Many people asked for the list of music used in the video. Here is the complete list in order of songs :) Midnight (on TH-cam free audio library) Loop Caught (on TH-cam free audio library) Synergy (on TH-cam free audio library) The Diabolical Waffle - Heroes Nameless Warning - Spillway Scouting (on TH-cam free audio library)
I subscribed just out of respect for you fam ✌🏽 much love from mexico 💪🏿 i seen all 3 videos and its a nice improvement keep training and doin ur thang ✌🏽 i been training muay thai for 3 years and believe me it takes a while to get better 💪🏿💪🏿 much love and respect fam
I am not sure, but my Impression is, that Aikido isn't meant to be an efficient Hand to Hand Combat. Most of the techniques seem to better work with a Sword. Probably if you Train Aikido, use a stick to fight. But the most serious Problem if i compare to my Judo experiance is that you have no Sparring. Not Training with a resisting Opponent ist what will kill you in a fight.
This video makes my heart smile 💓😁 you've gotten SO much better, not to mention more confident, it's truly inspiring (: Proud of you brother. This was really cool to watch. I can't wait to start BJJ myself 🙏💯 Afterwards I also intend to add Wrestling (maybe Catch Wrestling), Muay Thai, and Boxing to round me off for the most part at least. I feel like this should give me an excellent toolset and foundation to be as prepared as I can be to defend myself and those I love as best I can. I'm definitely interested in going further into Krav Maga and others as well once my foundation is well established. I really dig this channel and I'm stoked to be following your journey as martial artist and honourable defender. Keep up the top notch hustle my dude! 💯🙌🔥🌍✊
I think people probably underestimate the amount of humility that it takes for someone to admit their traditional martial art is unrealistic after 13+ years of doing it. And then to turn around and dedicate yourself to years of full time training in practical fighting styles and be able to hold your own against pros. Massive respect to the amount of humility you had/have to be able to do that. True martial artist. 👌
@空手家 thats why all those ufc and bellator champs are aikido fighters right? Wrong. They are all wrestlers, kickboxers, and bjj practitioners. Like i said, it takes humility (and a little bit of live testing) to realize aikido isn't realistic or practical.
When I showed my girlfriend your transformation from pre-MMA to now, she said: "Wow, a lot sexy." English is not a second language for her. I think we need to sort this beef, bro.
10+ years in aikido and you looked like a defenseless kid trying to learn basic martial arts. 2 years in actual MMA and you looked like a man able to protect himself. amazing transformation.
Despite the fact that Aikido isn't effective in a real fight, I'm sure it takes a lot of time and discipline to learn the choreography of it, just like dancing and I'd imagine his ability and willingness to learn things like footwork and staying composed and relaxed comes from that. It's almost comparable to how in some instances (not always) wrestlers can pick up BJJ fast. It's not that they know a large part of BJJ already, they don't, it's just that they know how to drill efficiently and they know how to pick out what they're struggling with and focus on it during live rolls.
@@michaelstout7955 your bjj to wrestling reference is great. I would say it’s exactly like that, but wrestlers do have to adjust to the pace a little just because bjj is more muscle endurance where as wrestling is a lot on the feet and a lot of movement so it’s more cardio. Just a different type of pace
Having trained for a few years at least in all of the styles referenced here, and also having a similar defensive style (when sparing) depending on reach, positioning, and foot work, I gotta say the years of Aikido really shows in how instead of getting out of the line of the punch, he gets out of line of the hips and make Tadas either go for something else, or not have any power behind it. That being said, I do Aikido because I love it. I was confident of my ability to defend myself long before that, and like the first video says, if you have no experience in the ring, it isn't going to go well for you.
@@MartialArtsJourney big miss you come back miss your longer hair also . functional aikido th-cam.com/channels/lhLazRwMSdXeF-MBFUo4gg.html and see mma kickboxer vs older guy aikido with one arm th-cam.com/video/Co25GiIb4vk/w-d-xo.html brady2k10 "see this is how shit MMA really is, get beaten by an old man with one arm haha" just quoted what other said but there is things good in many styles of fighting. reason i showed the quote is many do not like the bashing on true aikido it is an martial arts and a true master of aikido can do the same to mma guys as in the video shown period. Come back to Aikido Family my friend we Big Miss you Functional Aikido: th-cam.com/video/gusKJfkYFnM/w-d-xo.html
@@MartialArtsJourney also see this real life th-cam.com/video/fH6HtkySiCQ/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/EgyDAnRg4nE/w-d-xo.html in this demostration video steven segal slowed down motions . steven segal in his prime could easy beat up many mma he is extremely good at aikido and teach it for real for self defence street fights vs knives and guns close ups etc. nomatter what people think about steven segal he is an expert in aikido and uses many of his aikido moves in his fictional movies aswell: th-cam.com/video/7JtIGd36f9A/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/7EAuLL9n42s/w-d-xo.html the point is aikido is a real martial arts form and trained by a good teacher in aikido you will be able to beat mma guys which already is proven by other comment video posted earlier old man with 1 hand beat a young mma kickboxer... in my eyes mma is overrated because as many mma people trash talk other forms as aikido. same ways as many boxers trash talk martial arts other styles and martial artists... real aikido is used by many as cops bodyguards and alike and works in real life situations against many attackers and vs knives and guns close ups I can suerly tell you mma do not work against man guys with knives as real fights is not in a ring with rules vs 1 attacker...
@@gurrac710 Yea yea! Come back to fantasy land! Where magical pinky throw moves that have no actual real life application make you feel like you're somehow an actual martial artist!!! Weeeeeee!!!! Wake up and be happy for this guy!! If you look at this video and don't see just incredible progress in martial arts period. Than you're delusional my friend.
"If you are lazy training you'll never have good cardio." I love how simply he puts things. Thanks for sharing. And congratulations on your progress. You've come a long way and taught us with your experience as well. Love you.
I know it's a Clark Kent to superman change. I just wrote and told him that on my channel I'm going to do a film study this week of a traditional vs mma fighter
As someone that was here since you were doing the aikido instructionals, I can say I am seriously proud of how much you have grown. I am most impressed by your grappling skills and your improvements with your boxing. One tip I will give you for the kicking is to get really good at mixing kicks into the end of your boxing combinations. Also keep working on your footwork because it will make you less tired. 😉
I would add to that using his reach. He is tall and should be able to keep his opponent away from him. Also his partner has a fighting pattern: every time he throws a jabs his head comes down right after, it's like he is asking or begging for an uppercut or a knee. But maybe it's just him going slowly because Rokas is a beginner
I noticed that some kicks that you do, you're not bringing your knee up to where it should be before releasing the lower half of your leg. If you watch the other guy, when he throws a kick, his knee is up to the position where he wants and then he releases the lower half of his leg. That's not the only thing in kicking of course, you also want to make sure your upper body stance is in the correct position, your back leg/foot, head, etc. Honestly this can be fixed easily. You have a body type that is perfect for kicking too. Seriously all you need to do is watch people who have perfected their kicks and mimic every single thing they do and just practice practice practice. Look where they're head is positioned, upper body, knee, back leg/foot, etc. You've come such a long way dude! You're only going to get better too.
I don't know if anyone has ever told you this but your head movement is pretty damn good and you're constantly trying to adjust distance and angles. That alone is the first sign that someone has learned to fight.
@@MartialArtsJourney Your punches have zero snap. You need to learn the fundamentals. It's clear you skipped it. I recommend Karate, boxing, Muy Thai.. something that teaches you how to punch. People here are blowing sunshine up your ass and you're going to get hurt if you don't learn the fundamentals. Even though you're not going full speed you can see the difference between you and the MMA guy. When I spar even at slow speed I can't help but snap my punches because I learned how to punch through repetition thousands of times in Karate, it's clear you skipped that. You should consider not even sparring before you learn to punch; you're just solidifying bad habits by sparring. Sorry to be harsh, but hopefully someone is telling you this.
