Martial Arts Cross Training: Pros and Cons | ART OF ONE DOJO

[@MountainAdventures1]

In order to get 2nd Dan in our school, you are required to study a second art and demonstrate a form from that art at testing. Our Grandmaster has black belts in TangSooDo, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Laido, and Go Shin Ryu Karate.

[@williamdicarlo4109]

I know a man in Cleveland, Ohio, who believes the same thing and owns the Karate Institute chain.

[@lennycarter23]

Wow

[@mpg3946]

That's a really wise instructor.

[@simoneriksson8329]

Thats really cool!

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I like this philosophy. I like this a lot.

[@taekwondomaster4609]

I’ve been cross training for nearly 15 years now. I have a 3rd degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and a 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I also did wrestling all through high school and college. You need BOTH stand up and ground fighting in order to be a complete martial artist.

[@BBEDrummerAK]

Have you thought about something like Hapkido as well? Not making a suggestion, just genuinely curious! Its not Tang Soo Do, obviously (I studied that for a number of years in my youth), but it has more dynamic kicking like Taekwondo, along with some grappling aspect. You'll know that already, of course, but again, just a genuine curiosity! 😊😊

[@baltazarfeliciano1401]

As a Black Belt in Kajukenbo I've practice the styles around my art and it has developed my Kajukenbo to another level but there's so much to learn and I realized that martial arts is a journey without a end

[@1Slayer6661]

How about cross dressing?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

As long as your shoes match the dress then it's all good!

[@1Slayer6661]

Good one!

[@chrishess5526]

Baltazar Feliciano I have a question about Kajukenbo. It's a hybrid art so you're already cross training as it is with those styles mixed together right? I mean if it's a hybrid art with multiple styles that put it together and you train in those then you are already cross training right?

[@davidrempel4862]

I can understand a teacher advising against it when someone is new to martial arts in general. It makes sense. If a teacher forbids it regardless of skill level and experience, time to look for a new school. My $0.02

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Agreed.

[@tins_world299]

I went from boxing to karate as I moved and didn’t have a boxing gym near my house and I’m very happy with the change

[@brandynmanueldunlop926]

Cross trained in the following styles: Southern Preying Mantis Kung Fu (6yrs) Boxing and MMA (5yrs) Olympic fencing (2yrs) Weird mix but works pretty well ^_^

[@214warzone]

That sounds Similar to me. I started with Wrestling, then Shaolin Kung Fu then Boxing, then MMA. I currently practice JKD and Savate :P

[@kazumpet720]

@@214warzone Does Ekata Sound Familiar?

[@brandynmanueldunlop926]

@@214warzone That's awesome!. I actually had the privilege of being able to train with the monks a few years back (absolutely tough Mofos trust me)

[@thebuddhaofknowledgemichae2486]

Did you test preying mantis in the cage during practice? Just to pressure test it .

[@thebuddhaofknowledgemichae2486]

@@214warzone jkd or Shaolin which one worked during pressure testing

[@EricLow228]

Be the Martial Artist that you want to be. Its art, not science meaning there is no right or wrong answer but rather its a personal expression and interpretation.

[@blaa443blaa2]

exactly. You can add karate some capoeira to make it more flowing or add bjj to achieve practically the same result

[@sliderx1897]

I used to train with a guy who trained in everything possible at the same time. The problem was he never had a rooted foundation of any of the arts he was practicing so was never able to grasp the more advanced concepts. Also his cup was full. U couldnt correct him cuz he thought he knew everything but was very amateur at best. I was always told to cross train after u have a strong foundation in one art.

[@sliderx1897]

@Kenny Pettit exactly. And he was tryong to speak all 3 without knowing the basics

[@deancoleman7104]

I have a friend like this he does judo with me and on top of that he does karate and MMA so boxing, muay Thai and BJJ he's a green belt in judo I was white and I could keep up with him IDK if I should bring it up with him he's a chill dude so I don't want him feeling like I'm attacking him there isn't any real problem with it other than he's not as good as he should be in judo

[@sliderx1897]

@@deancoleman7104 i almost feel like its the same guy lol

[@thebuddhaofknowledgemichae2486]

My Kung Fu teacher said Just hit them. Crosstraining. Make you hesitate.

[@MesserTAMU]

I don't see anything wrong with learning multiple arts at once. Children grow up bilingual all over the world and are even shown to have educational advantages when corrected for income. Likewise people learn hybrid styles of striking and grappling arts in MMA gyms all the time. Just spar often and if a technique works, do it again. Doesn't really matter if all the techniques were developed in the same system at the same time.

[@MichellePoirier12]

We have a woman at my dojo who does boxing as well as Kempo and there are no issues. Boxing really helps her with a tight guard and she's very good at getting in and out in sparring. Her targeting is also spot on. The Senseis will occasionally point out differences between what Kempo emphasizes versus with boxing emphasizes or other arts. It's never in a negative light. Of course my dojo is full of people who have black belts in other arts (Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Mantis Kung Fu, etc.) so we are pretty open with cross training and we're very open about strengths in all the different arts. They will occasionally take drills from other arts to help round out our training since some arts just focus on different things than Kempo. They'll let us know what art it's from and why it's important we work on things outside of Kempo. Speaking of changing arts, I'll be moving to a new state in January and will need to look at my options, but I'm hoping to find a dojo that's as open minded as my current one.

[@dejohnnelacy254]

Want to learn Muay Thai an then boxing an then Judo

[@JohnLee-lm9ss]

I do Kung fu and boxing

[@Ronin42069]

I love kali, BJJ, Krav, boxing, judo and only one short life to live. I want to train all of them because they bring me joy. I don’t care if any actual help me in a street fight.

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

Find a UFAF associated school they have that all, IF you haven’t found a dojo that teaches that all in one place

[@Eddie.Villanueva]

I’m about to be an 8th kyu blue belt in Kyokushin Karate. I’m thinking about starting BJJ next year.

