Should a Karateka know other Martial Arts?

[bushido_man96]

Remember before reading this post.

I am only a person on the internet. Do not take what i post over what your own sensei/instructor. It is just my opinion.

My thoughts on Knowing other martial arts is that if one puts 100% effort and trains to the out most limits of any ONE STYLE, be it one punch, one kick, one throw or basically just on technique, there is less need to know anything else. If a person had a simple straight punch which was the fastest ,strongest and unblockable , that person would not need to study any other "art", the other people that he would face would need to study that person in order to figure out a defense.

It would be better time spent PERFECTING ONE TECHNIQUE and executing it 1000000's of times, instead of time looking for that magic technique,style or THEORY of doing many techniques 100's of times and being average.

It may sound boring, doing a punch,kick or technique over and over and over again and again. But the final result will be worth everything you put into that ONE technique with results that are worth every effort put into that ONE Technique.

This is an interesting point often made in MA study, and Bruce Lee is often cited as saying it, too. But, like many MA adages, sometimes, they are taken too literarily or taken too far.

For example, I can look and look and look in TKD for some answers to grappling situations, but I'm going to find better answers in a BJJ school.

Likewise, I can train one punch over and over and over again, but at some point, I reach the point of diminishing returns, and that time can be better spent working some different techniques and skills.

Training certain techniques extensively can be very important. But one should be sure to not take it over the top.

[sensei8]

Remember before reading this post.

I am only a person on the internet. Do not take what i post over what your own sensei/instructor. It is just my opinion.

My thoughts on Knowing other martial arts is that if one puts 100% effort and trains to the out most limits of any ONE STYLE, be it one punch, one kick, one throw or basically just on technique, there is less need to know anything else. If a person had a simple straight punch which was the fastest ,strongest and unblockable , that person would not need to study any other "art", the other people that he would face would need to study that person in order to figure out a defense.

It would be better time spent PERFECTING ONE TECHNIQUE and executing it 1000000's of times, instead of time looking for that magic technique,style or THEORY of doing many techniques 100's of times and being average.

It may sound boring, doing a punch,kick or technique over and over and over again and again. But the final result will be worth everything you put into that ONE technique with results that are worth every effort put into that ONE Technique.

This is an interesting point often made in MA study, and Bruce Lee is often cited as saying it, too. But, like many MA adages, sometimes, they are taken too literarily or taken too far.

For example, I can look and look and look in TKD for some answers to grappling situations, but I'm going to find better answers in a BJJ school.

Likewise, I can train one punch over and over and over again, but at some point, I reach the point of diminishing returns, and that time can be better spent working some different techniques and skills.

Training certain techniques extensively can be very important. But one should be sure to not take it over the top.

Whoa...that, right there, is one SOLID POST!!

[Maybetrue]

Remember before reading this post.

I am only a person on the internet. Do not take what i post over what your own sensei/instructor. It is just my opinion.

My thoughts on Knowing other martial arts is that if one puts 100% effort and trains to the out most limits of any ONE STYLE, be it one punch, one kick, one throw or basically just on technique, there is less need to know anything else. If a person had a simple straight punch which was the fastest ,strongest and unblockable , that person would not need to study any other "art", the other people that he would face would need to study that person in order to figure out a defense.

It would be better time spent PERFECTING ONE TECHNIQUE and executing it 1000000's of times, instead of time looking for that magic technique,style or THEORY of doing many techniques 100's of times and being average.

It may sound boring, doing a punch,kick or technique over and over and over again and again. But the final result will be worth everything you put into that ONE technique with results that are worth every effort put into that ONE Technique.

This is an interesting point often made in MA study, and Bruce Lee is often cited as saying it, too. But, like many MA adages, sometimes, they are taken too literarily or taken too far.

For example, I can look and look and look in TKD for some answers to grappling situations, but I'm going to find better answers in a BJJ school.

Likewise, I can train one punch over and over and over again, but at some point, I reach the point of diminishing returns, and that time can be better spent working some different techniques and skills.

Training certain techniques extensively can be very important. But one should be sure to not take it over the top.

First, never read a book from Bruce Lee. To me he is an actor FIRST and Excellent Martial Artist second. Sadly we will never know if his "theories" ever would work in real fights or even a normal tournament.

A high level Martial artist will understand that venturing into another Arts world is just plain "STUPID". why would a striker want to wrestle with a wrestler, why would a wrestler wand to box with a boxer, why would a TKD want to grapple with a grappler,etc... I explain VIVIDLY when going thru basic self defense sessions, "if a Judo man grabs your IT IS TOO LATE", "if a boxer cheap shots you ITS TO LATE" if a "JJ guy sneaks up behind you and sinks a choke in ITS TOO LATE".'a guy with NO FORMAL TRAINING CAN WIN ANY FIGHT"...etc..

As for training one specific technique. I never saw anyone in my life perfect any one technique. EVER. Techniques are "PERISHABLE" its not perfecting it one time and retaining it forever. it does not work like that, period.

i could go on for hours about this. but if your happy with building "knowledge" it is fine, that is the most important thing, WHAT MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY and enjoy martial arts.

Disclaimer: Do what your instructor says FIRST over a random guy(me) posting on the internet.

[Luther unleashed]

Remember before reading this post.

I am only a person on the internet. Do not take what i post over what your own sensei/instructor. It is just my opinion.

