Free Martial Arts...Part II

I had some great feedback on the first Free Martial Arts...post.  Thank you to all that took the time to comment and provide insight.  Recently, Kai added to the conversation/discussion.  By the time I finished thinking about all the points that had been raised and responded, I realized I had enough for a follow up post.

I've copied over Kai's comments and my response/follow up, um, follows...

This topic has had me doing quite a bit of introspection.

Kai's comments:

"Dear Journeyman,
I love this post, it is so vulnerable and open. Here are my thoughts for what it is worth . . .

- No you are not “overthinking”, or being over dramatic by presenting this as a case of handing over “the keys to the kingdom”. I actually think that’s a very good metaphor in this case, given how much you have to offer this man, and the world in general. Your system is like your own baby and you need to be absolutely certain and comfortable before you entrust it to anyone else’s care.

- So I don’t think any of us can advise you whether to go for it with him at present. You just don’t know him that well, as you say, so how can you trust him with your precious material? So in my view your options are not so much about whether to hand over all or part of your material (etc). It’s more about deciding whether he has any potential, and if he does, then deciding to invest some more in getting to know him. BEFORE you commit to this relationship, or give anything to him. And if you decide that he is not going to be the right person, ether now or after you get to know him, it’s fine for you to just walk away.

- I don’t know much about this kind of scenario myself, but just Googled “How to choose a business partner” and found LOADS of good articles – here are some: 10 questions to ask before committing to a business partner; Is Your Co-Founder 'the One'? 7 Ways to Tell; Evaluating and Selecting a Strategic Partner. (Sorry the links haven't copied over into this reply).

- But I think the deepest, strongest question in your article is the one you don’t actually include in your list at the end which is: is it ok for you to charge money for something as pure, noble and beautiful as the martial arts? It feels like you are drawn to transforming your hard work into income, but are unsure whether this is actually ok in the first place, and you are asking us either to validate this action, or tell you if we disapprove (because money would somehow taint and soil our art). 

- Again this is just my opinion, but I would say that you absolutely have the right to be paid for your hard work. People draw salaries for their day-to-day jobs all the time and no one thinks anything of it. So why should your work be any less valuable just because you’re doing it independently and not for an employer – and out of love? Your blog is beautiful, and clearly the result of so much work and knowledge, and you have every right to capitalise on this; you would really not be doing anything wrong. 

- Of course some people make money from the martial arts in a wrong way, such as opening up a poor quality “belt factory” and teaching crap - or abusing their students etc - but from what you have said, that kind of activity is absolutely nothing to do with where you want to go. 

- Your post also made me think of the Buddhist concept of “Right Livelihood”. People have to make a living, and it’s proper that you should do this in an ethical way, and make the world a better place in the process. And helping people to find personal power and stay safe is an awesome way to serve humanity.

- On a stronger note, I also thought of the Parable of the Talents (bible) when I read your post. The first two servants use the money they are given well, and double it. The third servant in the story does nothing with the talent he is given – he just buries it in the ground to keep it safe. And the first two servants are rewarded - but the third man is severely punished. This sounds like a harsh story, but I believe its message is that we have a moral responsibility to make the most of what we have been given in life?

Sorry this reply is so long! and hope it doesn’t sound too “prescriptive” :-) it's really only my own thoughts and feelings on your story. Wishing you all the very best with this – are you going to keep us updated via your blog . . . ?

Best wishes Kai"

My Response:

Kai,

Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful and insightful response. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.  

I do feel like my system/program/vision is, as you said “my baby”.  At the same time, I don’t want to be too full of myself or selfish.  Your suggestion to get to know him better before coming to any arrangement is spot on.  I’m going to check out your suggestions for choosing a business partner.  Thanks.

You said:

“But I think the deepest, strongest question in your article is the one you don’t actually include in your list at the end which is: is it ok for you to charge money for something as pure, noble and beautiful as the martial arts? It feels like you are drawn to transforming your hard work into income, but are unsure whether this is actually ok in the first place, and you are asking us either to validate this action, or tell you if we disapprove (because money would somehow taint and soil our art).”