[@MrBrammerca]

I’m taking Kenpo and BJJ right now. It’s for fun. I like sparring standup and was a wrestler in high school, which I miss. They also teach boxing at the BJJ school. I find I’m a bit ADHD and I like to learn a few different things at the same time. California has so many of the really good instructors. I find it hard to choose and only do one thing. My Kenpo instructor learned directly from Ed Parker. My BJJ Instructor learned directly from the Gracie family in Torrance. If it weren’t for Covid I may have started off with a 9th Dan judo master who wrote a book on Mitsuyo Maeda and founded his own fighting style. However, when I was a kid I was learning Aikido and wanted to learn TKD. The TKD instructor would not teach me as I was already in Aikido. I found I didn’t really like Aikido and went over to learn Kenpo. That was pretty much all that was available in my small town. Regardless, I don’t find myself getting confused. I do find myself having a great time and getting in great shape for a 41-year-old. Plus, I have the money to do it at my age. :)

[@frankiegodinez8864]

BJJ + Kyokushin = Beast of a fighter

[@robertnguyen9493]

George St. Pierre came from Kyokushin Karate, and is a black belt in BJJ, it’s a great art, best of luck and I hope it’s going well

[@anthonymalgiero4215]

I've been doing Kenpo for 28 years. I went from Parker Kenpo to 5.0, and then finally settled on Paul Mills Kenpo. I have also trained and competed for several years in boxing. Lately I've been training 10th planet jiu jitsu for the last couple years along with Muay Thai and wrestling (basically mma). I still train Kenpo but focus more on the concepts now instead of the written curriculum. Because I choose to focus on application in real world scenario I always train against resistant partners, no matter what art I'm focusing on in that particular moment. I think cross training is great as long as you do like you said, train in different arts that can compliment each other. Arts that help fill in the gaps that each art has.

[@laremm]

I have Black Belts in a couple styles, I was in the military and moved, They complimented each other. But if you travel you become a wandering Black Belt, its like being a gunfighter, everyone wants to know how fast you are but no one wants to find out. So you have to stay on top of your skills. Me and some friends started fight night on Fridays. We put on the gloves and fight against a resisting partner. Or drill that are two man drills that are fighting drills. The closer you get to reality the better you will be at fighting.

[@rustyshackleford4822]

I think cross training is a great idea. When I was learning Muay Thai I also studied boxing and it really helped me with my punches and my balance and coordination. It doesn’t hurt to be well rounded.

[@taekwondomaster4609]

If I were to ever open up a martial arts school I would make sure that I provide BOTH stand up and ground fighting.

[@VTdarkangel]

I have very fortunate to have the instructor that I do. When I left for college, he told find a school near my college and go to it. He warned to make sure they weren't a McDojo, but to look for something different than his school. He encouraged me to diversify, and then bring what I learn back to his school. This was a stark difference from some of the schools I visited when I at college. A couple of those wanted me to cut ties with my instructor before they would let me train with them. It was very eye opening to how close-minded some schools can be.

[@thebackpackengineer]

I very recently achieved shodan rank in my chosen art (Enshin Karate) and now I'm looking to try and get into BJJ.

[@MasterGaming-ve4gz]

I’m a yellow belt in shotokan karate (got my belt two weeks ago)

[@MasterGaming-ve4gz]

@Timothy Kerofsky and Family thank you 🙏

[@UltraInstinctIEli]

Congratulations! 😁 keep training and eventually youll be a black belt. :) 👊 Im currently a white belt but supposed to level up soon :)

[@lennycarter23]

I have some of the material but no dojo.im jealous 😀 but congrats

[@simoneriksson8329]

Good job!

[@seaslugdee]

Good job! Your first test can be pretty scary. (I do shotokan aswell)

[@Knight2682]

In my late teens and early twenties I was practicing Karate and Japanese Jiu Jitsu and those two arts went great together. I was about 3 years into my Karate training and had just earned my black belt before I started doing Jiu Jitsu so I already had a solid foundation, but early on I definitely saw the benefits of cross training in two or more systems that would compliment each other. The Kung Fu that I train in now is pretty well rounded. While I would be open to cross training, I would be pretty hard pressed to find something that would compliment my current training the way Karate and Jiu Jitsu complimented each other.

[@Raiken202]

I am mainly a karateka, Shito-ryu main, Okinawa Kempo secondary, a tiny bit of Shotokan. As a younger child, age 6-8, I did some Wushu, maybe two years. I started karate when I was 20-21, 3rd year in college. Thanks to college, I dabbled in BJJ, Aikido, TKD, kickboxing, Escrima, learning how to use a Jo and a Bo, tiny bit of kendo (still have my shinai). All of this has just built my own repertoire and I have my own preferences. I would recommend BJJ and Aikido for getting comfortable with the ground and being on the floor. I do martial arts for exercise and for self-defense. Aikido for me was more relaxing and a calming aspect to me that when I spar in other styles like karate, I read my opponent(s) better in their incremental shifts in their body. The constant practice in moving my body helps me in pacing my body to my opponent(s). You became more aware of the weight distribution as you are moving around. Aikido was still a bit too technical for me to remember the names of everything I was taught and the how, but I understand the idea of the techniques and why they are done. BJJ for me taught me more direct techniques that would and could hurt someone if I was not careful. When you are on the mat, you have to submit your opponent or they will get you to submit. There's more living rolling/sparring. You either succeed or you don't. You can get resistance and roll like you would in a real fight, stimulated fights. I remember just trying to last for the whole round or just trying to get out of their hold on me. I am still 100% more comfortable on my feet.

[@mizukarate]

My main teacher unfortunately looked down on mixing because he feared losing students. He was a Great technical Sensei but he had major character flaws. With my students I included and encourage mixing. If one is focused it is a plus and not a negative.

[@SempaiMarc]

Really like this one. I was talking to a student the other day and he asked if he could help teach how to fall. I told him fine. I feel that if you can't learn from other martial artists, then you're truly not a martial artist. I've been training for over 40 years, many styles from a kid in Gary, In, to my time in the army, then training here in Massachusetts. "I teach you a way. Not the way." That's what I tell my students. Learn where you can.

