General Chat & Info Board

I’m thinking about getting into judo just for fun. Can someone tell me if it's a huge deal that I'm 29 and haven't done anything like this before?
Is it absolutely necessary to go to that one famous academy everyone keeps raving about, or is any decent club in the city fine for recreational training?

Thanks

It’s never too late to start training for fun—seriously.

Does anyone happen to know if there's a way to order UFC shirts online or maybe find them in local stores here in the States?
I mean, I know you can just go straight to UFC.com and order them, but the shipping costs alone are hitting me for like $20...
Plus, if I decide to grab three or four shirts at once, I’m really worried about getting hit with those massive import duties and extra fees when they arrive—ugh, what a headache.

Anyway, that's basically what I was wondering about.

Daniel Robinson59 said:Does anyone happen to know if there's a way to order UFC shirts online or maybe find them in local stores here in the States?
I mean, I know you can just go straight to UFC.com and order them, but the shipping costs alone are hitting me for like $20...
Plus, if I decide to grab three or four shirts at once, I’m really worried about getting hit with those massive import duties and extra fees when they arrive—ugh, what a headache.

Anyway, that's basically what I was wondering about.

I actually found some UFC stuff right here.

Maybe try eBay UK or something like that... we don't really have anything here...

Honestly, looking at Pride.com right now, there’s just nothing to sink my teeth into. It’s pretty much a desert over there—maybe two or three basic T-shirts if you’re lucky, but that’s about the extent of it. I was hoping for a bit more variety, but it's definitely looking a little thin.
I’ve actually found pretty much everything I’m looking for directly on UFC.com... my only real hesitation is that I’m still a bit unsure about how much they're going to tack on for shipping. It’s a little nerve-wracking because the delivery fee looks like it might end up being twice the actual price of the shirt! 😁

I’ve been looking into Krav Maga lately, though I hear they supposedly run sessions down in Lower Manhattan... If anyone knows when the classes actually happen or what the damage is going to be to my wallet... please shoot me a DM or just drop a reply here...

Does anyone know if there are any seminars or camps happening this summer nearby? Looking for something in the US, maybe Europe, or somewhere else entirely. Mainly interested in a kickboxing camp.

Hey there.
I just started training kickboxing, and I was wondering what kind of hand wraps I should pick up to get started. Should I go with elastic ones or non-elastic? Thanks for the help.🙂

Is there anyone on this forum training MMA at the Gladiator gym over in Blackwood? I’m seriously torn between Gladiator and the UFK academy downtown. Also, quick question—should I just go ahead and get my nasal cartilage removed right when I start training, or is that just a thing pros do? Honestly, I feel like my nose is gonna be stuck to my face every single session if I don't.😁
Anyway, I'm 23, standing 6'5" and weighing about 230 lbs, so I’m guessing it’s probably not too late to jump into this.😕 🤷

Maria Evans4 said:Is there anyone on this forum training MMA at the Gladiator gym over in Blackwood? I’m seriously torn between Gladiator and the UFK academy downtown. Also, quick question—should I just go ahead and get my nasal cartilage removed right when I start training, or is that just a thing pros do? Honestly, I feel like my nose is gonna be stuck to my face every single session if I don't.😁
Anyway, I'm 23, standing 6'5" and weighing about 230 lbs, so I’m guessing it’s probably not too late to jump into this.😕 🤷

You don't need to get that surgery right away.🙂

Hey everyone!
I have a quick question and I’m really hoping you all can point me in the right direction. I'm looking to get into recreational karate training—I'm 22 and haven't done any martial arts before—but I want to keep it fun and low-pressure. Does anyone know of a karate club near the downtown student housing area—somewhere around the University District or maybe closer to the downtown campus? Ideally, I'd love to find something within walking distance—you know how much easier life is when you don't have to deal with traffic or finding parking. I did some digging on the national karate federation's website, but honestly, most of the places listed seem way too far out in the suburbs... thanks so much in advance, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you! 🙂

Since my job keeps me hunched over all day, my back has been absolutely killing me lately, so I’ve decided it might be time to head down to an Aikido dojo where they can toss me around and work on my form just a little bit, mostly because I think my body would really appreciate the movement and my mind could use the peace.