I’ve struggled with this for a long time.  The ‘logical’ side of my brain says it’s ok to charge money, but it’s in conflict with the more emotional side and I’ve often wondered why. 

I’ve come to realize that my beginnings in the world of martial arts were heavily influenced by some great teachers, one of whom is still my Sensei, and their attitudes towards money and the martial arts.  A common quote I heard was “You’ll never make any money in the martial arts”.  That statement was multi-layered and what it really meant was that the “belt factories” as you so aptly named them, had washed down technique and were interested ONLY in the money.  As long as you paid, you progressed.  

These dojos often had the newest, shiniest equipment, in stark contrast to the small storefront, leaking roof, duct taped mats that I was accustomed to.  The chain style schools didn’t seem to care about your individual progression, or your actual ability to defend yourself.  So I always shied away from such establishments.  It has served me well over years.  I still train with, and am friends with, several people from those early days.  And that says something about the quality of the people and the training.

To be clear, I always paid some money, there were always club dues, but looking back, I realize just how little I was paying for what I was getting.  And everyone who ever taught me had a full-time job outside the training hall.  It was a labour of love for them.

If I am to be honest with myself, one of the reasons I may be reticent to generate reasonable income from the arts is that I wouldn’t attract me.  What I mean is that the ‘me’ from back then, who had little to no money, might never walk into my program/school/facility due to the financial factor.  

I wouldn’t be the ’me’ that I am today, in the arts at least, had it not been for the experiences I had back then.  I remember being completely broke and occasionally not having the monthly dues.  The Sensei(s) never turned me away.  Bad business model, but I am still loyal to them today, nearly 25 years later, so maybe it had some merits…and I was the first one to help with water damage, moving a dojo location etc.  So, it’s complicated.

On the flip side, generating income can greatly assist in improving the quality of training delivered, if the development of the student remains the main focus/priority.  And it helps to offset the time and energy expended on such a pursuit.  It also allows the teacher (me in this scenario) to continue to upgrade their own skills and knowledge, and have safe and effective training equipment etc.

And you’re absolutely correct, 

“People draw salaries for their day-to-day jobs all the time and no one thinks anything of it. So why should your work be any less valuable just because you’re doing it independently and not for an employer – and out of love?”
And thank you for bringing my attention to the Buddhist concept of “Right Livelihood”.  I’ve been thinking on this quite a bit since I read your comments.  
“People have to make a living, and it’s proper that you should do this in an ethical way, and make the world a better place in the process. And helping people to find personal power and stay safe is an awesome way to serve humanity.”

I had not thought of it quite like that before.  I’m going to meditate on that. Thanks.

The ‘Parable of the Talents’ is also interesting, “…a moral responsibility to make the most of what we have been given…”  More food for thought.

Thank you again for your comments and I’m happy that you enjoy the blog. You’ve given me lots to think about.  Thank you for that.    


JM.

Perseverance

per·se·ver·ance

ˌpərsəˈvirəns/

noun

noun: perseverance

1  steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.  

The journey on the path of Budo can be trying at times. 

When your training plans get derailed, be it from injuries, family issues, scheduling, monetary constraints, time, distance, work etc., it can be challenging to get back on track.  Obviously, I haven’t posted in some time.  I was shocked to see how long it had been.  The last (nearly) a year has been a struggle for me.

I’ve suffered several injuries, some new and some nagging ones that refuse to go away.  Couple this with work issues, illness, geographic issues (my Sensei is further away now), and competitions for my time and energy and I’ve found myself in a state of…not quite depression, but at the least, severe frustration with my training and my long term martial goals. 

It has seemed as if each time I take one step forward, I’m forced to take two steps back. 

The logical part of my brain tells me this is all part of the journey, which takes time and patience and perseverance to succeed.  That it’s a lifelong pursuit and there will be bumps along the way.  That I need to adapt my training style to manage my injuries and that I need to concentrate on time-management, on eating well, sleeping more, meditating.  The list goes on and on.  Exactly the advice I’d give to someone else who was going through a tough time with their training.

