How receptive to crosstraining is your instructor?

[IcemanSK]

If you went to your instructor & said you wanted to also train at a boxing gym or in BJJ on your days off from the dojang, would she/he be receptive? Or do they feel what one art is enough?

[SubGrappler]

I've already spoken with my instructor about cross training in a boxing/muay thai school. He pretty much told me to let him know of any schools I find, because hes looking to train in the same thing as well.

I could understand an instructor perhaps getting upset with a student if their crosstraining affected their current schedule, but if its on an off night I dont see what the problem would be, especially if you're training in a complimentary style (i.e. a grappler who cross trains in striker or vice versa).

[karatekid1975]

My instructor wouldn't like it if he found out I cross-train. BUT he wouldn't stop me. There's been others that cross-trained and he didn't stop them either, but he was not happy.

My Jujitsu instructor is married to one of our TKD instructors (sister school). My TKD instructor will probably find out anyways, but I'm going to continue both.

[h2whoa]

He doesnt stop me, and is interested in joining me! It is weird to see your instructor staning next to you, bowing to someone else in a white belt!!

[coralreefer_1]

My instructor back then wouldn't care. Actually, he would probably ask me to show him what new things I learned. But that instructor ran a school for my master, and he was short and stocky, maybe 230lbs. He was super-fast for a guy his size when it came to sparring. But we used to wrestle each other after class(always a losing battle for me as at that itime i was only 145lbs), but we did that because he was helping me to learn some other style of fighting, as he used to be a bouncer. He understood the benefits of cross-training. Personally, I think if an instructor gets upset about a student cross-training, that instructor doesn't really care about whether or not you can properly defend yourself, but worried that he may lose you as a student, or your studies in their art will suffer because you are studying others.

Todd

[IcemanSK]

I see that an instructor might be upset for fear of loosing a student. I can also see jealousy (as in "why would my student need X art, too? I don't need it.) I experienced it when I was a young black belt. My master wasn't interested in hearing that I liked kickboxing & joint locks, too.

It is a difficult line for an instructor to walk between encouraging student's curiosity & teaching them what YOU know. I think MMA (where one has to be a "well-rounded" fighter) makes it more difficult for a student to appreciate the style in front of them. But then again, its quite "American" to want it all, too.

[niel0092]

Lots of our students and instructors cross train. It's generally seen as a good thing.

[AndrewGreen]

Depending on their goals I'll often highly reccomend it.

No school can do everything, anyone that claims they can is lieing or unable to see outside of their box.

[Willannem]

After about a month of jujutsu training, I let my instructor know I wanted to train in Karate to be a "well rounded fighter". Little did I know he held black belt ranks in Karate, too. He wore me out in a one-on-one training session. It was just me, him, and 35 years of his exerience. He taught everything I needed to know.

If you seek what your school doesn't have, I don't see why it would be a problem to crosstrain; as long as it doesn't detract from your current training.

[Ottman]

I think most instructors are favorable to cross training. My school offers TKD, which is the primary style we teach, but also Ju Jitsu, Nunchuckudo, XMA, and we used to do Aikido as well, until the instructor had to move. We have sparring sessions with a few other TKD schools, as well as an Isshin-Ryu Karate school and another Ju Jitsu school. My master instructor in TKD also trains in Wei Chi Ryu (if I spelled that right) and encourages black belts (or any student really) to cross train, and bring their new skills back to the dojang to share with everyone. It's a great atmosphere to train in.