Is it disrespectful for having one or more senseis?

[RealPortugal]

I wanted to know if it is disrespectful for having one or more senseis. I have been doing Goju Ryu Karate since i was seven or eight years old. Am now seventeen and wanted to try a new style which is Taekwondo, but I was wondering if I tried this new style would I be disrespecting my sensei that I knew since I was a kid. What should I do in this situation?

[Goju_boi]

I wanted to know if it is disrespectful for having one or more senseis. I have been doing Goju Ryu Karate since i was seven or eight years old. Am now seventeen and wanted to try a new style which is Taekwondo, but I was wondering if I tried this new style would I be disrespecting my sensei that I knew since I was a kid. What should I do in this situation?

I don't think it's disrespectful, common were in the 21st century not in feudal japan.Anyways i see u train in ju jitsu, did your sensei get mad when u trained in that style?i hope not.But training in other styles is just becoming more versatile,train in as many styles as u prefer it's not bad

[scottnshelly]

Most Instructors would encourage it, however, there are some that would be offended. You should ask; just mention your interest in broadening your horizens. After 10 years of knowing him, you should be pretty well able to judge his reaction after a couple sentences.

The only thing that might make him mad is if you were going to go to another school of the same style. If your sensei finds out that you've secretly been attending another class - especially another Gojo Ryu class - he might be offended.

Just be open and talk to him.

Let us know how it goes and stuff.

[karatekid1975]

My instructor would kinda be offended. But like Goju_boi said, this is the 21st century. I have a slightly different view on cross training than he (my instructor) does. I'm not saying it's wrong, just "different."

I'd say go for it. I'd rather train in an art that is totally different for the most part (like TKD and Judo for example), but that's just me. If you want to train in TKD, go for it. You've been training long enough to know the difference between the two.

[Andrew_Patton]

Cross training's nothing new, if sensei A is okay with it, and sensei B is also cool with not being your only instructor, it's an okay idea, as long as the two styles compliment each other.

[TheDevilAside]

If you've known him for 10 years, ask him, if you feel obliged to. But whatever his answer is, it shouldn't really matter. If it offends the instructor, then maybe he should have a more professional outlook on his career.

[aefibird]

I'd say go for it! Cross-training is a common thing these days - many people (myself included) train in more than one martial art at the same time.

You've been training long enough in Goju to know the difference between Goju and TaeKwonDo, so you should be OK with that side of it.

Good luck!

[Shorin Ryuu]

"Cross training" was common in the old days as well. The expectation that someone would only train under one teacher, at least in karate, is a very new thing. Perhaps 50-70 years old in most cases.

Makes you wonder what it means by "traditional" karate, doesn't it?

That being said, I don't think the student-teacher relationship is a small thing nor should it be taken lightly, but having more than one teacher, even at the same time, was fairly common back then.

Nowadays, it will just depend on what your teachers prefer. If they get offended, it doesn't matter what really was the traditional way or not, they'll get offended.

[Grenadier]

Most instructors don't mind, as long as you keep things separate, when it comes to running a class. Some might have a personal grudge with another sensei / shihan or perhaps the style itself.

As long as you remember to keep, say your Goju-Ryu practice within the Goju-Ryu dojo, and Shotokan practice within the Shotokan dojo, for the most part, then neither instructor will generally be offended. Also, as long as training in one doesn't degrade your performance in another, then you should be just fine.

Where they *might* be a bit concerned, is if you try to impose one school's teachings upon the other without discussing it with them, though.

[tkdBill]

I have no problem with my students cross-training, I think the problem comes when the student has an inflated self-image and should really spend more time working on one martial art before branching out. That can create a student who is mediocre in both arts instead of competent in one art.

When the sensei expresses concern about the students readiness to cross-train may be mis-interpreted as anger or closed-mindedness.

I think it really depends on how open you are with your sensei, and how much you trust his judgement.

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