Posts by Jack Walker64

Hey there!

Here's the deal:
I’m stuck in indecision regarding which martial art to pick up—so I figured I'd lay out the situation here and ask for some input. Looking for advice...

I'm looking at three options: Wing Chun, Aikido, or Ninjutsu.

I'm 20 years old and living in a massive US city packed with different gyms—which means right out of the gate, I've got the usual headache of trying to find a decent, high-quality club that won't absolutely drain my bank account. But we can get to that later...

First, let's talk about the style itself. My main priority is effective street self-defense. I want to learn this stuff and seriously train—not because I'm trying to act like some neighborhood tough guy, but more as a way to sharpen myself and fill my free time. Basically, I want something that actually adds value to my life while being practical...
I did a month of Wing Chun a while back, but had to quit when I moved. I liked the style, but the old gym is miles away now—literally on the other side of town. Plus, I'm honestly not sure how effective it really is in a real fight. As for Ninjutsu, I've heard the instructor is solid and the gym isn't too far from me... but I have no clue what the actual training looks like or if the style holds water.
To narrow things down—and I don't want to overthink this—I generally prefer styles that involve striking rather than just throws, locks, and whatnot. In my case, that gives Wing Chun an edge over Aikido. On the flip side, Aikido appeals to me more because of its philosophy and teaching style. Besides, striking isn't always the answer when you need to defend yourself—where Aikido might actually have the upper hand.
Ninjutsu feels like some kind of hybrid mess of Karate, Judo, Aikido, and swordsmanship—which, to me, makes it seem like the most effective option for real life. What do you guys think? I know I'm rambling, but yeah—I'm torn!
Just for context, I’m not exactly a powerhouse—I'm about 140 lbs and 5'9". That’s definitely a factor in what I should be learning.

One last thing: Are there any actually reputable, tried-and-true clubs out there for Wing Chun, Aikido, or Ninjutsu?
Help me out please! Thanks.

Brenda Stewart532 said:The internet is great for researching diseases AFTER you’ve already been diagnosed...

Imagine some guy just trolling you, telling you you've got cancer just because he once had it too... 😕

👍

Yeah, you're spot on there—I've seen it happen way too often.

Back when I was a kid, my doctor basically told me it wasn't a big deal... even though I dealt with tonsillitis pretty constantly. So, I just kept pushing off the surgery, and honestly, I never even went through with it.
I know it’s a bit late to the party here, but if my doctor decides it's actually necessary—and safe—I want to get the procedure done...

I'm mostly asking because I've been spiraling a bit, thinking of the worst-case scenarios... just pure paranoia. But personally—since my tonsils stay pretty red for a long time—it feels more like chronic inflammation or maybe some kind of viral thing rather than a bacterial infection.

I'm just looking for some general info here before I head in for tests and see what the doctor actually has to say.

Alright, I’m 20 years old and have been smoking for about 4 or 5 years. Lately, I’ve been averaging about a pack and a half a day.
About a year ago, my tonsils started swelling up and staying constantly red. For the whole time, I've had this sensation—like there's a "lump" stuck in my throat—and it’s driving me crazy.
Recently, my right tonsil swelled up even more, and a white, pus-filled spot formed on it. It looks like the pus actually drained out—gross, I know... Now, there's this purple, inflamed pit or hole in the tonsil where it happened, though it barely hurts.
I can feel the tissue around that tonsil stinging. On top of that, for a while now, I've been feeling this mild irritation and pain radiating from my jaw down my neck, through the soft tissue between my windpipe and my jugular on the same side as the swollen tonsil.
I’ve dealt with tonsil issues, infections, and strep before... but I want to know what the odds are here. Please, just give it to me straight—whether you're a pro or just someone with an opinion—is this just a nasty case of tonsillitis, or am I looking at serious symptoms that could point toward throat cancer???
My doctor can't squeeze me in until Monday, so I'm just trying to get some info beforehand to know what I'm dealing with... Thanks.