Does your first art determine how you will learn others?

[Hudson69]

I was speaking with someone about this and I was told that because I was a Kenpo/WHKD student first then that is why my Budo Taijutsu always seemed to be filtered through Kenpo; jumonji always looked like a forward bow/cat to me I admit.

I have always felt that it isn't the art per se but the person. A brawler by nature will naturally drift to the brawling aspects of a system, a wrestler the grappling, a striker then the hands, a kicker will take to the foot movements, a person who bouncy and full of energy will take to any tumbling movements.

Along these same lines an aggressive person can turn any skills learned into an aggressive response/defense and a passive/defensive can do the same whether it is Aikido or Krav Maga.

?

 

[Big Don]

Your experiences will always affect your perceptions.

 

[Omar B]

You will always frame new experiences in relation to similar ones from the past.

But when it comes to martial arts, my first style was Seido karate which is a very hard and linear style (coming directly from Kyokushin). When I started Choi Kwang Do, I just could not get the circular movement. Everything from blocks to punches to kicks to even stepping was circular. I seriously could not get it at all for quite a while.

 

[Shifu Steve]

I think if you put some serious thought into your training you can either find all the answers you need in one art or find an art that complements your primary. I've said before that I think students these days are too quick to learn a new art because of perceived limitations in the one they study and the availability of multiple martial arts styles. For example, the TKD student that learns BJJ because he feels lost when taken to the ground. There could be very valid reasons for pursuing a new art but perceived limitations should not be one of them.

I think if you are to study a new art you should look for one that compliments the one you have or look for one that you feel suits who you are. Since in a greater sense the martial arts are a vehicle for self expression then it certainly makes sense to find one that resonates with the personality. That's not to say the aggressive type needs to choose an aggressive style. In some cases a softer style may be beneficial. Even though all styles can be utilized for aggressive or passive purposes, each one has a certain nature or tone to it that makes it more conducive to one or the other.

So, to answer the question I think in many cases the first art determines the next but in terms of "should" I think it is most beneficial to first question the reasons behind wanting to study another one. Maybe it's as simple as personal interest or a style that was previously unavailable but at the very least the question should be asked and some serious thought should be given to it.

 

[ap Oweyn]

Not necessarily.

My first art was taekwondo. Then I migrated to eskrima. For a long time, my empty hand was still very much informed by taekwondo. (Though, in fairness, my eskrima teachers also taught taekwondo, so it wasn't solely my own background coming into play.)

Eventually, though, my framework shifted. Largely thanks to my time with a JKD kickboxing/kali group. I stopped looking or feeling like taekwondo after that. And now, whatever I learn is filtered more through that eskrima/kickboxing lens. And even that is largely conscious. I want to see how new material fits into that framework. If I didn't, I think I could probably pull another transformation.

I think there's some personal choice at work in there.

 

[James Kovacich]

No it dosn't but your 1st art(s) will always be a part of you, like it or not. Although I don't practice them anymore and my way is much differant now, I still find myself looking back to my past arts. My past arts are special to me, maybe thats why I look back at them.

"Over time" we can find more from our past arts and one can find the answers one seeks in one system but one can also spend a lifetime in one system and never reach their potential.

 

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Since I did not start in a particular style at first, I think that has influenced me to be willing to look around for techniques from different sources.

What I learned was simple, brutal and direct, purly for self protection and hence ofrth even while in arts with sportive outlets, they never became my focus. I have always gravitated towards effectivness, yet with an open mind.

I was taught (and life later reenforced) to respect streetfighters and natural animals, to not be so cocky about any system, and to understand your mindset is the most important elment in the fight. (at least that you can do anything about.)