[@zepelinfloyd1234]

Personally I started training in a southern shaolin style, then did Krav Maga, wrestling, northern shaolin, sanda, aikido and now currently taekwondo. The main reason for all of my switching was financial struggle and my parents moving, so I was never able to advance to a high rank in any of these arts (except wrestling). It has been very interesting looking at the beginning levels of each of these arts. I have repeatedly found that they tend to have similar if not the same basic concepts and movements, however they often have little intricacies that separate them, sometimes even taking opposite views on specific things like foot placement in stances or kicking technique. As far as effectiveness, I have noticed my sparring has improved continually regardless of what I’ve been training. I think the feel of my style has changed over time but the main factor I’ve recognized is that the more combat training I do, regardless of style, the more effective I am at fighting.

[@charliesimar7541]

Great perspective! I trained in Tae Kwon Do 35 years ago, took a long break, then started Shotokan almost two years ago. At first I had quite a bit of unlearning to do because the old muscle memory caused confusion with what I was learning. Fortunately, this didn't last long and I was able to progress rapidly. I think it's all good.

[@MountainAdventures1]

We have a student at our school that is doing exactly the opposite of what you did. It's really fascinating to see his Shotokan approach and how it translates to our system.

[@edrichlouw1790]

It’s the reverse for me😂, I’m doing ITF now

[@Docinaplane]

That's interesting because, as In understand it, the original TKD was mostly based on Shotokan.

[@MountainAdventures1]

​@@Docinaplane It's true that Shotokan has a large influence on Tang Soo Do, which has a large influence on TKD. The difference though is that Tang Soo Do also has a basis in Tai Chi, therefore Tang Soo Do and TKD interpret Shotokan moves with more flow and circular movement, whereas Shotokan is very direct and straight-line oriented.

[@Kamingo170]

I did taekwondo, American Kenpo (favorite Martial art to this day), kickboxing, and shotokan

[@dejohnnelacy254]

My sister dis tang soo do which the same as shatokan

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It's based on Shotokan but it's not exactly the same.

[@mdurst2009]

I am a 2nd dan in Tae Kwon Do but now I do BJJ and Muay Thai. I love it. BJJ is a whole different, amazing world, and TKD and Muay Thai blend together so well.

[@timlinator]

I'm a big advocate of cross training. I've trained in Boxing, Karate, TKD, BJJ, Kickboxing and Aikido and learned something from all of them. I currently train in Karate and BJJ. I think Karate has a lot of great techniques for stand up fighting/defense and BJJ for the ground.

[@AndrewAttard78]

Something I really like about taekwondo is it's so kick heavy that you need to cross train to be complete. One day I'd like to take American boxing to round out my striking.

[@gustavoadolfovasquezperdom1208]

I study tkd wt and Hapkido, and I've been talking to my tkd master in order to send to hkd classes the advance students, as hkd is pure personal defense, and they already have enough development to deepen another aspects behind the sport.

[@eclipse4269]

My kenpo school also has a Brazilian jiu jitsu class and it's great it gets a lot of the kids to cross train between the two arts, it is also very convenient every class is 45 mins so after bjj u can just go to kenpo. I would recomand any school that does this

[@gustavoadolfovasquezperdom1208]

What an interesting approach, thanks for sharing!

[@KurtAngle89]

It's very interesting you made a second video to explain better what came up in the first one. It is another example of how good a sensei you are. Cross training seems to be high nowadays, however, it's one year and half that i read and write on Quora, and there's a lot of people in their 60's and 70's who have cross trained their entire life, even in a period where it was not easy to find a dojo, or was apparently less accepted than nowadays. It's really interesting to notice

[@fgconnolly4170]

I do taekwondo but my Grandmaster has a blackbelt in Hanmudo, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Kyusho jitsu and Judo. he says crosstraining is a great Idea as long u stay focused on each art in particular.

[@Manny671]

Muy bueno tu video, me gusto y pude encuadrar perfectamente en el. Yo practique TKD por casi 35 años y desde hace algunos años he hecho crosstraining, probé el aikido, tome un diplomado de hapkido e incluso un curso básico de judo, sin embargo donde me clave fue en el kenpo karate americano, en unas semanas presentare mi examen de cinturon cafe. Porque decidi hacer crosstraining? Muy sencillo, el TKD ya no me estaba dando lo que yo quería. El TKD evoluciono en un juego (tag game) mas que otra cosa y dejado de lado el aspecto marcial y sobre todo la defensa personal. Mi arte marcial base es el antiguo karate coreano/tae kwon do y siendo cinturon negro 3er dan en ello me ayudo mucho mi arte marcial base para entender muy bien el kenpo karate. Mi meta a largo plazo es certificarme como cinturón negro en Kenpo Karate Americano. Debo decir que el kenpo karate Americano te hace untraje a la medida, pues el mio es una mezcla de TKD/HKD/JUDO Y KENPO y la verda me ha gustado mucho.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Very nice and I'm really happy to hear that and that you are liking Kenpo. Best of luck for your Brown Belt exam!

[@williamw1332]

Very cool topic Dan Sensei! 😁👍 I have been training in multiple arts for many years. I DO remember that we were discouraged from training in a different dojo of the same art (Judo, Ju Jutsu). I surmise that the particular Ryu style and techniques would be a distinguishing mark on the student, especially when competing. I love that about the martial arts...being able to go to different places and training in the same art, but with a slightly different style. Nowadays, I can tell where, how long, and when, a student trained...and sometimes with a particular Sensei, just based on their Waza...at least in the few arts I trained in.

[@michaelbatts7149]

I visited a dojo once and spoke with the sensei. It was a Shotokan dojo. The instructor told me that he also studied Wing Chun and Shaolin. He told me that Shotokan might be a good start for me. I wanted to study karate but I knew that I wanted to be proficient in more than one system. Wing Chun for the close quarter fighting and Northern Shaolin Long Fist for the culture and weaponry.

[@frankcastle8363]

I started with Kyokushin and after getting my black belt I started to cross train with Muay Thai along with BJJ and many years later I switched to Krav Maga. I’m currently a Krav Maga instructor and I also feed my students options based on the other arts I’ve trained.

