should i ask permission...(read on)

[Zorbasan]

i disagree with that. why should an instructor, which you pay for their services, be able to tell you what other activities you do or do not do.

if you played soccer (at a social level), would you ask permission from your coach if you wanted to play tennis as well?

unless you are a professional athlete with an exclusive deal with your club, there is no way an instructor can tell you what you can and cant do.

BUT, you can let him no what your plans are and he can come up with arguments as to why cross training is a bad thing to do and you can use those arguments to influence your decision, but it would be arrogant of him to tell a student what they can and cant do.

[setboy]

Do you? no. should you? Yes

[YoungMan]

Many years ago, my Instructor was training in judo at the time he started Tae Kwon Do and wanted to do both. His Instructor had two words of advice: Pick one.

If a student of mine wanted to do the same thing, I would have the same advice. Pick one.

After you reach Master level you can do whatever you want.

[bushido_man96]

Many years ago, my Instructor was training in judo at the time he started Tae Kwon Do and wanted to do both. His Instructor had two words of advice: Pick one.

If a student of mine wanted to do the same thing, I would have the same advice. Pick one.

After you reach Master level you can do whatever you want.

I don't think that sounds like advise; it sounds more like a command. I don't think that there is anything wrong with wanting to learn different things, nor should anyone be able to put a leash on what activities you do.

As far as being considered "cowboys" goes, I guess I would have to take that as a compliment. I don't think it has anything to do with big egos, however. I think that those who are so insecure as to allowing others to explore multiple options in training are generally the ones that have an issue with their ego.

Furthermore, I think that Zorbasan is on the right track; the most of us here are paying our instructors for a service. Therefore, I think that the instructor should keep this in mind. It truly isn't any of my business what other activities my students do in their spare time pertain to. If they do something that is totally out of line with regards to the school, like illegal activities, then something should be done. However, I don't view cross-training as an illegal activity.

[YoungMan]

If a student of mine, especially a color belt or junior black belt, wanted to cross train, I would expect them to ask me. I don't own them but it goes back to the Instructor-student relationship. if you don't practice a traditional art, or you consider your Instructor as nothing more than a service provider, you might not understand.

I would most likely not want a color belt to cross train. I would take a black belt's request case by case. If I say no, and they do anyway, it implies a lack of respect and I very well might tell them to train elsewhere.

I could just as easily bring in guest Instructors who could show them various helpful techniques outside the art. That's what our Instructor did. He brought in karate, judo, and other Instructors (who he trusted) who showed his students techniques from their arts. Cross training was unnecessary.

[Zorbasan]

as i said before, i think "ask" is the wrong word. well, put it this way. i dont think a student should ask an instructor if they are allowed to cross train, because they can do what they want. what they should do is ask whether or not the instructor thinks the cross training will be of benefit or detriment to their current training, and make a descision based on the answer.

and if the instructor said "you shouldnt cross train because its not allowed" i wouldnt accept that, however, if they were to say "the art you want to train in will affect this art because .........." then i would think about not cross training in that art and maybe find one that doesnt have that conflict.

[bushido_man96]

If a student of mine, especially a color belt or junior black belt, wanted to cross train, I would expect them to ask me. I don't own them but it goes back to the Instructor-student relationship. if you don't practice a traditional art, or you consider your Instructor as nothing more than a service provider, you might not understand.

I would most likely not want a color belt to cross train. I would take a black belt's request case by case. If I say no, and they do anyway, it implies a lack of respect and I very well might tell them to train elsewhere.

I could just as easily bring in guest Instructors who could show them various helpful techniques outside the art. That's what our Instructor did. He brought in karate, judo, and other Instructors (who he trusted) who showed his students techniques from their arts. Cross training was unnecessary.

What if a high school student was training TKD with you, and then decided that he wanted to take up Wrestling in high school as well? Would you tell him that he would have to pick one or the other? In the end, I view this as the same scenario.

[YoungMan]

As I don't consider wrestling a martial art in the same sense as Tae Kwon Do, I wouldn't really have a problem with it.

[NightOwl]

As I don't consider wrestling a martial art in the same sense as Tae Kwon Do, I wouldn't really have a problem with it.

What do you mean by that? Wrestling is one of the most widespread and oldest styles of martial arts- whether shuai jiao in china, the wrestling of the greeks, or modern day greco roman (which is actually mostly derived from a French grappling style with some other European styles thrown in despite the name), wrestling is a martial art in that it is a set system and school of combat moves. What about taking up Judo or submission wrestling or shuai jiao as mentioned before?

[Zorbasan]

i had one TKD place tell me that i had to concentrate soley on my TKD when i said i did karate also.

now, what i find funny is that if i was to do a non MA sport or even go to the gym, that would constitute not concentrating wholly on my TKD but they probably wouldnt care so much.

when schools say they are against cross training, it is my beleif that the key concern is that your training dollars is being split between 2 clubs. im sure if they offered 2 styles in the club, they would be all ok with cross training within the club.