Customized Fighter

So I wake up this morning and go brush my teeth and all that jazz. 'Like what I see in the mirror, don't really care how anybody else feels, lol. I was a lil stiff and sluggish, but feeling good, so I threw a random elbow to get the lead out (deja vu). And I stopped: "Hey... all this talk about martial arts, Jeet Kune Do philosophy and shtuff... I never actually evaluated myself to see what style(s) would fit me huh?"

When I say "fit me", I don't mean philosophically; I'm talking strictly physically this time. I wanna evaluate myself to see what styles physically would suit me. ...I doubt I'll ever need to know this, but martial arts are an interest of mine, so don't knock it, lol.

Hm... I didn't really meditate on this earlier cuz I wanted it to be fresh when I wrote it. So, from scratch, I'm gonna give myself a physical eval.

(Steps onto futuristic data analysis platform. Bright lights and lasers as the supercomputer begins the data retrieval process...)

So here's the Jigabod's makeup and the conclusions I draw from them:

1. I have a CRAZY wingspan. As in, my wingspan is almost as long as I am tall, and I'm a good height. My first instinct was to go with Muay Thai kickboxing, as it uses many elbow strikes; this would allow me to have very quick strikes at short range with further range capability. But then I noticed something...

2. My forearms are the bulk of the length of my arms. So if I rely on punches instead of elbows, I would have CRAZY reach. Plus, experience has shown me I have incredible speed since my arms are so light (I learned the secret to blocking shots in basketball is not your height, but the speed with which you extend your arms, lol) So maybe boxing or kickboxing. Not to mention...

3. My hands are HUGE. So when I make a fist, it's a BIG 'OL FIST. I'm not sure how beneficial long fingers would be for using chopping strikes, so I tend to think punches are the way to go with me.

4. I don't have very broad shoulders, which further discourages Muay Thai elbow strikes, as I don't have great range with them.

5. I have a very thin, very lightweight frame. The funny thing is, I've seen a lot of Muay Thai fighters, and they're built just like me. I can move very quickly, but I'm relatively easy to move (not counting the fact I'm very good at controlling my weight). I'm not buff at all, but I'm well defined; less than, but similar to like Bruce Lee's physique except...

6. I'm 6'0. When I was younger and a little shorter, I was good at controlling my center of gravity; perfect for my favorite style, Aikido. Now that I'm six feet, I'm a bit more unbalanced. Most of my height's composition is from the waist down, as I have long upper and lower legs. But again, this seems to allude to a Muay Thai style of fighting, as the fighters I've seen had the same build.

7. Emphasis on the long legs. Not easy for the quick side kicks and such often seen in many arts, but ideal for the high kicks and straight kicks of American kickboxing, French kickboxing, and Thai kickboxing...Muay Thai again.

8. Most of my long legs is thigh; I have long thighs. but it's not the thigh itself I'm looking at; since I have long thighs, my knee range is great. And guess what art uses a bunch of knee strikes as well... Yup, Muay Thai.

9. Big feet. Here we go again. Long range high kick, ended by a big foot. Muay Thai again, right?

10. Now here's the clicher. Light frame. Muay Thai is BRUTAL. I think American kickboxing is more civil and suited to a person such as myself for whom it wouldn't take much to get things broken. And I think speed comes more into play in American kickboxing than Muay Thai, and my light frame would facilitate that.


So, in conclusion, I think the art I'm best suited for would be a custom art that falls somewhere between American and Thai kickboxing. That's not to say I wouldn't prefer or be able to make use of a different art, but that's just what my natural suit is.

That was fun, lol
B-J