[@KungFuCooter]

I really enjoyed this topic. It got me to thinking about my own training. I'm a 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo and it's my foundation. Over the years I've trained with people in other styles and even joined classes and cross trained. I have earned belts in Hapkido and Judo but also trained in kickboxing , boxing, jui jujitsu and took some mma classes. They were all great experiences where I went in with the white belt mentality looking to learn and better myself not show off or try to create a whole new style. The only negative experience that I ever had was when I decided that instead of driving 30 miles to my school I'd join the local karate school with my 6 year old son. Well every time I turned around I was being corrected and told that everything I had learned in Taekwondo was and every class more time was spent on fighting instead of actually learn technique and build skill. Each and every class I would have to fight a bigger and more aggressive student until I had finally beat them all. Then I had to fight the instructor. He was enjoying himself and showing off to his other students. I minded my time and when I saw the spot and attacked taking over the match and making him steady retreat he called a end to the match and declared himself victor. What worse was my son instruction. He spent almost no time teaching my son. When he asked questions the instructor would make him sit against the wall and watch the other kids train. This wasn't cool and at the end of the month we quite. I went back to my Taekwondo school and I started a kids class for my son and a couple of his friends. I teach it at home in my gym for free. If you look at my channel you'll see my last instructional video was filmed partially during our class. I wasn't sad when 6 months later the school closed. And I'm much happier with the classes I'm taking and teaching now. Although you video has me wanting to return to another grappling class. Thanks for this video I really enjoyed it and if you get a chance pop over and please tell me what you think of my channel.

[@nealpeterson9714]

The Shout out to Ameri-do-te is one of the many reasons why I love you man! Thank you, you give out good well thought out information.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Well I mean it IS the best of all and worst of none!

[@primordial.sounds]

I know a few martial artists and they all seem hooked on it. By that I mean, once they master one art almost all of them move onto another art. I think focusing on one art at a time is probably most beneficial. If you remember me from previous comments, you know I choose to train in Krav Maga as my first art. I know a few Krav black belts that have gone onto BJJ, it seems to be a common transition. My Krav instructor is a pretty good BJJ practitioner and he has incorporated some of the most essential groundfighting techniques into the Krav curriculum. Traditional Krav Maga is pretty comprehensive, it does include some ground fighting, but it still can use improvements, like expanding on the groundwork aspect. We don't want to end up on the ground, because our opponent could be armed or have accomplices nearby, but sometimes that's unavoidable.

[@primordial.sounds]

I seem to have gotten off track a bit. My outlook on cross-training is that it can be great if done right. I agree that learning multiple arts at the same time could be confusing and detrimental to our progress in either or both. I love martial arts in general, so I plan to learn some other arts, but not until I have mastered my current art. Fun fact: Krav Maga is known to be heavy on the "martial" and light on the "art". I do respect and appreciate the artsy side of more traditional fighting styles.

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

I don’t have to cross train when I’m fortunate enough that the lineage I train in covers most mainstream martial arts. Karate, tang soo do, boxing, kenpo, BJJ, etc. Although after a few years I do want to branch out and compete in kyokushin to test what I’ve learned Edit: kajukenbo is so close to describing what my school does. Mr Norris practiced all of these, and our tournaments are a shotokan kind of point scoring system. I always learn a lot watching you and sensei Seth. Thanks for your vids

[@kracylatin01]

Great Segment: I have a black belt in Choy Lay Fut, Kung Fu as my first Art; Later I learned Tae Kwon Do until I got a Red Belt in the art; I did 7 years in Muay Thai and 8 years in boxing; Now I'm learning Brazilian jujitsu. What discovered was that I can never learn enough. I have achieved a Blue belt 2nd rank in the art and I'm still training everyday in the art. I also noticed that what you said is true. I noticed all the arts I studied each had a flaw.No art is prefect. Now learning BJJ I noticed that my striking experience did not really help leaning BJJ but the mind set in learning is the same. I'm very glad you brought this subject to light.

[@christianbrady8585]

I find that learning more then one style really makes you open your mind to the similarities between and the the otherwise not noticed ideas. Being in an FMA and also a jkd (teacher didn't want to bring it into the criteria but I persuaded him and it worked out great). I started in akido before going to his classes in FMA. Loved the "like in X this is used in this way" made me feel like a kid again in a good way.

[@slipknot666721]

I did tae kwon do for 12 years but i did take a 4 year break from martials arts due to moving to my university. i have started training in MMA gym where muay thai is the basis and i have ran into trouble bc things that might be ok to do in TKD will get you in trouble in muay thai. the biggest problem i had was with stances, in TKD you can afford to stand side on to your sparring partner since you can't kick to the leg but in MMA it's encourage. I've also had some trouble with kicks since they kick differently then what am use to and grappling/ ground fighting still seems like magic to me. but i am loving it, am learning new skills and am learning ways to make my TKD work against other styles. I didn't cross train when i was in TKD due to being younger (so parents were paying) and my teacher had the hole TKD should be your one art. looking back i wished i had cross trained more so i could be a more complete martial artist. so yeah doing MMA and cross training has shown me that my skills are not very versatile and that i have a lot to learn about self defense and martial arts them self.

[@neoravencroft]

I wish I had the time and resources to cross train in another Art. I train Muay Thai and wanted to go into Judo, but my city only has one club and they have limited hours, plus my work schedule conflicts with it.

[@primordial.sounds]

I know a few people with similar situations and they have found online training to be useful.

[@deancoleman7104]

I'm the opposite I do judo but I so badly want to pick up a contact stand up fighting art but they're all expensive to do

[@dejohnnelacy254]

I want do learn Muay Thai an then boxing an then Judo

[@TheOriginalPain18]

Judo and Muay Thai would be interesting. In Muay Thai hip throws aren't allowed in the clinch and judo has a lot of hip throws.

