Fighting outside of chosen style?

[Alan Armstrong]

Have you fought outside of your chosen style?

It could also be asked, have you ever fought outside of your comfort zone?

[sensei8]

Simply, yes, because Shindokan, like every other MA style on the planet earth, are limited by design.

[Wado Heretic]

I admittedly try to exclusively compete outside traditional karate circles. My go to styles of competition are Combat SOMBO, Kudo, Combudo, Nippon Kempo, or Irikumi Go tournaments. It can be hard to find open tournaments, aside from Combudo, but they are also not impossible to find.

I also like to participate in folk wrestling when I get the chances. Have done some Sumo as well. Did once participate in a Karate Grappling tournament; but I felt the rules didn't actually emphasise the grappling priorities of karate, and was a grappling tournament for people too afraid to take on actual grapplers. It was a bit of a feel good affair in that respect.

Have once in a blue moon tried the National All-Style Tournaments. They are not too bad and they do draw people from a multitude of Karate styles, Tae Kwon, Kenpo, Quan Fa, and even some kick-boxers. The rules are pretty similar to the WKF, but I find the disparate styles makes it worthwhile just for the experience of facing different styles of striking.

I would say it is actually a rarity for me to compete inside my "style" than it is to not.

[tallgeese]

This has been my career. It's why I've ended up working with so many individuals in so many arts and it couldn't be more helpful. Particularly given my line of work.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I have fought outside of my own style a few times, to give myself a reality check (of sorts).

It was the best thing I ever did, because then I could grow and learn even more.

[singularity6]

I'm pretty new to actually sparring in martial arts. The closest thing to fighting "outside" my style was sparring my friend who declared normal tournament rules. We are allowed to do take-downs and to punch in the face. The new set of rules made me think a lot more!

[bushido_man96]

I have not ever "fought" outside of my style, but I have worked with others of different styles and sparred with different rule sets. Its always fun and educational. There's nothing like rolling with an NCAA Division II All-American wrestler to show you where the holes in your grappling knowledge are.

[Alan Armstrong]

There is always something to be learned, by bumping elbows with other styles.

Do you remember the things you learned, when doing this?

[sensei8]

There is always something to be learned, by bumping elbows with other styles.

Do you remember the things you learned, when doing this?

TKD was my first cross training, and the thing that sticks out the most that I learned outside of Shindokan is the kicking arsenal of TKD.

You see, Shindokan is 85% hands, 15% feet, and our kicks are no higher than the stomach, moreover, our kicks are primarily for checking and directing/redirecting.

In my Weekend Warrior days, I came up against some solid kicks mainly from the TKD practitioners. Change-up roundhouse kicks...blew my mind. Axe kicks...blew my mind even more so...Jump spinning back kick...blew my mind into the next world.

Shortly thereafter my initiation against a TKD competitor, I felt the best way to understand the competition is to learn their core. And that's what I did. Not to toot my own horn, I'm a solid kicker...and that drove Soke and Dai-Soke absolutely insane to the Nth degree.

[LLLEARNER]

There is always something to be learned, by bumping elbows with other styles.

Do you remember the things you learned, when doing this?

TKD was my first cross training, and the thing that sticks out the most that I learned outside of Shindokan is the kicking arsenal of TKD.

You see, Shindokan is 85% hands, 15% feet, and our kicks are no higher than the stomach, moreover, our kicks are primarily for checking and directing/redirecting.

In my Weekend Warrior days, I came up against some solid kicks mainly from the TKD practitioners. Change-up roundhouse kicks...blew my mind. Axe kicks...blew my mind even more so...Jump spinning back kick...blew my mind into the next world.

Shortly thereafter my initiation against a TKD competitor, I felt the best way to understand the competition is to learn their core. And that's what I did. Not to toot my own horn, I'm a solid kicker...and that drove Soke and Dai-Soke absolutely insane to the Nth degree.

Was it fun driving them crazy? It seems that it would be.