“I’m all about hating the world and going it on my own, but what sports synch up with that? I mean, if I want to grow myself as a solitary operator, what kind of athletic shit should I get into? Do you have a list of masculine/taboo arts?"

-Steevo Bristol

All sports are good for developing some aspect of the mind and body for action. However, many sports were developed as diversionary past times for a sissy society that, while not negatively effecting the masculine aspects of a man, are largely a waste of time in developing a survival mentality, let alone a survival skill set or fitness.

Boxing is an example of a loner art that has no real combat value in military terms but is used by the military to psychologically condition officers and soldiers.

Team sports, like soccer, football, rugby, basketball, hockey and lacrosse vary in their level of contact but are all descended from ancient, mostly pre-civilized, war games. Participation in one or more of these kinds of ball games is useful for anyone imagining a survival situation, because, loner or not, you will have to be able to team up and operate with allies.

Baseball, racquetball, handball, and tennis are examples of pastime sports that can develop high levels of eye-hand coordination. Although most baseball players I have known are not worth ten cents in a fight some of them can hit as hard as any boxer. I worked with a guy that could throw over 90 MPH. we had a snowball battle behind the store one morning, which lasted long enough for him to dent the dumpster from sixty feet and everybody else raised their hands and surrendered.

So, don’t think that going it alone in your everyday life—which is how the global economy and earlier industrialism has set things up—means forgetting team sports. Recall that almost all ball sports involve running. Seriously, every loner needs that running skill under him.

As for those arts that lend the most to the man who means to make his own way in world, I will rate each of the following disciplines in three areas: psychological conditioning/combat conditioning/ physical conditioning, or spirit/applicable skills/body. We are working on a 1-10 scale here, with 1 meaning minimal benefit and 10 indicating the highest benefit. Only 1 discipline my score a 10, Also, I have neglected many arts and am only including some basics which I have experience with.

Wrestling: 6/8/10

Boxing: 10/7/9

Kicking: 5/6/8

*Stick: 8/10/7

Contact Knife: 9/9/5

Contact Machete: 7/8/6

Contact Sword: 4/5/4

Of course MMA combines numerous of the above and is a one stop shopping option for empty hand.

*Agonistics or Dog Brothers, not FMA