Being a Purist in One Style is Too Limiting

[sensei8]

When I first started out years ago, long before MMA, my dojo had both judo and karate classes. Almost no one cross trained. I tried for a little while, but our sensei (who was an Olympic judo coach) advised it was best to stick to one (if I wanted to get good). As far as practical self-defense, the thinking was a judoka just needed to have a good punch and kick, too. Made sense, but I got banged up a lot more in judo, so I concentrated on karate.

Fast forward 10+ years and dan ranks later, it was time not to be a purist. I had to unlearn some things, and over time, added JKD, Hapkido, Tai Chi, boxing, wrestling.

Each added something to round out my skills, though I'm by no means a master of any of them. It's good to branch out, but it's still a trade-off that you will not master any one thing that way.

To the bold type above...

That's a great point. Back in my earliest days, not many ever crossed trained, if anyone. I started to cross train when I was in high school.

That's it...right there. Countless amount of MAist were pure to the style they were training in back then; loyal to that style, almost to a fault. How dare anyone outside of the style suggest that other styles are worthy to even consider.

Purity, back then was sacred ground, and any other style was strict taboo.

[wildbourgman]

I get the reason for the question about being limited by one style, but there are styles that have many aspects of various other martial arts. In my opinion some Okinawan martial arts for instance might have too many things to attempt to focus on for modern day folks that work, have families and or go to school.

In my Shorin Ryu class we train in striking, grappling, throws, and multiple weapons. It's never boring, but the focus on being very good at one thing is not always there. For instance in Shotokan karate there was much more ability to get really good at striking. So it's a trade off, which one do you prefer? But you can be a purist in some styles and get one stop shopping that offers a multitude of fighting disciplines.

[Luther unleashed]

It is what you believe it is. As a mechanic I worked for a guy that was a specialist in electrical and he was VERY good at electrical, and I worked for a guys that believed in knowing more and was good at so many things.. I personally learned all I could and didn’t want to specialize. Of course I got best in a certain area anyways through naturaly leaning into what came easy.

Similarly I am the same way in martial arts. I believe more is better. I believe 3 black belts in 3 different styles is better then a 3rd dan in one. Not all will agree but it’s my journey, and yours is yours so whatever you believe is right in this matter.

In the end a 3rd dan in one and another 2 black belts is even better. I don’t however believe one style is limiting because your style is really a concept that can be applied so many different ways that it can’t possibly limit a person if they think outside the box, just my opinion of course.

Happy training.

[singularity6]

I believe in quality over quantity. I also believe that one shouldn't overextend ones self. If you're capable of learning and implementing 3 styles well, then great. If MA comes harder to you, trying to learn more than one might cause you to spread yourself thin.

[MatsuShinshii]

There is nothing wrong with cross training in other arts.

There is also nothing wrong with learning one art.

Being a purist and having a main art that you study for a life time has it's advantages over art hopping. However being a purist doesn't necessarily mean you are not able to experience other arts or at least dabble in other arts.

No one art is the answer for every martial artist. It really depends on what you're looking for and what best suites you. Cross train, don't cross train, there are benefits and problems either way. Do what is best for you.

I consider myself a purist as I have spent more than 3/4 of my life time devoted to one art. Having said that I have also trained and studied other arts. I think you have to experiment to know what works for you and what doesn't. I see benefits in studying an art in depth but also see benefits in experimenting and trying new things.

It's really up to the individual. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either.

If the art has enough depth you can study it for a life time and feel like you have missed out on nothing. If not then there is always cross training.

[sensei8]

There is nothing wrong with cross training in other arts.

There is also nothing wrong with learning one art.

Being a purist and having a main art that you study for a life time has it's advantages over art hopping. However being a purist doesn't necessarily mean you are not able to experience other arts or at least dabble in other arts.

No one art is the answer for every martial artist. It really depends on what you're looking for and what best suites you. Cross train, don't cross train, there are benefits and problems either way. Do what is best for you.

I consider myself a purist as I have spent more than 3/4 of my life time devoted to one art. Having said that I have also trained and studied other arts. I think you have to experiment to know what works for you and what doesn't. I see benefits in studying an art in depth but also see benefits in experimenting and trying new things.

It's really up to the individual. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either.

If the art has enough depth you can study it for a life time and feel like you have missed out on nothing. If not then there is always cross training.

Solid post!!

[pers]

If you are lucky enough to come across a good instructor in the art you are following then it is to your best advantage to stay with him for life ,all good martial arts have a life time of practice to master .

it maybe good to expose yourself to how other arts train and emphasise on once you are fairly competent in your own art like a 2nd or 3rd dan in karate ,but not spending too much time going to them deeply .

At some point all martial arts reach the same spot ,just ways to get there is different.

Better be master of one than jack of all trades.

[Fat Cobra]

I will throw my 2 cents in, for whatever it is worth. Before, though, here is my bona fides. I spent 24.5 years in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer, Ranger qualified, and spent 11.5 of those years stationed in the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Drum, NY, where I now live as a retired lieutenant colonel and work on post as a contracted military trainer. I also run the Shubu Kan Dojo on post (FB: @shubukanURKA).

I deployed 6 times (3 x operational: Panama, Kosovo, Bosnia // and 3 x combat: Afghanistan, Iraq, Iraq) for a total of 3 years and 5 months. My last job in the Army was as a light infantry battalion commander, where I emphasized combatives training to the max for the entire unit.