The not-so-logical part of brain has not been particularly good at listening to the logical side, however.  Each time I aggravated an old injury, or pulled my back, or got sick, or had to choose between my other priorities in life or had to cancel class as I couldn’t get away from work, I got more and more down about things.  All the positive self-talk in the world didn’t pull me out of my dark mood. 

It became so bad that I realized that training, or thinking about training, was turning into a negative thing in my head.  This journey of so many years, this labour of love, was akin to a virus running in the background, eating away at my positivity.  Training was becoming a bad thing. 

The logical side, or course, knew that all the issues I was going through were contributing to my general malaise over the martial arts, but that doesn’t always help.  My journey has given me so many positive experiences; it has truly enriched my life, giving me friends and memories I will always cherish.

I did what I had to.  I quit for a bit.  Well, let’s call it a hiatus.  I know I can never quit, but I had to ‘unplug’ for a bit as my lack of training was starting to consume my waking, and non-waking, thoughts.  I was mad when I couldn’t go, and when I could, I was exhausted and had to manage injuries and just didn’t feel like it.

So, I’ve been on hiatus.  There was a certain sense of relief that washed over me when I actually ‘went on record’ about taking a break.  My Sensei and main training partner were understanding and supportive.  Sensei’s response?  Simply, “We’ll be here”.  Meaning he’s always there when I’m ready, no pressure.  Comfort in that. 

I’m not back yet but I’m almost there, mentally.  I’m still dealing with injuries and other issues, but lately, after putting Jiu Jitsu out of my mind for a few months, my thoughts have been drifting back.  I miss it again, not pressured by any sense of obligation, but because something positive is missing from my life.  I’m noticing a fight scene in a show or movie that I rewind and break down, I’ve started visiting some blogs again, and I’ve been consulting on defensive tactics training again.  My next step is adjusting my training to compensate for my injuries. 

Take note:  Train safely now.  Crazy training in your youth takes its toll down the road…trust me…

I’m learning an important lesson about perseverance, I think.  As it pertains to training, perseverance doesn’t translate into constant training.  It means not giving up completely or losing site of the big picture.  If you need to press ‘pause’ from time to time in order to keep going, do it.  The path is long and winding and there’ll always be a few bumps along the way.

I know many of you out there have had low points/struggles on your journeys in the martial arts.  I’d love to hear some of the strategies you used to get back in the game, both mentally and physically. 

Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

Train well.  Be safe,

JM

Lessons in Budo - Humility

The last couple weeks have been busy with belt grading at our dojo.

Just as with belts themselves, I have mixed feelings on formal testing.  Some are positive, some are negative.

It’s done for a while, likely quite a while.  My Sensei doesn’t believe in rapid ascension through the ranks.  It occurs to me that part of the journey with him is that of humility.  He decides when, and if, people test for a belt, and there is no automatic time frame or schedule.  This may not be the best business model for profit, but then again, he isn’t in it for the money.  Years ago, he moved away from having a commercial dojo.  He now has a small group of dedicated students and he teaches on his terms, which is fine with us lucky enough to call him Sensei.  While we are associated, or friends of, larger schools, his standards are his and his alone, and they’re high.

Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  You work for it, through blood, sweat and tears.  No student in our dojo ever need feel that they haven’t earned a ranking.

I share my teacher’s belief that your motivation shouldn’t be a ‘shiny new belt’.  In fact, we trained with no belt colour for the first couple of years when I returned to him.  It wasn’t until he decided to take on a few select students that rankings of any sort were added.

Here’s the conflict – from time to time students do want to be recognized for their study.  It’s really a non issue while we’re actually in our dojo, but that little hint of ego (is it ego?) can pop up when visiting other schools or attending seminars or demonstrations.

I’ve had the opportunity to attend quite a few great seminars or events with martial artists from a variety of different styles and schools.  It doesn’t take long to get to know the ‘regulars’.  From personal observation, I’ve seen a few of these students who have a higher belt each time I see them. 

I’ve seen one martial artist who I met as a white belt that has climbed 6 belt colours (in his belt system) since the last time our Sensei did a grading.  This isn’t to suggest that he didn’t deserve them or work hard for them (we are talking years here), but it’s interesting none the less.

