# Which is better to start



## Chuckp (Jun 7, 2009)

This is will be my second martial art, I take CKM for 3 months and want to start either Aikido or Jeet kune do.  I'm a smaller guy and don't know which would suit me better.


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## Chris Parker (Jun 7, 2009)

Hi Chuck,

I'm a little confused here... is your current art CKM (I'm assuming Combat Krav Maga?), and you're looking for a second art? Your profile actually states that your primary art is Aikido, so I don't quite get what you're asking us for. 

But for the record, the standard advice is that the teacher and the school is far more important than the art. Add to that the fact that there is no such thing as a "better" martial art, just personal preferences. So the way to find out would be to attend the different schools and see if you like one better than the other. Don't get caught up in "what is best for me?" because the only person who can know that is you, and that is based on you and your personal tastes.


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## 7starmarc (Jun 7, 2009)

More to the point, why are you looking for a "second" art after only 3 months?

Most people find enough to engage them in a style for at least a couple/few years before they move on (MMA aside). Also, many recommend that you stick with a single art to start so you don't confuse your training.


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## Chuckp (Jun 7, 2009)

Well CKM isnt really a "Martial Art" is more self defence so I wanted to a "Martial Art" along with CKM and yeah I've only been taking CKM for 3 months but you only live once so I want to add another one.


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## arnisador (Jun 7, 2009)

JKD would be closest to KM!


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 8, 2009)

Chuckp said:


> Well CKM isnt really a "Martial Art" is more self defence so I wanted to a "Martial Art" along with CKM and yeah I've only been taking CKM for 3 months but you only live once so I want to add another one.


Not sure that everyone would agree with you, but not being familiar with CKM, I have no basis to say one way or another.

Here is a question:  What do you want *other* than self defense that you can get in a martial art?  What do you feel is missing from CKM?

Daniel


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## kaizasosei (Jun 8, 2009)

I'd choose aikido.  The best way to learn from Bruce Lee is to watch him move and emulate his style.  You can also pick up a few jkd books from the library and try to decipher the principles contained.
However, i believe, you can learn more basics from aikido especially when it comes to movement and grabbing.  As far as striking goes, i would definately agree that Lee has much to offer, but again, the best way would be to take advantage of the many movies displaying the style of lee and study the movements.  The powerstyle throws and trips often displayed by lee are very realistic and probably more realistic than most unauthentic attitudes of many aikido practitioners, but the principles and standards of aikido are superior nevertheless.
Do not think that the aiki is separate from any martial art.  aiki is the essence of physical as well as nonphysical being.  So there is a good deal of aiki contained in the fantastic shows put on by bruce lee as well. 
At this point, i guess it would not be a good sign to be ignorant and suddenly curious about lee, nevertheless i myself greatly value the fighting style of bruce lee and reccomend it to any martial artist. i would go so far as to say it deserves a fair bit of study.

aiki is the study of the body, the study of the sword.  When you can move the sword well, you can move the body well.  To move the sword effectively you need to move the body effectively.  To use the body effectively one must understand the body and it's movement as a heavenly body as well as the more vegetative aspects of growth stagnation and death.  Because just as one tempers a sword, through training, body and mind will also be pollished to perfection through union.  As it is said, aikido is to not have a sword and still have a sword, or to hold a sword without having a sword.




j


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## blindsage (Jun 8, 2009)

What Bruce used in his movies is mostly not JKD. You would not learn his style or philosophy of fighting from just reading a book or watching a movie, just like any other system, you really need a qualified teacher.

If you are just learning a system, stick with that system for a while. You have plenty of time to learn other stuff as well. Yes, you only live once, but the quality of that living is up to you and if you try to cram in as much as you can you won't have time to appreciate the depth and breadth of anything you try. The general recommedation to stick with one style for at least a year, preferably longer, before takin' up a second style, comes from those on here with plenty of experience. You can retard your progress in one or both styles by overloading your brain and muscle memory with conflicting information. Give yourself some real time and investment in one style and you will see the benefits. Patience is one of the best skills you can learn from any style.


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## kaizasosei (Jun 9, 2009)

In the case of jkd, it may well be even better to focus on wingchun which is the style that bruce lee studied before he went off on his own tangent.




j


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## Chuckp (Jun 10, 2009)

If you are just learning a system, stick with that system for a while. You have plenty of time to learn other stuff as well. Yes, you only live once, but the quality of that living is up to you and if you try to cram in as much as you can you won't have time to appreciate the depth and breadth of anything you try. The general recommedation to stick with one style for at least a year, preferably longer, before takin' up a second style, comes from those on here with plenty of experience. 

In school we take multiple classes of different subjects a day from elementary school to college.  Why is it such a big deal with martial arts with some of you?


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## Tensei85 (Jun 10, 2009)

kaizasosei said:


> I'd choose aikido.  The best way to learn from Bruce Lee is to watch him move and emulate his style.  You can also pick up a few jkd books from the library and try to decipher the principles contained.
> j



I don't know I may be kinda nit picky, but to be honest I don't think Bruce wanted anyone to emulate him or his style in the first place. As his path was to clear illusions not to make more. JKD is great for what it is, but the point is it won't make you Bruce only Bruce can be Bruce. You can train like a fanatic and develop skills but at the end of the day you'll still be yourself, Bruce contributed to the Martial Arts World in general and that's great but take it for what it is. If that path makes you a better person or a better martial artist than its worthwhile.

