u/BulkyOwl3005

I am hitting my 30s next year and my 30s crisis already started. I have been into sports since I can remember and always practiced something, mostly martial arts and swimming, and would like to follow my cousin's steps who ran the IronMan just last month at 32.

I haven't been swimming for a year, and probably need some improving as I remember my endurance being bad. Can run 5k and last week did 10k on my bike just for fun. So the metrics are quite at beginner level with endurance.

There is a thriatlon club nearby and wonder what is better. I don't really like socializing, but I would appreciate the guidance of a coach. It sounds like a good idea overall.

Or... start by myself, do the plan myself and educate myself through what is possible.

I also do other sports aside.. which could greatly limit and have to choose either one or the other, or dedicate a timeframe to train the triathlon which is what sounds most realistic, but wonder if joining such club and still do kickboxing would be still possible.

My goal is to run a sprint or olympic distance triathlon before 35, I don't have a specific smaller timeframe to achieve.

To cut it short, wanted to do the olympics in Taekwondo 15ish years back. Missed my chance by missing a national qualification competition and being a stupid teenager who stopped 2 months right before my 1st dan belt. Same as for other sports I was doing at the time. I completely buchered my early 20s, and now late 20s have been very hard. I'm turning 30 next year and only since 2 years ago I have been able to start training again, still quite in shape... although, reality set in that this dream is now really just a dream. I did practice all these years but rarely competed anymore.

As Taekwondo evolved in the sport that it is today and not the original martial art derivated from old karate it was, it led me to search other martial arts. I know I could still compete national level on TKD but sparring got extremely boring, and poomsae could be an option.

I did a year of Kendo and Iaido, loved it. But got somewhat bored that it is only sword and sooooo bureaucratic schools around here.

Trying out kickboxing/Muay Thai, loving it.

Tried MMA, loved it, curious on BJJ but not sure how much damage my body can take on amateur level as my job depends on a strict medical certificate, where a single serious injury could potentially terminate my career. I don't think to compete in MMA for this reason.

I wonder on European level, are there leagues for the masters in these other disciplines post 30s?

I want to end up picking one sport and focus. Do something serious for an amateur over 30s, achieve something, aim somewhere. I just want to content my inner child ;P

I assume that kickboxing, MMA, BJJ, etc. are far more popular and there is probably also a lot more competition and it is a lot harder to achieve something. Probably it would be really hard to master and get somewhere, isn't it?

I started noticing this trend of doing competitions where ALL kicks in a poomsae are now as high as possible. Of course you want to demonstrate how good your kick is, but it seems like they are all becoming ap-chagui EXTREME HIGH, dolio EXTREME HIGH, etc. than different types of kicks at the correct original heights.

I do understand many kicks are aimed at the head. I just don't understand the point of exaggerating the height. Mind you I train TKD since 2008, and competed many, many times. I haven't competed in 10 years tho, but do watch the world championships.

I really want to do Muay Thai but there are no schools nearer than 1h30m train from home, and there are no big gyms with other sports/facilities. There is however, a kickboxing school that has other disciplines and a gym integrated with all sort of programs.

Would kickboxing differ too much from muay thai or would it be fairly compatible?

I am 2 years on T on androtardyl every two weeks 0,6ml. I'm not complaining about the changes at all, I love everything. It's just... so slow compared to progress pictures on reddit or on tiktok, etc. I have gained 10kg since last year, and as I started training again I am also getting toned (not yet bigger). I'm 188cm, 85kg and have about 18% body fat, 29 yo.

Gaining weight has been tedious despite I always ate a lot, and T has helped greatly on that (probably due to the hormonal change).

My last T results were discussed with my doctor, I am on the lower T spectrum but it's working really good so far. My doctor offered me a higher dose if I wanted to speed up a bit the process, which is something I will be discussing with her next week.

Anyways, my big issue is being weak and my body not looking like a man.

- My muscle shape still looks like a woman: lean, long, just toned. It does not look like a man.

- Peer shaped body, it does not look like a man.

- Big ass, big thights, big hips.

- Beard is bearding veeery slow. Equivalent to a 18 years old. It's not dense enough yet, and not spread across my face.

- My overall strenght is weak. I can deadlift 70kg max, and bench about 15kg if you see what I mean. I have women friends who lift heavier than me. These values don't come near athletic MEN. I go to the gym 3 times a week and sport twice a week and am struggling to keep up. I used to be very active a few years back before top surgery, but equally weak.

