I'm really considering picking up martial arts as a hobby.

Most martial arts is about defensive techniques.
You don't need to know how to fight to study martial arts.

>>18609066
Just came home from muay thai practice and pretty good sparring sessions.
AMA

>no aggression
No problem, if you're motivated and want to learn how to fight that won't hold you back. I actually thought the same of myself before I started martial arts. Like in any sport you'll come to a point where you want to win, and that's where aggression will automatically come

>I just simply don't want to hurt anyone
The hard punches and kicks are gonna happen on the pads or bags, people go easier on each other in sparring. Most people are heavily conditioned like you. They don't find it that bad when you hit them, they notice fast that they aren't made of glass, but when they hit you they quickly and deeply appologize.

>>18609066

>i want to learn a martial art
>but i dont even want to spar

why? why do you want to learn a martial art if its fundamentally against you

>>18609066

I've done martial arts for 12 years or so and I'm not aggressive at all. I do it mostly because it's fun, gets adrenaline going and pretty simple, once you get the hang of the basics. The point of training is not to hurt whoever you're practicing with. There's protective gear, sparring doesn't equal actual fighting really, and it's perfectly fine to ask your sparring partner to take an easy round etc. Sure, accidents happen and a kick might slip, but you're by no means required to actively hurt someone. I'd recommend going to a beginners class first just to see what it's about. Sparring usually doesn't happen until you've got some hunch of what's going on and the beginning is just about learning basic techniques and such. You'll figure out whether it's your thing or not quite soon.

>>18609091

That's kind of what I was thinking. Once I'm able to get to that point then I'll be successful. I guess it's all rooted in a self confidence issue. It's probably why I'm so passive.

I've heard that people go easier when sparring, it makes sense. I know that at a local gym, the students will occasionally spar without their gloves so people will get used to what it feels like to get punched, but I'm very hesitant about that. Are all gyms like this?

>>18609092

I just feel that it's something I need to know.

>>18609117
Most people hold back during sparring and especially if against a novice. Bare knuckle i never heard of, maybe those who aim to go pro might do that. Just say you are not interested in unprotected fight. Its a way kinder world than it seems, im a skinnyfag and never had problems, people always adjust to you if the result is clear
Only when two guys are at a similar level spar can become more serious (if both are into it)

>>18609117
>Are all gyms like this?
Yeah/No. Kyokushin karate for example trains without gloves but also without hits to the head. Never heard about kickboxing or muay thai gyms doing that, but that sounds like fun and makes sense for people who care a lot about the self defense aspect of the sport. Gloves are neat in that they inhibit a lot of possible injuries. On the other hand they make your hand artificially cushioned like three times larger and that carries over to the way you fight. But you don't wear gloves in a brawl in front of your local strip club so there's where sparring without gloves can benefit you.

>>18609066
Find a boxing gym, they'll fix you right up

>>18609117
>I just feel that it's something I need to know
Muay thai guy here. I swear to god that's exactly what I tell people too.

There's so much to fighting. So much to striking, so much to grappling, it's incredible. But then someone with a knife or someone who's got 50lbs and 15inches on comes around and you should just run lol. If you want to learn how to handle yourself well enough in a standard brawl to hold your own take either boxing/kickboxing/muay thai and stick to what you chose for at least 3-4 years

>>18609066
Weird when I get anxious I get more aggressive.

I like martial arts too, I even did a trial class of Brazilian jiu jitsu and it was great. Definitely a work out (I was sore for like 3 days) but it was much too expensive for me. :(

But maybe in the future I can do it. I also have no hobbies

>>18609299
Boxing can be the bang for your buck if you look for something cheap and effective