Has any anyone here ever trained in two martial arts at the same time?

[ukdal1]

Anybody ever trained in two martial arts at the same time? If so, what were they, what rank were you in the first MA when you started the second MA, and how difficult was it to train in both? The reason I ask is I've thought about taking some Judo classes at the YMCA just for the heck of it and I'm worried that I shouldn't because I'm only a white belt in TKD...........Thanks guys!

 

[MBuzzy]

I currently train in Soo Bahk Do and Haidong Gumdo. I was a Cho Dan in SBD before I started in HDGD though. The second art really doesn't affect my training of the first, because it is such a different style. One is empty handed and one is sword.

I would definately extend your teacher the courtesy of letting him/her know that you are considering taking up a second art and see what their feelings are. Judo and TKD seem fairly different, so I'm not sure that one will contaminate the other, although it would seem difficult to me starting your second style when you are a white belt in the first.

 

[Drac]

IMHO you should wait until you have a good working knowledge of one art before attempting to learn another...

 

[Deaf Smith]

I'd hesitte if it was something like TKD and Shotokan at the same time. The way they block is very different. The language is REAL different.

Now if you are Dan in one art, and starting out in another, well that's a different matter, but if Gup at both, no. Concentrate on one art till you have more or less mastered the basics, then actually I encourage you to take another art.

Deaf

 

[14 Kempo]

I currently study three arts, but my first art, kempo, is the one I concentrate most my time on. I was Nidan in kempo prior to beginning the study of a second art and I study that art, Black Tiger Claw, with my current instructor, so no rub there. The Kung Fu is a pure art and we are integrating some of the movement into our kempo system. The third art is Escrima, stick fighting. A lot of the movement is very similar to kempo as far as knowing angles and such. In fact, we do our work with sticks, then we drop the sticks and drill the same without them.

 

[terryl965]

I have nothing against someone learning more than one art but at the same time one needs a firm foundation on the first art so they can build around that concept. Since you do TKD another great art is Combat Hapkido, they work excellent together.

 

[arnisador]

I've done it many times, always trying to find complementary arts.

 

[MBuzzy]

One advantage of Judo is that it may be able to fill a few of the gaps in TKD. Although, that depends heavily on your TKD school.....

 

[YoungMan]

Definitely wait until after black belt (I would suggest 3rd Dan or higher, ask your Instructor, and then find art that is much different from what you study). I don't recommend two striking arts. I would recommend a striking and a non-striking art. Two striking arts, there will invariably be conflict as to how to do the same technique.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Anybody ever trained in two martial arts at the same time? If so, what were they, what rank were you in the first MA when you started the second MA, and how difficult was it to train in both? The reason I ask is I've thought about taking some Judo classes at the YMCA just for the heck of it and I'm worried that I shouldn't because I'm only a white belt in TKD...........Thanks guys!

I trained 3 at the same time but no rank, they were all CMA.
I had been in Taiji for 13 years and I started training Xingyiquan, which I had trained before several years earlier and then I started Sanda. It was my Sanda sifu that thought I was training to many styles and had to make a choice between Xingyi and sanda since he could not understand how I could be a beginner at both and do training of either any justice.

He had no problem with Taiji since I had been doing it for so long.

I saw similarities between all 3 but I was rather surprised to see more similarities between Taiji and Sanda and Sanda and Xingyi than Taiji and Xingyi.

I will admit it is rather difficult to keep things separate in your head at times when applying what you learned.

I recently trained with some Wing Chun people and I found that I could not apply any wing chun I was shown all my defense was a bit of sanda and a lot taiji all my attacks seemed to be a bit of sanda and a lot of Xingyi... And I have trained Wing Chun before.

However it was a great way to learn more about myself and “my” style

 

[kidswarrior]

Started a second style, Kung Fu San Soo, after about three years in my base art, Kempo. The second, which works from all distances and can be either mostly stand up or mostly ground work depending on the preference of the individual, was an ideal complement to the first, which was almost solely stand up with lots of long-fist inspired stuff (imo). Cross trained both for about four intense years. Confusing at first, but now my practice is pretty much a synthesis.

