cross training
 

I am thinking of taking an jujitsu class once a week in addition to my two aikido classes, I was wondering if people think this is a good idea, or a bad idea? also if anyone has any experience with somthing like this.
thanks

Re: cross training
 

Why not do a third aikido class? :)

Re: cross training
 

more of anything and everything is good for your practice... generally speaking of course...

Re: cross training
 

Wider perspectives usually are better than narrower ones, imho, of course.

Re: cross training
 

Well none really run at convienient times for me, except for sunday morning class, but more often than not I am in no shape for that, due to roadieing for a friend of mines band more saturday nights than not, I am probably going to add those when I get closer to testing, and also I kinda want to add something a little different.



yeah that was my thought about it

Re: cross training
 

Well, I was kind of making a joke.

All flippancy aside, there are many pros and cons to taking up other arts in addition to X (be it aikido or whatever), and no doubt this type of thread has been done to death before.

At the end of the day you'll either do it, or not, for reasons of your own.

Re: cross training
 

Sorry, sarcasm is sometimes hard to tell on the Internet

Re: cross training
 

Cross training? Isn't that something that Jesus did?

Re: cross training
 

Mark, **that** was funny. But look out, you see what cartoons can do...you keep making jokes like that and they'll be burning you in effigy... :D

Best,
Ron

Re: cross training
 

oohh Mark you are going to HELL... but seriously i see no cons to cross training...

Re: cross training
 

thanks for all the input and the cheesy but funny jokes

Re: cross training
 

Go for it. What's it really going to hurt? You'll get exposed to new ideas and theories and have more training time. This is a bad thing because...?

Re: cross training
 

I've gone from thinking cross training is a pretty good idea, to thinking it's essential. As well as giving you better rounded skills and ideas for application, it will keep your feet on the ground. Any group has their own internal processes which can lead to ideas out of whack with reality. Cross training can protect you from the worst excesses of that by giving you differing paradigms to come from. So you'll most likely take more of the extreme claims from both arts with the appropriate grain of salt.

Re: cross training
 

Thanks again for all the input, I think I will start taking a jujitsu class once a week, I just need to talk to my friend who is in the class and find out what the cost, times etc are going to be

Re: cross training
 

I think it is a good idea to cross-train in jujitsu to augment your Aikido training. I train in Aikido, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Jeet Kune Do, and I feel that my experience with resistence-based training of the latter two arts has improved my Aikido immensely without cultivating the "competitive" or "fighting" mindset that many Aikidoka fear one will acquire with such training.

Temet nosce,
Jim

Re: cross training
 

oh man, my friend who I was going to start doing jujitsu with tore his acl in class last monday....its not going to detuer me from trying it but its just no good

Re: cross training
 

Good idea.

Re: cross training
 

Another perspective.

I did some cross training early on (tai chi, kali) but came to realize that I had far too much to learn about aikido to detract from that learning curve by bringing in other elements. I did find I was using the other art movements to see what I could do from an aikido perspective (nikyo with kali sticks is real painful). I understand the need to keep things relevant and be able to address other issues. However, I admire my sensei's perspective. He did not train in other arts but worked out with other arts to make sure his aikido worked against them. In other words, test your own art and fix what doesn't work or refine it so it does.

When I even watch other arts, I find myself looking for how I would respond from an aikido perspective or how to add an "aiki" element or component to a move or technique that looks effective. It adds to my arsenal not detracts from it. Also, if I were to decide to cross train again, I think I would look at something like daito-ryu or sojutsu or kenjutsu to enhance the elements making up aikido (especially daito-ryu since I'm interested in atemi).

Just my thoughts for whatever they are worth.

Re: cross training
 

i find my cross training in arnis has helped my atemi and set up for aikido techniques... and i really love the nikkyo with stick(s)... but isn't that aikido??? ;-))

Re: cross training
 

Not if you are practicing sticks in a sticks class. My instructor had an interest in what I was doing in Aikido so he'd indulge me in the sticks applications-he liked some of the concepts.

Re: cross training
 

doesn't aikido use sticks... although they are shaped a little different...

Re: cross training
 

Good question! I'm tackling it too right now.

I've been doing aikikai for 8 months, and wanted to extend my studies from twice a week to 4. Since my dojo doesn't offer more classes at evening hours, I added another dojo, with a sensei that teaches Yoshinkan combined with BJJ. The teacher is great but
I find that everything that's right for Aikikai is wrong for yoshinkan and vice versa. The way you stand, roll, fall, even the terminology, everything is fundamentally different.

I sure got a new perspective, but also allot of confusement.

Maybe it was a bad idea?

Re: cross training
 

Roy, I tend to think it was a bad idea. Cross training for different techniques and approaches can be great. Cross training to be taught the *same* technique in a different way, particularly as a beginner, is a recipie for trouble imo.

Re: cross training
 

I tend to agree with Michael, if you do any crosstraining it should be to fill the gaps in Aikido training rather than learning a different way to do the same techniques.

Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or some type of striking art would probably be a better choice since they focus on skills that Aikido does not often cover. But I guess it depends on your goals, more Aikido training is probably better than crosstraining with traditional jujitsu,

Re: cross training
 

i don't think it will do any harm to cross train in other 'styles' of aikido, and the thoughts of training in other arts are good... more aikido and everything else is good...