Even though I’ve spent some time training at that fantastic Ki Aikido Dojo over in downtown Chicago, I’m really curious to see how things run at the Gric Aikikai club instead. If any of you happen to have experience training with them, would you mind sending me a quick message to let me know what it's like?

Thanks so much! 😁

Hey there. I'm 17 years old. I’ve got the drive to start training a combat sport—I actually did some Greco-Roman wrestling back in middle school, where I picked up a few moves or so—but that was a while ago, and now I’m a junior in high school. Basically, I’m looking to get into some kind of striking sport, or maybe a hybrid of grappling and striking, provided it isn't overly aggressive, I guess. As far as my physical build goes... I'm about 5'8" and roughly 155 lbs; I'm pretty well-built and carry a good amount of muscle mass. I've got decent strength, and regarding endurance, I’d say I'm maybe a 7/10. I would really appreciate any recommendations you guys might have. 😁
Also, just a heads-up, I live around the West Side area, so traveling all the way to the suburbs or the outskirts every single day wouldn't be very practical for me. 🙂

Daniel Smith4 said:Hey there. I'm 17 years old. I’ve got the drive to start training a combat sport—I actually did some Greco-Roman wrestling back in middle school, where I picked up a few moves or so—but that was a while ago, and now I’m a junior in high school. Basically, I’m looking to get into some kind of striking sport, or maybe a hybrid of grappling and striking, provided it isn't overly aggressive, I guess. As far as my physical build goes... I'm about 5'8" and roughly 155 lbs; I'm pretty well-built and carry a good amount of muscle mass. I've got decent strength, and regarding endurance, I’d say I'm maybe a 7/10. I would really appreciate any recommendations you guys might have. 😁
Also, just a heads-up, I live around the West Side area, so traveling all the way to the suburbs or the outskirts every single day wouldn't be very practical for me. 🙂

A combination?
You've got two MMA gyms right in your neighborhood and then there's Krav Maga over by the Convention Center.

That's all I know regarding the West Side.

Look, http://www.ufc-crows.com/


These guys don't have a website 😬—or maybe I just missed it—but they have a Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago...41056482606837

God, I'm helpful.☕

Same question, just for the other side of town. I'm over by the Heights, I guess. 😁

stormyviper17 said:Same question, just for the other side of town. I'm over by the Heights, I guess. 😁

Man, you’re basically living right outside our club's MMA gym.

With a club like that, you simply cannot go wrong. Take a trip to see them; you won't regret it. Trust me. 😉

Zachary Mendoza17 said:Man, you’re basically living right outside our club's MMA gym.

With a club like that, you simply cannot go wrong. Take a trip to see them; you won't regret it. Trust me. 😉

It’s that close, but it’s just NOT.

Not even close!

I suppose I should probably address this, though I’m not entirely sure if anyone is actually listening—not that it matters much, I guess. There’s been a lot of noise lately, just constant, aimless chatter about things that don't even touch the core of what we're discussing here. It feels like everyone is just shouting into the void, hoping for some kind of validation, while the actual substance gets buried under layers of unnecessary drama. Maybe I'm being too cynical—perhaps I am—but it seems to me that the depth of conversation has plummeted quite significantly. It’s all very superficial, isn't it? Just a series of loud, empty gestures that don't really lead anywhere. I find myself wondering why we even bother engaging if the goal is merely to be heard rather than to actually understand. But then again, maybe that's just how things work now. I can't say I'm particularly surprised, even if I am a bit disappointed. kaže:
I suppose you’re asking about a combination? Or maybe—and I’m just speculating here—you’re looking for some kind of specific pairing or tactical setup? It's a bit vague, isn't it? If we are talking about techniques, or perhaps a certain way of blending elements together to get a desired result, there are endless ways to approach it. I guess it really depends on what you're aiming for in the end. Maybe you have something specific in mind, though I can't be sure without more context.
So, if you're looking at the layout around here—specifically over in the New Jersey suburbs—you've basically got two solid MMA gyms to choose from, but then you also have that Krav Maga school over by the convention center. I guess it really just depends on what kind of training you're actually after.

That’s all I have to say regarding New Chicago—or whatever else I happen to know about it.

