cross training

[karatekid1975]

I have always cross trained. In Tang Soo Do, I did a bit of Jujitsu, and our TSD class was mixed with Thai boxing and Hapikdo. My instructor didn't have a problem with it (the jujitsu instructor shared space with us).

In TKD, I have done Judo seperately and together (at one TKD school, they mixed Judo with TKD).

Now I do TKD and Jujitsu. My TKD instructor isn't happy with anyone cross training, but never stopped anyone from doing so. My Jujitsu sensei knows I do TKD. He doesn't care either way. He actually helped me with my last TKD test AND took pics of it. Thanks again Sensei Mike

[rs_coble]

At my school we have two different styles that are taught, Kenpo(which actually is a blending of chinese and okinawan style) which is the main thing that is taught. But we also have a hung-gar class that is taught once a week. The styles are actually rather similar so that it might not even really be considered cross-training.

[red dawn]

My first dojo offers three different types of martial arts...Krav Maga, Jujitsu, and traditional (for the kids) so we are big on cross training..but my other dojo I go to (because 3 martial arts training is not enough for me. haha. ) only trains in one art. Though, my sensi there is not opposed to cross training...he openly welcomes my other training and actually it's making my training there so much easier. He teaches Aikido, and because I've done Jujitsu and Judo at my other dojo I am already very much accustume to falling. But my Aikido Sensi just has a lot of passion for Aikido, and I don't think he has really done any other martial art (at least not enough to really know another art.) But he is still very good at what he does and isn't all "My art is the best" which is good.

[MasterH]

I have yet to meet a higher ranked TKD instructor that openly accepts a students desire to cross train.

Now, they might be open to such, if they have had cross training themselves.

But, if they have not, then generally speaking (not collectively), they shun away from such, mostly out of pride, but there are other reasons, such as;

The pride that comes with believing that one system (or instructor of such system) has all the answers.

The fear that doing other systems might hinder a students progress within their own.

Or the misunderstanding of how all styles are actually related on many different levels, and when a student pulls that all together, then that is a good thing.

Quite frankly, what I do on my own time, is my business, and not that of my instructors, so long as I am not breaking any laws, or doing anything imooral or unethical.

Now so far as money goes, try buying a DVD at first, and just watch them do shotokan (or whatever), and see just how far you could go with it.

You could alsoo go to some other schools, and just sit in and watch. Open up to people, and start your own network of resources. You could easily eliminate the money factor in that way.

It might be best to have an end goal in mind with TKD training, and then move on after that, especially if your instructor gives you any grief over time.

You could always return to TKD if things didn't work out.

Anyhow, good luck! I wish you best!

Well, here I am. I'm a 5th Degree (HTF TKD) and I encourage it. I'm reading a bool called "Living the Martial Way" by Maj. Forrest E. Morgan USAF Ret. He states to be a true MA warrior you recognise both the strengths and weaknesses of your art. Think of your weaknesses as holes and fill them with the correct dissipline. I'm a TKD Master, but my holes are ground fighting, up close hand to hand, and lack of weapon dissipline. So I will also train in Escrima (weapon dissipline) also KumDo (weapon dissipline) and I would like to train in both Krav Maga (hand to hand) and Hapkido (Groundfighting).

I encourage everyone to read that book.

[italianstalian]

ive had bad expearences with crosstraining, i studyed karate for a bit and thought it be a good idia to expand on my training so i took up grappleing. once my instructor found out he threw me out of his dojo! its all good now though i couldent be happyer studying BBJ

[Jay]

We are encouraged to cross train as my instructor is also a Tai Chi teacher

[Jiffy]

For those of you who haven't noticed in previous posts, I'm one of Zorba's instructors (Shotokan). While he mentions that we are happy for our students to cross train, what he may not know is that it's not how it generally is in Karate in Australia. When I was coming up through the ranks (a few moons ago now), cross training was point blank forbidden. For this reason, I studied only Shotokan for nearly 10 years. This was my biggest mistake. 9 years ago, I started cross training and my learning rate increased exponentially. There were a whole lot of little things from my past that didn't make sence at the time that just seemed to finally click into place. Despite this, our instructor was less than impressed and it lead to a big argument. About a year later, I left the school I had been with for about 9 years. It was at this time I realised that the reason he didn't like me cross training was because all of a sudden, I saw him as a smaller fish in a bigger pond. What I have found since then is that in the Karate arena in Australia, most instructors still feel the same. My honest belief is that the reason for this is nothing more than ego. By cross training, some instructors feel threatened that they will loose students to the other school or that they will no longer be seen as "God" by their students. My belief however is quite different. That is - No-one on this planet can learn everything Martial Arts has to offer in just one lifetime. There is just too much out there. If people can accept this and drop the ego, then it opens up the learning channels (see my post on Influence). It also means that things that us as instructor don't have answers for, our students might help us to re-discover them. Also, anyone who participates in cross training is bound to learn a more rounded system and therefore be overall a better martial artist. For this reason, I encourage cross training.

Edited January 4, 2006 by Jiffy

[Zorba]

i am surprised at the closed mindedness of some instructors. I have had one instructor say to me that it is a sign of disrespect to him if i bow to another clubs instructor.

personally i think it comes down to a money thing.

if you can afford to train with someone else, you should spend all your money at one club.

bah to that i say. if you want all the money, teach different stuff. there is only so much you can learn at one club.

when i reached my black belt at my ITF club, i stopped learning. not because i wanted to, but because they stopped teaching me. they also didnt give me the opportunity to attempt to teach myself, and if i wanted to learn more i had to do it in my own time. hell, in the 5years i stayed there as a black belt, i think we did the black belt form maybe 3 times in class.

to much emphasis was in the lower belts that the black belts got forgotten. but we werent allowed to go elsewhere to learn either.

people say "im a karate student" or "i do TKD", well i do martial arts. i may be limited to 2 styles by time and money, but not by my instructors.

cheers to all the OPEN MINDED instructors out there.