Some students can have trouble dealing with this situation, feeling that they ‘deserve’ the next level.  They would probably not last in our dojo. 

There are valuable lessons to be learned here, such as humility as previously mentioned, and patience, and discipline.  

One of my loftier goals is to never be touched by ego.  While I aspire to be completely free of any desire for the next level, I wouldn’t be completely honest if I didn’t say that, over the years, on occasion, I’ve coveted the next level, rank or designation.      

There are a couple reasons:

The first one I’m ok with.  Having a visual indication of experience automatically puts you ‘at the grown up’s table’.  In mixed groups, you are usually paired by belt or dan groupings.  It’s always a pleasure to train with experienced people from different styles.  You can learn just as much from working with newer people, mind you, but in some situations, (such as a seminar) working with similar ranks can maximize your learning while minimizing the chances of unintentional injuries.  Simply put, you can go harder and faster in the short time you are there.

The second isn’t quite as altruistic.  Ego can rear its ugly little head from time to time.  While I think people naturally like to receive praise or be recognized for their accomplishments, it should be by your skill level and attitude, not by the colour of your belt.

I don’t know if I’ll ever completely banish any inkling of ego, but I am working on it.  I know this is part of my journey.  It’s one of the main reasons that I ditched any and all belts from my meandering martial journey and started over when I re-connected with my Sensei several years ago.

There will likely not be another grading in our dojo for several years.  I’m ok with this. It keeps ego at bay, teaches humility and patience, and removes the pressure and distractions of prepping for a test.

This style or timeframe isn’t for everyone, and it’s not the only way to go.  Some schools or styles promote their students more quickly than others.  The requirements of the teacher for different levels can vary greatly.  Some schools may promote to black belt in two or three years of dedicated study, some may require ten or more at minimum.  Neither is necessarily right or wrong, they’re just different approaches.  As long as you’re always striving to do better and to keep learning, it probably doesn’t really matter how long it took you to get to a certain 'recognized' level.

At the end of the day, it only really matters what you think and what you know.  If you are not confident that you can apply what you’ve learned in a real life situation or violent encounter, it doesn’t matter one bit what colour your belt is.  Ideally, this should be the only measure of success or progression that you need.  In reality, this is often easier said than done. 

I may post soon on some of my thoughts on the actual grading, but for now, I’ll let my body keep recovering from the pounding it took…

Food for thought.

Train well with a beginners mind. 

Tradition vs. Reality?

The Strongest Karate (check out his blog here) left a comment on my last post that go me thinking.  The comment was in reference to my assertion that before you could discard a technique, you really need to learn it first.  It’s in the same vein as Bruce Lee’s ideas on ‘keep what is useful, discard what is not’, a central concept in his vision of Jeet Kun Do.

The Strongest Karate said the following:

"Very informative post. 

You make the distinction that one must understand a technique fully before they can decide whether it is useful or not. I agree with this, but it does present us with a problem: one may have to practice every technique 10's of thousands of times before they really understand it and, regrettably, our lifetimes just aren't long enough. 

This, I suppose, is why the arts are passed down the generations, but then I run the risk of throwing away a technique that wasn't useful to me (due to size/strength/injuries/other limitations) but would be perfectly suited for someone else. "       

I agree with him.  We can’t master every technique before deciding to keep it or throw it away.  My concern is that many martial artists are too quick to throw something away.  If it didn’t go right, or it was hard, or it felt awkward or they simply weren’t good at it the first couple times, they throw it away, citing the ‘keep what is useful, discard what is not’ mantra.  Doing this without at least exploring it to discover a deeper understanding is a mistake. 

I’ve had serious doubts about the usefulness of techniques that I initially learned.  At the time I was convinced they’d end up in the mental trash bin.  I continued to work on them when required by syllabus or by Sensei.  Over time, some of these have become some of my preferred techniques.  Had I discarded them at the outset, I would have denied myself several valuable tools.  It took exploring the mechanics, the application and the variations to give me enough insight to determine their value. 

This brings me to the next point touched on in the comment.