On the topic, Aikido & JKD are methods so find the one that you can relate and identify with most.

Good luck!


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## Chris Parker (Jun 11, 2009)

Chuckp said:


> In school we take multiple classes of different subjects a day from elementary school to college. Why is it such a big deal with martial arts with some of you?


 
Hi Chuck,

When in school, you are learning a range of different topics and subjects form an academic standpoint, in other words, you are inputing information into the mind.

In martial arts, there is an academic aspect, however the focus is on learning from a kinesthetic standpoint, getting information into your body.

When educating your mind, you have the ability to segregate the differing aspects and disciplines (physics, mathematics, literature, chemistry, art etc) without getting too confused. When learning a physical skill, though, you are educating your body to generate certain actions as ingrained, conditioned, and spontaneous responces. If you learn a umber of different (and conflicting) methodologies, that will often result in a great risk of confusion (internally) if and when those skills are required, as well as greatly increasing the amount of time to get some usable skill in one or the other.

Remember, a martial art is an expression of a philosophy, which must be followed to be effective. You unfortunately can't just take a kick from Tae Kwon Do, a punch from Wing Chun, a wrist lock from Aikido, and a throw from Judo and put it together without having a real understanding of each of those arts and how they utilise them. Each has a very different power source, a very different sense of balance and distance, a very different desired outcome, and a very different philosophy. The equivalent would be learning to be a priest, a rabbi, a Bhuddist monk, and a Tibetan Lama at the same time without having a particular faith to begin with, just in case one or more of the religions is wrong. You will just get conflicting ways of approaching the subject, and that will lead to confusion and no real development.

The last thing to remember here is that in a fight (whether a competitive match, or a fight-for-your-life survival situation), you will not have time to think your way through. You need to train in one method so you have the confidence to use it, adding another will actually reduce your ability to defend yourself, instead of increasing it as you may believe.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 11, 2009)

Chuckp said:


> In school we take multiple classes of different subjects a day from elementary school to college. Why is it such a big deal with martial arts with some of you?


Well, consider that martial arts are, for the most part, different interpretations of the same subject. 

Prodigies not withstanding, pretty much every instructor or advanced student will tell you that you will do better if you stick with one system for a while unless those systems are so different as to have no overlap (such as taekwondo and BJJ). 

CKM may actually address all of your defense needs, though not being familiar with it, I will not make that a definitive statement.  Of course you will not really know after only a few months.

Here is the main issue: you only have but so much time in the day to train. You can only go to but so many classes per week. If you are doing one, you are not doing the other. You will get much more from your training by sticking to one system for at least a year. 

If you do two at the same time as a beginner, and the arts are similar(such as Shotokan and Taekwondo), practicing both will actually *stunt* your training due to very subtle differences that will catch you as you go from one class to another. As a beginner, you will not have the perspective to separate the two until you have a firm grasp on one.

If they are completely different (such as Taekwondo and BJJ), you will simply be short on time to fully master the techniques and run the risk of overtraining.

In any case, I am still curious: What do you want *other* than self defense that you can get in a traditional martial art like aikido or a classic hybrid such as Jeet Kune Do? What do you feel is missing from CKM?

Daniel


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## 7starmarc (Jun 11, 2009)

Chuckp said:


> In school we take multiple classes of different subjects a day from elementary school to college.  Why is it such a big deal with martial arts with some of you?



It's not a big deal. It's just that some of us either know someone or have experienced things for ourselves which lead to this advise.

For myself. I have trained for 4 years in 7 Star Mantis Kung Fu (and other arts prior to that, but that's not really pertinent). I have recently switched to Aikido for various reasons.

The simple physical skills (twist wrist that way, etc.) are relatively easy to pick up. But the way of moving, flowing with the opponent, considerations of optimal distance, stance work etc. are all very different. I can see that many of the Mantis principles will eventually work with Aikido (and vice versa), but they do not at my current level of understanding. I also see that some Mantis principles are completely opposite to (at least the basic) Aikido principles. Without a firm grounding in Mantis, trying to learn Aikido at the same time would be hopelessly confusing (it's already somewhat confusing in my current situation). My Sensei spent a good part of the first couple months correcting my distances, even though I knew that they would be correct from a Mantis point of view.

Until I have a deeper level of understanding Aikido, I do not think that I could effectively integrate the skill sets of Mantis.

Also, as stated, the underlying philosophies of many arts differ. Switching mindsets from practice to practice my make it more difficult to really delve into any one style completely. Particularly if you are looking at Aikido. Now, I know it varies from tradition to tradition, and there are "Combat Aikido" and "Real World Aikido" teachers out there. But many Aikido dojos still subscribe to the idea of Aikido as the art of peace, and that you approach your opponent differently than most other arts, particularly something like a Combat Krav Maga approach.

I have thought, if I got into an altercation at this time, what would I do, how would I react? I believe that I would default to Mantis. As I progress in Aikido, this will change. But I also know that the intergration of these two will probably take quite a bit of time and understanding.


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## Chuckp (Jun 11, 2009)

Thanks guys for all the replies.  I guess  since I got into CKM I love it and want to get all this martial arts knowledge from different style's but I can see how learning to styles to early can be confusing Tues night it took awhile to remember some of the movements from last week.  I just think it will great when I can say I take this, this , and this and be really good at all.


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