I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but...

[bluetiger]

is it possible to study 2 different styles of martial arts without sacrificing at either?

 

I'm just a brand new MA student, but I have a thirst for knowledge! Right now I'm taking Shotokan, but I'm also interested in Wing Chun and Aikido. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on signing up for all three and I probably won't consider another for quite some time. However, is it feasible at some point in time to start another style?

 

I've also heard that it takes quite some time before you really become profficient(sp?) in Aikido. Is that true?

[ramymensa]

If you're already involved in Shotokan, then you'll get used with lond term goals I'd say Aikido would go along great, just wait for a bit to get the hang of Shotokan. They would complement each other well. I intend on searchind an Aikido instructor too. Shotokan and aikido are good styles, but expect to work some time until becoming at least satisfactory

[aefibird]

Yes, I agree that Aikido will go well with Shotokan. I used to train in Aikido for a while (until my club had to shut down ) and I found that it actually helped my Shotokan training and vice versa.

 

It does take quite a long time to be any good at Aikido. Generally, it can take around 7 years to get to Dan grade (blackbelt) level. My instructor had been training for about 20 years and was 'only' a 2nd Dan (he was due to take his 3rd Dan when injury prevented him). So, a person has to be in it for the love of Aikido and not just to grade.

 

I've only recently started Wing Chun, so I can't really comment much about it at the moment. Drunken Monkey is the best person to ask if you want any info about WC.

 

I'd say that you'd need at least a couple of years training in Shotokan before thinking about starting Wing Chun. The way of doing one technique in Shotokan can be completely opposite in Wing Chun, so if you're a beginner or still fairly new to Shotokan then training in Wing Chun would probably only confuse you.

 

Having said that, I think that it can be a great idea to train in more than one martial art, as long as you get a good base in your first art before moving onto others.

 

Feel free to send me a private message if you want any more info.

[Drunken Monkey]

....i would say that wing chun is something that you should either

 

learn first

 

or

 

learn last....

 

i say this because wing chun tends to intefere with anything else you do.

 

or perhaps the other way around is also true;

 

almost all other striking arts will interfere with wing chun.

 

the only time this won't happen

 

is when you are already more than familiar with your base so instead of dealing with moves/techniques,

 

you deal more with the theories and ideas....

 

(your base then becomes a reference point of some sort that the wing chun will um, take apart....)

[Shorin Ryuu]

Last year, I trained in both Matsumura Shorin Ryu and Kobayashi Shorin Ryu. It did nothing but help me to have a broader experience. Now, as I can't seem to find other legitimate schools in my new area, I plan to take jujitsu and maintain my karate. As long as you don't get stuck on techniques (although they are useful) and focus instead on concepts and principles, it should enhance your learning. With that in mind, it is good to have at least a foundation in an art before you study others. Once that foundation is there, it is easier to branch out.

[Kaos666]

Shotokan and Aikido... my long-term goals too

 

i myself will wait until i am worthy of a black belt in Shotokan before i go for Aikido, my sensei recommended that approach

[bluetiger]

Thanks for all the advice! I plan on getting as deep in Shotokan as possible. That being the case I may not want to learn other styles for a long time.

 

The only reason I brought it up is that Shotokan, Aikido and Wing Chun were the three styles I was really interested in before deciding on the obvious. It was a tough decision, but it eventually came down to the instructors.

 

Thanks again.

[SevenStar]

you can train multiple styles - I train in 3. It's a good idea to have a firm foundation in something before picking up something different though. you don't have to have it mastered, but you need to understand the priciples of the techniques you're applying and should be aboe to apply them properly.

 

There are some considerations to make though, such as compatibility of the styles you are picking. IMO, they should be either totally opposite or bery similar. for example, I train muay thai, bjj and judo. muay thai and bjj are total opposites, so the principles don't conflict. judo and bjj are very similar, so principles don't conflict. in my pre-grappling days I trained in kung fu. their roundhouse was different from my thai roundhouse, and I was constantly being corrected because it was "wrong"

[bluetiger]

Thanks for the tips, SevenStar.

[G95champ]

I honestly don't think a person can start 2 new styles and once and be fair to both. Espically if the styles are kata based. Quote fighting styles are a bit differant I could do boxing and MT because you just spar and condition but IMO Shotokan and Akkido or Hapikido, or TSD, even TKD or KF offers to many differant ideas on how to do the same thing. Not saying either is wrong just saying for the mind that cant tell the differance it could be hard to seperate the 2.

 

I can watch a person train and basically tell what style they do. Any person with time in MA can tell that. The beginner will mix the 2 for no other reason than he is taking 2 much in and both arts will suffer IMO.

 

Now lets say you got a black belt in one style which means you understand it then I can see playing in something else but my advice is learn one frist and become good at it because if you get deep enough each style as everything you need to know in it somewhere.