Should I or...... Should not

Manny

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I have a question for you tkd teachers (sambunims). I want to train aikido twice per week not leaving my tkd training. TKD is my main MA but want to learn a new MA like the aikido, should I ask permition to my sambunim to do this or not?

I will not quit TKD classes but don't know if sambunim can ask me not to train aikido.

It will be very nice for me leark aikido to have two martial arts with me and upgrade my MA knowledge and SD aproach.

My sambunim told me when he was younger he was a Kempo Karate practicioner, he was a brown belt indeed but he discovered TKD so he trained both martial marts, when his japanesse sensei knew about this beat him and imjured his knee badly, my sambunim droped Kempo and stayed in TKD till these days earning a 7th degree black belt by Kukiwon.

Manny
 

Twin Fist

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what belt are you in TKD?

the reason i ask is because if you are an advanced student, learning a second MA at the same time is doable.

for a beginner, it is almost impossible.

My best advice, get your black first, then work on the second art
 

dancingalone

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I train semi-regularly with my wife's school (she is an dan grade instructor), and it's an excellent complement to arts like taekwondo or karate. I highly recommend it.

As for asking permission, go ahead. Most instructors know a student can benefit from cross-training once he has reached a certain level of expertise in his first art.

My breakfalls and rolling really took off after I trained in aikido, and now whenever I visit my teacher's dojo when a class is in session, he always asks for me to teach a falling clinic for him.
 
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Manny

Manny

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what belt are you in TKD?

the reason i ask is because if you are an advanced student, learning a second MA at the same time is doable.

for a beginner, it is almost impossible.

My best advice, get your black first, then work on the second art

I'm a 1 dan black belt and maybe by july-august I will do my second dan black belt.

Manny
 
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Manny

Manny

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I don't know if I will achieve great things in aikido, maybe I just train a little or maybe I will love it, right now I just want to train some different to complement my TKD.

I don't know if I can start in aikido and see if I liked and then tell sambunim this.

As some ou you are TKD teachers I want to know waht do you think of one of his students or senior students train something else.

Manny
 

Twin Fist

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then you shouldnt have a problem. I started kenpo when i was a brown in TKD. I didnt have any problems
 

dancingalone

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I don't know if I will achieve great things in aikido, maybe I just train a little or maybe I will love it, right now I just want to train some different to complement my TKD.

And that's the proper attitude to have. You shouldn't set out to be a great master, sight unseen. Really, the best quality I would recommend a TKDist to pick up from aikido practice isn't any particular technique, but just a sense of openness or softness. This quality will yield huge dividends in your practice of TKD.
 

Kacey

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Sounds like fun! Actually, I'd like to do the same thing - cross-train in Aikido or Hapkido - it's a matter of finding the time and a class that fits my schedule. I would ask your instructor - it's polite, and it gives your instructor information that will explain changes in your technique (if any). As an instructor, it's never been a problem for me if my students cross-train, as long as I know what's going on - one of my students took a general self-defense class in college (she was an I Dan too), and asked me first, and told the course instructor so he'd know she had some background - she brought some really useful techniques back to class with her.
 

StuartA

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I dont think you actually have to "ask" or "gain" permission from your instructor, after all, its a free country and people can do as they please (would you ask permission to do baseball for example!). However, I do think its polite to inform your instructor of your intentions (more than polite actually, more a case of respectfulness) and also gain any insights as to any pitfalls etc. of training both arts and discuss it with him/her.

Any instructor secure in themselves or worth their salts would have no problems with students cross-training as they will know the benefits.

Stuart
 
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Manny

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I checked two aikido dojos, one of them is very good, good senseis, good comodities but the beginners classes are tuesday and thursday and those are my training days in TKD, so the chance to train in this dojo is almost cero. The second dojo is actually a TKD dojan that allows the aikidokas train there, however the class not seems to be as good as the first dojo I mention in this post.

Let's see waht happens.

Manny
 

YoungMan

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Ask your instructor first. Not doing so would be seen as a sign of disrespect. Should not be a problem, but ask first and get his input. He may have some valuable advice.
For the record, I trained in aikido up to 7th kyu, but I was already a 4th Dan in Taekwondo. The breakfalls are valuable, but I kept them separate. I do NOT recommend studying two striking arts together.
 

chrispillertkd

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I'm quite traditional when it comes to training and one's relationship with your instructor. I always try to be respectful of my instructors both in and out of class. They don't stop being a teacher because they took their dobahks off, nor do I cease being their student because I have. According to the Student/Instructor relationship a good teacher can teach anywhere, anytime and a good student should never tire of learning. As a student you owe a debt to your instructor that you can't repay; they've given you invaluable knowledge and you should, in return, offer them your respect and loyalty.