@@holdencaulfied7492 dude, he's training with coach Kavanagh lmfao. Conor Mcgregor's coach. I'm sure he's quite a bit more qualified to teach people than you are lol.
I still remember when you were first trying to functionalise Aikido, using some Judo and Boxing and being able to give you advice, despite my boxing being pretty rubbish all things considered. Now I'd definitely go to a class if you were teaching it, you've gotten so much better. You've also personally inspired me to train more MMA. Thank you and nice job.
If I may make a suggestion for cardio, A good Judo class with lots of sparring is a big help. The rules are structured in a way that penalize stalling and resting, forcing you to keep moving. Also gives a more explosive aspect to your BJJ.
@@hirogaru9131 not going to disagree but my problem here is that it's hard to find an adult wrestling class, at least in Germany. Judo can normally be found pretty much everywhere.
I'm not surprised that you have found a supportive community on the internet. You make it easy to cheer for you. Humble, sincere, and hard working. Congratulations on your progress and journey.
Love your videos and your growth in martial arts. I have competed in martial arts since a teenager, kick boxing, muay Thai. Tkd.. Bjj. Aikido is something I have never done. It's a martial arts where people reached out to me and wanted me to commit and join given my background. But you popped up on my suggested on TH-cam once a long time ago. I watched a video and stayed watching, I like your brave decisions and ethics and wish you a good 2020. Will continue following the journey.
It's good to see the level of control from both you fighters. No hard punches but realistic speed. This is what sparring is, to be able to practice under pressure, without getting hurt.
The first video I ever watched from you was the original sparring session, it was in my recommended so I checked it out, I liked your honesty and the real search you were on about your martial art and yourself really. Holy shit you have come a long way. I was going to give some advice but then I realized you have trained with real pro coaches so maybe just listen to them lol. Keep going bro and keep posting videos love the journey you are on, thanks for sharing it with us.
Huge respect to you for doing this, you are what a true Martial Artist is supposed to be. No ego just growing better everyday. Cant wait to see another update in a year from now.
Oooffff, kick sparring without shinpads is always hard to watch.... Looking a lot better then last year @Rokas!!!! Also, you definitely should pick up your kickbox training, with those legs you should be able to hit somebody from across the room! ;)
@@SwordTune exactly...... I don't train for matches, just recreationally. And yes, have done light sparring without pads..... therefore, ouch.... (Yes, I know, both of them train for matches and'll have much better conditioned shins.....)
Bravo for being humble. That takes courage. My background is more boxing than mma and that's where his extra experience showed - more even just with the hands, just be cautious of losing your height and fighting down to his level. I'd love to see your progression in another year
As someone that has been kicking since I was a kid, I don't think most adults need that skill for general fighting ability. Unless someone just like kicks, having some basic low roundhouse and teep kicks then focusing the rest of their training on other aspects of fighting including kick defense is probably a better use of their time. Kicks, while powerful, are a high risk type of thing and people can get similar or even better results keeping their feet on the ground and using evasive footwork while using their hands or grappling. Knees are a good middle ground though.
This is probably my first time commenting on your channel, but I've been a viewer and subscriber of yours for some time now. You're truly an inspiration for me Rokas. Respect.
Great job! It was amazing to see you this calm and collected throughout the whole session. The progress you've made is obvious even to an untrained onlooker. Best of luck moving forward!
The progress and your recordings of it is astounding. Nothing but respect. You are still young enough to keep on improving what you have achieved so far! 😎💯👍🏽👍🏽
Looking great, Rokas! You're moving much more comfortably than before. You look more relaxed and good flow. I can't believe it's only been a year, it seems like it was a lifetime ago when you two last sparred.
Such a good improvement, Rokas! You really seem more comfortable under pressure now. Still, as you already know: you need to work on that kicking. The kind of range you could get with your height and your long limbs, it's a waste of two great weapons in your arsenal.
I think you have one of the best martial arts channels on TH-cam. It was your honesty about martial arts that drew me in and it's what keeps me watching your channel. Keep up the good work.
Wow, awesome.. this was the guy who two years ago played with you in the ring. Here you gave him a proper sparing session. You are an inspiration. But still think you and Shane fazen share a dog!
Kadarr, well, nit reformed itf tkd is no contact, no sparring ‚martial arts dancing‘, it’s a high level ‚moving art‘ but has very little to do with actual fighting
@@jeanlucgatoh Thats not true at all... there is taekwondo ITF competitions with real contact, its still a point sistem but the KO is allowed and you can punch to the head and so on. Its true that most taekwondo schools now are verry ''martial arts dancin''. But in my school we compete on full contact and kick boxing, and the TKD tournaments are full contact too. (Sorry for my english if i said something wrong).
You're my inspiration to continue to train, even if I don't have enough time and money to do so. Keep growing Rokas, your subs are with you always. Thank you sincerely
Fucking love how you treat everybody as a teacher even this guy that you haven't seen in years still asking for advice and about your weaknesses, very sobering to see someone with that much humility
Awesome to see you come full circle. Truly amazing progress. I've been following you for some time; since around when originally had this first MMA fight, I think. I just wanted to say how much you inspired me. At the time I'd been training Wing Chun for about 2 years, and was having serious doubts about the effectiveness of the martial art and if it really offered what I was looking for. My school didn't spar, videos were surfacing of Wing Chun practitioners getting a taste of reality, etc. (you know the story). But I didn't know what next step to take, lo and behold I stumbled upon your channel, and your journey! Seeing you in a similar position, and having been way more invested in your previous practice and still having taken the plunge, inspired me to take it too. One of your videos with the head coach at SBG Portland in particular had great advice that really resonated with me; to just go for it, if you're having doubts about your practice being legit, don't waste anymore time thinking about it, just drop it and pick up one you know that's got evidence of functionality. And so I did. I quit wing chun and joined my local MMA gym, found BJJ and grappling to be my love mainly, but still sprinkle in some striking in there for balance. Man what a difference. Been training for over a year now and I am so much more content with what I'm doing, physically and mentally. Thank you Rokas for sharing your journey with us, empowering us to make more informed decisions by questioning ourselves and our environment, doing our own research. And congratulations on your progress and on being awesome. Look forward to seeing where your journey continues to take you, wherever it may be! Also sorry for the spiel, but had been needing to get it off my chest for some time. :P
Looks like the Aikido helped a lot with body awareness and balance among other things despite the limited direct combat application. Thank you so much for an extremely educational video and great work with your dedication to learning new things! God bless you all.
It's like watching a martial arts movie with this guy. You caught my attention since the first time you ever sparred with him. I've been doing MMA for about the same time as you so it feels like I'm growing with you
This was really nice to watch Rokas! you've come a really long way in a short time. Your improvement is notorious. The cardio part has a very important mental factor, you learn how to administer your energy expenditure when you have more experience (your mind is also more cool after many years of training).
Tremendous respect to you for being so open to learning and being able to "give up" the prestige of all those years of Aikido training. I can see that you've gotten much better. My one criticism is that you should stick to training, hard training. I don't know what "light sparing" is really and I don't think it helps you improve. "Pressure testing" involves REAL pressure not "light pressure." But please don't think I am taking anything away from you! You are a courageous and sincere young man. Keep it up!!! I look forward to continuing to follow your journey!