“This, I suppose, is why the arts are passed down the generations…”

Good point.  To a degree, we must have faith in our art and our teachers.  This is not to suggest we should blindly follow without thought or question, but if you’ve managed to find a good teacher of high skill and character, you must accept a degree of the teachings as being valuable, even if not immediately apparent.  

This leads me into one of the powerful arguments in favour of keeping the tradition in traditional martial arts (TMA).  With a move towards the next reality based system (RBS) and the increasing popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA), we run the risk of losing what it took hundreds of years to learn, a comprehensive and complete system of effective, battle tested techniques. 

I’m saying this over genuine concern that with each new generation, we are increasingly getting ‘watered-down’ versions of what were once truly combat arts, or martial systems.  I’m not slamming MMA or RBS; I’m actually a fan of both, for different reasons.  What I am saying is that when you strip away large portions of a TMA’s system in favour of a ‘quicker-fix’ or rules based system, valuable history can be lost.

Not everyone is pursuing TMA for the long haul, and this is fine.  RBS and MMA are viable and effective options, each with their own focus and value. 

A significant challenge for teachers is to maintain and teach techniques that they may not feel are overly effective, for them, at least.  A technique that doesn’t work particularly well for one, due to height, weight, gender, flexibility, health etc. may be perfect for someone else.  So must a teacher maintain a group of teachings and techniques that they wouldn’t necessarily use themselves.  

What I fear is that martial artists, who start in TMA, but too quickly discard ‘not yet fully understood’ techniques in favour of a less traditional method, end up being the next generation of instructors in the martial arts.  This if fine if their instruction is confined to RBS or MMA, but it is an insufficient knowledge base to teach anything else.  You either have TMA systems not being passed down with the historical knowledge and understanding, essentially fizzling out, or you get unqualified people teaching an incomplete system.  Both are equally troubling to me.

You can see this all over the place.  It’s one of the reasons finding a good qualified teacher can be so challenging.  Many people, who I consider to be masters, are giving up on teaching.  I suspect this is due, in no small part, to society’s ‘quick-fix’ mentality.  The ‘now generation’ want it fast, and want it easy.  While I agree a training environment needs to be comfortable and respectful, too many students want to be coddled in their pursuit of a shiny belt.  The faster the better, and don’t make it too hard… 

I’m not a fan of some of the ‘old school’ methods of training that resulted in unnecessary injuries, but by and large, many students have ‘gone soft’ and are loath to experience pain or discomfort at the hands of a serious teacher or in training.  Sadly, the schools that provide a ‘no touch’ position on training are attracting a large student base.  This is also problematic for new students who don’t know any better.  Again, for fitness, fun and camaraderie, this is all fine, but for those seeking skills to protect themselves and their loved ones from real violence, they come up short.

I’m all for kid’s martial arts programs.  They build confidence, discipline, self control, and the kids have fun and develop social skills while getting fit.  It’s tough to be critical of any of that.  What I do have an issue is when the only real difference you see between the ‘kiddie-class’ and the adult class is the age of the participants.  

Obviously, I have strong opinions on the topic.  This is because I believe that TMA are just that, traditional martial arts born on the battlefield.  Tried and true techniques tested in (often) life or death situations and real combat.

Perhaps ironically, the state of mainstream martial arts may be feeding the problem, or causing what I see as the decline of good TMA.  If students taking watered down martial arts are critical in their thinking, they may seek out a RBS to get real combat skills.  Or they may be attracted to MMA, which, for all its faults as a true combat art, does incorporate real and hard training against resisting opponents.  A hands-on sport based style can be better than a hands-off McDojo.

So, if students are creating a market for real combat skills development, they may naturally find themselves seeking out RBS.  And if qualified TMA teachers are frustrated with the business of martial arts or the desires of mainstream or ‘soft’ students, they may naturally find themselves instructing a RBS program. 

This can be good but also creates the very situation that I see as the problem.  When the TMS turned RBS teacher stops teaching, the next generation is only left with what was taught in the RBS.  Lost then, possibly forever, is the more comprehensive, and complete TMA system. 

