Does anybody see.........

[RCastillo]

Anything wrong with teaching, and working to excel in several different arts. I enjoy Kenpo, TKD, and Tai Chi, and have spent many years on all of them. I find it hard to abandon the other two just to concentrate on just one. Your thoughts please.

Thanks:asian:

 

[MartialArtist]

Nothing wrong with doing what you love.

I don't think that studying two or more arts is what a lot of people are against, but rather not getting a good, strong base in everything and trying to absorb everything.

That's not the main issue either. What I believe is the main issue are the people who do not understand cross-training at all (usually people who want to learn how to fight after watching the UFC or something) and try to absorb what they can and move on, like a virus, and copy everything. For instance, they absorb one year's worth of material from wing chun, then quit, move to wrestling, quit, and move on continuing the cycle. That's not going to work. One reason is they won't truly understand it, just know the movement and they won't have enough experience with it to do anything. And it gets much harder if you try to copy and move with internal arts, because you have to understand the principles, the concepts, and the technique and you must have lots of experience. There is no quick fix. You possibly can't take in even a fraction of a system if you do it like that, and if you train like that, almost NOTHING will be useful.

Better to get a strong base (I say 5 years of HARD training), then try supplementing with what works best for you. For instance, even sport TKD can be combined with judo, wrestling, and hapkido easily. TKD can work with muay thai well, and visa versa. Boxing and TKD can work since most McDojangs don't know what the hell the fist is for.

Since you are not training under kenpo, tai chi, and TKD like a virus, then I encourage you to continue in those systems. I recently took up taiji again (had very little experience in wu taijiquan before as in a couple of weeks). Actually, I'm taking tai chi, not for combat but just for relaxation, recreation, etc. Almost nobody can take the punishment of hard arts forever, so at least some internal system is a must if you want to defend yourself when you're older. And one must feel comfortable (not saying you must be an expert) in all ranges and types of combat; the outside, in-fighting, grappling, on the ground, one person on the ground, weapons, weapons vs. hand, etc.) with a couple of areas of expertise. I'm a much better striker long-range/medium and grappler than close in-fighting with the elbows and knees, although I practice with my elbows and knees all the time, but it isn't my favorite position to be in. One has to be balanced yet have his areas of expertise. And by expertise, I do not a mastering techniques, which is almost impossible, but what you're best at.

 

[Rob Broad]

This thread was started a while ago, it got lots of reads but only 1 response. Now with more members we should have a lot more responses. Lets see what everybody thinks.

 

[Shodan]

I don't see anything wrong with it as long as you can keep them straight for tests, classes, etc. I have only worked two arts concurrently........Kenpo and Arnis..........now doing Kenpo and Doce Pares. I find similarities in the two all the time and I think it aids in your knowledge of how things flow together, etc. I view it like languages........the more you learn, I think the more similarities you will see and why not learn as much as you can? You never know what situation you will find yourself in and what knowledge base you will have to pull from.

:asian: :karate:

 

[tshadowchaser]

two or more arts an open your eyes o many things witjin each. Sometim a simple seemimg move may take on a grander image of use when seen through a diferent art

 

[satans.barber]

I think it depends if they 'clash' or not, the three arts you mention don't IMHO as they all have different styles and goals. I've been going to a Shaolin Kempo school recently a bit for a bit of variety, and they do all sorts down there. The weapons and wrestling type stuff is so different that it doesn't clash with American Kenpo at all, so I feel comfortable doing it. However, their hand to hand self defence techniques are, well, not great let's say when you come from an EPAK background, and so I find those bits of the class really uncomfortable.

So, say you were to want to combine tai chi and kenpo, no I don't think there's anythining wrong with it, but say you were to try and combine TKD and Capoeira, I think the styles are too similar and would clash, leaving you with a less effective and confused hybrid than if you were to concentrate solely on one art.

I think though, really, it's down to the individual...

Ian.

 

[Gary Crawford]

I would think with the amount of experience you have,it shouldn't be an issue.If fact with the styles you are using for cross-training,TKD and Tai Chi should make you a better kenponists.Tai Chi helps with relaxation and TKD for stronger kicks.I see absolutely no reason why they would be contadictory.Just do what feels good!

 

[Rob Broad]

Depending on the variation of TKD it might conflict with your stances in Kenpo, but it in teh end it is the artist not the art that is important.

 

[8253]

A person can never have too much knowledge. At some point in time it may come to good use.

 

[bignick]

i agree with whats been said before...as long as you're serious about the arts you're practicing...i practice tkd and judo/jujitsu...i have the same instructor for judo and jujitsu and the way they are tought are pretty much the same it's just the theory and application behind the technique that distinguishes them...so that makes it easier for me...i've found that 3 is enough for me...there are only so many days a week to train...a kendo club recently started at my college and i really wanted to try it...i showed up to two classes...found that i'd either have to focus on kendo instead of something else...or just go to kendo every once and a while...so i went to the instructor and explained my situation and left...i didn't have enough to give to practice that many arts at once so i didn't....i guess the moral of my story is

it's a good idea...just don't spread yourself too thin...

 

[SMP]

for young students it may be too much but as you continue in your journey I believe it is good to explore multiple sides of the arts.

 

[pete]

i find tai chi helps my kenpo stances posture and fluidity. tai chi also teaches listening yielding and adhering principles which, together with calm awareness, helps to enhance my kenpo skills in close contact manipulation range.

not having trained in tkd, i can only guess that its emphasis on kicks would enhance your kenpo skills in long range encounters.

pete

 

[Enson]

my opinion is one should choose an art that works for them. they should be true and pure in that art. that person should represent all the good that, that certain art of their choosing has to offer. even if they have chosen mma or another style they should try to perfect that organization's image and understanding of the arts.

its fun to dabble in other arts and take a few moves here and there. they could use those moves with the philosophies and theories of their art to enhance and improve their style. but in the end... one should be able to tell/represent what style they are expressing.

i would learn techniques from other styles but use it in the context of my art. in the end developing my art, and myself further.

 

[Drag'n]

I made the mistake that the masters often warn about.Jumping from 1 style to the next,I became a practisioner of many but master of none.Although I gained alot of insight into the strengths and weaknesses of various styles and training methods,there is a big difference between knowing about something and really knowing it .
Many of the styles I practised were also radically different in philosophy and technique which created alot of confusion for my body memory and hampered my progress.
I kick myself for the mistakes I made, but I guess it all led me to the point I'm at now which aint so bad. But it sure took a long time to get here!
I still do cross train in Muay Thai to supplement my Daidojuku.Many of the techniques are very similar but each offers a slightly diferent perspective or variation which helps me find an application that suits me best.
One thing I've learned is that alot of people who are focused soully on one art, may be very good at fighting people within that style but are unaware of their weaknesses to different styles of fighting.
Now I'm focused on maintaining a strong base in my foundation art but staying open to absorb anything which will improve my effectiveness.I try not to look at my style as a rigid boundry but more like a vehicle through which I can discover deeper levels of truth

 

[Raewyn]

IMHO to train in different styles would make you a well rounded martial artist. I dont see any reason why you could'nt do all three.