Cross training Judo and FMA

I've just had a big gap from training due to a shoulder injury, and my daughter being born, and am now looking at starting up Judo again. I've also always been really interested in FMA as well, and found a place local to me to train alongside the judo. The only issue is that if I took up the FMA, I could only train each of them once a week due to work and family commitments.

So I was just wondering, would it be worthwhile training each for an hour and a half a week? Would there be any cross over, even just from developing timing, distancing etc.? Or will it be a waste of time, and should I just stick with judo twice a week instead, and maybe taking up FMA in the future?

 

Only recently got my yellow belt before my shoulder injury, so not very...

 

It depends on your goal. If it's to be a good judoka, obviously logging more time on judo is the answer. If it's to have fun or learn about other styles, then cross training is the answer. Personally I feel like unless there's a pressing need to be good at one or the other, you should follow your bliss.

The crossover will be abstract. Like you said, timing and distance etc. That said, they cover different territory and would give you a really interesting foundation.

Oh, and toreassure you that it's not some bizarre notion, know that one of the worlds most reknown FMA teachers combined it with judo/jiujutsu to create "eskrifo."

That's GM Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete if you felt like doing a bit of reading.

I endorse the idea personally.

 

all things being equal, I'd stick with the judo until you have more time available, which also means in 5-7 years you'll be able to help teach your daughter judo in a kids class!

 

Hmmm, ok thanks, I'll have a think about what it is I really want to do. Just out of curiosity, if I'd instead come at it saying that I was looking at practicing FMA instead, but they only had one lesson a week, and wanted to know what I could supplement it with, what would you say?

I'm just curious if those who said to stick with judo feel that only one lesson a week wouldn't be very worthwhile, or if it was just that the option of two in Judo is better?

 

Judo is typically hard to pick up just doing once a week unless you have previous grappling experience and or do other grappling arts along side it.

But honestly that's the truth with most arts and it's not Impossible to do, and if you are only training for fun one day a week is enough to pick some skills up and have some fun, you won't progress fast enough or be at a level to compete but if that isn't your goal.

Do what you enjoy doing try both you can always drop one if it's too much training the both

 

Generally, a year or two is optimal before cross-training. FMA and judo is an intriguing combo though... I agree with ap Oweyn there. My unarmed is a combination of judo, modern combatives and HEMA grappling.

I would personally stick with judo for now unless you're ok with taking your time. They're different enough to not interfere with each other, so there's that.

You only get results in proportion to the hours you put in.

 

Luckily I only pulled my acromioclavicular ligament, so it seems to have healed now. And the FMA place only has one session a week, and the other places that offer FMA in my area are either too expensive, or too far away sadly, otherwise I would look at training that twice a week.

I think I'll go with the majority opinion and stick with Judo for the time being. My main goal in training is fitness and fun, but also to develop some skills that might be transferable in a self defence situation, and from the sounds of it going twice a week in Judo would achieve this better than going to both once a week.

 

Even if judo isn't a self defence art, a good judoka is still a formidable opponent. It will likely leave you in better stead than some dedicated SD arts.