[@neoravencroft]

@@TheOriginalPain18 This is correct. However, I enjoy broadening my skill sets with new skills for versatility

[@jakmak52]

Well done video Mr Dan I don't know if I mention it before or not, actually 27 years from 1994 - 2012, being a 3rd Dan in ITF TKD and a 2nd Dan in Shotokan, but I cross train in both taekwondo and shotokan 3 years for taekwondo and 3 years for Shotokan. My preferred tournament kata is the Shotokan's Bassai Dai. It's 41 years old I joined a dojo called USA Karate in St Petersburg Florida we have to know nine katas and then once you get first degree black belt in order to get a second degree black belt you had to learn a harder kata and so on and so forth and move every 2 years to the next level I stopped at 5th Dan at the age of 60. Oh, what funny it was !!

[@matthewalicea4860]

I agree with you when you say that no one art can be good at everything. I know because I started in Taekwondo, and although the kicks were good, it was lacking in punches and ground fighting techniques. Nowadays, Taekwondo is still my base, but I've also trained in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu jitsu these last few years. I hope I can learn how to fight against weapons too.

[@romansempire6214]

I’m currently a BJJ student but I plan on cross training in Kenpo. I have to do it online because there are no Kenpo schools. I am doing it for the standup confidence and I love the art and science of Kenpo. I think I’ll be fine

[@angelis745]

I came from a Shotokan Background but found that due to my flexibility, I performed well in Tang So Do (I hold belts in both). Also with a wrestling background, judo and jujitsu came easy. I used to tell my students learn everything you can from other systems and incorporate what they can use.

[@Dj_lilfate]

I started off training in tkd, but ended up starting a family and stop training. Recently I got into muay thai and rejoined tkd to help improve my kicks. And I have entered a tkd tournament next month while I wait for a muay thai fight

[@erickeblesh7019]

I completely agree with cross training. I have a foundation in Kuk sool won, a traditional Korean system which was good but very commercialized. Now I train in 5 ancestors fist, the southern Shaolin system and have mixed them and it compliments very well! 5 ancestors is close quarters and trapping but not much kicking. And now I'm training in judo to throw after I trap with my Kung Fu!

[@silvertigeronthewall]

Having attended multiple schools and cross training has definitely helped round me out in terms of self defense, fighting, art, and personal growth. I've got an eclectic blend of kempo, a krav maga hybrid, aikido, and my current base of Tang Soo Do with a sprinkle of knowledge from other arts as well. I find the benefits of cross training outweigh any potential risks. Also of importance, it's fun and is a great way to form and maintain relationships with people in the martial arts community.

[@josephspring2556]

Nice my two main bases are boxing and Taekwondo international style. I coach both but I've cross trained in BJJ now starting my 7th month, Silat and Kali 8 months, Muay Thai and judo. I taught a children self defense for over 3 years and learned 3 shotokan katas when teaching for someone else. I mostly mix international style Tae Kwon Do and boxing but mix small parts of the other arts. Been coaching boxing since 2001 and Tae Kwon Do since 2002. Took over the class in 2003.

[@Silver99_YT]

I believe everyone should master atleast one art, and learn about others. Not just to broaden their skillset, but to recognize different styles incase they fight/spar someone that uses them. Another possibility that an instructor may have an issue with cross training is not wanting their student to develope "bad" habits from another school and bring it into their classes, and/or every instructors favorite phrase "When I was taught [this/that]...." I may contradict the lesson you're teaching, slow down the class, or even worse cause the students to question the validity of the school. Great video!

[@kenpofred]

For self defense purposes, my training philosophy is I train kenpo for stand up as my base art , BJJ for ground defense, Arnis De Mano and staff training for Weapons. I would personally reccomend getting grounded with a core art before cross training. Great video!

[@PrinceReggie624]

I like cross training. When I was doing Taekwondo and Shotokan, I was liking it. They were very similar and when I went to my taekwondo class, we used some the methods to improve the moves. Like the use of the flexibility of the hips to improve the kicks.

[@BlackFolioStudios]

I started in Shotokan Karate until I received the my black belt. I spent some time in wrestling during that time so I felt I had a good mix of stuff. I went to Tae Kwon Do but.found it too similar to karate and moved on to Jujitsu and Aikido. My focus lately has been boxing and Wing Chun. I just love them all!

[@DanielSmith-pq4yc]

A great video I like the martial art and language comparison it works really well. Lot of good points raised I glad I watched.

[@jasonschrafft1451]

I study tkd but i also did kyokushinkaikan in japan for three years i found they actually complimented each other, plus did a little bit of wing chun and Brazilian jujitsu, Muay thai and free style kickboxing but mainly i stick to tkd and kyokushinkaikan, but they all are enjoyable to train

[@elwinbrake2695]

I got very Lucky I am a man with Cerebral Palsy who started in a blend of Kenpo and Tang Soo do but my instructor started his career in Judo and Jujutsu and he sprinkled Judo into the art to give us an advantage... but as I grew in the art through my experience combined with my instructor's experience we ended up making Judo and Jujutsu my base art because it made good sense for me... we basically reversed the priority of what it was when I started, but, that was after years and my instructor getting to know my situation deeply and developing my skill to the point where we could work together and tailor it to me.

[@brauliochavez2231]

my main art is tkd ( yes is a real art and yes we do train more than kicks ), but i knew it was incomplete, we had throws, and punches, and kicks, and joint locks elbows and knees etc, but i still knew i wasnt getting complete just in tkd, so i went away for a bit, learned more, and not just martial arts, i learned mediciine, phisics etc, alll to apply to my art, some karate, some muy thai. whenever i get ask what my art is ( not that it happens a lot ) i always say my main is tkd, because thats the truth, but that doesnt mean thats all there is, and now i cross spar with my friends from karate, and boxing and so on, is so much fun and is great because at first i was so surprised with the leg takedowns, now they tell me is hard to do them to me because the openings are almost not there, so yeah, cross sparring did made me more complete, and iam still not done have fun training

[@berniekatzroy]

I train shotokan and bjj, its not always easy but its great to have a standing and ground game. Time is a big factor but I do my best to make it work. I have a lot of respect for you because you're open to doing more than one. I used to do kenpo and bjj but my kenpo teacher had that same mentality of doing something else outside even while I was doing bjj simultaneously. There was also a mcdojo mentality to it.

