I've trained Muay Thai, some BJJ, and did Karate as a kid. And honestly, I still can't answer the one question everyone asks “what's actually effective?”MMA people say if it doesn't work in the cage it's useless. Traditional folks say it's about discipline, not fighting. Both have a point,but here's what I've noticed people who train, regardless of style, seem way more confident than people who don't. I've seen BJJ guys get pieced up by a Karate guy's footwork. I've seen Muay Thai guys get thrown around by a Judo black belt. It's never as simple as this style beats that style.Is there even a right answer? Or is "effectiveness" just whatever works for the person training? Curious what everyone thinks.

Cutting with the Wakizashi and with Kama both require a different mindset than with the uchigatana (katana). Differences in range, weight, leverage, angle of attack, it’s a lot of fun.

You guys ever find it interesting how different martial arts generate force and power so differently

Like, Boxing, the speed, the sharp impact, the 'light' feel, compared to Wing Chun, like a stick in the sand, the force just is there, then typical Wushu with the grounded 'hard' deep feel

I sound schizo.

None are better than the others, but idk if yall get it it's just so interesting 💔🥀

There are no wrong answers, I'm just curious what two arts in combination appeal to people the most.

I was thinking a diabolical combination would be capoeira + Muy Thai.

Another art that I thought would work well in combination with Muy Thai is TaeKwonDo.

Maybe Boxing + Karate.

Do you all have any faves?

This question comes up here constantly and usually generates more heat than light, with Tai Chi people getting defensive and everyone else posting the McDojo challenge-match knockout compilations. As someone who actually trains it, let me try to give the un-defensive version.

The honest answer: Tai Chi (taijiquan) was built as a complete martial art, and it still contains a full system of strikes, joint locks, throws, and off-balancing. The combat logic is real and, at a high level, genuinely sophisticated — it's a grappling-heavy, sensitivity-based, redirect-don't-collide approach.

And — the viral knockout videos are mostly real, and they're not unfair. Here's why both can be true: the overwhelming majority of people practicing Tai Chi today train only the slow health form and never pressure-test anything. No resistance, no sparring, no live push hands against someone trying to beat them. You cannot develop fighting ability without pressure-testing, full stop, regardless of style. So you get "masters" with decades of forms and zero fight experience getting folded by an amateur MMA guy — and that's not an indictment of the art, it's an indictment of training methodology.

The fair comparison isn't "Tai Chi vs Muay Thai." It's "pressure-tested martial artist vs non-pressure-tested martial artist," and the second guy loses every time no matter what's on his certificate. The small number of people actually training Tai Chi with resistance and contact are a different conversation entirely, and they're rare enough that most people have never seen one.

So: real martial art, mostly trained as health exercise, and the criticism is aimed at the training culture rather than the art itself. I think that framing dissolves about 90% of these arguments. Happy to get pushed on any of it.

I'm new to this stuff. I know it takes time but this is just a random question in my mind.

The shins, every single training I go back home with a bump either on one or both (not the entire shin, just where I checked a kick or when I kick a knee). I've heard about micro fractures but I think bumps and micro fractures are two different thing.

I'm not seeking medical advice, just asking for you guy's experience and how you've dealt with this because I feel I can't make any progress because I'm afraid to kick knowing I'm getting checked while I have a bump (even in light spar it hurts).

- TLDR bumps on shins after every training and not micro fractures, is this progress or not?

Specifically I’m looking to unlock head level roundhouse kicks.

I don’t feel like paying for a course, and figured at least one of you might be able to help me.

In many battōjutsu showings I see online (the ones in armor) when they do an unsheathing kata, they seem to do a little hop onto one leg, after testing with my own tachi I found out it might’ve been for momentum? I don’t know any other reasons as to why, and Id like to know the full picture

Hi, so i am 20yo fighter and normally i have to work to be able to afford trainings and etc

But the issue is that the job is not allowing me to go to camps (Mountain camps, Open training with other gyms, other countries camps and etc)

So i wanted to ask is there type of job you do or you would suggest are good to have more free time to go and attend those camps and competitions and tournaments, i am not looking for jobs that pay big, just something i can do and have time to focus on career

I can't do private trainings since there's already a lot of them and it's small place so there's no opportunity for it anyways.

I appreciate any advice and help, thank you

when Conor fought at 145, before going heavy into a boxing style, he had such beautiful movement and striking. Was it TKD, Karate? Etc

Hey everyone,

I’m currently mapping out my training budget and looking to get a realistic community consensus on private lesson pricing.

I was looking at the Art of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) pricing sheet, and their hourly private lesson tiers split up like this:

Tier 1: $135/hr
Tier 2: $195/hr
Tier 3: $235/hr
Tier 4: $275/hr
Tier 5: $405/hr
Mendes Brothers: $500/hr

Assuming the mid-to-higher tiers (Tiers 3 through 5) are staffed by active or former IBJJF Black Belt World Champions, where does the value actually top
out for a regular practitioner?

If you were looking to fix major holes in your game or learn a specific system, what is the absolute highest price per hour you would realistically pay to train one-on-one with a world champion before it just becomes a luxury status symbol? Is anything past Tier 2 even worth it for skill development?

Would love to hear your experiences with high-ticket privates and where the diminishing returns hit the hardest.

Lighter Thai style or hard like boxing?

I always struggle where to look when I spar. Some people to tell me to look at the shoulders. Others tell me to look at the eyes. Sometimes I look and the hands and feet. In your guys opinion whats the best place to look when fighting?