cross training

[chrispillertkd]

What do your GM's and instructors think of cross training? Do they encourage it or would they take offence to you seeking out new/different martial arts? I know many old school GM's do not like the idea and say the best way to gain knowlege is to "dig one hole" as "man who digs many holes will not find water, whereas man who digs one hole will find water" (or something like that). Basically, is it encouraged or discouraged where you train?

My instructor neither actively promotes nor discourages his students from cross training. He knows I crossed trained in Praying Mantis for a while and during a sparring session I actually used a Mantis technique and scored on him. His reaction was to tell me: "That was a good one. Make sure you keep that in your 'tool box'." He actually trained in Modern Arnis for a while, so I'm not exactly surprised at his reaction. (And when he does hosinsul he moves like he's a lower dan ranking Hapkidoin, but I don't think he's formally trained in Hapkido probably more of a "bleed over" from back in the day when he was coming up through the ranks. He started as a white belt in 1970, shortly before Gen. Choi incorporated Hapkido techniques into the ITF syllabus with the aid of Master Chung, Kee Tae so I'm sure that's probably where that comes from then Hapkido training, per se.)

Several other students at my instructors' school have also cross trained. Two others I know of studied Praying Mantis, two studied/study Wu Style Tai Chi, and one studies arnis. Never was an issue at the school since they are there to learn Taekwon-Do, not some other style so there's never been any sort of "Let me show you how we do it in X-style," talk when we are supposed to be training. I find that annoying. Comparing notes can be done after class.

Personally, I have focused on Taekwon-Do and have stopped formally training in Praying Mantis (although I've spoken recently with a friend of mine who is a Mantis Sifu about doing some training under him). It's tough coming to a good level of proficiency in more than one style and I have a lot of respect for people who can do so. I have a friend with a 4th dan in Taekwon-Do and a 5th dan in Hapkido. Getting to that level in one art is worthy of respect. In two arts? It's awesome.

That being said, I have seen some people claiming high degrees (or even not so high degrees) in multiple arts whose movement never seem to change when performing different arts, regardless of how different the theories they are based on are, or how diferent the strategy and tactocs they use are. That just seems like they haven't mastered even one art...

Pax,

Chris

 

[ETinCYQX]

My master and grandmaster are both accepting/happy for me to cross train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I don't think either of them fully appreciate the value of it, but they will when there comes a time when the knowledge becomes applicable.

I think part of the reason for their happiness is that BJJ doesn't conflict with Taekwondo. I think if I was doing Karate or Kickboxing on the side then it would adjust how I do Taekwondo (negatively) and they'd have a problem.

Seems to be a lot of us who are cross-training in our ground game.

I'm currently studying Judo and I'll be adding BJJ fairly soon, aside of course from Tae Kwon Do. I'm not sure how my instructor feels about it, but he hasn't said anything and I'm sure he knows. It quite honestly does not concern me; even if he did dislike it I would hope he wouldn't expect me to stop.

 

[dancingalone]

Seems to be a lot of us who are cross-training in our ground game.

I'm currently studying Judo and I'll be adding BJJ fairly soon, aside of course from Tae Kwon Do. I'm not sure how my instructor feels about it, but he hasn't said anything and I'm sure he knows. It quite honestly does not concern me; even if he did dislike it I would hope he wouldn't expect me to stop.

Unless the teacher is teaching the same skills, I am not sure why anyone would rightfully have cause to be upset with his student for studying also elsewhere. If we wanted to learn to play tennis, would we ask our TKD for lessons? Only if he was a qualified teaching pro, right?

Some Korean martial arts like Kuk Sool Won have this concept about style purity, so cross-training is generally discouraged if not outright forbidden. I can understand this line of reasoning if it is given, although to be fair KSW has a lot more within it than is generally taught in TKD.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Unless the teacher is teaching the same skills, I am not sure why anyone would rightfully have cause to be upset with his student for studying also elsewhere. If we wanted to learn to play tennis, would we ask our TKD for lessons? Only if he was a qualified teaching pro, right?

Some Korean martial arts like Kuk Sool Won have this concept about style purity, so cross-training is generally discouraged if not outright forbidden. I can understand this line of reasoning if it is given, although to be fair KSW has a lot more within it than is generally taught in TKD.

If tkd is taught properly the only art I can see benefiting is something like BJJ for the ground. Hand techs, low and high kicks, self defence, break falling, defence against weapons etc should all be taught in tkd so the only reason I can see for someone going and doing karate, kung fu etc would be if their tkd instruction was lacking, in which case I would just find a new tkd club.

 

[ETinCYQX]

Unless the teacher is teaching the same skills, I am not sure why anyone would rightfully have cause to be upset with his student for studying also elsewhere. If we wanted to learn to play tennis, would we ask our TKD for lessons? Only if he was a qualified teaching pro, right?

Some Korean martial arts like Kuk Sool Won have this concept about style purity, so cross-training is generally discouraged if not outright forbidden. I can understand this line of reasoning if it is given, although to be fair KSW has a lot more within it than is generally taught in TKD.

Perhaps "dislike" was too strong a word; My current instructor and I have different interests in martial arts. I'm much more into mixed martial arts lately, where he's very much a TKD guy to the end. I should have said that I think he doesn't really "get" why one would train in two martial arts. Certainly, he has no need for groundwork.