It's great to see you learning MMA. I think learning MMA is a great way to enhance your Aikido training (and vice versa). It's so important to learn how to properly use strikes, kicks, parries, ground techniques etc etc. However, I am disappointed you didn't continue your Aikido training. I was hoping to see you apply your new MMA skills to enhance your Aikido training. I would love to see you do more videos about Functional Aikido with Bruce Bookman Sensei. I was fortunate to learn Aikido from an instructor who cross-trained us in other Martial Arts. He taught us the practical versions of Aikido techniques and how to combine them with other techniques to make them more brutal if necessary. I would love to see you revisit your Aikido training with your new MMA experience. It would be great to see you train and interview Aikido instructors who specialize in teaching practical versions of Aikido techniques like Lenny Sly Sensei of Rogue Warriors: th-cam.com/video/AXd9S7THQ6g/w-d-xo.html The AikidoFlow Channel also demonstrates many practical techniques the instructor has used as a bouncer: th-cam.com/video/DLQghtbVyOg/w-d-xo.html With your new MMA experience, I think you will be able to see how Aikido techniques can be converted back to their original combat versions that are practiced in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu which incorporates punches and kicks with joint locks and throws. Both Aikido and Jiujutsu evolved from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. However, they took completely opposite paths due to their founders' different goals and philosophies. The founder of Aikido didn't create "The Way of Peace" to be a fighting system or competitive sport. Therefore, if you want to learn the combat and sport versions of Aikido techniques, then cross-train in Japanese Jūjutsu, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Judo. However, there are also some Aikido instructors who can teach you the practical and aggressive versions of the techniques. I would love to see you do more videos with Aikido instructors who have diverse training in other arts.
Thank you for sharing your journey of becoming a WARRIOR, very inspiring and refreshing to see someone whom realized their faults, then persevered through them with humility and honesty. Your on the path to becoming a True WARRIOR, thank you again for sharing.
dude you improved a lot !! awesome work! as others said: you did best in the bjj round last boxing round was much better than the first, kicking is your weakpoint. (mine too.. (highkicks)) its truly a martial arts journey, love your videos! greetings from austria!
wow, I have plenty of things to say: 1) you are one of the most honest martial arts instructors I have seen, to actually admit when something does not work, and go on a journey of improvement, I do not think your trial of improving Aikido was a bad step either as turning 180 degrees would be unrealistic and the mini-steps are needed. 2) with that level of honesty, I would love to train under your guidance one day, I live in another country and don't have the money, but if I do, I would love to train in your Dojo. 3) your previous hairstyle gave you some mystique look, I personally prefer it over the modern one, just because the fighting style did not work does not mean that the artistic parts you loved of Japanese culture have to go too, you can still have that samurai hairstyle and a Gi outfit while practicing MMA. 4) your Aikido training did help a bit with your grappling match, after all it is a style based on grappling, maybe you can modify some Aikido techniques to use it on the ground, you'll need sparring partners for that to find the techniques that work. 5) practice jogging and swimming to build your stamina, cutting or decreasing smoking and caffeine would help too, some Judo and Wrestling training would help you with your throws, and why not practice some other striking martial arts that you did not try before to learn new strikes ? 6) awesome video man :)
I found you through the Karate Nerd. Your story is amazing and it was so brave of you to make all the life changing choices you have. I'm deeply inspired to be finding so many other high spirited warriors all over youtube this year! Algorithm is really giving a comeback lately (Edit/Added comment): For kickboxing for only 2 years, you are VERY collected in your skills, defense and footwork. Your kicks will come, don't feel bad about that part. I'm personally out of shape in the quadriceps department.. need to start kicking heavy again myself.
I started watching your channel back when it was about Aikido (enjoyed your ukemi vids). The amount of progress you have made in two years (and probably mostly in the last year) is tremendous. Your grappling has made the biggest improvement. You looked most comfortable doing that. Well done, sir!
Thank you brother. 🙏 today is my 5th day of water fasting. I have been feeling greatly discouraged this morning as I woke up at 4 am and am dreading the length of the the day and the challenges of my appetite. I watched your journey from your first mma challenge, your BJJ training, and your rematch and I have found great motivation to continue my journey. Thank you, your videos are a great offering.
I know nothing about MMA, but boxed a fair bit. You have started to develop a nice jab, but it comes back a little low, maybe because you were tired. But this is a HUGE improvement.
The improvement is amazing to see. You're killing me with never using leg kicks though! haha... It seems like you could have imposed your length more in the sparring. Looked like you were trying to stay wide, but were letting him dictate distance with the initial action, so you were often on the back foot. Just some thoughts though, take it or leave it...
Rokas you get so much props from me!! actually take your art and testing it and completely rebuilding yourself from the ground up and putting it on the internet for everyone to see. you also have developed some serious martial arts skills in that time, even the fundamentals of stance, footwork and movement and keeping all of these in the heat of the battle is something that is incredibly hard to do and can only developed with serious time on the mats. enjoying seeing you on your martial arts journey
You've got mad heart guy. Most people wouldn't have the strength of character to face themselves the way you have, and then to pivot and handle all the ups and downs that came with it. Much respect.
Hey Rokas. Im a former Aikido guy in Mississippi, (Iwama style if that matters) and man, its been a damn journey for me as well. I think I even critiqued your analysis of Aikido at one point but at this point Im convinced that truly what you are saying is true. I think that at one point maybe many of these styles were optimal at points throughout history, but as times changed and various styles dropped sparring for varying reasons, that today you are left with a small but efficient selection of combat sports/self defense that is effective. Its a sorry state of the world honestly and I have some thoughts about what created it this way, I think many of us who have had our eyes opened miss the sort of lie that we operated under, I wish I lived in a world with 36 varyingly equal styles to choose from, but instead I have like 5 to 7. It was hard for me because I was very attached to the movement and style and aesthetic of aikido but through time I had to come to the hard realization that most ofwhat I was doing was essentially choreographed dancing.
Some things Id like to see explored more from your channel:1. maybe some conjecture on why things are the way they are and whether certain arts "used" to be effective or were simply always smoke and mirrors. I think its an important question because their are certain unexplored implications that come with your realisation like: Were these ancient masters legit or were they essentially duping people? This includes Aikido masters like Ueshiba, Saito,etc. Kung fu masters like Ip Man and Bruce Lee, and probably a few more. If they were duping people then why and how but I think the more interesting question comes from if they werent. If they werent then that means that Aikido, Wing Chun, and Jeet kune do were effective at the very least for the people who created them.
So were they effective martial artists but poor teachers? Were they effective then because they had then present backgrounds in sparring(pretty sure ueshiba actually sparred tho I dont know the curriculum of his students) would they be effective now? if not how would someone like that change? slight alterations like you attempted to do or would Ueshiba abandon the art altogether?! Maybe they were effective because the martial artists at the time, while strong would not last to your mma or muay thai guy today? I don't know but Id love to see these things explored.
Id like to learn some Muay Thai and then go around and challenge some of the top Aikido guys. I want to see how people like Christian Tissier or Hirohito Saito of Shin Shin Shurenkai fame do against a trained fighter. If I can't achieve this though Id definitely like to see someone like yourself do this as it will take me many years before I am fit enough and experienced enough to do so.
Yes lots of questions. I think it just boils down to simply an evolving of the different attacks and most importantly ‘why’. Such as many of the knife attacks of the past were deep thrusts to vital areas, in order to bypass armour and similar. Usually the failing of arts is holding onto tradition. Things must and will evolve. It’s like expecting a car made 70 years ago is better than one produced yesterday. We see this in bjj where footlocks are now being integrated into MMA. In some ways the softening of the arts is due to the world being a much safer place and also things such as the ability to sue someone if they barely touch you! Even obvious changes happened in Aikido like not grappling the collar instead the neck as the collar might rip. Very much like the explosion of Nogi since many times you can’t be sure a person will have a piece of clothing strong enough to help control/choke them. So no they weren’t frauds, they just we correct of the time. Just like Tohei adjusted Aikido due to the huge physical size of the Hawaiian training partners. Nowhere near a size any Japanese would have expected to ever come across in training.