With sports, everyone with an equivalent age, size, etc. are just far stronger, muscled, and look like men (duh). For example, in MMA, I can only train with 16-18 years olds, because everyone else is just way too strong for me and can't get out of a submission in seconds. It is so dysphoric.

Any advice on how to break through?

I'm looking to learn Muay Thai and while there are 2-3 gyms that offer kickboxing, only one offers muay thai and is quite expensive to go to.

It leaves with barely 3 options (equally far by bike half an hour):

- A very big school that offers multiple disciplines lie bjj, kickboxing, wod, mma, gym, in house competitions, etc.

- A very small school, offering kickboxing mixed with muay thai.

They are both very expensive, but of course the big school you can train so much more for the same price.

I tried both and they are both good. The small school is nicer, but there is so few people all beginners, that I think it will get me stuck at some point for competition training. Maybe I am thinking too fast too soon.

There is a third option, cheaper, only focussed on kickboxing. They claim they have a focus for both beginners and advanced groups (those who want to compete and prepare for that). I have not tried them out yet but will soon.

Personally, I hoped to find a big gym where you had different disciplines and muay thai, with a gym if possible. But can't have it all of course.

Money, accessibility, offering... it's all complicated.

I'm not really sure what to do: is kickboxing enough, or would it build negative habits to then go to thailand to enjoy for a month or two some time in the future? and do amateur competitions where i live?

Sorry my ignorance, I do a different martial art (20years) and am really very interested into the traditional muay thai.

Hi everyone, I'm the guy who made the post about the tooth accident. I'm really grateful for the responses, and have to admit that after 20 years practicing (old style) Taekwondo (with hapkido and hosinsul), Kendo and Iaido, I have underestimated the contact level of MMA.

With that being said, I really like the grappling techniques that I learned yesterday and really liked the people that was there. They were really good techniques applicable to basic self-defence, and will probably never forget those techniques.

You guys had very good points on safety in my previous post, and it leads me to ask what I should pay attention to to select a new school?

I had a totally different expectation, and as I was told that no gear was necessary, I thought I was going to be set apart with beginners and probably learn basics on pads or something like that. But no, got thrown directly into the class and while that was a very good experience in terms of learning from different students, an incredibly stupid accident without even kicking/punching took my tooth.

The class on itself had quite a lot of discipline, the coach separating the more advanced ones from the rest, basic japanese greetings and lining up, etc. Everyone was very kind, fun to be around with and really nice to have a chat with. The place was clean, etc. Coach was very insisting that everyone would have the right shinguards, and so on, and reminded me to tell everyone I didn't have a mouth guard. I didn't see the red flag.

I live in a small city where there are 2 MMA schools, and this gym was actually a very big gym with over 5 different gyms across the city. If there is no good school, I guess I must search in a different city.

So... with that in mind:

- What should I be expected to do/be placed in a class at as an all-time beginner in MMA?

- What awareness of safety should be expected when sparring/grappling with other students or the coach?

- What should I pay attention looking for a new school?

- Anything else that could be relevant

I hope that my previous post may serve as learning point for other people considering to start MMA. I stepped overconfident and really am regretting having had the though of bringing a mouth guard just in case even if it was not asked, and didnt do it.

I am still debating if my body is made for MMA, I am quite "weak" and was only at "strenght level" sparring with guys 10 years younger than me. Also disappointed on how quick my tooth broke with such a move, which wasn't even strong at all... I wonder if my bones got weak, will have to research that apart.

I come from other martial arts for decades and have done a few through my life. Today was my first day at MMA and I absolutely loved it. I was hooked, and learned a lot.

We were quite careful throughout the session and everyone had a pretty good awareness of someone like me who is a noob and didn't have my own gear. I joined an amateur club, amateur class and we were all quite light except for the grappling where we have done a good session, just the usual what I would expect with any martial art.

It was stupid of me to assume we would not do sparring... so as I was told that no gear was neceesary, I didn't bring any.

By accident my chin hit the head of my sparring partner, half a tooth gone and the one below moves... pure very stupid accident.. We even didn't hit or kick to the head exactly because of that.

But it leads me to wonder... did I underestimate it? is it so common to get injuries with MMA compared to other martial arts (at pure amateur hobby level)?

I'm now 29 and while I have a complex of being old, as I feel my body changing through time not being as elastic, explosive as before.. and knee/back pain every day, it makes me wonder if MMA is maybe not for me despite I loved it.

