Originally posted by 7starmantis
I study Seven Star Preying Mantis Kung Fu, but yet some of our beginner forms we learn are Wah Lum. A few of my Sifu's sidai spent many years studying Eagle Claw and one Hung Gar, so we get to incorporate some of those systems as well in our learning. Is that MMA, I don't think so, I still view it as traditional. I guess I would say then that my traditional discipline would be Kung Fu and in that case, no I would not recommend cross training. There is so much in Kung Fu that I could study for the rest of my life and not even get close to learning it all.
I know nothing about the Kung Fu styles that you are studying, so please feel free to explain further if needed. If some of your Inst are studying Eagle Claw and another Hung Gar, and they are incorporating some of those tech. into your 7star Mantis system, isn't that in effect a way of crosstraining? You are basically doing what I have been suggesting. The only difference is, is that I take all the heat from it. While you are not changing styles, you are in a way, adding things from other systems into your own. I have said to take some principles of BJJ and add them to Kenpo, and people look at me like I have 2 heads. I have never said to stop a base art and start another. All I said was to take the ideas from the others and add them to your own bag.
MJS