Re: cross training
 

Cross training is a good idea, especially if you are interested in both arts. You are better off having a better idea of what's out there. Other than that, you may find that what you get out of it is other than what you expected. I say, go for it!

Re: cross training
 

Tai Chi works well, and if you can find a Pa Qua teacher that'd be good too as it's all about the circles :)

A bit of Kung Fu / Wu Shu may help with weapons work...

Re: cross training
 

While a good background in punching and kicking is helpful, I currently prefer cross-train other aikido classes, not necessarily but also other styles. Training with other fellows, other intructructors/explanation, other behaviour (not only etiquette). There are difficulties to master, but for me it seems to help. (3rd kyu level)

Dirk

Re: cross training
 

But if training in a slightly different aikido is confusing, wouldn't training in something completely different be even more so, atleast for a beginner?

Re: cross training
 

Well, Roy, if someone gets confused, I would recommend to stop cross training until he is firm enough in one art.

And directly to your question, it is very difficult to generalise.

For example when I was at school most people did not have problems having maths in one class and history right in the next one, unless they had generally problems with one of them. They are both totally different.
Some people had problems with two different foreign languages directly one after the other, some had problems with maths and physics one after the other, while other students did not face those problems.
So just an idea is that totally different things do not interfere. If they are similar and you have significant problems, you might get confused by too similar environments. If you are doing good in one a similar one could help improving your knowledge in both.

Back to MA. Again, if one faces serious problems, he/she should not multiply them by cross training. If not one should look what is missing, what is lacking. I would recommend any kihon waza (basic technical skills), if you feel you are missing something ("I need kicks") or if you feel, your attacks are not trained well in your aikido class, but need improvement.

Fighting in judo, karate, ju jutsu or kung fu, arnis, bjj, etc. is mostly fine, while I would not comment fighting in competition or preparation for championships. But which one is good or not depends on each one's personality.

And it is a totally different discussion, if someone asks for something additional because of only few aikido classes in the local dojo - as it is here if I recall right - or if one could practise aikido 7 days a week, twice or three times a day, but asks if he/she should add something different.

Dirk

Re: cross training
 

My take on this topic is simple. Yes get as much cross training as you can. to be well rounded tis exelent. I train in Aikido, Taekwondo and Jujitsu, (soon to be mudukkwan). and it works for me. It is realy interesting to me to see different views on diferent martail arts. The people i meet are wonderful and the instructors i interact with are great. when you go in just relax, dont worry about belts or a nother art. just listen and watch. I think you will find great satisfaction in learning more then one art.

Royce Gracie is the man, and he is going to prove it when he fights mat hughes.

Re: cross training
 

thanks again for all the input

Re: cross training
 

Not necessarily. When I first did Aikido, I had been doing karate for about a year and a half; I didn't experience any "confusion," ie drop back with a downward block when I should have tenkaned. If anything, a pivot we did with the inward black HELPED my tenkan, so much so that when he introduced it to the class I was in, Sensei spent about 20 seconds staring at my feet, repeating, "I can't believe you're not having any trouble with it."

I don't think it would be a major problem -- more a minor annoyance. If you want to do something in addition to Aikdo, DO IT! The only obstacles are time, money, and static from one or more of your instructors. If you have the time, you can afford it, and none of your teachers is going to throw you out for doing something different, then go for it!

Re: cross training
 

My aikido group shares space with two Tai Kwon Do schools. I like to think I'm a pretty skilled aikidoka, but I want to know some other stuff. I'm gonna get to hang out with my friends more by taking class with them, but I'm not looking forward to learning korean. :(

Re: cross training
 

Bad idea. You will get confused and the reflexes you develop in one art will make it harder to learn the other. Trust me, I did ju justu for along time and then switched over to aikido. It was so easy to see the similarities but very hard to adjust to what you did at what class.

Re: cross training
 

Your responses and various opinions helped me too, thanks!
I think I'll finish up my month at the yoshinkan dojo and see if I can adjust my schedule to take more Aikikai.

Re: cross training
 

Cross training is great as long as you hold one idea in the back of your mind firmly, Progress comes from the inner development of a "martial body/spirit" from which all techniques originate, so the path is one of throwing away what we have used to arrive there, not endlessly gaining more half understood tricks. Whilst still in the process of "what if this or that?" then cross training can often have an appeal to what is lacking in our deep understanding of the art we practise, rather than in the art itself. Technically there is no system that contains all needed for combat, but all genuine arts contain a path for going beyond techniques if we have the wisdom and stamina to follow it.

Re: cross training
 

Again i feel this is a topic that can only be solved by crtain poeple. People react diferently. for me Being good in one makes me better in the other. Again its up to the person. If you feel you are able to train in multi arts then go for it.

Re: cross training
 

I never had that problem; I think that if it doesn happen, it's overstated. The word "confused" makes it sound as if you show up and have no idea where you are. I doubt that happens in any serious way. And even then, it's momentary. I wouldn't worry about it.

Re: cross training
 

Agreed.