[@clarencesheets3163]

I teach Jujitsu and we encourage our student to go cross train at other schools, when they get profession enough in our style so they don’t get hurt, but we want them to bring back what they learned, to make our school better. We have added a lot from different karate schools, bjj, judo, aikido, daito ryu, and evening kenjitsu. The only bad thing I have with cross training is burn out from doing it to much.

[@bajou4668]

I am doing German Ju-Jutsu. Our Trainer sometimes does lessons in Pekiti, a version of PMA, for stick or knife fighting. I recently had a belt test with one part ground fighting, to prove being capable. One of my "opponents" came from BJJ, so I had a hard time. My goal was quickly not to win, rather not to tap out until time was over. If I manage to do some additional training with a bjj class my trainer would approve it.

[@sirdeetoh]

I started judo at 7, then at 9 moved to JJJ until 10, the school closed and moved to TKD util 19. 2 years ago I started judo again, and 6 months ago TKD to get my 1st dan, I’m 38 now, training 4-6 days per week and quite happy. When you love martial arts is very nice to learn different styles.

[@iansinclair6256]

The one warning i got for cross training. Is be careful you don't become a jack of all trades, but a master of none. This was about building solid understanding of the system you are in, mastering it. Not just learning some of the basics of it, but a deeper understanding. But the pro's for me, is a better appreciation and understanding of other arts and training methods.

[@iansinclair6256]

Over the years i have done. Taekwondo (12yrs) Bujinkan (7yrs) BJJ (1 year) Eskrima (1.5yrs) I don't do Taekwondo anymore. I do mostly eskrima and Bujinkan under a master.

[@AikidoScholar]

Cross training has been the best choice I've ever made, definitely. After practicing aikido for 20 years (still practicing nowadays and being instructor myself) I added BJJ/Grappling a year ago. For now I haven't found cons in this cross training. I have found that both arts mix perfectly and you can take concepts from one to another if you understand how both work, so its being a constant feedback from one to another. Nice video!

[@michaelwatson7847]

very good video, he explained it so well. I trained in Taekwondo for 9 years (on and off) before I switched to Wing Chun because I was getting bored with TKD and wanted to do something new, as good as I was in TKD, I was frustrated with lacked some of techniques such as punching, blocking kicks, low kicks, wearing body guards etc. I'm learning Wing Chun and Chin'na for 2 years now and honestly I felt like I learned alot and feel like I'm learning alot of techniques that i need to know that were lacking in TKD. it really tone my skills as martial artist, it gave me different perspective. however when one of my master from TKD dojang found out about it, he wasn't too happy about it and he wasn't big fan of Sifu because Sifu hit students as part of training it's not like he was abusive about it but want us to learn how to take a hit, also my Sifu doesn't really hit that much and my master tried to say they (wing chun school) "made fun of taekwondo" or bad mouthing other martial arts styles, i was like wtf because whole time i'm with them, they haven't say anything about it and I'm like there's not really much different when there's full contact sparring..taking hits in TKD tournament, boxing and old school karate does same thing too so his logic doesn't make any sense to me. I still respect that master but I kinda feel like he made himself look bad though. I have met TKD ist before who think students should studying same style unless master of that school pass away or something which I disagreed on that one. life is too short for that kind of stuff, I want to be more knowledge full and more well rounded fighter. I'd love to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for ground base and Kyokushin or Goju Ryu Karate for their training someday. just one style a a time.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

That's a great approach and I'm glad your finding styles that mix well. Wing Chun and TSD seem like an interesting mix. I like your attitude and I wish you the absolute best in your training :)

[@wjjwTheDemigod]

The biggest problem I found in cross training is learning how much is really out there and wanting to learn more and more.

[@alejandromoreno6364]

I've practiced Haidong Gumdo for 12 years and I did Point Fighting Karate for 1 year, unfortunately the dojo closed, so I joined a boxing gym. They say I have an "unorthodox" style, I'm right handed but I feel much more comfortable on a south-paw stance and I can throw punches from unusual angles. It works wonders when I spar

[@elliottturnage565]

Taekwondo 6 years hapkido 7 years judo 3 years , still working on trying to combine it.

[@robertnguyen9493]

Philip Rhee after determining that Tae Kwon Do had great kicks, but was lacking in hand techniques, so he incorporated western boxing, and round it out he added in Hapkido and even his brother Simon, who is also from Tae Kwon Do, had done training in Muay Thai. They found a weakness in their art and they strengthen it! Great video, great stuff!

[@blaa443blaa2]

I am a crosstrainer myself. I originally did taekwondo as a teen, then a bit boxing. Then a long break and some years ago started taekwondo again. I have got a good basis and fitness from taekwondo, including body control , mobility and kind of a good basic karate basis also. I noticed finally this autumn, when I actually started crosstraining karate, that I have been doing karate all the time. It's not a leap from taekwondo to karate, they have just a different emphasis. After doing taekwondo again couple of years I started defendo ( a krav maga kind of variant ) , which let me to relearn the boxing fundamentals and combine that into my kicking, which resulted in ok kickboxing capability. Also a lot of good self defence basics and skills with some grappling. Now I'm trying to combine capoeira with my taekwondo , hapkido and karate training. ( I see taekwondo, karate and hapkido as one art ) This is still on early phase, so can't tell anything of it. Idea is that in order to keep my mobility and fitness, I have to do capoeira, or maybe some ground graplling, as these straigt forward , karate styles , although versatile, aren't that flowing and kinda make you stiff in the long run. And yeah, I do aikido too. The karate club also offers combined judo and bjj training, so they can be in the future also. Aikido , capoeira and hapkido mix up really well. Also , some Philippine martial arts combine really well with capoeira, as the movement philosophy is quit similar. Kicks are the same in capoeira, karate and taekwondo.. hapkido and aikido are almost a same art..