Story time of keep searching what you are looking for if you are not happy where you are training:

I have posted multiple times on this forum across the years, trying to understand what was going on with myself of why I hated my favorite sport. I did taekwondo all my life, in a different contintent from where I live now.. was even very good when I was younger and had my dream's wings cut by external personal circumstances in 2012.

As I grew up with old WTF style pre-sensor time, having moved country and starting taekwondo again, eroded all my liking on this sport. Combined with a lot of accumulated trauma as I grew up making it very difficult to show up and motivate, and later feel anything good/positive, I have failed at all my attempts to restart this martial art... until I finally understood what I was missing. I never understood why. I could not find why.

(fyi: If you practice a different martial art, you may know that nowadays Taekwondo is mostly front leg kicks, and became sort of a boxing with feet based on points, so it has no more need of using power.) As it became a sport and popularized so much in the last 10-15 years, the entire training focus shifted and "martial art" part got lost. Less forms, less self-defense, less history, etc. I trained for a few years on and off, waiting on the federation's minimum time to make the first dan exam... This made me really hate it in all aspects and senses. So I quit, joined, quit, joined, quit for several years being disappointed yet again like a toxic ex.

In 2024 I had this craving of taekwondo back.. and happen to have found a school where the owner not only was trained old school, but also had an entire important career in taekwondo. I started training there and was happy to have found a school that was following the same standard, quality and attention to details like my first school did. I was finally on the way, and could arrange the possibility for exam thanks to good performance and appeal. I really liked it again, but I didn't know why.

Life happened again unfortunately, and for almost a year I could not practice nor had the mental capacity for it, and then moved yet again. There I hit a brick mentally, especially not feeling any positive emotion for anything.

I became more even frustrated, because again my progress was cut. Again the promise I did to myself of becoming 1st dan delayed again, after now more than 15 years further, on top of the lost mobility, forgetting my forms, etc.

I have been now a few weeks looking for the right place to train, and went on a few trial lessons with new schools nearby until I completely exhausted myself going to these schools that are totally disconnected from the old roots. Getting told no guarantee for exam, etc and not focussed on working for a common goal. After going to the last trial lesson, I was so disappointed, so sad and so numbed out of this (on top of my shit) that I completely broke down crying and told myself "what in the world is what makes me hate taekwondo so much?" "I'll call my old school (100km away from here), or I will "retire" and quit trying".

And then it clicked:

I didn't crave the modern kicks, the modern plyo style training. I craved the old school twit-chaguis, the back leg big dolios, the jumping kicks and so on. I craved the powerful kicks, the hansonal hand techniques that can KO, etc. The attention to detail of discipline and hand position, the lessons focused on forms, the slowing down a kick to get it perfect(ish), etc.

So... I was looking at the wrong school type. I called up my old school, was invited to train again, and it felt like going back home, I have had so much fun I didn't have in years... and I finally could see the lessons from a different lens: a lens of "this is what I was looking for". The trainers and the people training there are very serious yet very accommodating, fun to be around with, etc. Open to the fact I travel so far to go train with them, coming home at midnight. I couldn't be happier to have done this choice and I can't wait to go back to train the upcoming weeks. I travel 2 hours to train 1 hour and a half, and then travel 2 hours back. 100% worth it. And it turned out, I very much remember a lot of forms!

I'm even surprised I felt happy, I haven't felt that way in years.

So yea, there you go. If you loved a sport and now don't anymore, for whatever reason that may be... explore why. In depth. Follow your inner child on this. trust it!

I would like to study and become a personal trainer/coach for the sports I practice and one day open my own gym with dojo. A lot of people probably did this as well, but so far I can only find information about the USA and USA certifications including on this subreddit wiki.

It seems like I could follow an Associate Degree at University, and somewhere I saw there was an European Certification as well. However, it sounds like many of these certificates are bs and money hungry programs, so I am quite lost on what I really should follow.

Any ideas?

I need to do some SEO work and I have no time (no DMs please). I see people doing stuff via Fiverr, but I’m concerned about the security… how ?
I obviously wouldn’t give the password of my website and so on. How do they do SEO then?

I never outsourced this, so please forgive my complete ignorance

Last year I moved city, and here there are no taekwondo schools. There is one for ITF, but I’m WT, old school style…

I’m a student and travelling to the nearest city would be over two hours away from here by train, and usually here you train in the evenings so it would mean that I’d not be home before midnight which is incompatible with my studies. Monthly budget is as low as almost none unless it’s my birthday.