@@cpt.gwyndolin8665 You should take into account that in many Asian cultures there is the Confucian respect for your elders and you do what they tell you. This then got passed on, but full contact fights are rare in many of those styles. Eventually the desire to get rid of some testosteron also dwindles in most people at a certain age. The desire to ritualise everything will have added to the real fighting to become ever more stylised and the mystical aspect that often attracts people to them plays its part. as long as you know more than the average bumpkin you will have success, similar to the first MMA challenge where he didn't know what to do on the floor as none of that had ever come along. In the land of the blind, one eye is king.
Massive improvements! Keep at it, brother. Dont be discouraged. You are leagues ahead of proverbial martial arts ostriches that have become willfully ignorant by burying their heads in the sand. Congratulations!
I got to give mad a credit where credit is due. The amount of Grace and humility that you displayed when realizing that the art of which you've been training for years was ineffective for fighting oh, it was a powerful thing to watch. You are obviously starting to build an extremely solid foundation of MMA and it is very impressive to see. If there were more people like you in the world who are willing to admit when they were wrong and then make the changes thereafter the world would be a much better place
I have to admit as a long time fan of Aikido it was hard to see your first video. BUT.... it is so, cool to see your Martial Arts Journey. Its really so amazing to see you progress, endurance /"cardio" training come with time and hard work. One tiny bit of advice I can give as an asthmatic kick-boxer. Try training until you feel like collapsing, heaving for oxygen. I often train until my air is gone and I am on the ground heaving for air or hanging on to my punching bag for dear life. As soon as regain my breath, I go again. It has helped my control of my asthma and breathing as well as my will power. I tell myself I want success more than I want air. And as asthmatic I know what it is to not have enough air. I never plan on going pro or anything. But my journey has definitely made my body and mind stronger. Which is my ultimate goal. I can't wait to see how far you go! Great work! Stay Healthy!
Very impressive. I watched that video 2 yrs ago. Well done. You have completely remade yourself. As for your cardio - think about how much you train 6 days a week?!?!? Cardio is not just working out harder to build up your cardiovascular system. I’d bet your inexperience with fighting is causing you to be tense all the time. If you don’t stay relaxed tensing and releasing muscles as needed you will burn 4 to 10 times as much energy as the experienced fighter. Im 20 years older than my experienced students and I usually last longer sparring due to efficiency. The MMA coach in this video even pointed this out on in his analysis. Once again though WELL DONE. Very impressive.
I cant stress how valuable your progress is. Not just for you personally, but for everyone who might choose aikido or other less effective martial arts as a base. You have set the bar for the martial arts world in a way. Tested your self in the ultimate way.
Rokas - your journey has been nothing short of inspiring for those who follow their own paths to better themselves. I know it's not your goal but I'm becoming more and more sure that you will indeed be the one to show how exactly Aikido is to be functionalized - and it is exactly as you have done and said, through hard work, understanding the basics of striking and grappling, and conditioning. These are the things that form the basis of any good technique. Your videos forced me to take a close look at my own style and forgo the belt system to spar, lift, and understand more about the holes of my system. It has only made me stronger and appreciate the art for what it is. Thanks for all you do mate, and special thanks to your wonderful wife, for we know accompanying a great man is an equally great woman!
Honestly happy to see your progress and follow your journey, Rokas! In 2 years I got to repeat that a lot, but can't help it... Compared to 14 years of Aikido, what heavy 2 years, hu?! Nice to think that today's Rokas would whoop past Rokas' ass 😆 Congrats, man! Thanks! And keep it up!
Great work, Rokas. Long-time viewer, first-time commenter, really enjoy watching your progress. Much respect for the positive change you're bringing to the martial arts industry. Big inspiration. Thanks for making these awesome videos. Keep it up! - Patrick
Many people asked for the list of music used in the video. Here is the complete list in order of songs :)
Midnight (on TH-cam free audio library)
Loop Caught (on TH-cam free audio library)
Synergy (on TH-cam free audio library)
The Diabolical Waffle - Heroes
Nameless Warning - Spillway
Scouting (on TH-cam free audio library)
You look so much better than you first attempt against mma. Awesome.
I subscribed just out of respect for you fam ✌🏽 much love from mexico 💪🏿 i seen all 3 videos and its a nice improvement keep training and doin ur thang ✌🏽 i been training muay thai for 3 years and believe me it takes a while to get better 💪🏿💪🏿 much love and respect fam
I am not sure, but my Impression is, that Aikido isn't meant to be an efficient Hand to Hand Combat. Most of the techniques seem to better work with a Sword. Probably if you Train Aikido, use a stick to fight.
But the most serious Problem if i compare to my Judo experiance is that you have no Sparring. Not Training with a resisting Opponent ist what will kill you in a fight.
This video makes my heart smile 💓😁 you've gotten SO much better, not to mention more confident, it's truly inspiring (: Proud of you brother. This was really cool to watch.
I can't wait to start BJJ myself 🙏💯 Afterwards I also intend to add Wrestling (maybe Catch Wrestling), Muay Thai, and Boxing to round me off for the most part at least. I feel like this should give me an excellent toolset and foundation to be as prepared as I can be to defend myself and those I love as best I can. I'm definitely interested in going further into Krav Maga and others as well once my foundation is well established.
I really dig this channel and I'm stoked to be following your journey as martial artist and honourable defender.
Keep up the top notch hustle my dude! 💯🙌🔥🌍✊
@Tai Chi Tube Well you've painted yourself as a prejudice asshole.. so there's that 🤷♂️
I think people probably underestimate the amount of humility that it takes for someone to admit their traditional martial art is unrealistic after 13+ years of doing it. And then to turn around and dedicate yourself to years of full time training in practical fighting styles and be able to hold your own against pros. Massive respect to the amount of humility you had/have to be able to do that. True martial artist. 👌
I agree 100 percent
Did aikido for 3 years and got disappointed. Judo and bjj gave me much more confidence of defending myself.
The problem is now he hates on all things traditional.
@@Jiyukan I don't think japanese aikido master can hold up against pro mma fighters
@空手家 thats why all those ufc and bellator champs are aikido fighters right? Wrong. They are all wrestlers, kickboxers, and bjj practitioners. Like i said, it takes humility (and a little bit of live testing) to realize aikido isn't realistic or practical.
When I showed my girlfriend your transformation from pre-MMA to now, she said: "Wow, a lot sexy."
English is not a second language for her.
I think we need to sort this beef, bro.
😂😂😂🙏
Lol
🤣🤣😂😂
Imma keep this vid away from my girl now.
lmao
10+ years in aikido and you looked like a defenseless kid trying to learn basic martial arts. 2 years in actual MMA and you looked like a man able to protect himself. amazing transformation.
Despite the fact that Aikido isn't effective in a real fight, I'm sure it takes a lot of time and discipline to learn the choreography of it, just like dancing and I'd imagine his ability and willingness to learn things like footwork and staying composed and relaxed comes from that.
It's almost comparable to how in some instances (not always) wrestlers can pick up BJJ fast. It's not that they know a large part of BJJ already, they don't, it's just that they know how to drill efficiently and they know how to pick out what they're struggling with and focus on it during live rolls.
