Taking multiple MA's poll and question

[Spaceman]

I know that some people are for or at least tolerant of taking multiple martial arts at the same time, and that some are against it.

 

I'm interested to find out, through the poll, exactly what the general consensus is on it.

 

So, do you think taking multiple martial arts at the same time is good, bad, or relative?

 

What are the main problems in mixing? I would figure confusion of techniques, too much to remember, etc. Personally I don't think technique confusion would happen so much as methodology.

 

If you took MT and BJJ, a pretty common mix, I don't think you'd confuse a takedown with a shinkick, but there is going to be overlap somewhere. A friend compared it to learning multiple languages at the same time. If they're different enough, you might keep the words seperate but confuse grammar.

 

I haven't ever mixed martial arts, and probably won't, but I'm curious.

[karatekid1975]

I believe you should get a good foundation in one art first. But I do believe in cross training. I have been doing striking arts for 4 years, but I wanted to do a ground fighting art, too. I chose Judo (mainly because it was close, and I love throws ).

 

I think if you are a stand-up fighter, get into a "ground game art." If you are a grappler, try doing a striking art. This will help make you a well rounded martial artist.

[granmasterchen]

i agree with karatekid, you need a good foundation before you start to cross train, otherwise you will just get confused.

[Beka]

I think it's good to avoid the "jack of all trades, master of none" problem. I would like to be able to stick with Cuong Nhu and get at *least* a brown belt before I branch out (I am SOOOOOO tempted by other styles, I want to do them all), but I may be moving to an area where there are no Cuong Nhu schools. If that is the case, I will be doing BJJ and Kendo. I don't think a person could confuse those two. At least not easily...

 

I think taking muliple MAs could help if they're very different, and possibly hamper your development in both if they are similar (try learning Swedish and Norwegian at the same time, you'll trip up. Swedish and Greek at the same time, and you'll probably be okay).

[italian_guy]

I'm learning karate and Tai chi chuan, for the moment Tai chi is mostly forms and basics then it will be more combative. In the forms theres no confusion they are so different from karate... in basics there is some overlap but it's still manegeable. Anyhow I consider my karate as my main MA and if in the future confusions will arise I will leave Tai chi and stay with karate.

[Rotten Head Fok]

I think it takes some research and time to find a specific art that you'll enjoy, but once you have found it, be faithful to it. Once you have a good understanding of one, then i think it's a very good idea to look at other arts, for knowledge of techniques, of your opponents abilities, and for a common brotherhood if you will. I also don't think it the quanity but the quality and vicsa versa it dosen't hurt to have a few techniques up your gi.

[ramymensa]

I'm for multiple choises too

 

BUT you've got to know a style in the way that you won't mix the techniques between styles and get a big ... disapointment. I think the study must be done in smart way. Get to know the mechanism between the techniques, the reason for doing this and not that, the particular qualities of a style. Respect them and be ready to wipe alll you've learnt in order to accomodate the new information from the second style. In some styles there are some rules and ways of doing techniques, in others these are changed because the focus is different. That's why I think it's better to chose styles that complement the initial one. For example: I do Shotokan. I'll take Judo and/or Aikido (they have some techniques Shotokan doesn't have and stil are kinda in the "family"). You could take Shotokan and Kung Fu also, but be prepared to make some serious distinction between the two as they have similarities, but also mant distinct sides.

 

Another advice would be to embrace the new style with good heart and ready to change. It's usually difficult to put aside what you know and start all over again (and sometimes it happens). It's common to have the atitude of "in my other class/style we do like this ... this is crap" .. and so on. In order to practice more styles you've got to be really open minded and ready to accept other "ultimate" truths

[aefibird]

I think that mixing styles can be a good thing, unless a person is doing lots of styles at once and not really getting a good foundation in any of them. If you love MA (as I'm sure we all do on here) then it can be tempting to want to do as much MA as possible in as many styles as possible.

 

I know that there's lots of MA styles that I'd like to learn or at least try out, but if I did them all, fisrstly I'd run out of days in the week in which to practice and secondly I'd get very confused with it all.

 

So I think that combining a couple of styles that are different enough not to get them confused (such as a grappling art & a striking art or a weapons & a non-weapons system) is fine and can help a persons martial arts development.

[iolair]

I think that if the styles you are doing are rather different (as a teenager I did Judo and Karate at the same time) then their is no danger of confusion... and of course it will improve your fitness and the techniques available to you if you need them for self defence.

 

If the styles are similar, I would say to avoid confusion it's best to get a strong grounding in one art (say 2-3 years or roughly green belt) before beginning the second.

[Reklats]

It depends on what you're mixing. If you're doing two combat focused arts, they'll complement each other and you'll become a better fighter in both.

 

However, if you were to do kickboxing and some ubertraditional karate type art, and the karate guys were getting pissed because you were doing your karate square dancing moves slightly different than exactly how they showed you.... that'd be hell.