I always make friends. I think it makes things easier. I move around a lot. I've lived in different countries and different cities the past years and going to the gym has been the best way to make friends and build a social life. I have no ill feelings if someone is better than me and beats me in a sparring session. I think that is also your problem. You sound like one of those people who would have a tantrum if they lost. That is up to you but why not make friends? I've never met anyone who is about to be signed by the UFC. Most people train for fun, for exercise, for whatever and we all know this. I'm happy to buy someone a beer if they can beat me.

Depends on the school, I think. I have been in schools where you better not be friends with anybody and was watching my back like h@!! all the time and I still would find a knife stuck in my back sooner rather than later. I was also in a school where we, the seniors, are very close. The school went under one and a half years ago but we still meet twice a week or more and train together with the teacher or without the teacher who shows up on occasion but increasingly more rarely. We hang out and have even been on vacation together. So this is possible. But I do have to agree with you, this is one in I don't know how many schools I have trained in. The back stabbing is usually the norm where I have been training at and I usually don't make friends where I train. The less they know about me the less they have to hold against me. I am not hateful by any means and definitely stay away from any back stabbing to be done to others. But yeah, I stay out of things and just focus on training. It still gets me in enough trouble as it is.

1- I'm GOING to make friends. That's not why I train, but it's going to happen. I don't "fight" them in practice, I spar. And I do it to improve my technique, not feed my ego or release anger by hurting someone.

2- Yes, if they're interested. Training is about making each other better and enjoying the same things. Why wouldn't I want to do that with my friends?

I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I know I've met a lot of good friends through training, and have built stronger friendships with other friends once we started training together as well. As long as you're not fighting against them for money, I don't see what the big deal is.

People with common interests tend to hang out together. No one is fighting anyone.That is just sparring. Fighting is another thing and self-defense is another as well. Martial arts training is more cooperative than otherwise. The main reason why people train is for the love of it. This love of it comes from the nature of their art, from endorphins, from moderate exercising e.t.c

Martial arts training is not self-defense against your training partners. They are not trying to hurt you, bully you or boss you around. They are just training with you and you are improving all together. There is more self-defense in daily office politics, rather than in any martial arts school. Most martial artists tend to be respectful, so no self-defense is needed when training with them. On the contrary, you are trusting each other, not to injure one another.

1. Do you prefer making friends in dojo/gym and hanging out with them and then eventually fight them in practice?

2. Do you like brining your own friends to dojo/gym and training with them?

For me both answers is no. A-must is not knowing anyone well in gym and not having any relationship whether its good or bad with anyone. I think thats wise move. Agree?