@@michaelstout7955 your bjj to wrestling reference is great. I would say it’s exactly like that, but wrestlers do have to adjust to the pace a little just because bjj is more muscle endurance where as wrestling is a lot on the feet and a lot of movement so it’s more cardio. Just a different type of pace
Having trained for a few years at least in all of the styles referenced here, and also having a similar defensive style (when sparing) depending on reach, positioning, and foot work, I gotta say the years of Aikido really shows in how instead of getting out of the line of the punch, he gets out of line of the hips and make Tadas either go for something else, or not have any power behind it. That being said, I do Aikido because I love it. I was confident of my ability to defend myself long before that, and like the first video says, if you have no experience in the ring, it isn't going to go well for you.
Ehh, that was for the first half of the boxing sparring, once Tadas figured out he only moves a bit off line, it started going more poorly lol
“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
― George Bernard Shaw
I change my mind multiple times a day. I can change ANYTHING!!!
@@garybolenable Whole. New. Level. Reached!
“Night changes many thoughts” - Aragorn. In the world of self defense and combat sports, a knock out blow changes every practitioner’s view of things.
Deep
How does this not have 3 million views? Man, Rokas looks so good in this compared to the previous year. Man, what an inspirational journey!
🙏😊
That haircut trippled your stats
😂
@@MartialArtsJourney yes, that is one of the signs showing your amazing transformation from an aikidoka into a fighter and a human being(joke) 😂
Agree now he looks like a alfa
now he looks like a proper jock XD
He got rid of that old yee yee ass haircut
This is so satisfying. So much improvement.
Thank you 🙏
@@MartialArtsJourney big miss you come back miss your longer hair also . functional aikido th-cam.com/channels/lhLazRwMSdXeF-MBFUo4gg.html
and see mma kickboxer vs older guy aikido with one arm
th-cam.com/video/Co25GiIb4vk/w-d-xo.html
brady2k10
"see this is how shit MMA really is, get beaten by an old man with one arm haha"
just quoted what other said but there is things good
in many styles of fighting. reason i showed the quote is many do not like the bashing on true aikido it is an martial arts and a true master of aikido can do the same to mma guys as in the video shown period.
Come back to Aikido Family my friend we Big Miss you Functional Aikido:
th-cam.com/video/gusKJfkYFnM/w-d-xo.html
@@MartialArtsJourney also see this real life
th-cam.com/video/fH6HtkySiCQ/w-d-xo.html
and
th-cam.com/video/EgyDAnRg4nE/w-d-xo.html
in this demostration video steven segal slowed down motions .
steven segal in his prime could easy beat up many mma he is extremely good at aikido and teach it for real for self defence street fights vs knives and guns close ups etc.
nomatter what people think about steven segal he is an expert in aikido and uses many of his aikido moves in his fictional movies aswell:
th-cam.com/video/7JtIGd36f9A/w-d-xo.html
and
th-cam.com/video/7EAuLL9n42s/w-d-xo.html
the point is aikido is a real martial arts form and trained by a good teacher in aikido you will be able to beat mma guys which already is proven by other comment video posted earlier old man with 1 hand beat a young mma kickboxer...
in my eyes mma is overrated because as many mma people trash talk other forms as aikido.
same ways as many boxers trash talk martial arts other styles and martial artists...
real aikido is used by many as cops bodyguards and alike and works in real life situations against many attackers and vs knives and guns close ups I can suerly tell you mma do not work against man guys with knives as real fights is not in a ring with rules vs 1 attacker...
@@gurrac710 Yea yea! Come back to fantasy land! Where magical pinky throw moves that have no actual real life application make you feel like you're somehow an actual martial artist!!! Weeeeeee!!!! Wake up and be happy for this guy!! If you look at this video and don't see just incredible progress in martial arts period. Than you're delusional my friend.
Get this guy on Joe Rogan
Yes !
I think Joe saw him already.
Joe Morgan
Hey man, that's cool and all but have you ever tried DMT?
"If you are lazy training you'll never have good cardio."
I love how simply he puts things. Thanks for sharing. And congratulations on your progress. You've come a long way and taught us with your experience as well. Love you.
i felt attacked when i heard that
Yeah that guy's brutal but I love that straightforward honesty.
I love this man! You are looking sharp!
Thank you Jeff!! 🙏🙏🙏
holy shit, it's jeff!
@@chenoodles lol this is word for word what I said
MMAShredded Jeff Chan when we will see some MMA in real life to check does it work on street?
You're a real inspiration, must have taken tons of courage to face reality and evolve!
🙏
I know it's a Clark Kent to superman change.
I just wrote and told him that on my channel I'm going to do a film study this week of a traditional vs mma fighter
As someone that was here since you were doing the aikido instructionals, I can say I am seriously proud of how much you have grown. I am most impressed by your grappling skills and your improvements with your boxing. One tip I will give you for the kicking is to get really good at mixing kicks into the end of your boxing combinations. Also keep working on your footwork because it will make you less tired. 😉
I would add to that using his reach. He is tall and should be able to keep his opponent away from him. Also his partner has a fighting pattern: every time he throws a jabs his head comes down right after, it's like he is asking or begging for an uppercut or a knee. But maybe it's just him going slowly because Rokas is a beginner
has Rokas trained in muay thai at all? that would probably help with mixing in kicks
I noticed that some kicks that you do, you're not bringing your knee up to where it should be before releasing the lower half of your leg. If you watch the other guy, when he throws a kick, his knee is up to the position where he wants and then he releases the lower half of his leg. That's not the only thing in kicking of course, you also want to make sure your upper body stance is in the correct position, your back leg/foot, head, etc. Honestly this can be fixed easily. You have a body type that is perfect for kicking too. Seriously all you need to do is watch people who have perfected their kicks and mimic every single thing they do and just practice practice practice. Look where they're head is positioned, upper body, knee, back leg/foot, etc. You've come such a long way dude! You're only going to get better too.
how many fights you guys been in lol
@@NemesisBOTS Enough to bash your face in.
I don't know if anyone has ever told you this but your head movement is pretty damn good and you're constantly trying to adjust distance and angles. That alone is the first sign that someone has learned to fight.
.comment Underrated .true So
Thank you!
@@MartialArtsJourney Your punches have zero snap. You need to learn the fundamentals. It's clear you skipped it. I recommend Karate, boxing, Muy Thai.. something that teaches you how to punch. People here are blowing sunshine up your ass and you're going to get hurt if you don't learn the fundamentals. Even though you're not going full speed you can see the difference between you and the MMA guy. When I spar even at slow speed I can't help but snap my punches because I learned how to punch through repetition thousands of times in Karate, it's clear you skipped that. You should consider not even sparring before you learn to punch; you're just solidifying bad habits by sparring. Sorry to be harsh, but hopefully someone is telling you this.
@@holdencaulfied7492 dude, he's training with coach Kavanagh lmfao. Conor Mcgregor's coach. I'm sure he's quite a bit more qualified to teach people than you are lol.
@@jordanryken I'm not questioning the credentials of his coach. Doesn't make what I said any less true.
Watching all 3 videos back to back, it’s astounding to see the total transformation. Such a testament to what you’ve accomplished!
🙏🙏🙏
You literally seem like a different person, you’re more confident and assured of yourself
I still remember when you were first trying to functionalise Aikido, using some Judo and Boxing and being able to give you advice, despite my boxing being pretty rubbish all things considered. Now I'd definitely go to a class if you were teaching it, you've gotten so much better. You've also personally inspired me to train more MMA. Thank you and nice job.
🙏🙏🙏
If I may make a suggestion for cardio, A good Judo class with lots of sparring is a big help. The rules are structured in a way that penalize stalling and resting, forcing you to keep moving. Also gives a more explosive aspect to your BJJ.
@Tim Hanselbach Aside of Judo, Wrestling is actually very tiring too
@Metalupyourass I'm afraid I don't understand.
@@hirogaru9131 not going to disagree but my problem here is that it's hard to find an adult wrestling class, at least in Germany. Judo can normally be found pretty much everywhere.