I’m already stuck with my belt, having changed country my WT federation obligates you to wait 3 years from 1 geup to 1st Dan actively practicing at a school affiliated, the exams are only twice a year, I’m quite done waiting tbh… I have waited much more than 3 years in between breaks and everything. If I start again officially I have to wait again 3 years.

I’m going to ask the worst question but considering the circumstances: is there a way to somehow get graded somehow online with an official institution like kukkiwon or travel to some recognized examination center to do the exam?

For as technique, poomsae and everything required everything is still there so it would not be a matter of learning anything anymore, just get the 1st Dan and as soon as I’m done with my studies move somewhere closer to a school, but get over this endless stuck waiting time.

It’s probably the worst idea ever but does anyone pack in the military?

(Im not in the USA, the trans ban does not affect me but not wanting to get outed)

I plan to go hiking a few days in Salzburg, I have to be there for something else and after that I want to go hiking. I read that camping is not legal in Austria, and considering that I will be fully dependent of the public transportation I don't think I will be able to go very far anyways.

I'm on a budget almost as low as 0, so hotel is basically already too expensive.

Wondering if such shelters exist around there?

After years of helping businesses close regulatory findings, start up, get certified, etc. today for the first time in 13 years I said to a client that I couldn’t help them.
Client been non responsive for months, even after multiple email reminders or follow up. They only had 1 visit where I told them what to do, and then of course they didn’t… months went by and now they are in a chess mate situation. I was supposed to draft them a contract but while doing so, realized they are basically fucked, I can’t do my job like this and decided to say then I couldn’t work with them like this.

I’ll be honest, I’m just here for support.. I never had such a situation and I’m quite scared of getting in trouble, although this should actually give me rest I actually feel very uneasy.

Running a business (in consultancy) it’s been quite a challenge as someone who is severely traumatized with PTSD, and this feels very much like a walking on eggshells and am avoiding triggers like the plague. It’s very triggering to say the least as it’s related with my abuser, when I ended up getting PTSD

After years of helping businesses close regulatory findings, start up, get certified, etc. today for the first time in 13 years of my career, I said to a client that I couldn’t help them.
Client been non responsive for months, even after multiple email reminders or follow up. They only had 1 visit where I told them what to do, and then of course they didn’t… months went by and now they are in a chess mate situation. I was supposed to draft them a contract but while doing so, realized they are basically fucked, I can’t do my job like this and decided to say then I couldn’t work with them like this.

I’ll be honest, I’m just here for support.. I never had such a situation and I’m quite scared of getting in trouble, although this should actually give me rest I actually feel very uneasy.

Running a business (in consultancy-freelancing) it’s been quite a challenge as someone who is severely traumatized with PTSD, and this feels very much like a walking on eggshells and am avoiding triggers like the plague.

I loved taekwondo, every single part of it.. to be honest I still do. But most schools nowadays (at least where I live) are focused on the modern aspects only: sport, front leg lead techniques, HIIT style training and neglet of poomsae/breaking/self-defence, etc. unless it's for exams. No discipline, no ancient ties anymore. Was lucky to find a more traditionally aligned school, but unfortunately I moved and therefore now looking what to do.

This led me to pursue other martial arts... I fell in love with Kendo, but it is a very different discipline. So I am trying MMA and kickboxing (there is no specialized Muay Thai in my area) these upcoming weeks. The idea of starting from white belt again is a bit demotivating at the moment.

I was wondering, if you were in a similar position, what martial art did you switch/begin/start to practice?

Does anyone have concrete information about the intake-assessment and the sportmedischekeuring?

I wonder what do they test during the intake-assessment, their description is very vague and there is no other information. I signed up but I’m waiting instructions and was wondering what it was all about.

Also, does the sport medischekeuring only imply an ECG while at rest or also an extensive Vo2 max test? I can run somewhere on stage 2 but don’t think I can run half an hour at 14km/h lol. If someone could describe what the keuring tests are would be grateful 🙏

I don't understand why I now have less PTSD symptoms... I don't think it is right

Hi everyone, I want to enroll in the army but just came to know about rumors that you have to give up one of your nationality if you have double nationality? I’m talking specifically about European-European, not outside EU. Both nationalities were given to me from birth (long to explain).

I never knew this and now I’m on a waiting list to start and I of course don’t want to give up the other passport.. especially when both are European countries this makes few sense in the modern world.

Could anyone confirm if this is true or is there a way to conserve the other?