I am doubtful of most claims that a person practices and/or teaches multiple systems at a high level. For most people, one is plenty. A few are successful with two. Beyond that, I believe the returns are diminishing and most people are fooling themselves. Training multiple systems spreads one too thin, not enough hours in the day or days in the week to give each method the time and effort it demands.
Many people have experience with multiple systems, but ultimately put aside most of them to focus on one or two. That wide experience is valuable, not least of which because it helps you figure out which is the best method for you personally. You might drift away from your first system in favor of something you discover later.
At any rate, having multiple systems in one’s experience is not unusual. I only get skeptical when people claim they maintain a high level in all of them.
Meh. Define high level or high value?
In my primary art (TKD) I made it to the finals in the Olympic circuit. But that was on a fully personal level with Very specific parameters. My primary style of TKD (MDK) is much broader and is what I have always taught in our schools.
Being ever curious as a martial artist, I wanted to learn what I might be missing in my training. So, when the opportunity to learn Shotokan locally presented itself, I jumped on it. It turned into a Great synergy between our school and the Shotokan school for about 6-years. The Shotokan instructor and I are still friends to this day but he decided to close his school when his 'real' job took him another way.
I have implemented more than a few Shotokan skills into my regular curriculum. Yes, to the chagrin my TKD GM. We have a very good relationship and I see him 2-3 times/week.
Will I ever be a 'Master' in Shotokan? No. That was never my intent and I am okay with that. I got to 1st Dan as a 'means to an end' to compliment my primary style. Period. No other expectations. My 'deep dive' will always be in TKD and I am in the camp that says I will never learn everything, never be satisfied with my training. That is a powerful driving force.
I started Kali when I was a LEO. I went to a class with another MA's friend not knowing it was a great fit for my current LE role. Nor did I know at the time that the instructor was one of the best in the country (Bill McGrath). I was a sponge, and honestly, had my life been different at that time, it could have taken me in a different direction, following it wholly. But I had/have a pretty clear path for my life and LE was basically a temporary side track. Love and appreciate the experience, but not for me.
To add to my argument, my life has always been Very busy. Everything I talk about in regard to competing, training, and owning/operating our schools is concert with my very full time engineering business, our full time 4th generation cattle operation, and my rock star wife and family. It is just beyond normal for me.
Time is a construct. You have made it one thing, I have made it another. What we do with our time is what WE do with our time.
How is it fair for you to say what another person can do with their time? Foolish assertion.
I have said many times I look back at my competition run and wonder how in the heck I fit all that work, blood, sweat, and tears into the window of time I had. But I know I did it, and even with the sacrifice that came with it, I would not change a thing.
Except maybe getting gold which was simply out of my physical grasp. And again, I am okay with that because I am absolutely certain I reached beyond my very best to get as far as I did.
Rant over.
