2 Martial Art Styles, 4 times a week = crazy idea?

Keep one thing in mind, each Sensei teaches in his or her particular manner. Now, if the two classes are completely different or the same, you may miss important details that is trying to be taught. For this main reason, I personally would say do one of the schools first, and go to the other one if you feel you are not learning what you had hoped to learn, or if you wish to expand your learning. I hope this helps.

 

I’ve known many people over the years who have trained in multiple styles at one time. It never seems to hurt anyone, and if you can keep it up long term you’ll have 2 different ranks and a wider range of knowledge.

Only thing I’d warn about is being aware of burnout. Better one art long term than to burn yourself out in a year. But if you have the time, money, energy and will power, have at it. Best of luck!

 

Yes, one can learn two different forms, however, keep in mind the point I made about missing the finer point that one or both Sensei's are trying to teach. One may feel that they are having no trouble learning two different forms, but are they aware that there may have been fine points that they are missing. It is like when you go through years with one Sensei and then start with a new school, the Sensei will tell you to forget everything you have learned from your other school. I am not saying a person can NOT learn from two different schools, I am just saying that they will have to be constantly be aware of the finer points of each form. Yes, there are finer points to every form, if you are not learning it, then it is not being taught or you are missing it.

 

You have a point. IF your goal is reproduction. If your primary aim is to faithfully recreate something as presented to you by your teacher, then catching those finer points and nuances is important.

To play Devil's Advocate, though, your teachers have made their choices their training. They've decided what was important to them and organized their training around those decisions. If you've made different decisions, you should make different training choices. In which case, you don't necessarily need those nuances and finer points. In fact, if you're studying two styles, you presumably want to be a product of those two styles. By definition, then, you're altering your practice to not look precisely like either of your influences. But, instead, to look like an amalgam of the two. And two instructors who have chosen to faithfully reproduce what they were taught aren't going to be the best authorities on how to blend. That's something the OP is going to gradually learn to do for themselves. And the blending is a personalized process that runs slightly contrary to a fixation on specific nuance.

 

LOL, I sometimes try not to be direct in what I am saying, because I want the person to take time and analyze and asses what I might be meaning, lol but sometimes it does not work the way I had hoped. The finer points in which I am talking about, are like specific hand positioning for different moves, methods of striking for different moves, and positioning and movement of feet. Many times I see martial artist that seem to completely or partially miss those finer details, and that tends to make a strike or block completely worthless. You talking about joining two forms into one, that touches on the same issue, if those joining are not done correctly, that can distort one or more movements. Such as joining Wing Chun with Wushu, if that is done incorrectly, ones stance and flow of movement will be distorted.

 

I have analyzed and assessed what you said. I just didn't entirely agree. It's not that I failed to pick up what you're putting down.

Yes, obviously if you do something poorly, it will distort your movement. My point is that, if your goal is to blend two things together versus reproducing two things separately, you are also likely to distort the movements. The key is to distort them for a reason. So, yes, the observation of finer points is important. But it cuts both ways. Someone dedicated to a single style isn't going to teach you with an eye toward the finer points that you need to achieve your stated goal, which is different from theirs.

 

I am enjoying our discussion, but let me make a finer point that many seem to miss, a strike is a strike, a block is a block. I once ran across a gentlemen that spent 6 years at of form then another 10 years at another form, and I asked him to throw a strike and a block from each form. When he got done doing the two different styles, I asked him, "what is so different about the two" he of course went into great specific details, I responded back "so in short, the movement of your body". He spent quit some time thinking about that statement, he then stated "so I just wasted all that time and money", I said "No, you learned the importance of different types of blocks and strikes", trying to be polite to him. I have nothing against people learning different forms, been there, done that, even bought the T-shirt. All I am saying is, learning is knowledge and there is nothing wrong with knowledge, just make sure you gain the proper knowledge. I try and tell people, "all martial arts is in its most simplistic form, is learning to strike and block, however, knowing everything will be completely worthless if you do not have two essential elements.

 

We may be getting away from the OP's original inquiry here, but it's a discussion forum, so we'll suppose (read: hope) that someone might find value in this.

"The proper knowledge" is going to be determined by your goal. And your goal is determined by your choices. The OP has expressed a choice to study two arts side by side. So, in this particular case, the proper knowledge lies in the specificities and nuances only in so far that those techniques function properly in the desired context. It stops short of performing those techniques with the precise same nuance and detail as the teacher uses in performing them. So I agree with you in so far that proper punching technique (for example) has technical nuances that will help you to punch better. And those details need to be onboarded from whatever source. Details and nuances around performing a punch like a _______ practitioner, on the other hand, aren't required if your stated goal is to hybridize two things.

