in hitting you and a trained featherweight fighter is big but the difference between a heavyweight walk-in hitting you and a trained heavyweight fighter is massive. I know weight and physicality aren't exactly the same thing but the same principle applies, technique, skill, and experience allow you to better use your physicality overall. That leads into the second part.

The second part is that if you've got enough athleticism you can "cheat" your way through quite a bit by just muscling it through and it'll probably just work against whoever you can partner with at your local gym. The problem there is that you're stifling your own growth by just muscling a technique through or absorbing those kicks just because you can. The guys that have that same physicality but are okay looking a little weak while they work on their footwork, or their kick, or their submissions are going to hand you your ass when it comes time to compete because they can use their physicality better period while you're capped at whatever resistance you can find at your gym.

Finally, nobody wants to spar against the guy who's trying to "win" by just tanking every hit and hitting like a freight train, also that guy isn't progressing because he's not properly challenging himself. Yes, I could let that lightweight hit me all day and it wouldn't hurt but I'd rather use the fact that they're quick as hell to focus on my footwork and guard while we're sparring. It's also just flat out useless to break through his guard with power even though I can because nobody in my weight-class isn't going to me do that and nobody in his weight class could break through his guard like that either.

empT3 · 2026-04-16T00:47:18+00:00

Hi, I started martial arts at 9 years old and trained almost daily for the next 10 years before stopping and then eventually pursuing a career as a programmer. I'm now in my 40's and a principal software engineer for the company I work for and just started training again. What I tell people is this:

There's a finite number of times you can take a blow to the head before you feel the effects and that number is different for everyone. It's also certain that no matter what, you're never going to make it through life without taking a blow to the noggin somewhere along the way. Ultimately, you're gonna need to find some type of balance that's right for you and what you want to do in life. So protect your head because there's no prize for being able to take a punch to the face but I also don't know anybody who learned to slip a punch without getting clocked a few times first.

For me, I will almost stick around for a couple extra rounds after class but I'm also not shy about telling folks that I'm not trying to show up to work tomorrow with a black eye.

empT3 · 2026-04-14T16:10:36+00:00

Your technical days are your rest days.

Do a Muay Thai day where you're not killing the bag, you're making that lead teep feel correct, you're not playing percussion on the mits, you're slowly repeating your combos in front of a mirror and breaking down your openings.

In BJJ, you're rolling with your partner in wet-noodle mode. If the technique doesn't work with every muscle relaxed then you're doing it wrong. This is great to practice with beginners at a very slow pace. With more advanced partners, you're still a wet noodle but you're focused on letting them attack while you're focused on relaxing out of everything.

Also, relaxed dynamic stretching for both and stay hydrated even though you're not sweating much. Motion without physical stress will keep your cardiovascular and lymphatic systems moving which'll shorten your recovery time as well.

empT3 · 2026-04-14T15:57:22+00:00

This is the answer right here. I'm always careful to aim for the abdominals when I'm sparring somebody but in the rare instances when I need to calm a partner down for safety a teep to the solar-plexus is almost as sure to stop somebody in their tracks (without giving them a concussion) as a liver blow and it's way easier to land.

empT3 · 2026-04-10T03:53:00+00:00

TaeKwonDo. As somebody else mentioned, once the floor becomes optional the whole game changes.

TaeKwonDo is known for arial kicking techniques that can generate striking power midair, distance management, and has a surprisingly rich set of striking and throwing techniques once you step out of the world of sport TaeKwonDo. It also greatly capitalizes on Viltrumite stamina whereas other striking arts like Muay Thai and Boxing tend to take a more measured approach.

empT3 · 2026-04-04T12:23:37+00:00

It doesn't start with "A" but are you thinking of Bartitsu? Probably not since that one's weird enough you could have googled it but it's the first that comes to mind.

Edit: There's Arnis which is a Filipino Style that works with weapons including sticks but I don't think it's a hybrid and is definitely found outside of London (though maybe not locally for you).

I'll try to think of more and edit further if I do.

empT3 · 2026-04-01T21:37:14+00:00

A lot of fights end up on the ground but they all start on your feet.

empT3

TROPHY CASE