So you either get TMA schools teaching watered down versions of a combat art and subsequent teachers who don’t have a complete understanding of the original art and its application or you get branched-off RBS systems which miss out on the larger body of work.

I’ve done a pretty good job identifying the problem.  The harder part is coming up with the solution.

If your goals of learning go beyond just the down and dirty of a RBS (which is valuable and more than sufficient for many), find a good TMA instructor and stick with him/her and the art.  Give the system and the techniques a chance before making any rash decisions about their worth.   Ultimately, I agree with the concept of discarding what is not useful.  Just make sure you’ve done enough of the work to make that assessment.  And, as always, keep an open mind.

Train safely.

Cross training - Good idea or bad?

Part I


Sue C over at My journey to black belt asked this question in a post found here.  I recommend you read the post and the comments as I'll be referencing some of the material.

I've gone back and forth on issues related to this question for quite some time.

First off, I have cross trained in other arts.  I have done this both out of necessity and by choice.  My experiences, for the most part, have been positive, but not all of them have been.

Sue talks about some of the potential advantages and disadvantages of cross training for kyu belts.  She cross trains and has had positive outcomes.  She is also grading for black belt this year and has been a serious student of Karate for several years.  See her blog for more information.

Sue lists the following as advantages to cross training:

1.  Core principles.  Sue notes that after dedicated study, you recognize similarities between different arts and their principles.

I cannot agree more.  The longer I study and the more people I meet in the martial arts, the more I realize the similarities.  As Sue mentions, it is most often a matter of what area of the art is emphasized more.  Core principles of movement, reaction, body mechanics etc. have tons of overlap.  If you train with a mind that can identify similar principles, then you can open your mind to different perspectives on those very same things.  A different point of view can change your opinion, alter your technique or strengthen your belief in what you've already learned.

2.  Talks about attention to detail.  Sue take Karate as her main discipline but supplements it with Kobudo and some Jiu Jitsu.  The arts all contain many of the same techniques, for example, strikes, but each spends differing amounts of time on this type of technique.  In her training, little time is spent on the mechanical breakdown of strikes in her Jiu Jitsu, but much more time is spent on it in Karate.

Different prioritization on techniques is definitely out there.  Where as I might argue that repetitive striking is less important than something else, a dedicated Karate practitioner could counter that one proper strike could easily end a confrontation.  Sue mentions an advantage of her cross training is that she has learned to throw, be thrown and break fall with far more confidence than she had before.  Tough to argue that.

3.  Sue expands on differing perspectives.  She talks about 'hard' vs. 'soft' styles and what that means in application.

As many discover, 'hard' vs. 'soft' is a bit of a misnomer.  The assigning of a hard style, such as Karate, or a soft style such as Jiu Jitsu can be misleading. The techniques can be very similar.  To over simplify it, it refers less to the application of the techniques, but more to the approach or entry to it.  Karate is more of a 'force meeting force' type of style where as Jiu Jitsu is more of a 'yield to the initial force and redirect' style of martial art.  While this holds true, anyone who's spent time in either art realizes that there's lots of overlap.

4.  Enhanced understanding of certain principles.  Sue discovered that some of her core techniques from her main art improved while studying weapons and weapons defenses.

This is also important.  If we're not careful, we can often go through the motions on certain techniques, especially if we've done them for a long time. Sometimes shaking things up cause us to re-examine what and how we're doing things to ensure what we are doing is effective and correct.

Sue touches upon disadvantages to cross training as well.  The main issue raised is the differences between technique, whether it be stances, break falls, movement etc.  These can conflict if your styles have different perspectives on things.


Part II


The subject of cross training is a tricky one.  In Sue's articles, there are quite a few comments on whether or not kyu belts should cross train in different arts. They range nearly from fully supporting the idea from day one to feeling it shouldn't occur until at least black belt.  Actually, each camp had good points.

My feelings are mixed.  As with so many topics, it depends on the student, the teacher and the martial art itself.

In my opinion, one of the most important points Sue made was that she had a 'core' or a 'main' art.  For her, it's Karate.  To her, she gains benefit from cross training mainly because it improves her Karate.  That's not to say she isn't or will not excel in the other arts, it just means her focus is mainly on her chosen art.

