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Old 03-15-2015, 01:01 PM   #24
Peter Boylan
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 291
United_States
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Re: Do You Go To Seminars Outside Your Style?

Quote:
Tim Ruijs wrote: View Post
Traditionally, you seek out for a teacher. During this period it is allright to go to different seminars as you are still 'shopping'. After perhaps two, three years you should know what you are looking for and commit to a teacher and work with him. During this period it would be rather strange to visit other teachers (outside your lineage). When you feel your current teacher cannot help you progress, it is time to seek out another...your relation has naturally ended.
When in doubt, contact your teacher and see what he thinks.
Tim, I'm not sure where this tradition you mention is from. It's certainly not from traditional Japan. People often cross trained there. In fact, cross training and challenge matches (not duels) were so common that many dojo in the pre-modern era required oaths to not engage in inter-art matches. Within Aikido, training in multiple arts was closer to the norm during Ueshiba's lifetime than not. Look at Tomiki, Mochizuki, Inaba, Nishio, Ueshiba Kisshomaru and others. Most of Ueshiba's students in the pre-War period were accomplished martial artists before they started training, and many continued training in other arts after beginning Aikido.

Training in other arts and styles gives you new perspective on what you are doing. It doesn't negate it, it supplements your understanding so you can learn more deeply.

Peter Boylan
Mugendo Budogu LLC
Budo Books, Videos, Equipment from Japan
http://www.budogu.com
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