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I wrote a comment on Reddit on a subreddit that is totally irrelevant to NM. I mentioned how I wanted to move somewhere cheap like NM and then a person responded to me that I need to be careful what neighborhood I choose in NM. But's that's the same for ANYWHERE! He/She said how NM is mostly low income, full of martial arts places, and full of fights. But seriously, that would be the same for NJ. NJ doesn't have too many martial arts locations (and there is not a martial arts school in every single neighborhood) so that's why NJ's martial arts schools are crowded. In NJ, fights don't happen in the suburbia and all of our suburban neighborhoods are safe, but cities like Paterson are places that get fights every day. So it would be the same in any state. The one thing that makes NJ an opposite of NM is that NJ is a "rich people state" where everyone is rich, has a prestigious job, and drives a luxury car. But of course NJ has a lot of nasty areas too.
potanta: Albuquerque has a very big mixed martial arts scene. There are a lot of gyms and pretty much anyone can go there and spend time in the ring. And a lot of people do. One of my nephews is into that. Albuquerque also has lengthy history of boxing and there are a substantial number of gyms and people into that as well.
As for street fights? Yeah. Not unusual at all for New Mexico.
a person responded to me that I need to be careful what neighborhood I choose in NM. But's that's the same for ANYWHERE! He/She said how NM is mostly low income, full of martial arts places, and full of fights. But seriously, that would be the same for NJ. NJ doesn't have too many martial arts locations (and there is not a martial arts school in every single neighborhood) so that's why NJ's martial arts schools are crowded.
"a person"?
"full of martial arts places", There are about 20 of them in my area...
My 40+ year old daughter took "martial arts" classes a few years back in the Albuquerque area. She has returned to the area and is considering taking more classes just for the fitness aspect...
I took Taekkyon exercises and classes when I was stationed in Korea.
potanta: Albuquerque has a very big mixed martial arts scene. There are a lot of gyms and pretty much anyone can go there and spend time in the ring. And a lot of people do. One of my nephews is into that. Albuquerque also has lengthy history of boxing and there are a substantial number of gyms and people into that as well.
As for street fights? Yeah. Not unusual at all for New Mexico.
Greg Jackson is a world-famous MMA trainer who has managed several past and present UFC champions. He was born and raised in Albuquerque - he was a champion wrestler at Rio Grande HS - and still lives here, so his world-renowned gym has brought in a lot of high-profile fighters, many of whom have opened their own gyms. So yeah, there's a big MMA community. As well as a big boxing scene that's produced championship fighters like Johnny Tapia and others.
OP, you plan to move here for an IT job after you graduate from college, correct? There are certainly places (the South Valley, the International District, Westgate, etc.) and groups of people (high school students, gang members, people on the street or with substance abuse issues) you could gravitate to if you were looking to get involved in random street fights. They definitely happen. But someone here for an IT job who isn't actively looking for problematic places and situations is very, very, very unlikely to accidentally stumble into them.
What Cactus Hibs said is correct - there are a lot of good fighters, including some high profile ones, both in the boxing and MMA arenas, that come out of Albuquerque (or drawn towards there from other places). It's part of the culture. Been part of the culture for quite a long time. And so for the MMA side of things, it's become a "draw" for people to gravitate towards from other states as well. Partly because of reputation and toughness, and partly the benefits of training at altitude.
NJ has a gritty reputation as well. So there might not be much difference between what you're used to there.
What Cactus Hibs said is correct - there are a lot of good fighters, including some high profile ones, both in the boxing and MMA arenas, that come out of Albuquerque (or drawn towards there from other places). It's part of the culture. Been part of the culture for quite a long time. And so for the MMA side of things, it's become a "draw" for people to gravitate towards from other states as well. Partly because of reputation and toughness, and partly the benefits of training at altitude.
NJ has a gritty reputation as well. So there might not be much difference between what you're used to there.
NJ is falsely stereotyped and people think we use our middle fingers all the time and that we fight all the time. Not true. Hopefully NM will be like NJ's safety. Paterson is the only place in NJ that gets street fights on a daily basis (I have a friend who lives in Paterson).
What Cactus Hibs said is correct - there are a lot of good fighters, including some high profile ones, both in the boxing and MMA arenas, that come out of Albuquerque (or drawn towards there from other places). It's part of the culture. Been part of the culture for quite a long time. And so for the MMA side of things, it's become a "draw" for people to gravitate towards from other states as well. Partly because of reputation and toughness, and partly the benefits of training at altitude.
NJ has a gritty reputation as well. So there might not be much difference between what you're used to there.
I have lived in both NJ and now NM for many years. This original poster is young and likely hasn't lived more than a 20 mile radius of his birthplace, as so many in NJ are. If he were to move here, he'd still be in shock a year after he moved here. There is no comparable town or city between the two states.
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