 

Hhhmmm, I hate to speak as an old proverb, but, when one follows a "stated goal", one may miss their true needs. I apologize if my discussions seem to lead away from your question of studying two forms, but it has not, I tend to talk in proverb/ or riddles, because I want the person to see or find the answer and more. Another proverb for you, "when one seeks too far or too deep, one will miss everything around him". I know, I'm a pain in the a@@ lol.

 

LOL, yes, you are completely correct, I was trying to make a basic point. To be more detailed in a simplistic manner, a strike or block in "ANY' form, all have the same purpose. Do not try to judge that statement in a technical manner, see it for its true meaning. I do not get angry when corrected unless it is done in a disrespectful manner, but these discussions with you have been civilized and pleasant. If I am ever wrong, not that I ever will be, but if I am, then you have helped me to grow, and how can I get angry at that.

 

If I'm honest, Yanli, I'm not a big fan of proverbs and parables. They have the effect of making someone sound like they've arrived at some deeper understanding and they're just waiting for the rest of us to catch up. That may not always be the intent, but it's my firm belief that clarity and directness are a better option. When we're clear, direct, and open, the potential for deeper understanding of an issue is always there for both parties.

To that end, I suppose I'd ask what that proverb actually means. To you (versus "whatever it means to you, ap Oweyn"). People make decisions for themselves. Most of us don't operate in a Zen-like condition where we're literally just taking life as it flows to us. We make choices. Those choices have implicit or explicit goals and identity claims built into them. We make them based on our understanding of our needs at that time. And we revise as necessary. I've read the Dao, the Bhagavad Gita, the Analects of Confucius, etc. as much as the next liberal arts student. I'm familiar with the theory you're espousing. I just want to hear it explained in clear, concrete terms.

To bring this back around to the OP (poor soul): Your idea isn't silly at all. Lots of us have done just that. The real question, I suppose, is just how tolerant each of your styles is to the inevitable cross pollination. Are you going to get guff from a Shotokan teacher because you're raising your heel off the floor when you throw your cross/reverse punch? Are the guys at the kickboxing gym going to take the mickey when you employ an out-to-in block? That kind of thing. And how are you going to feel about it if they do? If you can ignore that and do your thing, then cool. If you can code switch between the two, that's cool too.

Personally, I love seeing the points of convergence between different approaches. In my brief foray into Shotokan for instance (a university gym class for two semesters), I dug seeing how the front stance and in-to-out block resembled the triangular footwork and parrying of my eskrima. I needed to do it "in a Shotokan way" for that period. And honestly, I don't know that Shotokan wound up having that much influence on my overall approach. (Which is fair, given that it represents six months, one night a week 30 years ago.) But I strongly believe that you'll find your approach through trial and error. And on the front end, those might happen in damn near a one-to-one ratio.

 

You might say I was raised on proverb, and yes, I found them to be very annoying as well, but as time I grew to realize that had my Sensei given me a straight answer, I would of missed many other factors to the question. But Proverb's serve the same purpose of going to school and studying different classes, it teaches how to learn, not to learn, but how to learn and comprehend. A person can give you the answer, but will you completely comprehend it. So, no I am not trying to sound all knowing, that I am not, my wife has been telling me that for 38 years, and I know I am not a master, since day one she tells me I am no master, well, no lord and master.
As far as your original question, I cannot truly answer you, no one can. I do not know you personally, I do not know you "TRUE" needs, wants, and ambition. I know you hate proverb's, but the best way to put it is, "you have two roads to choose from, only one road is the true path to your ambitions, one road is long and straight, the other is short and crooked". Is looking at the long road looking to far to find your ambition, or is the short road to crooked to find your ambition, in short, fully know your ambition, and the reason's. People can say this would be great for you, or this is best, but are they thinking in general perspective, or they truly know you and your needs. My proverb's, as annoying as they are lol, were essentially trying to tell you to look deep into yourself, and judge with an open mind. I agree that you learn a lot from trial and error, but, sometimes not. I am sure you have seen plenty of people that have learned nothing from their mistakes, and my annoying proverb lol, hopefully spared you from a useless error lol. Because I have loved our discussion and how polite and respectful you have been, I will try and remember to spare you of my annoying proverb's, even though I do have a higher understanding lol, but I will not show it off to you lol. I wish you a good night and a fulfilling journey. Always remember, a journey can be fulfilling whether it is on a smoothed paved road or a bumpy rocky road, it all depends on how you travel the road.

 

And that's scene, I think. OP, good luck on your travels!

 

I do not know about you, but my travels has boulders in the road, well, life in general, including marriage, my martial arts however is has been fairly smooth paved road.

 

Patience, young grasshopper.

Meditate on it for a while, I'm sure it will come to you.