multiple styles

[simsan50]

can i train in kendo if i am JKA/WF ranked and not lose ranking !

i heard there is some weird non participate rule there?

[sensei8]

Not losing rank? Do you mean, that if, you, being a JKA/WF ranked, will lose your JKA ranking because you want to learn Kendo? If so, I'd say...NO!! Rank is forever, imho!!

This might mean that you will be a White belt in Kendo, but still maintain your JKA ranking. This also means that when you're on the Kendo floor, you'll wear a white belt, and wear it proudly!!

The two, Kendo and JKA aren't the same, nor are they under the same governing body!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

I am in agreement with Sensei8. That is the strangest rule I have heard of since I started martial arts. There is absolutely nothing that prevents a person from studying different systems and making some progress. Maybe some competitions have rules restricting judges and participants to one style, but I never heard of anyone lose a ranking as a consequence. It would probably help to find out where this supposed non-participate rule comes from. Without that anything is just speculation because no other information is available.

[Harkon72]

What you do outside their Dojo is non of their business. As long as you don't bad mouth their reputation, then they don't need to know anything. They sound paranoid and totally delusional to me.

[Spartacus Maximus]

There are many reasons why an instructor or dojo might advise against training in another style at the same time. However, regardless of these reasons, no reputable school or instructor would impose any sort of penalty on their students for studying a different system on their own time. There is much to be learned by learning about and studying other systems.

Again I would be curious as to what organization or school the OP got that rule from. I really wonder where the OP heard that non-participation thing. Sounds like something a competition or tournament would have rather than a specific school or association.

[sensei8]

You know, not many MA schools and/or governing bodies will freely admit that a lot of them, if not all of them, are positioning themselves to advice their student body to stay away from wanting to train in multiple arts because they've not the confidence of themselves as leaders and/or instructors, and in that, they're afraid to lose students, which is about losing revenue!!

Imho!!

[bushido_man96]

You know, not many MA schools and/or governing bodies will freely admit that a lot of them, if not all of them, are positioning themselves to advice their student body to stay away from wanting to train in multiple arts because they've not the confidence of themselves as leaders and/or instructors, and in that, they're afraid to lose students, which is about losing revenue!!

Imho!!

I think this is the main reason. And I'm sure it does happen. Most of us have a limited budget and a limited amount of time to offer up to extracurricular activities. The time value of money comes into play here, and if we as humans find a better deal, we tend to gravitate towards saving money.

[Spartacus Maximus]

If a school or instructor is so afraid of losing students and income that he discourages them from being interested or training in other martial arts, then he must not be very good at all. Even though this attitude is not exclusive to commercial schools, it seems to be prevalent in those circles.

A martial artist will look at another system and see it for what it is: another system, maybe with interesting techniques. An instructor mostly concerned with turning a profit will see competition and maybe a threat to his business. This is quite unfortunate because when teaching martial arts becomes about making more money, it ceases to be about the quality of instruction or the sharing of any skills. An instructor who has no interest whatsoever in any system but his own is not a very good one indeed. A good school and instructor is one who is fully confident in the skills taught as well as the methods for teaching them to people. Such a school or instructor encourages students to take an interest in what else is out there in the vast universe of martial arts.

I have met and trained under at least 5 instructors, three of them were masters at the highest level, one of whom is the head of a very old and traditional Okinawan school. Never ever have they told students to stay away from other styles or other martial arts. Quite the opposite in fact and each of these teachers was very well informed about martial arts in general. Enough to have a good discussion. Some of these had even trained in other arts themselves and gained a respectable level of skill.

The only consensus in their opinion was that one should stick to a single system until the basics are well understood before attempting something else as beginners starting two or more systems simultaneously will get confused. They also told me that if a student was dedicated enough to do it, it was best to study systems that are different enough in focus as to not be possible to mix up when doing one or the other. Karate and judo or a kung fu style and kendo instead of two karate styles or judo and jujutsu.

After all, if a student has the time and dedication and the resources to pursue multiple styles why not? I have nothing against it but I do get annoyed by dabblers. Those who drift from school to school never staying longer than a year or so before moving on to whatever the next passing interest might be.

[bushido_man96]

If a school or instructor is so afraid of losing students and income that he discourages them from being interested or training in other martial arts, then he must not be very good at all. Even though this attitude is not exclusive to commercial schools, it seems to be prevalent in those circles.

Sometimes, I think this is the case. I think some instructors, like mine, might become concerned if a BJJ school came to town and set up shop, because of the popularity that BJJ has gained over the years, and the fact that we don't do any grappling in our school. Its not that he isn't a good instructor; its that he has no experience in teaching grappling. So I can see where this kind of fear would come into play. But, that doesn't make it right for an instructor to use scare tactics on students who might be interested in trying out the grappling school, either. Then I consider that a problem.

[Spartacus Maximus]

In the area I live and train my teacher is the only one of two, maybe three who teach traditional Okinawan karate. Other styles all as popular as ever and there are several high-profile commercial schools around us. Having experience in other systems is not as important in being confident in one's own skills and the system one teaches. Practising and teaching a single system that one wholeheartedly believes in should not be an obstacle to taking an interest in others. An instructor who is fully confident in his skills and teaching method will never be afraid or concerned if students take an interest in other systems.