Serving Two Masters-Is it ok?

[koreantiger81]

I simultaneously train under two masters. (I.t.F and W.T.F) My two masters have no clue of my training in each other's style. Why am i hesistate to reveal my trainning to my two masters? I've been rejected enrollment in a martial arts school in the past, because I was already a member of a different martial arts school. I guess they are afraid that I will expose their techniques to another system or school.There seems to be a lot of competition between martial arts schools. While shopping for a martial arts school, I've met quite a few masters diss other masters and their styles, so that I would enroll in their school. Some master's seem to be so narrowminded!

 

What do you guys think? And for you instructors out there, how would you feel if your student trainned under two masters? How would you feel if your student trainned under two masters? Would it matter if their masters were of the same or complete different style?

 

[ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-05-30 03:26 ]

[Bon]

If I was training under 2 instructors and one of them didn't like it, I'd leave.

 

Most of the guys at my dojo, which I do BJJ at have trained in other styles formally and a couple train in other arts formally, while a lot of them train informally in other arts.

 

 

[ckdstudent]

It depends, I can see their point if you're training in two different but similar arts. We have karate students constantly switching back to their old style even years after they've left, and its somewhat annoying. If the arts can't be easily confused though I don't see a problem.

 

 

[karatekid1975]

Hiya Koreantiger.

 

These are good questions. I did TSD in NJ, and I miss it a lot. Now I do TKD. I still do what I was taught in TSD without thinking about it. Only because we (TSD) trained so much in each technique to make it almost perfect. There's somethings in TKD that I find .... well, stupid to practice. I don't do them. Like the swinging your arms way back before doing a guarding block. If that was a real fight, someone can grap your arms.

 

I explained this to my teacher, and he said that each style has it's on reason for doing things. He knows I miss TSD, and he said that I can't serve two masters. That kinda upset me, because I'm not going to forget my TSD master. He (the TKD guy) even said himself that he is "loyal" to his first master, so what does that tell ya?

 

 

[Chris from CT]

Letting your instructors know just seems like the right thing to do. They put alot of trust and respect into you and I feel the same should be given back.

 

I am currently training under two (three) different teachers. All of them, Master Art (Hapkido) and Sensei Jerry & Nancy (Shaolin Kempo), know what I am doing. I am very lucky because they are all very open minded and believe in what they do. They are also very respectful of other martial arts and their practitioners. Hopefully your teachers would be the same way and there won't be a problem.

 

Now just because a teacher doesn't want you training somewhere else is not necassarily a bad thing. They may just be more traditional and believe "one person, one teacher." The problem is when they talk trash about others.

 

That just means the person is narrowminded and wants to pretend they are better than they are by putting someone else down. Be careful of those people. By keeping an open mind while believing in what you do, there is no reason to put someone else's style or beliefs down.

 

Sorry, I went off on a binge there.

 

Do you respect your teachers enough to tell them? This might sound stupid, but pretend you were dating two girls and you really liked them both, the right thing to do would be to tell them. This is tough because you really care for both, you want to be with both and you don't what to hurt either one. Just because it's right doesn't mean it's easy.

 

Take this for what it's worth.

 

Take care & good luck

 

 

[karatekid1975]

Hiya Chris.

 

You made a good point. I did tell my instructor (TKD) how I felt. That's when he told me about being "loyal" to his first master. The thing is, I don't train in both arts together (only because there isn't TSD here). I trained in them seperate.

 

 

[Jack]

Koreantiger, I agree with you in that some instructors/senseis/masters become so narrowminded of their own art or style of art! Not long ago, a friend of mine from my TKD Dojang went to observe a kung fu lesson. It was a really good class, and afterwards the friend went to talk to the kung fu instructor. Upon the Instructor asking my friend which art he studies and my friend replying Taekwondo, he grunted and said "Oh well, I suppose someone has to."

 

Narrowmindedness at its best.

 

 

My instructor does not mind crosstraining. I even show him some of the movements from Ju jitsu that another friend practices with me. In fact, he seems to quite enjoy seeing what we learn from other styles. How things should be!

 

 

[tessone]

If you want to cross-train in two different arts, that's one thing. However, what is served by training in two rival styles of the same art?

 

A lot of people in the martial arts have no respect for their instructors and take a very Western, smorgasbord approach to everything. If something doesn't suit them, they walk out and blame the instructor. Respecting one's instructor is extremely important, and training under a rival master is extremely disrespectful.

 

In KSW, if we want to train somewhere outside our own dojang, we're supposed to get permission from our instructor and the instructor of the school we're going to. Nearly 100% of the time, the instructor will say yes, and often they'll know the guy or gal, give them a call, or at least send greetings through you, etc. But this way they have some oversight over your training, since it's their job.

 

 

[Chris from CT]

Chris Tessone: Sorry I'm late, but I just realized in your signature... Congrats on the yellow belt, bro!!!

 

Take care

 

 

[Chris from CT]

On 2002-05-30 10:10, karatekid1975 wrote:

 

Hiya Chris.

 

Hey, Laurie.