 

[crushing]

I have nothing against someone learning more than one art but at the same time one needs a firm foundation on the first art so they can build around that concept. Since you do TKD another great art is Combat Hapkido, they work excellent together.

I second Terry's post, because this is what I have done and I feel that TKD and Combat Hapkido have worked well together, for me. I started in TKD and don't recall what rank I was when I started CH, I wasn't a black belt in TKD yet and I don't feel you need to be a black belt in one art before getting involved in another, especially if you are going to do it "just for the heck of it", using your words.

Like Combat Hapkido, I think Judo may be pretty good MA to complement TKD. As a complete artist will have the exposure to the the distance and linear power of TKD as well as the up close balance disruption and momentum from Judo. (Disclaimer: Please know that I have never trained in Judo, so I'm making my best guess on that!)

I do see how very similar arts may cause some problems. Give it a try, the combination may work well for you. And if it doesn't, stick with one or the other.

 

[rmclain]

Anybody ever trained in two martial arts at the same time? If so, what were they, what rank were you in the first MA when you started the second MA, and how difficult was it to train in both? The reason I ask is I've thought about taking some Judo classes at the YMCA just for the heck of it and I'm worried that I shouldn't because I'm only a white belt in TKD...........Thanks guys!

Judo is so different than TKD than there is no problem studying both at the same time.

R. McLain

 

[Tryak]

I would worry not only about confusing the two but also diluting the time you have for practice outside of class. If you spread yourself too thin it will affect your understanding of both arts.

 

[CrimsonPhoenix]

I used to take two very similar TKD classes. (The two instructors learned under one grandmaster, and then went off in different directions.) I started the second when the first school's instructor moved away, and started taking again when a new instructor took over. So I was taking both at the same time for awhile.

I then started comparing both school's against advantages and disadvantages over the other and ending up quitting the first when it started becoming too routine and a lot of other reasons.

I wouldn't recommend training in two very similar styles because they will start to blend together in some cases and then there's the possibility that you'll start comparing the two.

 

[IcemanSK]

I've trained in both TKD & western boxing at the same time. I learned how to be sore in a whole new way.

I've also dabbled in a bit of Hapkido, Aikido & Judo in the past. Never for rank, but for the experience. I did enough of them to appreciate each Art & those who do them. I was a 2nd Dan in TKD at the time I did each. There wasn't an difficulty in switching for me.

 

[Omar B]

I was a Brown belt in Seido before I joined a Choi Kwang Do school. Both arts were so vastly differnent in movment and training style that had I tried it any earlier I would have seriously suffered in both arts.

Too bad there are no Choi Kwang Do schools here in NYC, in my opinion it was the most valuable style I had encountered and given the chance I would totally commit to it. Oh yeah, I email and bug them about opening a school here all the time.

 

[TaeKwonDoKevin]

When I was a 3rd or 2nd Gup in TaeKwon-Do when I started to study ShuDoKan Karate. I enjoyed both Arts. I reached Brown Belt in ShudoKan. That was some 25-28 years ago.
I now concentrate only on TaeKwonDo.
Studying Judo with TaeKwonDo really shouldn't be a problem, since the Arts are very different. It will keep you VERY busy trying to get proper tech. down in both Arts.
I do recommend waiting till you are at least a Green Belt in TaeKwonDo, only because you will have a better grasp on the basics by then.
That's just my Opinion.
Good Luck!
-Kevin

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I train in kumdo (kendo), taekwondo, and hapkido. Hapkido compliments my TKD quite nicely and kumdo is a weapon art, thus there is little crossover. One nice thing is that the language for all three is the same.

Daniel

 

[tshadowchaser]

I first trained in TKD MDK then switched to the system of Sikaran that I still practice. I was a fist Black when I started studying Sikaran. I also studied some Judo at that time.

Learning a different way to kick was hard as I had been taught to snap all kicks not push them with my thigh, and the hand work was all new to me. The Judo was so different that it was not hard to learn without interfering with the other arts