I'm a very active Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA practitioner and wouldn't ever think about quitting or changing into some other martial art.

One thing about choosing which martial art to practise is thinking about what you really want from it: e.g. effective self-defence abilities or just want to get some exercise?

Of course there are many martial arts which offer more or less of the both, but one should still consider that many martial arts these days are not like they used to be hundreds of years ago when they were actually used in real combat situations. These days many of them resemble more of an sport or an artform rather than an realistic and effective combat skill.

Of course I'm biased when saying this, but BJJ really is one of the most effective martial arts these days (no matter how gay it is). There was some criticism about a grappling art on the streets but BJJ does have many options. You don't always have to go for the armbar and get your calf chewed on.

I had to defend myself against some random drunken guy day before the christmas eve (!) and when he started throwing punches I clinched him, took him down, mounted him (=sat on top of his stomach) and pounded him until he apologized. And thats just one way of dealing with a situation like that. I always try to avoid fighting as much as possible and I'm not really proud of what happened, but just wanted to share a concrete example of one of the many ways BJJ can be used.

Basic guideline of mine for choosing an martial art would be that pick an martial art which has as much full contact sparring as possible. Otherwise it really can't be considered very realistic for self-defence purposes. E.g. for striking I would probably go for Muay Thai or traditional boxing. I also heard some good things about Kyokushin Karate. For grappling of course BJJ or wrestling.

Wow, discrimination and racism in Japan? Just like in any other nation? What a shock.

Especially for most white people, actually being on the receiving end of racial discrimination might come as a new experience, and therefore make it seem like a bigger deal than it actually is.

I remember when my girlfriend came from Japan to study in the US for a short while. As a welcome present, most of the international students from asian countries got to experience black dudes throwing eggs at their doors. If the douchebags were white, it wouldn't have been such an surprise, but they were even from an racial minority themselves, so whats the logic in that?

Even without any statistical facts, the point of the story is that japanese people probably experience more racism from white people when abroad, than the other way round.

Racism exists everywhere but overall I would say that Japanese are much more friendly to foreigners than many other nations are. Different races get shit in different nations. Japan is far from the worst.

If theres something to be glad about this, its the fact that people aren't blindly accusing violent video games and movies as the reason for all this. Instead they are discussing about bullying, paying attention to youngsters mental problems and other more relevant topics.

I finally got everything in place even though I've already lived here for some time. Well, better late than never.

!

And since I'm settled now, whats the point in having an apartment if you're not going to invite your friends over!

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SAKO RK95 assault rifle

lol, unicorn power. Perry Bible Fellowship = epic win.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu and gym. Teh hobbies of mine.

lol, thats pretty weak. "Oh i'm so clever that I can talk in some meaningless language and you wont understand a thing, and i'll even show it too!"

Too bad nobody gives a shit.

@Kaimei-Karasuhebi:

I just went to that Aud-stuff site.

How come Finlad is number one in everything, includng Corruption? :S

Because its actually an fantasy world with unicorns and teh fairies 'n shit. Utopia on earth. The land of milk and honey. Money for nothing and chicks for free.

There be dragons.