Practical cross-training for martial artists

Zujitsuka

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I was having a discussion with a few of my dojo classmates the other night about the necessity to cross-train in the martial arts in order to be best prepared to protect yourself. Basically, our consensus was that it is best to attend seminars and enroll in courses (offered at many public colleges, YMCA's, PAL's, martial arts schools, etc.) from time to time to learn new ideas and to keep things fresh. This is probably more practical and affordable than joining multiple dojos, gyms, etc.

As a husband and father with a demanding job, it is hard enough to make it to the dojo as it is, let alone making it to dojo #2.

What do my martialtalk.com brethren think about this?
 
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Mark Weiser

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Depending on your MA Experience you could get videos to introduce yourself to the different arts.

  • Invite Different MA Instructors to you dojo for seminars be the host.
  • find someone that trains in another art that is willing to show you a few things and you in turn can share with him or her.
Just some ideas
 

Ceicei

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Zujitsuka said:
What do my martialtalk.com brethren think about this?
I hope you don't mind your martialtalk.com sisters chiming in.

I agree about the time constraints. It is difficult, especially with family and a full time job, to make it to dojo #2. Sometimes other alternatives (seminars and short term training), as you have mentioned, are the only way to get some cross-training

However, I have made it clear with dojo #2 that I'm there to supplement my primary art, so my study with the second style would take longer. They were understanding and able to accommodate me since I can only go to dojo #2 once a week for an hour or two at a time. It worked out for me this way.

- Ceicei
 
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Zujitsuka

Zujitsuka

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Ceicei said:
I hope you don't mind your martialtalk.com sisters chiming in...

- Ceicei

Ooops! No disrespect intended. Great ideas Mark and Ceici. Thanks for your input. I hope the ideas keep coming.
 

Andrew Green

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Never underestimate the benefits of running...

Next most important thing is to train in a place that is not stylistically restrictive and will allow you to incorporate everything you might learn into your sparring there.

The go nuts, Buy books, videos, seminars, intro offers, etc.
 
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rmcrobertson

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Get a good teacher, learn a good solid martial art. Practice as much as you can. Keep yourself in good shape. Enjoy your life, hug your kids, do good work at work. Screw the rest of it.

Personally, I think this, "cross-training," time would be far better spent with a good book, a good meal, a work of art, the mountains, a boat, fishing, reflection....Julia Child's cookbooks....

The point of martial arts, first of all, is to learn to defend yourself and to become a better human being. Everything else is trivia.
 

Mark Lynn

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rmcrobertson said:
Get a good teacher, learn a good solid martial art. Practice as much as you can. Keep yourself in good shape. Enjoy your life, hug your kids, do good work at work. Screw the rest of it.

Personally, I think this, "cross-training," time would be far better spent with a good book, a good meal, a work of art, the mountains, a boat, fishing, reflection....Julia Child's cookbooks....

The point of martial arts, first of all, is to learn to defend yourself and to become a better human being. Everything else is trivia.

I agree with Robert here. Especially the part with keep yourself in good shape, which isn't the road I've traveled. :rolleyes:

However on the cross training thing that I have done from pretty early in my martial arts journey. So for what it's worth I offer the following thoughts.

1) I believe that attending a seminar on a system can be real benefical for you if you pick a good one. A good one I mean one that meets some area that you want to improve your self in. If you are interested in grappling go to a grappling type seminar. If it's weapons (stick, knife, possibly flexible type weapons) than a filippino martial arts seminar would do. If it's self defense than I would recommend a seminar based on some sort of combatives program (Hock Hochhiem, Krav Maga, Defendo etc. etc.)

ooops companies here
Mark
 

Mark Lynn

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To continue on with my last post.