[@contraversialwhy]

Is that Ed parker and elvis in the pictures on the wall? Loved your video by the way. 😁

[@samuraiking4525]

I’ve crossed trained since almost the beginning and I highly recommend it my main art is Tae Kwon Do but I’ve mixed boxing kickboxing BJJ Tang soo do and combatives and it’s only a good thing especially if you really want to teach your students true self defense it’s the only way your going to get the best results in my opinion

[@cjsher90]

On the subject of the McDojo. I has asked a while back about a certain organization "AmeriKick" to see if you had any advice. Since then, ive been a student under 6th Dan Sensei Mark Gallagher. I can say this. The organization is just that, but the practitioners and Sensei are well experienced and run their dojo fantastically. It would only apear as a mcdojo at first glance, but in reality the organization is just making it possible for good sensei to be able to teach Kenpo in a wide range.

[@cjsher90]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5e7pmWGjs-Ijas For refrence

[@ArtofOneDojo]

This looks very VERY similar to Tracy Kenpo. Is AmeriKick a branch off of that?

[@cjsher90]

@@ArtofOneDojo to my best knowledge, its sorta a mix of Parker and Tracy. But the Sensei are free to teach it their way. And when going between my 5.0 techniques (from the DVDs) and the AmeriKick curriculum, the similarities are uncanny and fundamentals are all the same. And its fun to fuse or compare techniques like "Clutching Feathers" vs "The Sheild". The start is a little different as they serve different purposes, hair grab vs left punch, but they both lead to a R outward block and left Palm strike, then a hammer fist. For me, it's more about the practitioners under my Sensei as well as the chemistry with my Sensei. Thanks for responding Sensei! I hope i could help.

[@georgemac7466]

I have a 1st Dan in Aikido (studied in Japan). Just started ITF Taekwondo, here in the UK. They are totally different, so not confused. But doing just one at a time seems to be easier.

[@djrollins76]

I began in Tae Kwon Do and was trained in Grand Prairie, Tx by an instructor who was trained by Roy D. Kurban in Arlington, Tx. I later moved onto Aikido and was taught by Sensei Rick Sosa in Dallas, Tx.. I love both arts and for me they blend well together. I would love to train in BJJ to add to my repertoire. Don't ever limit yourself to one art. All arts a beautiful in their own way, just find what works for you and go for it. As for the loyalty aspect, I understand, but you are paying them to teach you. They have their money and if you want to learn from someone else and pay them too, neither instructor should have a say so.

[@weredevil616]

Best way to cross train for me personally is one striking one one grappling. At the moment I’m doing Muay Thai and Judo. I see the cons where your studying two karate styles at the same time.

[@jjooee1199]

From my experience I would definitely say to train one art first then add additional arts when you feel you have a good basis. I started out doing Krav Maga and Japanese JiuJitsu at the same time. A lot of Krav techniques are derivative of JiuJitsu so I did have some confusion and ended up performing techniques at a subpar level. I think this may be what people mean when they say that you may do the wrong technique? Not sure on that one. Definitely find an art you like, definitely get a foundation, definitely cross train when you get your wits about you. I'm lucky enough to be part of a school where the instructor trains crazy amounts of different arts on the side.

[@Kristofferan]

Thanks again, as always, for a good informative video! :) A wish for future episodes on Art of One Dojo would be that you created instructional videoes of different excercies on how to learn Kenpo for home-training. Im thinking about kata-forms, solo drills, etc. Really hope to see that in the future! :) Keep up the good work! ^^

[@ArtofOneDojo]

This is a fine line, I'm not sure I want to teach kenpo on the channel, or maybe only in small amounts but it is something I've considered for Patreon. You might like the collaboration I did with Sensei Ichi, when we compared Kenpo to Tang Soo Do in our basic techniques.

[@adrianhipolito1667]

I'm a tradesman by profession, so I understand the benefit of having more tools to use. That's why I encourage cross training; adding more tools to your toolbox. My foundation is Kajukenbo, and I supplement it with Boxing and Eskrima.

[@tokenstandpoint93]

I love Oyama Karate (A Kyokushin offshoot) especially since my Sensei runs things in a way that going to fun, challenging and has a genuine family feel. Then again we do have a credible combative reputation. That said I intend to cross train in Boxing next year. After asking my Sensei he was cool with it but said he'd require me to compete in more tournaments. He also said that my fitness requirements for promotion will more stricter and harder then what he would expect from other 7th-4th kyu ranks depending on how long I was cross training.

[@casualtom82]

Excellent discussion. Yeah, an inexperienced student who's just getting started would probably be spreading themselves a bit too thin if they joined two schools concurrently, even if the styles they're training in are very different. And I get how someone who's more experienced and training in very similar styles, or even the same style, but under two different teachers could ruffle their own teacher's feathers, especially if they are out of network. Worst thing you can do though, is show off too much of what you learned in one school while you're in another school. When you walk through that door, you're their student and you will be expected to give your best effort to follow their instructions and move like they move.

[@MarioUcomics]

One con is that once your start going to multiple schools and your not putting in the right amount of time to learn a certain art since have work and other responsibilities outside of martial arts. Make sure you pace yourself and if you feel like you have to stop training in one style for the moment, that's ok. I decided to give Kyokushin and Aikijujutsu a break since my schedule didn't allow me to attend classes that often where Brazilain Jujutsu and Shuai Jiao have classes where I could work around my current life style without me feeling like I'mm over spending and not actually training

[@martintanz9098]

I trained Tang Soo Do for 3 years as a teenager. I switched to Tae Kwon Do 2 years ago because when I looked around, there were no Tang Soo Do schools in my area, and only 2 TSD schools in my entire state. But Tae Kwon Do is pretty close. I would argue that as much as TSD is based off Shotokan, TKD is based off TSD.

