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Thank you man. No need to gold. Recognition was enough

I'll gladly take up boxing and get punched in the face.

I agree with op.

What's the point of lifting for muscle if you don't know how to use it for hand to hand combat?

It's not how much you can lift, it's about how much it looks like you can lift.

But, jokes aside, when you are 6 feet 220lbs, no one is looking at swinging any fists your direction anyway.

I completely agree, learning to properly fight is a great skill to have but a true alpha male avoids physical altercations as much as possible. Only fight if you truly have to but nonetheless learning to fight would come in handy if there ever was a time you needed too.

Lifting is important and if you want respect, women and looks, you must lift. That being said, always have a combat sport under your belt. When shit hits the fan an the looks an s respect can't help you, let the discipline and skill take over. It's good to have the muscle to intimidate people but back it up with serious fighting skills in case someone tries calling your bluff.

Fighting is not for everyone (no insult). Sorry to say that, but most of you guys just don't have the proper mindset and movement coordination.

I've been training martial arts (Kung-Fu, BJJ, Sambo) for over a decade. I see all mistakes and bullshit in movies or self-defence instructions. What I was seeing were many guys attending to a training group and leaving in a few days/weeks/months. Why? They had to realize how weak men they are. Sparings destroy your ego - your false image of yourself. You lose and lose and lose and go home having bruises of all colors on your skin. Fighting with some other guy who wants to kick your ass and choke you to protect his own ego is stressful... at the beginning.

The beginning of getting used to a confrontation is the hardest part. After you enter a proper mindset you don't give a shit if you had kicked ass or had got kicked, but it takes perseverance on a very primal level most of you just can't handle.

Most men seek ego boost in a fighting class and what they get is a mental destruction. And let's be honest, most of you just don't have that spark to be a fighter. You can be a smart man, a great entrepreneur, a fantastic PUA, a guy I can admire in many ways, but fighting is a whole different world.

It's like with dancing - you either feel it or don't. Just because you were not born a fighter it doesn't mean you are less of a man. I just can't imagine a world where all guys have a mindset of a fighter or a soldier. Who would be sensitive musician or painter? Who would be a computer genius? Funny thing - these are the guys I admire. They can do stuff I brutally fail at.

I do have that kind of mindset, I'd say I was born into it and I have to say that you don't want to be like me. I am a soldier, a cannon fodder, a simple man - I am expendable. Nature gave me such talents to protect your sorry butts or to fight in your interests... to be a society's tool. It is how it is.

Whatever your talents are - MASTER IT! That's what being a man means.

So I'm just going to chime in and say that if any stranger tries to get into a fight with you just run. Run the fuck away. Its in no way shape or form worth the legal or physical repercussion. All it takes is someone to stick their finger in your eye and your fucked. Real life isn't like the movies either. Someone could beat your fucking ass within an inch of your life and run the fuck away and the police will NEVER catch them. Especially if its some bar related altercations and the attacker is just some regular Joe with no priors.

Even if the attacker would to be apprehended its not worth loosing an eye or live your life like my buddy with a huge scar on his head his head from having a bottle smashed on his head.

If you want to learn to defend yourself then learn close quarters handgun marksmanship.

TLDR: Fighting sports are great for developing discipline, mental toughness and physical prowness. If some nutjob tries to fight you run.

In a lot of these lifting posts I like to casually inject a "Or do a combat sport" comment because I agree 100%. Thanks for this post

It's the same "do this because of women" bullshit this sub prescribes to. DO what you fucking like. If you're passionate about skiing, be the best goddamn skier you can be. Don't focus your efforts on endeavors because of women. Focus on them because of your passion.

There is too much toxic "be a 250 lbs bodybuilder" or "too much muscle is for pussies, do martial arts", both sides are focusing on what would be suitable for "women". Trust me, you will never get good at anything unless you're passionate about it. I'm friends with both pro bodybuilders and quite a few MMA fighters, these guys live and breathe their craft. All the pussies and the posers disappear once the hard work begins. This applies to both going from a 225 lb squat for reps to 500 lbs, and rolling with white belts vs skilled brown belts.

I honestly don't give a fuck about being a genuinely good fighter. Fights just lead to jail time. As long as I can defend myself on a basic level, i'm good. Lifting might not make it so you can beat up MMA fighters, but it still makes you a more formidable force than the majority of people out there, which is enough for most folks.

Anyhow, the only times ive gotten truly owned were at gunpoint, so no MMA bullshit is gonna help me there

What are the chances of getting in a fistfight once, in a whole year? Chances are slim, specially if you don't get drunk every weekend at parties.

