Shield and Sword

How to Protect, and Fight for the Ones You Love

By: Fury

shield – sword – question – solution – striking – FURY philosophy – grappling – summary

The path to manliness requires two things. Shield and sword. A shield to safeguard your blood, and extended family. Your father and mother. Your brothers and sisters. Your wife, or girlfriend, or just the girl you just started dating but see a lotta potential in.

A man needs to be able to protect them. That is the shield. What is the sword is that a man needs to be able to do battle. Willing to fight. Willing to wage all out war, for the ones he’s loyal to, and those who are loyal to him.

That is the sword.

QUESTION

This piece is inspired by a recent question I answered:

What is the best Martial Arts?

Quick answer: There is no best.

Now, that being said, this piece is my take on it.

SOLUTION

There is not ONE best Martial art. A multitude of arts is the best combo. But cause of the sheer overload of information, and courses, and arts to learn from, what is the quote-unquote best?

It’s two things:

1 Striking

2 Grappling

Let me just put this out there, straight outta the gate.

You need to be elite at both of these. ELITE. I’m not fucking around. And neither should you. Not when it comes to the ones you love and hold dear. Right?

Moving on.

My offered proposition is simple. But NOT easy. It’s hard in fact. Cos of the amount of time and sweet and blood and frustration you need to put in. The work. The grind.

The pushing of the rock, on the eternal slope of life.

But lemme make your life a tad easier, by breaking it down a notch.

STRIKING

If you do MMA. You don’t really need to read this part.

So. Do the striking they do in MMA.

Which is:

– Boxing

– Kickboxing (Basically boxing, plus kicks)

– Muay Thai (Kickboxing. Plus knees and elbows. Sadly: no headbutts)

That’s it. Simple right?

FURY PHILOSOPHY

I train with one thing on my mind, and one thing only. SURVIVAL. I hold several mantra’s in my head to always keep me in the fight, and never stray to far from this mindset, and to always ensure I ALWAYS. Always. Always come out on top.

Mantras:

– I always find my way home.

– I never go down.

– I always survive.

You get the gist. The rest of my combat mentality is just a derivative of the above.

But let’s get back into it. And Ima have to break your bubble. The world is not nice and fluffy.

It’s a socialized Savannah. A savage world, where once the MF lights go out, the prefrontal cortex of most civilized human beings shut down. The governing part of our brains, that decides what’s right and wrong, and keeps us in check. Under control. In harmony. And the kicker is: As soon as that bad boy shuts down, another mofo shows up to play. The Lizard Brain.

This son of a gun is basically fully controlled by sheer emotion. Basic desires, and needs. Lust, hunger, power, you get the drift. This part of the brain – heck the name says it – Lizard – this part makes us go full feral again.

We become savages, on drugs and or alcohol and or other substances. We become high on the night and the idea of women and the sight of fear and blood and seeing other people cower before you and with you.

We let ourselves be controlled by feelings.

I call this realm: The Concrete Jungle.

Here, only one rule applies. The Law of the Jungle. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed.

And I train solely with this Law in mind. With this key core concept that drives humans, and me.

I train for full out combat. That ALL OUT war.

I wage war.

And I prefer striking, of any kind really, above any kinds of other types of combat. I’m shy on the kicks, as these may leave you vulnerable against multiple enemies. And kicking is slower than punching, and saps more of your energy.

In the future, I will go in depth into boxing, and kickboxing, and muay thai, and other lesser known forms of striking.

Such as:

– Wing Chun

– Kali (aka Eskrima or FMA, Filipino Martial Arts)

– Krav Maga

– Systema

For now stick to what kind of dojo is close to your home, and focus on the popular types of striking.

Pro-tips for picking a gym:

– Pick the gym, where you feel a vibe or connection with the instructors.

Are they kind BUT brutal? They ooze of a certain sense of calm. You will know.

– Do they spar? It is important.

BUT. Since you’re new. Pick a gym that does not have full morons who go full retard on the new guys and lower your IQ by ten points each lesson.

Update the Software, but don’t damage the Hardware.

GRAPPLING

This can be any kind:

– Judo

– Wrestling

– Aikido

– Jiu-jitsu

– Tai-Chi (Lesser known, but the combat version has nifty aspects my brother tells me)

– BJJ (the famous one)

Here’s the thing.

I train for the MF street. And not some belt, or not some medal, or not some prestige or victory no one will ever hear about. Or they might, but they will forget about it when the next champ comes along and offers some new ass wicked clickbait.

I train for MF Survival.

On the streets you’re not gonna roll. You’re not go for a sub.

No Kimura, no MF gogoplata or some cool ass badass stuff.

No, none of that.

That is for the cage, for competition. For sport.

I go for bloodsport.

The sport where – once first blood is drawn – it’s game on.

It’s time to get fucked up time. Somebody is going to jail. Or the hospital. Or the MF morgue. No joke.

I swear, once you get a crack on the jaw, and you take a nose dive, for the pavement, with your head.

Then: You’re dead.

You DO NOT wanna land on the ground.

So for now, use two things – as a friend advised me – use your eyes and feet.

Be aware of danger, and use your frickin common sense. Avoid danger and trouble and keep your damn ego in check.

USE your FEET. Run. That’s actually the best option. Easy AF and anyone can do this.

Thing is you wanted: What is the best martial arts?

So here’s a final comment then on grappling:

Learn basic takedown defense and grappling, ie: over and unders, double and underhooks. Those kinds of things. Learn to dish it out, and fend it off.

And eventually, become an elite level athlete in these things.

SUMMARY

– Know the Law of the Concrete Jungle: Kill or be Killed.

– Be an Elite Level Striker. Take up boxing or such, nearby.

– Be an Elite Level Takedown Stuffer. Take up BJJ or some form of grapping, to learn how to diffuse foes trying to take you to do ground.

– NEVER GO to the ground.

– PERCEIVE. Stay outta trouble, man.

– RUN

Thank you for reading. More is to come. Soon.

– FURY.