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It's an eclectic art that encompasses throws, kicks, punches, groundfighting, etc etc etc.
What is it really? It's an art that focuses on combat and survival. We practice hard, we practice as real as can be, and we practice on using Ki.
We have all the Aikido throws and Series techniques (Ikkyo-Gokkyo), we have a ton of Kodokan Judo throws, we have all the kicks and punches from Karate and Kung-Fu, we have all the wrestling take downs, we have the groundfighting from BJJ, we have defense and disarming of weapons, we have offense with escrima, bokken, and knives. We have knees and elbows from Muay Thai. We box, we compete in Judo and Sport Jujitsu, we kickbox, we do it all. You name it, we pretty much have it.
I have sought out arts that encompass everything, and I have yet to find one.
When I moved here I had to take Aikido, Judo, and BJJ in order to keep practicing my art. Three arts I had to take, just to get a glimpse of the art I once learned. What does this mean?
Now, most people say this about their art, and most people stand by it.
I honestly do not think there's a comparable art. Does this mean no one can learn anything else? Noooo. I believe the road to discovery is as long as you want it to be, which means there's always something you can learn from someone. When I took Aikido I learned a lot. I learned to focus more so than force. I learned a lot from Aikido. When I took Judo and BJJ I learned that having competition invloved makes your students able to use these techniques for real and train for real (with minimal rules).
Now my Jujitsu has improven because of the arts I have taken afterward. Now all I can do is continue the path to discoery and make myself an even better martial artist.
Now, why is it, even though I have a well rounded art that I need to cross train? Because you can never stop learning and becoming better at martial arts. A lot of people, even here on these boards get so caught up in one art, they lose something so great that the rest of the arts have to offer. If you focus on one thing, you are going to lose out on the rest.