SeeGee

The Gi is the "Judo-type" jacket and pants that you train in. Typically the Gi slows people down and forces them to be more technical rather than just relying on athleticism. It is easier to switch from Gi to No-Gi than the other way around. One of my teammates has won IBJJF tournaments in No-Gi despite hardly ever training without the Gi. Most places will let you try a few classes before you have to commit. When you finish a class you should be tired but happy. You shouldn't feel humiliated or intimidated.

I'm an Atheist, skeptic, and critical thinker.

Choose your MMA gym very carefully. Some gyms I have been to are full of testosterone filled meat heads. When you arm is being cranked by someone you have to know they will respect the tap. Personally I look for experienced instructors, a Black Belt in BJJ, superior striking instructors, also look for clean facilities. Above all look for a friendly atmosphere, you will be spending a lot of time there and you need to like the people you will be training with. Examine the payment contract carefully, ask what happens if you get hurt while training there (are you still locked into the contract), what happens if you have to move, or they change instructors. Do BJJ in the Gi, it is an excellent base for No-Gi. Take your time there is no hurry. You need to have a well rounded skill set to compete in MMA and that takes time to develop.

Go to a physiotherapist if you can. Physios can be very effective for these kinds of injuries. If you do decide to go to a Chiropractor then do NOT let them near your neck. People have died from that kind of adjustment.

In my opinion a nerd we have to look at all things critically. Akido is what is known as bullshido. It emphasizes sloppy unrealistic attacks and throws that only work on compliant partners. Try one of those throws on someone beyond a basic level of Judo and they will not work. Ask yourself when was the last time you saw Akido being used in MMA. Wristlocks are effective but they need to be applied in certain phases of combat, they can work well on the ground but they do not work very well while on the feet. One other thing that is required for a martial art to be effective is an aliveness when training. You have to spar with a realistic amount of force, speed, and strength. Akido fails on this point. If your heart is set on taking Akido go for it. Just know what you are getting into. It will get you moving and you learn to fall. Just don't drink the kool-aid.

Do not consider it reversible! They sometimes can be reversed but there are a significant number that cannot be. It is also expensive to reverse a vasectomy. There are other options for birth control besides vasectomy. You may meet a woman who wants children and the vasectomy could be a major stumbling block. Trust me on this one, I know.

Don't expect to learn anything that is practical for self defence.

Also late to the party. I'm a purple belt, I've been training for 6 years now. BJJ has kept be sane. I've made great friends and had a stupid amount of fun at the gym. Find a club that is friendly, I've been to a couple that are way to aggressive. And if they start teaching rubber guard RUN AWAY.

I am very impressed that you are climbing as hard as you are and that you can't do a pull up. I've never been big on sport climbs, but I have done some first ascents on both rock and ice. Have you considered hiring a coach even for just an hour or two? They could give you some specific tips on improving technique. Shoulder health is important. Get yourself a thera band and do external rotations, pull aparts, pull up retractions, and hanging scapular retractions. Get yourself a hang board to work on your grip strength and contact strength. While hanging from the hang board do knee raises, or if you want to step it up pike raises, ultimately hanging wipers, these will work your core. Personally I wouldn't bother with much lower body work. Yes, it will help you get in better over all shape but big legs will not help you much in sport climbing. Most high level sport climbers have big upper bodies and tiny legs for a reason. If you are alpine climbing or mountaineering that is something different, there strong legs are important. How much weight are you carrying? Getting your weight down to as low as possible will improve your strength to weight ratio. I like running to burn calories while keeping the muscle bulk low.

Hi, I found this site a while ago and now I've taken the plunge and decided to try out the program. I've been fairly active and in shape until recently. A variety of things came up in my life and I haven't been able to train as much as I normally would and haven't had as much energy. I need to lose about 15 lbs (I really would like to lose 20 but with my structure that might not be possible). With the weight loss I hope to get back into running shape and be able to run a sub 50 minute 10km. I will join the next Ranger challenge, I've always been a jack-of-all trades. I've lived in rural British Columbia where I was a Blacksmith and Raft Guide (among other jobs). I'm a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is how I badly sprained my ankle this fall. My daughter and I have long discussions about skepticism and atheism. My brother has mad me a character in his self-published comic book, which should count for some nerd cred. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SeeGee level 1 Human ranger STR 3|DEX 2|STA 3|CON 2|WIS 3|CHA 2