The Multi-Style Problem...

[tallgeese]

No, bushido man and I aren't that close .

It's pragmatism, that's all. This stuff really isn't rocket science at the end of the day. We're all built the same, same things hurt. There's only so many ways to apply that hurt. Then, it's about efficiency.

[Adonis]

I have done cross training early in my martail art studies, and I have come to a few conclusiions.

I think its okay to cross train early on IMO however it just may slow your progress down in the rankings especially if its two diffrent styles. You need to be a good learner, take notes, and develop yoru basics which definition of can vary from isntructor to instructor on basics of ones own style.

I think cross training in say striking and grappling is fine, because they are so diffrent its less likely to get confused as if doing two stand up styles ie. ( Ed parker Kenpo, and Shotokan Karate)

The best thing is to pay attention to your instructor take notes, and develop the correct mechanics or technique movements.

Also IMO however is that it depends on how much time you can dedicate to it, if you have family, work, and other life commitments and can only focus a couple times a week to training. Probably better to train in one style for a few years until youd evelop good basics (good mechanics, speed, power, and timing) basically making your basic moves of your style work with a resisting "alive" parnters. After that incorporate other styles if you want.

Or you can do what ever you want its your money, and time, and your just doing it for fun and learning something new great. If your in need of self defense skills right away, you might want to persue other avenues instead of diving into 1 style. Thats just my opinion.

[JusticeZero]

Cross-training messed with me for years.

In my main art, not having your rear foot pointed straight forward aligned with your hips, generally on the ball of the feet, is a HUGE no-no; all my teachers (and myself) spend more time correcting that form error than others just because it really is that critical. It seems so harmless. But wherever it slips in, about 1-2 movements later the student is sitting on their backside on the ground trying to figure out why everything they were doing suddenly stopped working and flowing together. Their grace evaporates, and it becomes difficult at best to stay stable through the evasive movements we do.

Then I would go to Taiji, and they would make me do these L-shaped stances. sigh.

Anyways, the point would be thatit's the subtle things that cause the problem. An art should work together as a coherent block of body dynamics, and the dynamics from differing arts can clash.

[joesteph]

Anyways, the point would be thatit's the subtle things that cause the problem. An art should work together as a coherent block of body dynamics, and the dynamics from differing arts can clash.

This is why I'm glad I'm taking self-defense JuJitsu as the complement to Soo Bahk Do. There's enough separation to avoid conflict as much as possible.