@Metalupyourass ok, got that, but wasn't really talking about self defense in my comment, just working on cardio.
@@cthulhu-jitsu7404 Boxing is also a great cardio workout
Great work Rokas. Like they said, it looked like he was sparring a completely different person.
I'm not surprised that you have found a supportive community on the internet. You make it easy to cheer for you. Humble, sincere, and hard working. Congratulations on your progress and journey.
😊🙏🙏🙏
Congratulations on your progress!We ( my husband and I ) aldo left aikido for bjj 2 years ago and are very happy with this choice!
Thank you. Glad to hear about your decision!
Jesus that name
Love your videos and your growth in martial arts. I have competed in martial arts since a teenager, kick boxing, muay Thai. Tkd.. Bjj. Aikido is something I have never done. It's a martial arts where people reached out to me and wanted me to commit and join given my background. But you popped up on my suggested on TH-cam once a long time ago. I watched a video and stayed watching, I like your brave decisions and ethics and wish you a good 2020. Will continue following the journey.
🙏🙏
It's good to see the level of control from both you fighters. No hard punches but realistic speed. This is what sparring is, to be able to practice under pressure, without getting hurt.
We are seeing evolution in an individual in real time. Its absolutely stunning.
The first video I ever watched from you was the original sparring session, it was in my recommended so I checked it out, I liked your honesty and the real search you were on about your martial art and yourself really. Holy shit you have come a long way. I was going to give some advice but then I realized you have trained with real pro coaches so maybe just listen to them lol. Keep going bro and keep posting videos love the journey you are on, thanks for sharing it with us.
☺️🙏🙏🙏
The difference from the first time is huge! Your overall improvement is insane. Extremely impressive Rokas!
Thank you! 🙏
Rokus actually moves like a fighter now. Well done.
Huge respect to you for doing this, you are what a true Martial Artist is supposed to be. No ego just growing better everyday. Cant wait to see another update in a year from now.
Oooffff, kick sparring without shinpads is always hard to watch....
Looking a lot better then last year @Rokas!!!!
Also, you definitely should pick up your kickbox training, with those legs you should be able to hit somebody from across the room! ;)
Why is it hard to watch? You'll be kicking your opponent without pads in a match, you should have some idea of what the real thing feels like.
@@SwordTune exactly...... I don't train for matches, just recreationally. And yes, have done light sparring without pads..... therefore, ouch.... (Yes, I know, both of them train for matches and'll have much better conditioned shins.....)
Bravo for being humble. That takes courage. My background is more boxing than mma and that's where his extra experience showed - more even just with the hands, just be cautious of losing your height and fighting down to his level. I'd love to see your progression in another year
As someone that has been kicking since I was a kid, I don't think most adults need that skill for general fighting ability. Unless someone just like kicks, having some basic low roundhouse and teep kicks then focusing the rest of their training on other aspects of fighting including kick defense is probably a better use of their time. Kicks, while powerful, are a high risk type of thing and people can get similar or even better results keeping their feet on the ground and using evasive footwork while using their hands or grappling. Knees are a good middle ground though.
This is probably my first time commenting on your channel, but I've been a viewer and subscriber of yours for some time now. You're truly an inspiration for me Rokas. Respect.
Great job! It was amazing to see you this calm and collected throughout the whole session. The progress you've made is obvious even to an untrained onlooker. Best of luck moving forward!
You took the right way man.
Really proud of you.
🙏
The progress and your recordings of it is astounding. Nothing but respect. You are still young enough to keep on improving what you have achieved so far! 😎💯👍🏽👍🏽
🙏👊
Looking great, Rokas! You're moving much more comfortably than before. You look more relaxed and good flow. I can't believe it's only been a year, it seems like it was a lifetime ago when you two last sparred.
Such a good improvement, Rokas! You really seem more comfortable under pressure now. Still, as you already know: you need to work on that kicking. The kind of range you could get with your height and your long limbs, it's a waste of two great weapons in your arsenal.
hahaha, i knew this was coming since that comment and have been checking back repeatedly.. happy to see the notification!
😁
Love seeing your progress. You had a big proud smile.
Dude, you improved so much! This channel is very important for Martial Arts. Love the music for the kickboxing round!
🙏
Very impressive progress you've made within a year. Congratulations!
Wow! What an improvement! Thanks guys for being humble, honest and respectful. Welcome bro to a real world of fighters.
👊
*This is what happens*
When you invest your skillpoints into Combat skilltree and gain EXP from Sparring
I think you have one of the best martial arts channels on TH-cam. It was your honesty about martial arts that drew me in and it's what keeps me watching your channel. Keep up the good work.
🙏
Wow, awesome.. this was the guy who two years ago played with you in the ring. Here you gave him a proper sparing session.
You are an inspiration.
But still think you and Shane fazen share a dog!
i think your grappling has improved the most and the kicks the least
Good point
mortivoe grappling is definitely his strength .
@@Bfolks84 It is at late white/early blue belt level. That what one would expect after just a year of training.
Adam Turowski i apologize ... I meant to write grappling IS definitely his strength. Haha my phone auto corrected to “isn’t” not sure why.
@@Bfolks84 But, he agreed with your original comment, no?
Damn man, you look awesome! I’m impressed. Keep it up man, your a constant inspiration for me!
🙏
Man, your humility and boundless enthusiasm is amazing. So glad you revisited this and looking forward to see your continued progress!
-bjj white belt
Thank you! ☺️🙏
Your channel helped me to transfer from traditional taekwondo to boxing, thx for the inspiration
🙏
Well the real traditional TKD, the ITF is basicaly kickboxing without low kicks.
Kadarr, well, nit reformed itf tkd is no contact, no sparring ‚martial arts dancing‘, it’s a high level ‚moving art‘ but has very little to do with actual fighting
@@jeanlucgatoh Thats not true at all... there is taekwondo ITF competitions with real contact, its still a point sistem but the KO is allowed and you can punch to the head and so on.
Its true that most taekwondo schools now are verry ''martial arts dancin''. But in my school we compete on full contact and kick boxing, and the TKD tournaments are full contact too.
(Sorry for my english if i said something wrong).
This was great to watch back to back with the first video.
You're my inspiration to continue to train, even if I don't have enough time and money to do so. Keep growing Rokas, your subs are with you always. Thank you sincerely
🙏
Positional awareness, technical getups, actually throwing clean punches. Honestly the progress is impressive.
Just gained a new Subscriber
You will certainly not become the most powerful MMA athlete, but you surely belong to the most influential ones. Probs!
Thank you!
Fucking love how you treat everybody as a teacher even this guy that you haven't seen in years still asking for advice and about your weaknesses, very sobering to see someone with that much humility
🙏🙏🙏
Awesome to see you come full circle. Truly amazing progress. I've been following you for some time; since around when originally had this first MMA fight, I think.
I just wanted to say how much you inspired me. At the time I'd been training Wing Chun for about 2 years, and was having serious doubts about the effectiveness of the martial art and if it really offered what I was looking for. My school didn't spar, videos were surfacing of Wing Chun practitioners getting a taste of reality, etc. (you know the story). But I didn't know what next step to take, lo and behold I stumbled upon your channel, and your journey!
Seeing you in a similar position, and having been way more invested in your previous practice and still having taken the plunge, inspired me to take it too. One of your videos with the head coach at SBG Portland in particular had great advice that really resonated with me; to just go for it, if you're having doubts about your practice being legit, don't waste anymore time thinking about it, just drop it and pick up one you know that's got evidence of functionality.
And so I did. I quit wing chun and joined my local MMA gym, found BJJ and grappling to be my love mainly, but still sprinkle in some striking in there for balance. Man what a difference. Been training for over a year now and I am so much more content with what I'm doing, physically and mentally.
