Brotherhood through learning

[tshadowchaser]

Last weekend I had instructors representing 7 different styles?systems at my school with some of their students for a group learning session. We started by haveing each instructor give a brief histoy of his system then demonstrate basic stances,blocks, and strikes and expaining why each was done the way it is in their system. You Know,locked backleg vs bent, vertical punch vs horizontal, etc.
We broke down a beginers form that was common to most showing the small differences end explaining the Why of it once again.
later in the day each instructor showed a selfdefence that eveyone practiced and learned then we would switch partner and the next instructor would give one to lean In that way we all had a much more formal and personal introduction to one another while learning at the same time.
I don't think this type of activity would have taken place in most places., and I am sure it would not have happened 10 years ago. Every one seemed to enjoy this almost informal way of learning a little of the other persons system with egos left behind.
So my question is do any of the rest of you do such cross training ?
Shadow

 

[thaiboxer]

i think thats a great idea. good place you have there.
i spar with mates who do other martial arts, this is pretty interesting at first. I also try to learn from one particular mate aikido and kungfu. We also have a few TKD guys that have come across to our class, they initially use TKD technique to defend themselves. thats about the extent of my cross training so far. nothing like combining different arts like you did though in the same room.

 

[Dutch]

Real brothers are ones who are honorable. Not people who fight dirty like Gou Ronin who throws shot glasses at you to distract you.

 

[tshadowchaser]

for anyone interested some of the styles that where represented:
American Kempo
Bok leen Pai
Chiness goju
Pai Lum
Shaolin kempo
Sikaran
As you can see mostly hand and foot arts.

Shadow

 

[Chris from CT]

Originally posted by tshadowchaser

Every one seemed to enjoy this almost informal way of learning a little of the other persons system with egos left behind.
So my question is do any of the rest of you do such cross training ?
Shadow

I am very pumped when another martial artist wants to get together and respectfully train. I don't get why so many people have to snub their noses at other styles. It's what you put into it that makes it better or worse. If someone doesn't put much into their training and just goes through the motions or if the teacher can't giude their students properly, does that make their style bad? Personally, I don't think so. All styles have good points. It's the individual (teacher/student) that raises or drops the bar.
I've recently hooked up with ATAMA (American Teachers Association of Martial Arts). There are people from all different styles that get together and train together with all egos left at the door. I went to New Jersey last month for an area chapter training and it rocked! Everybody was getting thrown around! :boing2:

Here's a link to the national site.
http://www.atama.org/

Take care

 

[tshadowchaser]

Ok I know that being a member of this forum is a type of cross training and I know that many of you have studied different styles/systems at verious times So do you still cross train with other styles to keep up with what they do or do you just stay put in your own world?