2) On cross training it's important to keep an open mind about techniques that are different than what you normally study. Here are two examples.
a) Many years ago a friend of mine showed me a drill from the JKD/Kali systems called Hubud (the vertical fist/straight blast drill). Me being the all knowing Brown Belt that I was at that time dismissed it with the attitude of "WELL HEY WHY WOULD I PARRY AND BLOCK AND THEN PUNCH INSTEAD OF JUST BLOCKING/PARRYING AND PUNCHING IN ONE MOTION" (that's how we in karate do it :rolleyes: ) (I mean sarcastic for my totall attitude at the time, no offense meant to anybody). Years later I was studying JKD/Kali at a class and we worked on this particular drill, later that night I was working out with another group and was sparring with a individual who was fixing to take her Kenpo BB test. I was able to use the very techniques that I had practiced in this drill in sparring that I had dismissed years ago.
b) In between the time when I first saw this drill (HUbud) and the time I used it in sparrinig, I had attended a Akijujitsu seminar and the instructor had talked about the principle of vectors. While practicing the drill that night in class I tried to apply this principle and it worked (now it screwed up the flow of the drill but it did work in application) it was applying this principle in the context of drill that allowed me to see the combative applications in the drill. And ultimately use it in sparring.

3) Try and research out what the different systems are that are out there in your area where you might go to cross train, see if any will meet your needs. Don't just randomly pick something just to try it out. You'll probably be wasting your money and your time.

4) Wait a while before cross training, till you get a good grasp of the basics in your system before you go cross training in other systems. If you can't understand what's going on in your system how can you think to understand what's going on in other systems.

5) If you to retain your insights into what your gaining from cross training tahn take notes, keep a journal or whatever to document what your experiencing. I can't stress this one enough. Not only will this help you to remember drills but it also will help you to remember incidents like I mentioned above.

Mark
 

Mark Lynn

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Benefits of cross training

Through seminars, classes, and workouts with other people etc. etc. I have cross trained sometimes for hours, days, months and years in the following systems. American TKD, Kenpo (Ed Parker's), Wa Do ryu, Kobujutsu, JKD, Inosanto Blend Kali, Akijujitsu, various filipino martial arts, Thai Boxing, Hock Hocheim's various systems, Modern Arnis, and Kombatan Arnis. ect ect.

Now these have given me a wide view of different systems, it has helped me to apply different techniques and concepts from different systems or to understand techniques and concepts found within the main systems that I truely study (Modern Arnis, Kombaton Arnis, American TKD and Hock's). However I haven't studied or do I teach a pure system. This is because I do apply different drills, concepts and techniques from various arts especially for self defense etc. etc.

Cross training has opened up a lot of different doors for me and I have enjoyed it.

Mark
 

Mark Lynn

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Now the down side of cross training

I met a instructor once who only studied one system except for one period of his life when he studied TKD for about 2 years (due to relocation I think). Anyway this instructor spent alot of time on his own training in the middle of the night at his house running over his forms, working on his drills, techniques etc.etc. really taking a good hard look at things, training himself and his mind.

He was one of the most knowledgable instructors I have come across, he opened up my eyes to quite a few things about karate training, things I probably would have missed since I never have put in the amount of time on only one system. For me this is the downside. By studying a whole lot of different systems you don't take the time to really get to know one system, and this takes years of dedicated work and reflection.

Where I added depth to my skills by cross training with a bunch of different instructors and styles, this guy added depth by training his mind and his body by plumbing the depths of a traditonal karate system on his own (now he did have two instructors that he studied under but he only got to see them maybe a couple of times a year (if that)).

which way is better I think depends upon the student the one who is seeking, studying, training, etc. etc.

Mark
 

Rob Broad

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I say it is your Journey, and you have to do what is best for you. Videos, and seminars are great ways of supplimenting your knowledge. You have to do what is best for you. Also look into your art, i might have what you are looking for with out you seeing it
 

Pittbull

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My thought is train with as many styles as possable.In the dojo were I train the primary style is Kenpo,but there are a couple guys with their belts from diffrent styles and I have a natural nack for the art of submission.This makes for great ideas of what to do in a real life situation.Infact we are stating a new class in the next couple of weeks at our new Dojo that will incorporate full contact real life situations.Can't wait for this class to start
 

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