So, here’s the deal— I took a look at that UFC Crows site—http://www.ufc-crows.com/—and I have to say, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, isn't it? I went in expecting maybe some deep dives into MMA matchups or perhaps some structured analysis on upcoming fights, but what I found was… well, let's just call it "unrefined." It feels like one of those passion projects where someone clearly loves the sport—and I mean really loves it—but the actual execution is a little scattered. It lacks that polished, professional sheen you'd expect from a major US sports outlet like ESPN or even a dedicated niche site like MMA Fighting. The layout is a bit clunky, which might be a stylistic choice, I suppose, but it definitely makes navigating the content feel more like a chore than an experience. There’s a certain raw energy there, though. You can tell the contributors aren't just reading off a teleprompter; they actually have opinions. Some of the takes are interesting—maybe a little too hot-headed for my taste at times—but there's a genuine grit to the writing. It reminds me slightly of those old-school hobbyist forums from back in the day, where everyone had a strong stance and nobody was afraid to get loud about a judging decision or a lackluster performance. That said, if they want to move beyond being a niche corner of the internet, they probably need to tighten up the technical side of things. The organization could use some work—everything feels a bit disorganized, almost like a cluttered garage in a suburban basement. If they focused more on cohesive, long-form editorial pieces rather than just jumping from topic to topic, they might actually build a more loyal following. Anyway, it’s worth a click if you're looking for something a little less corporate and a little more "unfiltered," but don't expect a seamless user experience. It’s a rough diamond, I guess—if you can find it under all that clutter.
If you’re looking for some actual, high-level training in Krav Maga, I suppose this site might be worth a look—though, honestly, it depends on what you're actually after. It looks like a hub for various schools and practitioners across the country, which is fine, I guess, if you want to browse through different local options. They seem to cover everything from basic self-defense fundamentals to more advanced tactical stuff—you know, the kind of things people usually go into this for—but I always tell folks to do their homework first. Don't just click a link and assume you've found the holy grail of combat sports. You really need to check out the specific instructors, see where their gyms are located, and maybe even drop in for a session to see if the vibe isn't too intense or, conversely, too soft. It's a decent starting point for research, but—and there's always a "but"—don't take anything at face value. Every gym claims they have the best instructors or the most effective curriculum, so use this as a directory rather than a final verdict. Just my two cents.

And these gentlemen don't even have a website—honestly, I guess it’s just one more thing to add to the list of ways they're failing to keep up. Maybe they think a physical storefront is enough in this day and age, but you know, it's just lazy, really. 😬 I mean, I don't know much about her personally—or maybe I just haven't crossed paths with her—but, hey, she’s on Facebook. That's about all I can say for certain, I guess.
I can’t quite make heads or tails of this link—it looks like a dead end or maybe just a broken Facebook page redirect. I tried clicking through to see if there was some specific insight or a particular post you wanted me to weigh in on, but it’s essentially a digital ghost town. If you were trying to point me toward a specific discussion or a certain organization's profile, could you maybe grab a fresh link? Or even better, just tell me what we're looking at? I'd hate to spend my time chasing shadows when I could be actually engaging with whatever it is you intended to share.

I suppose I should probably ask myself—though I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking for in an answer—just how good I actually am. It’s one of those questions that sort of hangs in the air, isn't it? I mean, if you really sit down and weigh everything out—the successes, the inevitable lapses in judgment, the small wins that nobody else really notices—it becomes a bit of a complicated mess to untangle. Maybe I’m doing alright, or maybe I’m just getting better at hiding the flaws, I guess. It’s hard to say for certain without some kind of objective metric, which, let's be honest, doesn't really exist in the real world. ☕

You’re actually being quite kind—I guess I appreciate that, really. It’s not often I get a compliment like that around here, though I suppose I can't take it to the bank. Thanks. 😛 Hey there. So, I was just thinking—someone actually pitched me another option today, which would be the UFK Trešnjevka over on Badalićeva Street. It’s actually pretty close to my school, and honestly, the training schedule fits my timeline perfectly... or at least it seems like it would. Does anyone here happen to have any experience with that club? Maybe some insight into how they run things?

Zachary Mendoza17 said:Man, you’re basically living right outside our club's MMA gym.

With a club like that, you simply cannot go wrong. Take a trip to see them; you won't regret it. Trust me. 😉

I figured, should be about 20 minutes from my place. Thanks anyway.😉