Got a question...

[Kajukenbopr]

the second school u mention sounds too sporty...

go for the one with cops and train all you can.

do avoid training in 2 styles at the same time. if you train 2 styles at once you will most likely not defend yourself well.

[italian_guy]

do avoid training in 2 styles at the same time. if you train 2 styles at once you will most likely not defend yourself well.

I do not agree on this, I cross train two different style and I found that beneficial even if I am beginner in both.

Even if the two arts are quite different (Karate and JKD) they all contribute in enhancing my power, flexibility and fighting experience. Then I can insert same of my karate experience in my JKD and also a little of my JKD into karate.

The fact that you confuse yourself with the different body mechanics of the two arts is neglieable and after a couple of months it disappears complitely.

[Sam]

Cross trainign is fantastic..... so long as you train hard in both styles, it allows you to cover a lot more gorund and learn far more.... not so good if you only do one lesson a week, but oh well.

[Kajukenbopr]

TaeKownDo is a lot different from Karate, specially if its not traditional Tae Kwon Do.....

if you mix it with karate, you might actually get to be a faster kicker and kick higher, however, if you train for both, you either kick for points, instead of kicking looking to overcome the opponent, or you dont kick looking for points.either way, it gets messed up. I can be wrong and maybe you can shift from style to style.

most likely, someone starting to learn martial arts will not have it so easy and as long as he/she is learning the basics, will mix the 2 and that wont help with their learning.

[Kajukenbopr]

dont get me wrong- cross training in similar styles like different styles of Kung fu or mixing different styles of Karate, will compliment each other.but I think its counterproductive to train in styles that are too different like tai chi and capoeira, or KRav Maga and Tae Kwon do at the same time....

[Sam]

I think so long as you are aware enough to apply abilities learned and style from each of the arts then there is no problem with cross training...... i.e. tkd high kicks and speed [wtf style].... you can apply the speed and power looking to overcome the opponent rather than for points, just a matter of application.....

remember a good student of sparring,etc. should be able to adapt their abilities to the rules they have to fight under.

[UseoForce]

Cross training in vastly different styles is what makes a good fighter, and most good combative arts are blends of different styles (Krav maga has jiu-jitsu, boxing, etc.), examples

Chuck Liddell: Kempo, Kickboxing, BJJ

Bruce Lee: Wing Chun, Jiu-jitsu/judo, others

Rany Couture: Greco, Boxing

Randy McElwee: BJJ, several striking arts I can't remember

I could go on...

The basic idea is you need to train in multiple arts or a hybrid art that is "pre-cross trained" if you want to be able to fight in the free movement, clinch, and ground phases of combat.

[glockmeister]

Cross training is great provided that the different styles compliment each other. For example, I have greatly drifted away from alot of my TSD trainign because I don't feel it is anything at all like my KM training or my kickboxing training. the stances, punching styles are much different. I am soon going to be taking up JKD which I think is more in tune with Krav, Haganah and kickboxing and also teaches knife/stick/grappling

[UseoForce]

Gmeister:

I believe that's because those arts work for different goals. TSD is puts preservation of tradition and sport above self-defense (I'm NOT saying that's a bad thing). However, all of those other styles put more emphasis on actual fighting. Obviously, it's hard to blend to styles with totally different goals.

[italian_guy]

I think cross-training is beneficial anyway...

For example, in karate I do point sparring while in JKD I spar for self defence... They look different but still point-sparring is a good exercice for reflexes and for speed... and those quality you also need in self defence, furthermore in my karate style we do a fair amount of grappling which is beneficial also in the grappling part of JKD.

In JKD we use more low kick while in karate we kick high or mid-section, but still the flexibility training that we do mostly for karate is useful to make faster and more balanced low kick, then the various kicking hights complement each other.

So I'm a strong advocate of cross-training... I think is a bonus anyway.