Thank you Rokas for sharing your journey with us, empowering us to make more informed decisions by questioning ourselves and our environment, doing our own research. And congratulations on your progress and on being awesome. Look forward to seeing where your journey continues to take you, wherever it may be!
Also sorry for the spiel, but had been needing to get it off my chest for some time. :P
Thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it
Looks like the Aikido helped a lot with body awareness and balance among other things despite the limited direct combat application. Thank you so much for an extremely educational video and great work with your dedication to learning new things! God bless you all.
It's like watching a martial arts movie with this guy. You caught my attention since the first time you ever sparred with him. I've been doing MMA for about the same time as you so it feels like I'm growing with you
I have great respect for people who step out of their comfort zone and try new things, let alone martial arts.
Great humility shown here
This was really nice to watch Rokas! you've come a really long way in a short time.
Your improvement is notorious.
The cardio part has a very important mental factor, you learn how to administer your energy expenditure when you have more experience (your mind is also more cool after many years of training).
Tremendous respect to you for being so open to learning and being able to "give up" the prestige of all those years of Aikido training. I can see that you've gotten much better. My one criticism is that you should stick to training, hard training. I don't know what "light sparing" is really and I don't think it helps you improve. "Pressure testing" involves REAL pressure not "light pressure." But please don't think I am taking anything away from you! You are a courageous and sincere young man. Keep it up!!! I look forward to continuing to follow your journey!
Wow Rokas u sure changed a lot !! Congratulations and keep sharing ur experiences with us!.. Keep it up bro😃😃
It's great to see you learning MMA. I think learning MMA is a great way to enhance your Aikido training (and vice versa). It's so important to learn how to properly use strikes, kicks, parries, ground techniques etc etc. However, I am disappointed you didn't continue your Aikido training. I was hoping to see you apply your new MMA skills to enhance your Aikido training. I would love to see you do more videos about Functional Aikido with Bruce Bookman Sensei.
I was fortunate to learn Aikido from an instructor who cross-trained us in other Martial Arts. He taught us the practical versions of Aikido techniques and how to combine them with other techniques to make them more brutal if necessary. I would love to see you revisit your Aikido training with your new MMA experience. It would be great to see you train and interview Aikido instructors who specialize in teaching practical versions of Aikido techniques like Lenny Sly Sensei of Rogue Warriors: th-cam.com/video/AXd9S7THQ6g/w-d-xo.html
The AikidoFlow Channel also demonstrates many practical techniques the instructor has used as a bouncer: th-cam.com/video/DLQghtbVyOg/w-d-xo.html
With your new MMA experience, I think you will be able to see how Aikido techniques can be converted back to their original combat versions that are practiced in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu which incorporates punches and kicks with joint locks and throws. Both Aikido and Jiujutsu evolved from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. However, they took completely opposite paths due to their founders' different goals and philosophies. The founder of Aikido didn't create "The Way of Peace" to be a fighting system or competitive sport. Therefore, if you want to learn the combat and sport versions of Aikido techniques, then cross-train in Japanese Jūjutsu, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Judo. However, there are also some Aikido instructors who can teach you the practical and aggressive versions of the techniques. I would love to see you do more videos with Aikido instructors who have diverse training in other arts.
Damn and you can even see how Rokus has gotten used to getting hit so he is sparring much harder with this guy now as apposed to his Aikido video
Thank you for sharing your journey of becoming a WARRIOR, very inspiring and refreshing to see someone whom realized their faults, then persevered through them with humility and honesty. Your on the path to becoming a True WARRIOR, thank you again for sharing.
dude you improved a lot !! awesome work!
as others said:
you did best in the bjj round
last boxing round was much better than the first,
kicking is your weakpoint. (mine too.. (highkicks))
its truly a martial arts journey, love your videos!
greetings from austria!
wow, I have plenty of things to say:
1) you are one of the most honest martial arts instructors I have seen, to actually admit when something does not work, and go on a journey of improvement, I do not think your trial of improving Aikido was a bad step either as turning 180 degrees would be unrealistic and the mini-steps are needed.
2) with that level of honesty, I would love to train under your guidance one day, I live in another country and don't have the money, but if I do, I would love to train in your Dojo.
3) your previous hairstyle gave you some mystique look, I personally prefer it over the modern one, just because the fighting style did not work does not mean that the artistic parts you loved of Japanese culture have to go too, you can still have that samurai hairstyle and a Gi outfit while practicing MMA.
4) your Aikido training did help a bit with your grappling match, after all it is a style based on grappling, maybe you can modify some Aikido techniques to use it on the ground, you'll need sparring partners for that to find the techniques that work.
5) practice jogging and swimming to build your stamina, cutting or decreasing smoking and caffeine would help too, some Judo and Wrestling training would help you with your throws, and why not practice some other striking martial arts that you did not try before to learn new strikes ?
6) awesome video man :)
Can't put enough thumbs up for this, thanks for sharing Rokas!
☺️🙏
Oh man you are GOOD!!! Really shows your dedication to your craft, you learn so fast. It's remarkable
Dude, your guard passing is unreal. Congrats
Thank you ☺️🙏
I found you through the Karate Nerd. Your story is amazing and it was so brave of you to make all the life changing choices you have.
I'm deeply inspired to be finding so many other high spirited warriors all over youtube this year!
Algorithm is really giving a comeback lately
(Edit/Added comment): For kickboxing for only 2 years, you are VERY collected in your skills, defense and footwork.
Your kicks will come, don't feel bad about that part. I'm personally out of shape in the quadriceps department.. need to start kicking heavy again myself.
Thanks! Let's continue to train and own our journeys together :)
such improvement from the first time you guys sparred, I am delighted to see how much you have progressed!
I started watching your channel back when it was about Aikido (enjoyed your ukemi vids). The amount of progress you have made in two years (and probably mostly in the last year) is tremendous. Your grappling has made the biggest improvement. You looked most comfortable doing that. Well done, sir!
Tadas is a gem! And the connenction between you is great!
Thank you brother. 🙏 today is my 5th day of water fasting. I have been feeling greatly discouraged this morning as I woke up at 4 am and am dreading the length of the the day and the challenges of my appetite. I watched your journey from your first mma challenge, your BJJ training, and your rematch and I have found great motivation to continue my journey. Thank you, your videos are a great offering.
Thank you! It's really great for me to know this. Keep owning your journey!
Forget Connor vs Khabib 2, this is the rematch we've been waiting for!
😁🙏
I’ve been watching your journey and I’m very humbled and proud by your honesty.
Thank you! 🙏
I know nothing about MMA, but boxed a fair bit. You have started to develop a nice jab, but it comes back a little low, maybe because you were tired. But this is a HUGE improvement.
You have improved a lot. NEVER give up, what you are doing is really inspirating. Thanks for sharing with us and congratulations!
🙏🙏🙏
The improvement is amazing to see. You're killing me with never using leg kicks though! haha... It seems like you could have imposed your length more in the sparring. Looked like you were trying to stay wide, but were letting him dictate distance with the initial action, so you were often on the back foot. Just some thoughts though, take it or leave it...
Solid advice
Rokas you get so much props from me!! actually take your art and testing it and completely rebuilding yourself from the ground up and putting it on the internet for everyone to see. you also have developed some serious martial arts skills in that time, even the fundamentals of stance, footwork and movement and keeping all of these in the heat of the battle is something that is incredibly hard to do and can only developed with serious time on the mats. enjoying seeing you on your martial arts journey
You've got mad heart guy. Most people wouldn't have the strength of character to face themselves the way you have, and then to pivot and handle all the ups and downs that came with it. Much respect.
