arcelt

For 2010 I hope to: - Reach 2nd degree in TKD - Reach 2nd Kyu in Aikido - Finally be able to do the sideways splits - Develop my teaching skills

I know this is an old thread, but in the hopes that someone is still reading... I wouldn't advise taking another striking style while still learning the ropes of Shotokan but....I saw you mention Aikido. Aikido will not conflict at all with what you are learning in Shotokan and might enhance and deepen it. My gut reaction is to recommend, as it seems you have already decided to do, to stick with one art for awhile. However, if the bug to cross train bites you again, it has been my experience that training in Aikido and a striking style at the same time produces a nice complimentary experience... Just my $.02...

Alas, me too. Strength is not a problem for me, but conditioning and flexibility are. Instead of lifting, I need to stretch and work on cardio but I don't enjoy either of those nearly as much as lifting weights...

For me it's always been Geography. Living in the semi-rural south, I've never had the opportunity to pick and choose...I went with what was available. When I was a kid there was a Goju school not far from my house. Now there is a school that teaches both TKD and Aikido just a couple of miles away. I've been pretty lucky to have lived in close proximity to some quality dojos. I hope I don't ever have to move again...I fear my luck won't always be so good!

Hapkido is a style that I have great interest in, I only wish it were taught in my area. My two main arts currently are TKD and Aikido, and Hapkido seems to be an interesting amalgamation of the two very different styles.

I'm not sure that one can really be "experienced" in a martial endeavor without having been in a number of situations where there are no rules and one must overcome an adversary in defense of one's life. In that respect, I think the only truly "experienced" martial arts are those practiced by the military and police forces. Sparring is great for developing timing and getting a feel for going against a real opponent, but all sparring has rules. The rules keep us safe and sane, but they also detract from the ultimate reality of the situation. I am horribly inexperienced and I hope to remain so.

Judo....

In my early years of training, martial arts for me was all about being prepared for a fight. As I think now about the uncountable thousands of hours and dollars I have spent studying martial arts, it is clear to me that it is now much more. If preservation of self were my sole motivation for training, my time and money would be much more practically employed by purchasing a hand gun and obtaining a conceal-carry permit. At this point, I train for the health benefit, I train for the sheer joy of pushing my own boundaries, I train because it is in my blood and I can't imagine not training. However, that is not to discount the "martial" in martial arts. I've had three real-world physical confrontations since I began training, and the outcomes of those encounters have convinced me that martial arts, or at least the martial arts I have trained in, do have real tangible benefits in a fight. The knowledge that I am capable of defending myself and my family should the unfortunate need arise is just one benefit among many.

33...been training for 11 years, but not consecutively... From 9 until 19 in Goju Ryu and then from 32 until now in TKD and Aikido... There is a definite deficiency in flexibility now but also a definite plus in strength. My joints hurt more and I don't seem to bounce back from injury like I used to. What I wouldn't give to have my 20s back.

I think the character Starman (a masked Mexican style wrester) from the old NES game Pro Wrestling did the same thing. So now we have Bruce Lee (or a stuntman), Guile, and now Starman doing it. That means we all can do it. Foot capture problem solved!

All you've got to do is, when he grabs your foot, launch yourself into a backflip, extending the previously planted foot...oh, hell, it's too hard to explain it. Just do this (around second 43): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmLQoypqaTw

I agree with that. I'm almost one year in, training 3 or 4 nights per week, and I still only have a good feel for the most basic techniques. I can tell that it will take YEARS before I have anything more than a basic grasp of Aikido. As I previously pointed out, there is no Goju in my area, but I am keeping my striking skills alive by training in TKD. It is quite far removed from Goju in both technique and focus, but it keeps me in shape and keeps my striking reflexes sharp. Maybe as I progress in Aikido, I'll become more comfortable melding Aikido with the striking arts. As of now, they are still quite separate for me.

I hear you there, Ryan. Are you still taking Aikido? If so, how is it going?

I absolutely agree that cross training BJJ with Goju will be beneficial. In fact, I can't imagine any MA that can't be supplemented with a solid grasp of ground fighting...I wish I had more of it myself.

I've heard some people refer to the "Aikido Wars", with a West Coast Aikido (gentle, flowing, blend with your opponent, gently immobilize your opponent, hug your opponent afterwards) and East Cost Aikido (gentle, flowing, rip your opponents arms off). I think of the rap wars when I hear this...drive by wrist lockings and all that....Hyperbole, of course, but it does seem that Aikido has diverged into 2 separate styles, one of which is more internal like Tai Chi, and the other that seems closer to its Daito Ryu roots....