This is very important to gain benefits from cross training.  If your main focus is not on one or the other, both tend to suffer.

If you are undecided, it will forever be a battle of which style is superior, correct or more sound in theory.  This conflict is not a good idea at lower levels of study.  Flitting from one style to another doesn't help either.  If you leave one art before you really understand it's core concepts, you do yourself and the art a disservice.

Find an art that works for you, makes sense and has a good teacher and students.  Once you've done and committed to that, see what else can help you.

I think your motivation for cross training is a key point in this debate.

I'm lucky enough to have a Sensei who encourages cross training.  He's always interested to hear what else is being taught, how and by who.  Of course, he is comfortable in the knowledge that my main study is with him. Having said that, he has also encouraged all his students to cross train and has supported anyone who chose to leave for another style.  Such is his comfort level with himself and his style.

In my style of Jiu Jitsu, my Sensei and the founder of the style have always supported cross training and always have an open mind to new ideas or techniques.  I've taken seminars and it's always great fun to come back with my new knowledge to explore it further with my Sensei.  Sometimes he incorporates the material if it works well, and sometimes he doesn't, but it's always after an open minded investigation of it's effectiveness.  Some teachers are threatened by new or differing ideas.

I'm also lucky that my Sensei never wants there to be carbon copies of him as black belts and beyond.  In fact, after a few years of serious study, students are encouraged, or even required, to make the style and techniques work for them.  Every person is different and must find what works for their body style, age, weight, height, strength, speed etc.  This open minded approach encourages learning outside the dojo.

The trouble in cross training lies mainly with the inexperienced.  For a time, stances, footwork, strikes, blocks, break falls etc. are either done correctly or incorrectly.  If I adjust my style now to suit my personal style and abilities, that's a good thing.  For a new artist, varying from what is shown or taught is incorrect.  Like I've mentioned in previous posts, you must learn and understand something before you can determine if it should be discarded from your repertoire.

Some say you should train in a complimentary style.  Not a bad idea but it can be limiting too.  After all, if it's more of the same, what benefit are you gaining? (other than additional training time).  The flip-side is that if the styles differ too much, you just get confused.

I am very interested in knife defense.  I have supplemented my Jiu Jitsu training with Kali and Escrima to improve my skills and understanding in this area.  I've enjoyed and benefited immensely from this training.  At one point, I tried to move beyond supplementing my Jiu Jitsu to becoming a full time student of both arts.  I ended up struggling with this balance.  Specifically due to distance to my opponent, stances, offensive versus defensive etc.  At that point my Jiu Jitsu was so ingrained that some aspects of my movement and reactions could not easily be changed.  Nor was it advantageous to do so, for me.  I ended up fighting my training so much that I was spending more time trying not to do what I'd trained myself to do for years that I wasn't benefiting from the new knowledge.  And it was affecting my Jiu Jitsu.

As a result of this, I stopped training as a new student.  I still train with Guro to improve my knife technique but now he and I tailor it to my needs and my body and training.  He's so talented that this is easy and he and I both understood that to try to unlearn what already works well for me was counter productive.  I mention this as I still needed and benefit from cross training with Guro, but now it's to make me better in my Jiu Jitsu.  For this reason, I think you need to have some time studying something so you can have the confidence and understanding of what can benefit you on your journey.

I've also cross trained out of sheer necessity.  For a couple of years, I was on shift work that prevented conventional 2 or 3 nights a week study.  I could only make 3 classes a month in my chosen art due to my schedule.  So I went to another club that had classes on different days and at different times.  I was lucky to find another Sensei that understood my issues and welcomed me to his club.  He appreciated my background and didn't feel threatened by differing opinions (I was lucky).

To sum up, I believe cross training is beneficial for most people.  I do agree that some dedicated study is beneficial before branching out.  I believe that when you find an art that works for you and that you enjoy, search to improve yourself in that art.

I will continue to cross train to improve myself, but at the end of the day, I'm a Japanese Jiu Jitsu man through and through.

I'd love to hear any opinions on this topic.

Train safely and with an open mind.