# Cross training?



## astrobiologist (Jan 29, 2009)

Just curious...  Outside of Tang Soo Do, do any of you cross train in other styles? Or have you found any other styles that you think complement TSD?

I have trained in Japanese Jujitsu (about a year), Isshinryu, and Okinawan Kobujutsu (just getting started in both).  I haven't formally trained in Shotokan, but I think any TSD practitioner would learn a lot about the history of their art if they crosstrained or at least spent some time with some Shotokan practitioners.


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## dancingalone (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm not a TSD guy, but I teach goju-ryu.  I also study aikido and white crane formally.  And yes, I do recommend cross-training for students, once they attain a sound level of understanding in their primary art.

I believe any of the jujutsu-derived arts like aikido or judo or even jujutsu proper would greatly benefit any person in TSD or TKD.  I would recommend all of these ahead of hapkido only because many hapkido schools already do quite a bit of kicking themselves, and you're already getting plenty of this training from TSD itself.


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## astrobiologist (Jan 30, 2009)

dancingalone said:


> I believe any of the jujutsu-derived arts like aikido or judo or even jujutsu proper would greatly benefit any person in TSD or TKD...


 
Very good suggestion.  I know my experience with Jujitsu has really boosted my understanding of the SD applications of TSD hyung (which contain a multitude of throws).


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## MBuzzy (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm getting ready to move and start my first cross training experience.  Right now, I'm looking at Isshinryu or Aikido or maybe both - I've been told that both would complement TSD pretty well and help get me "closer to my roots."  Which is what I'm after here.

I also train in Haidong Gumdo, which is traditional Korean Sword.  I couldn't be happier that I started there.  I am with the US SBD Fed, so we are still completely empty-handed, no weapons.  I know that many TSD orgs have added some weapons, but I cant' help but feel that they lose so much by only touching so briefly on those weapons.  I have gotten a very in depth understanding of the sword and feel very comfortable with it....I can't see that learning a few forms with a weapon would EVER make me as comfortable as I am with the sword.  Especially when we're tlaking about a live blade.  But Gumdo has definitely enhanced my practice of TSD....everything you do with a weapon is an extension of your body, it has helped give me much more "body-awareness."


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## astrobiologist (Jan 30, 2009)

MBuzzy said:


> ...I'm looking at Isshinryu or Aikido


 
Like I said I touched a little on Aikido. Definitely a graceful art, with more of the philosophical aspect than the SD. Isshinryu is a blend of Okinawan arts, mostly Goju and Shorin, which I'm just starting and I think definitely complements the TSD.



MBuzzy said:


> I know that many TSD orgs have added some weapons, but I cant' help but feel that they lose so much by only touching so briefly on those weapons.


 
This almost deserves a thread of its own. That baton-twirling mess is one of the reasons that a lot of TSD/TKD schools are looked at as McDojang. They bring in a few weapons that they don't have any kind of a curriculum for or any knowledge with, and they make up forms for them or take weapons forms that they've seen elsewhere and blend them. The students learn these and then think that they actually know the weapon. 

For instance, the McDojang I started at when I was a kid, Kim's Karate, taught 3 staff forms, a nunchaku form, and a knife form (when I was there at least). They didn't teach anything else about the weapon. There was no explanaition of movement, no basics, no sparring with the weapon, no application, no discussions about how weapons also teach skills for empty hands, and most of the movements were exagerrated. Now, having some Kobujutsu under my belt and a more anayltical approach to the martial arts, I've realized that what they were teaching is really lacking in martial application. So, pretty much, just baton-twirling...

Cross-training means actually delving into another art, not just adding some moves to your current system that you think may work or look cool in a form without having any knowledge of the technique.

Thanks for bringing that up MBuzzy


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## dancingalone (Jan 30, 2009)

astrobiologist said:


> This almost deserves a thread of its own. That baton-twirling mess is one of the reasons that a lot of TSD/TKD schools are looked at as McDojang. They bring in a few weapons that they don't have any kind of a curriculum for or any knowledge with, and they make up forms for them or take weapons forms that they've seen elsewhere and blend them. The students learn these and then think that they actually know the weapon.



The good news is that kobudo instruction is usually paired along with karate at most Okinawan karate schools.  Good primary instruction is readily available to those that will seek it out.  It's not hidden or even particularly rare.


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## astrobiologist (Jan 30, 2009)

dancingalone said:


> The good news is that kobudo instruction is usually paired along with karate at most Okinawan karate schools. Good primary instruction is readily available to those that will seek it out. It's not hidden or even particularly rare.


 
...and that's definitely a good thing!


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## Makalakumu (Jan 30, 2009)

You'll learn a lot by training in classical Japanese jujutsu or aikijutsu.  Judo and Aikido are wonderful, but the real nasty stuff still exists on the classical schools.  I think that you can see analogues to your kata more easily in those arts rather then gendai budo.  

Another recommendations would be arnis or kali, some kind of Filipino martial art.  It's tool based and it will give you a feel for weapons that I think is very close to the reality of actually using a weapon.  For me, just learning kobudo, I find that my arnis and kali training puts my understanding of kata on the warp drive.


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## LarryR (Jan 30, 2009)

I find that cross training can enhance ones TSD providing one has a good undestanding of your basic fundamentals. That comes with time studying your art. Problem is that some insrtuctors wern't taught reasoning behind certain techniques leading to do as I say. On a personal note when I asked certain questions about forms or SD, the response was just do as I say. So netherthelessI moved on.

Now because of my cross training I am able to disect techniques and forms so that the student understand the why. To me that is so important.

As to what art to cross train in that remains up to the individual.


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