Had a couple of fights as a kid, dirt/grass/playground rocks, mostly grappling & some wild swinging (gross motor skills only, no fine motor skills).

As an adult: I honestly don't know if I'd be any good in a fight. I feel like after bjj and karate, I can defend myself, but I certainly don't enjoy getting hit in the face and I'm not as young & athletic as I used to be. I am big and I can take a beating, so I feel okay about self-defense, but...I live in a city. Concrete everywhere. A hit means a potential broken skull on that concrete w/brain bleeding, death, and prison.

I'm old enough now to realize I have something to lose by acting like I have something to prove. Martial arts appreciation happened early-Rocky IV, Bloodsport, Enter the Dragon, Missing in Action, American Ninja, Hard to Kill, etc...-but didn't get bit by the bug until military service, when other people in my unit were hooked by Liddell v Ortiz & early UFC action; plus, I work in education, so my entire professional life is about conflict avoidance and de-escalation (taking my size 6'2+, 250+, and making it less intimidating).

I have broken toes, a finger, got a hernia, and tore a meniscus in karate. Also broke someone's rib-ushiro geri (back kick) under control, as light as I could make it, giving my partner 2 options: go right and avoid it, or panic, and jump left into it; they panicked and jumped flush into missing a month of practice.

In bjj, I tap...frequently...and haven't had injuries, although I have had pain. I love rolling with big people b/c my coach thinks I should be a big, strong guy rolling like a big, strong guy...I get yelled at (coached up) when I roll like I'm 150, because those small people are so flexible and have awesome cardio. I'm learning to work within my body and use what I have, not trying to be someone and use skills that are a poor fit for my fitness journey.