My thoughts on Knowing other martial arts is that if one puts 100% effort and trains to the out most limits of any ONE STYLE, be it one punch, one kick, one throw or basically just on technique, there is less need to know anything else. If a person had a simple straight punch which was the fastest ,strongest and unblockable , that person would not need to study any other "art", the other people that he would face would need to study that person in order to figure out a defense.

It would be better time spent PERFECTING ONE TECHNIQUE and executing it 1000000's of times, instead of time looking for that magic technique,style or THEORY of doing many techniques 100's of times and being average.

It may sound boring, doing a punch,kick or technique over and over and over again and again. But the final result will be worth everything you put into that ONE technique with results that are worth every effort put into that ONE Technique.

This is an interesting point often made in MA study, and Bruce Lee is often cited as saying it, too. But, like many MA adages, sometimes, they are taken too literarily or taken too far.

For example, I can look and look and look in TKD for some answers to grappling situations, but I'm going to find better answers in a BJJ school.

Likewise, I can train one punch over and over and over again, but at some point, I reach the point of diminishing returns, and that time can be better spent working some different techniques and skills.

Training certain techniques extensively can be very important. But one should be sure to not take it over the top.

First, never read a book from Bruce Lee. To me he is an actor FIRST and Excellent Martial Artist second. Sadly we will never know if his "theories" ever would work in real fights or even a normal tournament.

A high level Martial artist will understand that venturing into another Arts world is just plain "STUPID". why would a striker want to wrestle with a wrestler, why would a wrestler wand to box with a boxer, why would a TKD want to grapple with a grappler,etc... I explain VIVIDLY when going thru basic self defense sessions, "if a Judo man grabs your IT IS TOO LATE", "if a boxer cheap shots you ITS TO LATE" if a "JJ guy sneaks up behind you and sinks a choke in ITS TOO LATE".'a guy with NO FORMAL TRAINING CAN WIN ANY FIGHT"...etc..

As for training one specific technique. I never saw anyone in my life perfect any one technique. EVER. Techniques are "PERISHABLE" its not perfecting it one time and retaining it forever. it does not work like that, period.

i could go on for hours about this. but if your happy with building "knowledge" it is fine, that is the most important thing, WHAT MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY and enjoy martial arts.

Disclaimer: Do what your instructor says FIRST over a random guy(me) posting on the internet.

So I'd like to comment about the Bruce Lee thing. I personally did read Bruce Lee books. The first book I read was called Tao of jeet kune do. I was 16 years old, the book was so inspirational to me along with Bruce Lee as a person that it inspired me to become the martial artist I am today. In the book Bruce Lee introduces people to what seems like simple ideas and concepts but are truly much more deep than the average person could see on their own. This is probably the reason why I am so open minded when it comes to using different styles, because the thing that inspired me was an open minded style free source of martial arts.

Ask for him being a martial artist second and an actor first, if you read his books and did more research on him you would find that there is a great deal of reasons as to why he should be considered a martial artist first to you. The fact that he was an actor only means that he deserves credit for spreading and commercializing martial arts the way he did as a martial artist., and as a martial artist I highly recommend reading a few of his books but I would imagine that one with a mind that it is not open but not gain the same as an open mind while reading his book. Chuck Norris may be considered an actor first by many people, but again just as with Bruce, if you look deep enough you will find that he is a truly inspirational and accomplished martial artist first. Chuck Norris has put in an unbelievable amount of dedication to training and time and deserves to be recognized as a martial artist, just as Bruce.

As to not knowing whether his techniques with work in certain situations, not only has the things that he taught been around a very long time and carried on, because it is Bruce Lee so let's face it people carried on his work, but he has direct students that have gone on to teach, so to say that we would never know is not correct. A few students are Dan onsanto, and Jerry Poteet. ( I highly doubt I spelled those right, sorry). I asume you have heard of jeet kune do? I teach some of it in my class and I assure you it is effective, which is why I use it. It is truly more concept than style or system, it is more of a mental approach of intercepting your opponent's attack much like a good boxer or kickboxer learns to do, this concept mostly comes from fencing, but I assure you it has been tested.

And if you've never read a book of Bruce and know very little about him I can understand why he would be an actor first, all I'm really saying is you're missing the actual picture here and I think in knowing Bruce Lee's vision and philosophy any martial artist could truly benefit from his teachings, he was truly before his time.

I agree about the part when you said that techniques are disposable and you must continue to work on them, to me this does not mean you should not learn new techniques, it only means that you should make sure you continue to practice old techniques, of course if I may take this back to the Bruce Lee thing, Bruce thought people to throw away what is not useful and keep what is useful. It is in this way that the style itself becomes not the style anymore, but the techniques themselves remain the techniques. In this way we are focusing more on the person then we are the style.

I teach integrated Tang Soo Do. I blend because I feel that I want to teach what I think works best, so I teach more TSD than anything, but as an example I teach a lead roundhouse the way I learned it in Taekwondo at 17 years old. I believe my students and my self benefit from doing it this way and blending, so you see it's not always about learning more, sometimes it's about taking bits and pieces of things and in this way I believe having an open mind to different styles is more beneficial then sticking with one style. Typically one style were Wilbur aid you with a million techniques anyways so the same issue comes into play of too many techniques, this just gives you more options to find "your way"!

Sorry for the long post guys, and thank you if you actually read it lol