That all being said, I find the idea of asking permission to study another martial art unnecesary. Asking? No. Informing your instructor that you're going to be cross training but continuing your Taekwon-Do training? Sure. Be respectful. Mention that this in no way means you want to leave his school or Taekwon-Do or that you find something lacking about his instruction (even if you did that would not be the proper time to mention it). Indeed, make a point of concentrating more and training harder when you are in Taekwon-Do class. If you are not already, try to become a model student. It's the least you can do for your instructor given the time he has put in training you. (OK, OK, I would give that advice to anyone, regardless of whether or not they were going to be cross training in another art.)

Also, since you are already a first dan you have a good grounding in the basics of your core art. You might want to wait until you're a second dan, just to give yourself some extra experience and practice time before you start in aikido (it's important to have a strong foundation, otherwise it's possible to forget things with the intake of new information or at least get them confused for a while). Once you decide to cross-train you might want to make a commitment to achieve at least a first dan in your new style. This will give you a good grounding in the basics of that art, too. Better to have a deep knowledge of a few things than have a shallow knowledge of many, I think.

Lastly, enjoy yourself in your training!

Pax,

Chris
 
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Manny

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Thank you all, nice and polite answers. I will definitively tell my sambunim I want to train aikido when the moment comes. Right now it's dificult to train both arts cause both schedulles intersect each other, besides I have another issue to do and it's my second degree balck belt exam on july.

It's better to take things slowly, prepare my next tkd examn become a second dan black belt and then reevaluate the thing about aikido.

I'm calm down, doing two MA at this moment is difficult so I will take only TKD.

So..... let's talk about TKD.

Manny
 

Aefibird

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I've cross-trained in a couple of different styles. The first time I wanted to try and have a go at something else to expand my knowledge was when I was just training in Karate. My instructor was fine with me wanting to learn more and seemed pleased that I'd asked him. I trained in Aikido for about 15-16 months and ended up gaining my 7th kyu.

I would have liked to have carried on my training, but the instructor seriously damaged his shoulder (through work, not aikido!) and ended up having to stop teaching. The senior grades tried to carry on running the class, but it wasn't the same and in the end they decided to let the club fold as none of the other Dan grades had the time to commit to being the senior instructor.

I was pretty upset when that class folded, but found the experience and the interaction with other martial artists invaluable and it was the first step to me exploring other martial arts, including TKD and Wing Chun. Although I'd spoken to other martial artists, in terms of actual training I was pretty much in a little "Shotokan bubble" until I decided to take the step of starting Aikido.

I was already a karate Dan grade when I started Aikido, so found it easy to keep the two arts "separate" in my training and not get them muddled. Training in 2 Japanese arts was also a plus, as the terminology and 'ways' of the class were very similar to what I was already used to.

Anyway, IMO, if you can afford to and have the free time to cross-train in another art then I'd encourage you to do so. I think that doing so provided valuable experience and a chance to look at martial arts in a different way. :)
 
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Manny

Manny

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I've cross-trained in a couple of different styles. The first time I wanted to try and have a go at something else to expand my knowledge was when I was just training in Karate. My instructor was fine with me wanting to learn more and seemed pleased that I'd asked him. I trained in Aikido for about 15-16 months and ended up gaining my 7th kyu.

I would have liked to have carried on my training, but the instructor seriously damaged his shoulder (through work, not aikido!) and ended up having to stop teaching. The senior grades tried to carry on running the class, but it wasn't the same and in the end they decided to let the club fold as none of the other Dan grades had the time to commit to being the senior instructor.

I was pretty upset when that class folded, but found the experience and the interaction with other martial artists invaluable and it was the first step to me exploring other martial arts, including TKD and Wing Chun. Although I'd spoken to other martial artists, in terms of actual training I was pretty much in a little "Shotokan bubble" until I decided to take the step of starting Aikido.

I was already a karate Dan grade when I started Aikido, so found it easy to keep the two arts "separate" in my training and not get them muddled. Training in 2 Japanese arts was also a plus, as the terminology and 'ways' of the class were very similar to what I was already used to.

Anyway, IMO, if you can afford to and have the free time to cross-train in another art then I'd encourage you to do so. I think that doing so provided valuable experience and a chance to look at martial arts in a different way. :)

Thank you very much, wise words.

Manny
 

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