🙏
Hey Rokas. Im a former Aikido guy in Mississippi, (Iwama style if that matters) and man, its been a damn journey for me as well. I think I even critiqued your analysis of Aikido at one point but at this point Im convinced that truly what you are saying is true. I think that at one point maybe many of these styles were optimal at points throughout history, but as times changed and various styles dropped sparring for varying reasons, that today you are left with a small but efficient selection of combat sports/self defense that is effective. Its a sorry state of the world honestly and I have some thoughts about what created it this way, I think many of us who have had our eyes opened miss the sort of lie that we operated under, I wish I lived in a world with 36 varyingly equal styles to choose from, but instead I have like 5 to 7. It was hard for me because I was very attached to the movement and style and aesthetic of aikido but through time I had to come to the hard realization that most ofwhat I was doing was essentially choreographed dancing.
Some things Id like to see explored more from your channel:1. maybe some conjecture on why things are the way they are and whether certain arts "used" to be effective or were simply always smoke and mirrors. I think its an important question because their are certain unexplored implications that come with your realisation like: Were these ancient masters legit or were they essentially duping people? This includes Aikido masters like Ueshiba, Saito,etc. Kung fu masters like Ip Man and Bruce Lee, and probably a few more. If they were duping people then why and how but I think the more interesting question comes from if they werent. If they werent then that means that Aikido, Wing Chun, and Jeet kune do were effective at the very least for the people who created them.
So were they effective martial artists but poor teachers? Were they effective then because they had then present backgrounds in sparring(pretty sure ueshiba actually sparred tho I dont know the curriculum of his students) would they be effective now? if not how would someone like that change? slight alterations like you attempted to do or would Ueshiba abandon the art altogether?! Maybe they were effective because the martial artists at the time, while strong would not last to your mma or muay thai guy today? I don't know but Id love to see these things explored.
Id like to learn some Muay Thai and then go around and challenge some of the top Aikido guys. I want to see how people like Christian Tissier or Hirohito Saito of Shin Shin Shurenkai fame do against a trained fighter. If I can't achieve this though Id definitely like to see someone like yourself do this as it will take me many years before I am fit enough and experienced enough to do so.
Yes lots of questions. I think it just boils down to simply an evolving of the different attacks and most importantly ‘why’. Such as many of the knife attacks of the past were deep thrusts to vital areas, in order to bypass armour and similar. Usually the failing of arts is holding onto tradition. Things must and will evolve. It’s like expecting a car made 70 years ago is better than one produced yesterday. We see this in bjj where footlocks are now being integrated into MMA. In some ways the softening of the arts is due to the world being a much safer place and also things such as the ability to sue someone if they barely touch you! Even obvious changes happened in Aikido like not grappling the collar instead the neck as the collar might rip. Very much like the explosion of Nogi since many times you can’t be sure a person will have a piece of clothing strong enough to help control/choke them.
So no they weren’t frauds, they just we correct of the time. Just like Tohei adjusted Aikido due to the huge physical size of the Hawaiian training partners. Nowhere near a size any Japanese would have expected to ever come across in training.
@@cpt.gwyndolin8665 You should take into account that in many Asian cultures there is the Confucian respect for your elders and you do what they tell you. This then got passed on, but full contact fights are rare in many of those styles. Eventually the desire to get rid of some testosteron also dwindles in most people at a certain age. The desire to ritualise everything will have added to the real fighting to become ever more stylised and the mystical aspect that often attracts people to them plays its part. as long as you know more than the average bumpkin you will have success, similar to the first MMA challenge where he didn't know what to do on the floor as none of that had ever come along. In the land of the blind, one eye is king.
Massive improvements!
Keep at it, brother.
Dont be discouraged.
You are leagues ahead of proverbial martial arts ostriches that have become willfully ignorant by burying their heads in the sand.
Congratulations!
I got to give mad a credit where credit is due. The amount of Grace and humility that you displayed when realizing that the art of which you've been training for years was ineffective for fighting oh, it was a powerful thing to watch. You are obviously starting to build an extremely solid foundation of MMA and it is very impressive to see. If there were more people like you in the world who are willing to admit when they were wrong and then make the changes thereafter the world would be a much better place
I think Rokas is sneakily telling us he's gonna become Batman with the shirts, the training, the rugged beard and all
You are one of the very few real youtubers out there. Really committed in the long run and walk the walk yourself.
You've only been training a year? I feel like I've been watching you forever
MMA only a year, but I trained and filmed before that :)
I have to admit as a long time fan of Aikido it was hard to see your first video. BUT.... it is so, cool to see your Martial Arts Journey. Its really so amazing to see you progress, endurance /"cardio" training come with time and hard work. One tiny bit of advice I can give as an asthmatic kick-boxer. Try training until you feel like collapsing, heaving for oxygen. I often train until my air is gone and I am on the ground heaving for air or hanging on to my punching bag for dear life. As soon as regain my breath, I go again. It has helped my control of my asthma and breathing as well as my will power. I tell myself I want success more than I want air. And as asthmatic I know what it is to not have enough air. I never plan on going pro or anything. But my journey has definitely made my body and mind stronger. Which is my ultimate goal.
I can't wait to see how far you go! Great work! Stay Healthy!
Very impressive. I watched that video 2 yrs ago. Well done. You have completely remade yourself. As for your cardio - think about how much you train 6 days a week?!?!? Cardio is not just working out harder to build up your cardiovascular system. I’d bet your inexperience with fighting is causing you to be tense all the time. If you don’t stay relaxed tensing and releasing muscles as needed you will burn 4 to 10 times as much energy as the experienced fighter. Im 20 years older than my experienced students and I usually last longer sparring due to efficiency. The MMA coach in this video even pointed this out on in his analysis. Once again though WELL DONE. Very impressive.
After 2 years..❤️❤️❤️
But still I love the honest, curious and honorable guy from the past who made this present brilliant guy. Keep it up bro..❤️
Thank you... 😊
Wow! You got really good in just 2 years
🙏
I cant stress how valuable your progress is. Not just for you personally, but for everyone who might choose aikido or other less effective martial arts as a base. You have set the bar for the martial arts world in a way. Tested your self in the ultimate way.
Your range or what we call critical distance line where I train martial arts has really improved especially with the boxing portion of sparring match.
Rokas - your journey has been nothing short of inspiring for those who follow their own paths to better themselves.
I know it's not your goal but I'm becoming more and more sure that you will indeed be the one to show how exactly Aikido is to be functionalized - and it is exactly as you have done and said, through hard work, understanding the basics of striking and grappling, and conditioning. These are the things that form the basis of any good technique.
Your videos forced me to take a close look at my own style and forgo the belt system to spar, lift, and understand more about the holes of my system. It has only made me stronger and appreciate the art for what it is. Thanks for all you do mate, and special thanks to your wonderful wife, for we know accompanying a great man is an equally great woman!
Looks way better you have a good style.
Your improvement is genuinely amazing
Honestly happy to see your progress and follow your journey, Rokas!
In 2 years I got to repeat that a lot, but can't help it...
Compared to 14 years of Aikido, what heavy 2 years, hu?! Nice to think that today's Rokas would whoop past Rokas' ass 😆
Congrats, man! Thanks! And keep it up!
Congratulations man... This is so awesome of you to do and to share... Thank you
Thank you 🙂🙏
Damn your ground game is good!
Thank you ☺️
Great work, Rokas. Long-time viewer, first-time commenter, really enjoy watching your progress. Much respect for the positive change you're bringing to the martial arts industry. Big inspiration. Thanks for making these awesome videos. Keep it up!
- Patrick
big improvement from the 1st two times its amazing what training In boxing wrestling & bjj can do for your over all fight game..
I came across the first video by accident and this was really satisfying yo watch. Good job!
Thanks :)