Training martial arts for "self defense" is a huge waste of time.

If you want to have a cool hobby that gives you confidence, stamina, helps socializing and makes you look badass 2 times per decade, cool, go do Martial Arts. But your reasoning is stupid.

source : I am a BJJ Purple Belt under Roberto Abreu, with 5+ years of wrestling, muay thai, boxing and karate training. I have competed more than 30 times both here in Brazil and in the US. I have been in fistfights.

I recently took up boxing after just lifting and running for years. I wish I started a lot sooner.

Preeeach!!

And if you need any type of proof of how easily you can get your ass handed to you,walk into a Boxing,Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu gym and spar with 2 or 3 guys. I guarantee your world will be flipped upside down.

On my second week of boxing training. Can confirm that even after working out for a few years, you can still get you face punched in.

honestly, I've thought of getting back into martial arts, for this reason, I miss fighting, that superiority when you win, the rush the team cheering you on as you go for the knockout...

man, I got my 2nd dan, started seeing this girl, more time with her less training moved to her area stopped going to the dojo completely.

now I just lift. ya, i can bench 240 just I don't have my speed and reflexes I used to. I miss that satisfaction of beating an opponent.

near by they only offer karate (been there done that kata's are boring), and ninjitsu (seriously?), Brazilian jujitsu seems worth a try?

Fuck yes. Fight training is a very enjoyable form of cardio. It doesn't matter if you won't use it in actual dangerous situations.

I've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for years now. If anything it has taken me away from the gym because I realize how little muscle mass helps you in a fight. If anything it will cause you to be slower, less explosive, and less flexible. I'm 6'4" 220lbs and in pretty decent shape and I know I could destroy most people. If I were to start putting on a lot of muscle mass it would really change my ground game and not necessarily for the better.

Our society has nothing but contempt for physical violence. Being good at fighting has it's advantages, but if that's your confidence card, you're gonna end up one of the many alphas in prison.

PRAY. LIFT. EAT. READ. WORK. MEDITATE. SLEEP. REPEAT.

First and foremost, why would you even fight? What's the upside really? Sooner or later, you'll run into some psychopath who will fucking stab you. For what? That "fighting confidence" is just playing with fire. It's like a fast sports car, you're faster from point A to point B, but the risk to crash and kill yourself is also much higher and you forget about it until it happens.

And of course, learning to fight is great (as your personal preference), but don't be stupid about it.

Even better idea, work on something useful in the modern world like your brain. Genius right?

Even if you never get into a fight, being in hundreds of simulated fight taught me to keep my cool in every situation. After you learn to stay calm while a 220pound dude is trying to choke you out there is not much that you can´t handle. Except talking to hot girls of course.

In my case it´s Bjj but friends that do other martial arts had the same experience. Lifting (which I did a lot) is really easy compared to any martial art so if you want to challenge yourself not just physically find a good school and go train.

Are you Neo and can dodge a shot to your head? If not, fighting is useless in real world. In real world practice not getting into shitty situations like moving to peaceful neighbourhood and deescalating, even running away like a bitch. Being a dead rotting corpse is not very alpha, bro.

Seriously though how often do people actually get in fights these days? I would say the benefits to learning how to fight are more about all around confidence building than actually having to fight another human being

I personally like Aikido and have years of training in it. The Sensei also threw in a bunch of Judo, Jui Jutsu, other things that were really out of copos and military defensive tactics and training, etc. The Sensei actually trained SEALS in hand to hand, and those guys would come train with us sometimes too. It was great stuff.

I saw an FBI stat one time that said 90% of all street fights end up on the ground. You don't need to be one of the Gracie brothers, but against 99% of the guys you might actually get in a fight with, some level of ground fighting training will put you light years ahead of them if you end up grappling because they won't have had hardly any training and you will. The guys that have had training - you won't get in a fight with them to start with - formal training tends to teach you how to de-escalate as well.

That said, if a martial art isn't your thing, then yoga/pilates, or tennis, or something.

Best thing I ever did for my confidence was take up boxing.

Do it, you wont regret it. And no, boxercise is not boxing ...

The problem I see is unathletic men getting into "lifting" but ignoring the POINT of having muscles, which is to use them. Yes you can bulge your muscles, but you will look ridiculous because you don't know how to move your body, you don't know how to be athletic and although this is a separate topic, yes its true that you also don't know how to fight.