[@edrichlouw1790]

Martin Tanz both are based on shotokan, tkd shares the creator of tsd so there’ll be many similarities but I don’t think anyone has ever bought the tkd being derived from tsd except for tsd guys

[@lennycarter23]

Interesting

[@martintanz9098]

@@edrichlouw1790 Well, I am a TKD guy who thinks it. Before there was TKD, there were the original 5 Kwans. And they all practiced Tang Soo Do and as far as I know, all did the Pinan forms and Bassai. Then the South Korean regime wanted to unify the Korean martial arts under one unbrella, and renamed the unified art Tae Kwon Do. Then they started changing the forms. I practice the ITF forms now and I can tell you at least the 5 or 6 beginning ones are similar, and in some cases almost identical to the earlier Pinan forms. I would go so far as to say they are based on the Pinan, or Pyong Ahn forms.

[@danielsampson6397]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Some people are so sure they have the perfect art, but it is just as important to know what you don't know. Real mark of a warrior is knowing your weakness and working on it. Also great point in varying the training Grappling and striking art vs two different forms of karate. Ameridote is the only perfect art. Restomp the groin!

[@matthewjones9099]

That was a very discussion on the martial arts!!! :D

[@stevebrindle1724]

I am now 67yrs old and have been training for 50yrs, 15yrs Wjig Chun, WTF TKD reaching 3rd dan and yoga and tai chi all the way through! The most profound thing, taught to me as part of a TKD black belt class by master Kim Yong Ho, 8th dan was that all martial arts are 80% the same! The 20% difference being the techniques of the art, the 80% sameness being relaxation and breathing!

[@bookworm3756]

I'm not crosstrianing right now because I'm trying to focus in on one right. I asked my Sensei and he said crosstrianing is important but since I'm still getting a basis it's important to be able to get proficient enough that I can see why my deficiencies are before I crosstrain. Everyone in my dojo that crosstrains does different things because they figured out what their own specific needs were.

[@goktimusprime]

I think the greatest thing about cross training is testing how your existing style and skill set would work against fighters of different styles, because in a real fight it's extremely unlikely that the attacker will do the exact same art that you do! I think there are benefits in seeing how others fight in order to learn how to counter them. As Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, know your enemy. The main down side I've experienced with cross training is cost. It is more expensive to cross train unless you're lucky enough to have the chance to do it for free (e.g. spar with friends who do different arts).

[@stevebrindle1724]

To all the students of this instructor, you are lucky he is very good, great attitude to training!

[@BChan1991]

i started out in krav now i do boxing, judo, and bjj since krav is a mixture of styles, i figured focusing on the technical aspects will make my krav stronger not really sure how one could get confused

[@jamiirali1]

In regards to cross training and getting confused about what to do in a fight you would naturally fall back on the one you have the most experience in... My first exposure to the martial arts was Jeet kune do and cabales serrada escrima...when I was training under a teacher who studied both sayoc and pekiti tirsia Kali it was a little awkward because the serrada was a bit different than sayoc/pekiti tirsia and after about 1 month of training we were expected to demonstrate what we learned in his class in an all out sparring session....In my opinion it was far too soon so when paired up with another student I reverted to my former systems....as a matter of fact we all did which was upsetting to our teacher but that's the reality of the situation because prior to that we never sparred and plus the other students did not have a Filipino martial arts background like I did and under pressure naturally I had to do what was ingrained..but had he at least let us have more than 1 months training under him we would have performed better so I have to say that if you train to a level of proficiently in several arts then you will fall back on those techniques that immediately come natural regardless of style.

[@michaeltrujillo6799]

I just started back in training with taekwondo after 29 years. Once I get my black belt, I totally want to learn karate. 🇰🇷🥋🇯🇵 I want to finish my training with taekwondo because I have a history of good memories. I want to learn karate because I’m fascinated with Japanese culture.

[@johnivanisin393]

Great info as always. I have trained Anerican Kenpo as well as Chinese Kenpo (IKCA). I would like to start getting more into the spiritual aspect of Martial Arts. I would really like to see some a video on Tai Chi or "Zen" in the martial arts. (Reference to the book) but ultimately combining the spirit to the mind and body. Love your channel! Thanks!

[@Kobra18721]

I cross train myself I used to trained in wing chun until the school closed down and then I trained in taijutsu until my sensei moved and I had a falling out with his senior student he left in charge but I like learning the culture in tradition arts and i like learning different techniques

[@shotokankaratedude89]

I did karate taekwondo judo Braziliaans jiu jitsu boxing and kickboxing.

[@taekwondomaster4609]

Mind me asking has anyone ever told you that you look just like Louie Anderson from the cartoon, “Life with Louie.” You look just like him. I mean that in a flattering way because that was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. All of my students love ❤️ you Sensei Dan. We always look forward to your videos.

[@CoppertoneTim]

I looked at 50 schools before I happened on my teacher. And only because I saw my boss doing forms during a break. My instructor is open to cross studies. I certainly feel loyal, but even more lucky to be around a huge population of well respected martial artists, and an open community that shares. I didn't get the same kind of respects or opportunities in other states. In this community, Arnis/Eskrima, Aikido, Kung-Fu, Tai-Chi Chuan, Jujitsu (BJJ, and Combat Jujitsu), Kempo, Boxing, Kali, and Catch Wrestling. Once you have a base knowledge of body mechanics, there are similar functions or movements, but the applications and intended science behind each discipline gives you that extra sauce. I must say, for me, the most beneficial, and still to this day, most difficult art, is Tai-Chi. After studying for 6 months, my Hard Arts became much more fluid and powerful, as just a side-effect. I appreciate the videos, keep them coming... IMHO

[@jeremiahwhite2249]

I would avoid as a newbie trying to similar Arts. I would begin by becoming proficient with one or taking two completely different styles to avoid confusion.

[@hugomauriciobautistaalvare3016]

I was training about 15 years Kung Fu, and then i stop training, now im 36 years old and now im training Kyokushinkai Karate.

[@senseiSinclair]

As long as you have good enough foundations in a martial art, cross training is fine. It is often best to make sure they are different enough not to confuse the methods. I cross train in a couple of arts. Bujinkan, Eskrima. I have done Taekwondo many years ago. I have also done some BJJ before. Having versatility of options is a useful thing for self defense purposes.