Practising multiple styles?

[alsey]

not sure about the jack of all trades thing. i guess it depends on what you call a 'trade', if MA as a whole is a trade then practicing more than one style can help you master MA. but certainly if a particular style is considered a trade, then you will never be as great in that style as you can be if you spend time studying other styles.

[Jiffy]

In this particular scenario, I certainly agree with the jack of all trades analogy.

[bushido_man96]

Here is my take on the jack-of-all-trades thing. Really, what it comes down to is time.

Here is my example. Say you train 4 days a week in Karate, for 2 hours per session, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Let's say you have done this for 8 years. You probably have obtained a high level of proficiency in the art, and probably are a black belt. You train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, for the sake of argument.

Now, let's say that you want to take up Brazilian Jui-jitsu on your off days. So, you train Wednesday and Saturday, for 2 hours each day.

As far as the Karate training goes, you will not begin to decline, because you still maintain the same training routine for Karate that you have had for the last 8 years. It will not likely suffer because you have added to your training regimine, because you have not taken away from the Karate regimine.

Now, this is likely a best case scenario, where one actually has the time to put in to do these things. In this scenario, the consideration of things like work and family may be present, and may not. But, considering that one had the time to make this work, then I don't think it would be a jack-of-all-trades scenario. The main aspect, the karate, is not compromised, and one will make new gains in BJJ.

[Jiffy]

You have a good point. The other side of the story is though, if you are training 8 hours a week in Karate, and 4 hours a week in BJJ, you are a jack of all trades compared to someone who just does 12 hours a week in Karate or 12 hours a week in BJJ.

[Zorbasan]

it may make you a jack of all trades when it comes to specific arts, but i beleive it would make you a much more complete martial artist compared to one that only does the 1 art.

[Jiffy]

At more advanced level I agree, but for a beginner, I don't.

[Zorbasan]

i think a beginner should only take the 1 art. once you start to have an understanding of what MA is about, then look at other arts, but my response was to the 8 hours a week analogy of bushido man

[bushido_man96]

You have a good point. The other side of the story is though, if you are training 8 hours a week in Karate, and 4 hours a week in BJJ, you are a jack of all trades compared to someone who just does 12 hours a week in Karate or 12 hours a week in BJJ.

If you start taking time away from your current practice, then it could, but not necessarily. If you practice karate 12 hours a week, you probably would not have time for another style (if you have to work like I do!). Then, you have to start getting into an arguement about how much time does it take to make you an expert or a master. Then, if you can put a time on it, does that leave time to take up something else?

I think that we get caught up in this with two martial arts, but not with other things. Musashi was also an excellent calligrapher, was he not? No one ever said that his swordsmanship ability began to wane because he was also a penman, right?

I think it gets taken out of context some times.

[Zorbasan]

basically, if your are doing 2 activities, what will happen is that it will take twice as long to become as proficient in both as it would to do so in 1 activity if you spent the same amount of time as you spent on the 2 together.

this will be the same regardless of the activity.

[Jiffy]

I think that we get caught up in this with two martial arts, but not with other things. Musashi was also an excellent calligrapher, was he not? No one ever said that his swordsmanship ability began to wane because he was also a penman, right?

Because he was great, doesn't mean he wouldn't have been better if he'd have spent more time on it. Then I guess comes the argument of balance. How much should we balance out the various activities in our lives. In this particular instance, I think it's fair to say he was finding the balance between MA and other interests, but two different MA's I don't believe fits into this category.

FYI - My father was once disciplined for going to the gym. He was told, "If you have time to go to the gym, get in the dojo".