But really I see athleticism as the big problem. I work out so I can feel athletic and feel I can move fast and move hard. If you just work out without training your speed and agility SOMEHOW (playing sports, doing sprints, track, going for runs, crossfit, ect) then you just look like this lumbering ox of a human without any dynamicism.

Also I think athletic bodies look different that simple muscular bodies. I really believe that when you actually work out to train that you end up with a more balanced and visually pleasing body than if you just do squats and bench all day and have bulging muscles. Not to mention it REALLY helps with lowering your body fat percentage and really highlighting your structural aesthetics.

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I see posts recommending martial arts all the time

How bout lift and meditate so you can look intimidating & could actually control yourself in tense moments.

Train the skilled activity first- get good at the jiujitsu, or boxing, judo, wrestling etc.

Once you can handle yourself (after about a year), THEN add or focus on weight training.

This way you know your skills are based on practice, and you're not winning based on size/strength. Being too big when you train jiujitsu will seem easier at first, but actually hinder your learning in the long-run

Some of us do tell you to get into some kind of ma. Mine was wrestling, I became quite good at it and learned to use it effectively against people who started shit with me off the mat. Used to get beaten almost daily at home, and weekly at school, so I learned to adapt to defend myself the hard way. At 16 I was 170lbs benching 265 and able to stop the bullshit from my brother and dad that had gone on for most of my life. Nobody expects what I do, or how ultra violent I get, so I haven't lost a fight since 16. Nearing 50 I can still do most of it effectively, but tend to avoid places where drunk college kids get cocky. Don't have the stamina anymore thanks to chemicals from the first gulf war, second hand smoke, and automotive paint fumes fucking up my lungs.

Learn it young and it benefits you the rest of your life. Pick one and get proficient, then learn another, no need to be a master at one, proficient in a few is enough.

I'm starting back boxing after a hiatus. Kept in good shape and now getting back in boxing shape. Its vital that you learn how to defend yourself and fight. Period. BUT looks do play a factor. I'm only about 5" 10, but I have wide shoulders and I'm pretty muscular. Broke up a couple of fights on Bourbon this past weekend, and you'd be amazed how fake tough guys quickly change when taking one look at you. Didn't even have to swing or get angry.

Agreed. Going to the gym is a solitary endeavor. It's a great foundation for other fitness activities, but is not, on its own, a full source of physical development.

If you don't do a martial art, you should be doing something besides just moving weights at the gym. Get into a sport. Train for races and join a running group. Or cycling group. Or go out for those crazy-ass fitness games competitions. Or learn rock climbing or get into hiking or mountains or spelunking or something, anything, besides only lifting.

First off, if you're training for something to get better at something, then you're at the gym with a goal and a focus. Something besides "lift more than last time". If you don't have any goal besides moving weight, then you're mostly spinning your wheels at the gym.

Second, this shit rounds you. It's really strange to be very, very physically fit, but not actually good at anything physical. Like, if you're built like an athlete but can't throw or catch or kick balls worth a damn, your mile time is over 8 minutes and you'll pass out if you try to run 5 of them, and you can't fight or defend yourself, it's just bizarre. You're narcissistically moving heavy things to look good in a mirror but actually suck at physical stuff.

Third, since going to the gym is solitary, for the most part, you're not part of a group or a team. You don't develop social connections, meet bros, push others hard, get pushed by others hard, and drive each other farther. You will develop tons more discipline and improve twice as quickly if you're actually accountable to other people.

If youre muscle bound and all your calluses are on your palms, then youre gonna die

While I certainly agree that every one of us should learn a discipline, it has been stated MANY times that taking a Martial Art or boxing or MMA etc is of tremendous benefit to a man.

I think most everyone here that suggests "lift heavy shit and put it back down" are more for the aesthetic purposes of looking good and being in better shape than what you were. Nothing wrong with that. I think self defense/martial arts is a separate issue, but I agree that it is something everyone should practice. However, if you get into kickboxing/muay thai or jiu jitsu hardcore and want to fight or compete, you will have to dial back on the weight lifting.

Hey OP or anyone who does any sort of this stuff, serious question.

I've always been interested in things like Boxing, but one of the biggest deterring factors to me is the damage it causes peoples faces/ears in terms of scarring.

Call me a giant pussy, but I have a pretty good looking face and I'd like to keep it that way. What types of programs can I join which will keep my face the way it is?

Suprised this is the first post ive seen like this. Ive been taking Krav Maga lessons for a year now, discovered rp only 4 months ago.