I agree that cross training can be good, but the styles and types you train depends on what you are preparing for. Training for combat is different than training for a MMA fight, which is different than training for street self defense, which is different from point sparring, which is different from, etc. etc. In combat, you kill with your primary weapon, then your secondary weapon, then an improvised weapon (like a helmet, entrenching tool) or knife, and then with your hands, feet, head. The last thing you want to do is go to the ground with all of your equipment and body armor, it does not matter how skilled you are in BJJ. If your opponent is an insurgent and is not wearing heavy equipment he will mop the floor with you and probably pull something off of your kit that he can use against you. Additionally, punches and kicks are going to be somewhat limited based on the equipment you are wearing and those things can take a while to subdue a foe. Punching and kicking combined with vital point strikes, joint locks, and dirty moves (biting, eye gouging, head butting, hair pulling, pinching, whatever works) is the best way to fight if you have to do so without weapons.

However, none of that will work within the rules of MMA or point sparring. In MMA you must be cross trained because, based on the rules of the game, you have to be. On the street, I would argue that you want to subdue your opponent as quickly as possible. Again, this means punching and kicking combined with vital point strikes, joint locks and dirty moves. Going to the ground in this scenario is not a good idea because your aggressor may have friends who will stomp on your head (not good).

That does not mean ground fighting is only important for MMA. it is good to have ground fighting and BJJ/Catch Wrestling to enable you to fight if you do get taken to the ground. But, for what I have prepared for (combat), stand up, vital point strikes, joint locks, and dirty moves were more of a focus.

[MatsuShinshii]

I will throw my 2 cents in, for whatever it is worth. Before, though, here is my bona fides. I spent 24.5 years in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer, Ranger qualified, and spent 11.5 of those years stationed in the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Drum, NY, where I now live as a retired lieutenant colonel and work on post as a contracted military trainer. I also run the Shubu Kan Dojo on post (FB: @shubukanURKA).

I deployed 6 times (3 x operational: Panama, Kosovo, Bosnia // and 3 x combat: Afghanistan, Iraq, Iraq) for a total of 3 years and 5 months. My last job in the Army was as a light infantry battalion commander, where I emphasized combatives training to the max for the entire unit.

I agree that cross training can be good, but the styles and types you train depends on what you are preparing for. Training for combat is different than training for a MMA fight, which is different than training for street self defense, which is different from point sparring, which is different from, etc. etc. In combat, you kill with your primary weapon, then your secondary weapon, then an improvised weapon (like a helmet, entrenching tool) or knife, and then with your hands, feet, head. The last thing you want to do is go to the ground with all of your equipment and body armor, it does not matter how skilled you are in BJJ. If your opponent is an insurgent and is not wearing heavy equipment he will mop the floor with you and probably pull something off of your kit that he can use against you. Additionally, punches and kicks are going to be somewhat limited based on the equipment you are wearing and those things can take a while to subdue a foe. Punching and kicking combined with vital point strikes, joint locks, and dirty moves (biting, eye gouging, head butting, hair pulling, pinching, whatever works) is the best way to fight if you have to do so without weapons.

However, none of that will work within the rules of MMA or point sparring. In MMA you must be cross trained because, based on the rules of the game, you have to be. On the street, I would argue that you want to subdue your opponent as quickly as possible. Again, this means punching and kicking combined with vital point strikes, joint locks and dirty moves. Going to the ground in this scenario is not a good idea because your aggressor may have friends who will stomp on your head (not good).

That does not mean ground fighting is only important for MMA. it is good to have ground fighting and BJJ/Catch Wrestling to enable you to fight if you do get taken to the ground. But, for what I have prepared for (combat), stand up, vital point strikes, joint locks, and dirty moves were more of a focus.

First off it's great to have another brother in arms here. As far as your assessment goes... I could not agree more.

All the fluff goes out the window when your life is at stake and your adrenaline is 190 miles an hour. All the fancy stuff is forgotten and what works and is easiest to employ is used.

[JR 137]

I really try to wrap my head around people saying the old-school karateka only had one teacher. I hear it time and time again, yet history contradicts this time and time again. Funakoshi, Miyagi, Otsuka, Mabuni, et al all had more than one teacher. A ton of older Japanese karateka also held dan rank in judo. Many practiced iado or other sword arts. Funakoshi and Kano were friends; what are the chances they didn’t work out together?

Granted, Judo and kendo are and/or were taught in the Japanese public schools, but these gentlemen’s training went further than their graduation from school.

Personally, I think you should have an art or style within that art as your base that gets studied very deeply; and you should train in other arts to complement it. Does any one art truly, beyond any doubt at all have all the answers? Even if it did, wouldn’t studying a complementary art help you better understand your own art? You don’t need to be a mathematician to be a physicist. But having a very solid understanding of math will inevitably make you a better physicist. You don’t need to be a godan in Judo to be a solid karateka. But understanding judo’s principles (or the like) and being proficient in them will help you better understand some more advanced karate principles.

Maybe I’m off on that one though. I’ll let you know when I cross that path

I’ve just never understood the point of belt collecting. Take Michael Jai White with his 7 or so black belts. How much depth of knowledge does he really have? Are 7 lower black belts equal to a master-level rank? Is he an advanced student, or just really, really good at the basics?

Anyone know the highest rank he’s achieved in any of those 7 arts?