Learning different MAs - Your experience

[kensei]

@ Wasteland.....I complely agree. I was actually putting my own style bias on that, My appologies. I should have left out the Shodan part and simply put the "understanding/Mastery" of the styles basics...and Yes, I hate the term mastery...but its the common verbage used for the idea.

J

[SifuGazz]

Hello guys

Well maybe a bit a funny story. But anyway. I myself do Karate for now about 10 years or so.

...

- Why did you start doing a different martial art?

- Did you have an criteria for the new one (should it extend your MA skills: Like first Karate (focus on striking) then Aikido (focus on joint locks throws etc.)

- Do you practice different martial arts at the same time or did you quit one and started another one?

Also I'd like to hear the opinion of others. Do you think you should try and practice different martial arts or should you stay with just one?

Thank you for your answers and the (hopefully) upcoming discussion

.

It looks like you have a base (10 yrs and 1st Dan), so my advice would be to cross-train ASAP. One could always use a little ground game (BJJ / MJJ), but that only requires a limited time--maybe a few months, then you will know enough to get by. Also the joint locks from your system will have some translation into that.

Something with more relaxed type of power that makes use of circles better, and uses what the Chinese call "ting jin"--listening skill, basically tactile sensitivity. You can get this through Tai Chi push hands, san-sao, Bagua rou-shou (spelling might be off). Along with that will make locks and throws flow a bit easier. One should never "chase a lock", but tactile sensitivity drills help build them in naturally. Wing Chun has sticky hands, but the Tai Chi, Bagua is better provided you can find a decent teacher.

Another gap could be modern weapons training. Kali guys are good for this, and there are others.

Find something with a different body-method, a different way of generating power and dealing with an attack, then your perspective will widen and you will find your own medium that will take you up the ladder in skill.

I also find it's good to cross-train just to have others test your stuff. It's easier to read / counter other moves when you know what is coming style wise. This change up will help, I also recommend finding a really good boxer to test striking skills...

Best,

Gary

[Harkon72]

As a traditional Karateka, I must say one of the best periods of training out side my style I have done was with a Wing Chun sifu. The focus and ethos is totally different but totally complimentary. Practicing a style similar to your own is more difficult. It is not just the confusion, it's the muscle memory that catches you out. Try learning Pinan Nidan and Hean Shodan together and you will see what I mean.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, breakfalls and foot positioning is horrible, because those tend to drive people crazy when they see them done differently. I want to work on a throwing art, but I have a hard time dealing with the teeth gnashing noise when I drop into queda de negativa or heaven forbid a chibata. And i don't feel comfortable with trying to put in the time with changing my falling technique, given that the usual surface I do my breakfalls and other training on is rough concrete.

[T3chnopsycho]

As a traditional Karateka, I must say one of the best periods of training out side my style I have done was with a Wing Chun sifu. The focus and ethos is totally different but totally complimentary. Practicing a style similar to your own is more difficult. It is not just the confusion, it's the muscle memory that catches you out. Try learning Pinan Nidan and Hean Shodan together and you will see what I mean.

Yeah, breakfalls and foot positioning is horrible, because those tend to drive people crazy when they see them done differently. I want to work on a throwing art, but I have a hard time dealing with the teeth gnashing noise when I drop into queda de negativa or heaven forbid a chibata. And i don't feel comfortable with trying to put in the time with changing my falling technique, given that the usual surface I do my breakfalls and other training on is rough concrete.

Yeah that's also what I think. Well actually I don't even want to try out a different karate-style. Well maybe look how it works but not train it actually because my style is for me the right one and I don't want to change that anyway ^^

Also I want to expand my MA-knowledge so learning something totally different is IMO the logical step

Cheers and thx for the comment

T3chnopsycho

[Lupin1]

I agree that it's probably best to study arts very different and complementary to your own until you get a very solid base. I tried TKD once when I was doing volunteer work for a few years on the other side of the country and that was all that was around there. I did it for about a month and it was so different yet so close that I was getting very confused.

Now I do both karate and judo and they're just so different that I can do both of them and never get the least bit confused. They complement each other beautifully and besides getting the irresistible urge to do ukemi all over the karate mats all the time and sometimes accidentally going harder and faster with my takedowns than my classmates are accustomed during partner work, learning judo hasn't negatively affected my karate at all.

[Harkon72]

I found the Sensitivity of Wing Chun and the way it generates power gives a very real edge to Karate, my Tate Zuki rocks! Also in the blocking, the Kime of forearm blocking is greatly improved with the fluid Kung Fu action. This is why the Martial arts fascinate me, none is an island. None are totally apart from each other.

[ShotokanMaster]

For me i started Taekwondo but I only finish yellow belt because my dad got sick and then when i was at college I meet a friend who teach me Eskrima taichi and chigung and then when I came here to Bakersfield I did Shotokan and im gonna stick with Shotokan and when i enter shotokan i pick up quick because i took diff kind of martial arts

[T3chnopsycho]

I found the Sensitivity of Wing Chun and the way it generates power gives a very real edge to Karate, my Tate Zuki rocks! Also in the blocking, the Kime of forearm blocking is greatly improved with the fluid Kung Fu action. This is why the Martial arts fascinate me, none is an island. None are totally apart from each other.

The power-generation is also something that lights my interest in learning a different martial art. Because like you said they are so different and yet so familiar.

What would be interesting what it would evolve into if you train say kung-fu and karate at the same time over say 20-30 years. Would you automatically start mixing them up and creating something totally new yet familiar?

Now I do both karate and judo and they're just so different that I can do both of them and never get the least bit confused. They complement each other beautifully and besides getting the irresistible urge to do ukemi all over the karate mats all the time and sometimes accidentally going harder and faster with my takedowns than my classmates are accustomed during partner work, learning judo hasn't negatively affected my karate at all.

Thank you for your story it's intersting to hear that because like I already posted before I think a "throwing-art" would best complement a striking art and vice-versa just because they both contain something you don't have in the other one.

Cheers

T3chnopsycho

[bushido_man96]

- Why did you start doing a different martial art?

Our instructor brought in the Combat Hapkido curriculum, and I felt it was interesting to have alongside my TKD. In the past, I had done bits of different joint locks, but was always terrible at it. So I felt it would be a good addition for me.

- Did you have an criteria for the new one (should it extend your MA skills: Like first Karate (focus on striking) then Aikido (focus on joint locks throws etc.)

Not so much. It just worked out that way. I would like to find some time to work on ground skills, though. I actually took up Aikido for a time because it was so different from the way I did Hapkido, from the techniques to the philosophy. Although I don't really agree with the philosophy of Aikido, I do like to learn about it.

- Do you practice different martial arts at the same time or did you quit one and started another one?

I did them all at the same time.

Also I'd like to hear the opinion of others. Do you think you should try and practice different martial arts or should you stay with just one?

I think this will vary between individuals. I think getting exposure to different styles is good for making you think outside the box. Even doing it for just a short period of time is a beneficial adventure. Even just seeing things from a different instructor in the same style can provide insight on how to approach things.