Has anyone actually been in a real street fight on here? In real life, people fight dirty, in a scenario that is far from ideal.

Likely, it will be at a bar. Your reaction time will be stunted because you had a drink, right? Also, 9 times out of 10 the asshole dude will have at least ONE buddy outside of your peripheral view (who goes out alone?) Throw in a crowd, dark lighting, slippery floors and bar stools, and you've got yourself a minefield of things that could go wrong.

You could be the best MMA guru, but that won't save you from being shoved by an amateur over a bar stool into his buddy who has a half-broken bottle of Heineken ready to shove up your nose. And if you DO manage to beat everyone to a pulp, you'd better watch your back 30 minutes later, as asshole's buddies will either jump your drunk ass, or spray you and a couple innocent bystanders with bullets.

Ya. Don't be like THIS GUY. Even though he is bulked up, he is so far out of touch of knowing his own body that it is very cringy.

Do I worry about the micro-concussion thing with boxing vs MMA?

I need my memory, judgement and instincts for my job.

lifting is important but so is cutting to SD Body Fat. And crushing it at school/work. And having fun with some buds..this may mean letting go of self improvement for a few hours (heaven forbid!)

Do all that and the smashing poon will take care of itself

A few questions to help improve your post.

I can't just stand on a soap box and say that all disciplines are created equal. And all places that you can train at are going to yield positive results. Just like anything else in life, you have to find what fighting style fits you.

Okay, what advice can you give for people to be able to identify this?

What's even harder than that is finding a place that actually knows what their talking about. Not all trainers are the same, and not every person who can fight, can teach others how to do the same. I've had my fair share of piece of shit trainers who just want to pimp you out to fights so they can get money while you get your ass handed to you. Do research into the different schools around you. See if they've produced MULTIPLE fighters.

Okay, that's cool. Now how would you start the research and what if the area where you live doesn't give you much information in that regard?

Finally I'd ask what about age? You mention how you started at 8 years old. Most guys reading this are not 8. What about guys who've hit 30 starting? 40? 50? Is it still worth it at 50? Would it still be worth it at 60? Are there likely to be any differences caused by age since you've mentioned how tough the work is? (Particularly if these guys have only been lifting so they're not used to stuff that requires a higher stamina.) If you can provide some idea of what to expect and explain it then it lends a significant level of credibility to your post.

This isn't to say your post has no credibility. It's more to say that the more bases you cover, the more credibility and deference your post will receive. Most of the guys commenting are guys similar to you... they're clearly not the target of your post. The guys who aren't like you are the target. They're the ones you want that credibility and defence from. Do you see what I mean?

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I fucked my knee so I guess I can't do anythin other than the good ol' lifting, but doing boxing a while ago was extreamly comforting

Yup - I lift 3x a week and muay thai 3x a week. Even going against a heavy bag isn't enough, you really need to spar to see how exhausting a real fight can be

This is just bro-advice once again... The best way to win in a fight is to avoid it alltogether. If somebody wants to seriously injure or kill you, they most will use weapons. Have some common sense folks...

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I agree that both lifting and a discipline contact sport are massively important.

To your sense of self, your well being, you challenging yourself and competing - all excellent ways to better yourself.

I disagree that being able to "kick someone's ass" and/or not get your own ass handed to you in a fight is bullshit.

The older you get, the less willing you should be to get physical with anybody. You begin to realize that getting nailed with a lucky shot/sucker punch from the wingman/knife in the ribs/sudden curbstomb by the guys' posse/shot by the girlfriend FAR outweighs the need of the ego. Fights just don't really exist in the real adult world. Anyone who is getting into barfights into their 20's has issues, and you should not be associating with them.

The alpha MMA guy in your story? In prison for assault and is now getting his prison wallet violated on a regular basis by Bubba.

Or dead. You don't realize how many people have a CCW permit and a pistol on them at all times.

Fighting outside of a life-or-death situation is STUPID. Grow up.

My son and I box together once a week, what an amazing sport, so many benefits both physically and mentally. There's a reason they call it the "sweet science".

the dude beat the crap outta 3-4 guys

..only reason were talking about this is because they weren't armed. There are stories in the news practically every weekend of tough guys like that getting shot.

I agree with you. But be aware you're an outlier, that you were lucky enough to have been boxing since you were eight. Yes, people here should get involved in a discipline, but before that level of gameplay makes sense they should be lifting. Because its easy, you get quick noticeable results, and it works.

Only once you've got the basics down should you move on to the more creative methods.