Adding more disciplines under my belt

[Flying Crane]

I actually agree with all of this. I stopped Wing Chun because it was messing with both my fencing and my kempo. However, I would guess that most arts are compatible to TKD in some way, and while adding a second art could mess it up (aka kempo with wing chun), in general just two arts should not harm the first all that much. And if it is, I would assume that by the time you get 2nd degree black belt in your art you would be capable of realizing that happens and stop it. If not, you are simply getting more experience.

Sure, good points here.

Given that the OP is a young fellow, I think 18? I'm gonna say maybe he is somewhat inexperienced and could use some pointers. It certainly took me a long time to figure this out, and part of the problem was that I lacked the quality of instruction necessary for me to understand these things. In my opinion, there is more poor instruction going on than good, so it's likely a whole lot of people haven't clued into some of these things.

On the other hand, it can be a very valuable exercise to train in many systems in order to figure out what is the best single system for you.

So it depends on what he is hoping to get from it.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

How many years would you have to spend on it to be what you would consider very good?
If you double that number then why would you not reach very good practicing a second style?

How many years are left to us? That many.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Also, I like to play basketball a couple times a week. You would be very hard pressed to suggest that doing that is hurting my martial arts at all, especially since I do it on my lunch break so it doesn't get in the way.

If I went to a judo club, and did it casually during the time I now play basketball, just to get more used to grapplers, how would that hurt my understanding of kempo? I would definitely not be "very good" at grappling (It would take me forever at that schedule to even become somewhat proficient), but I don't see how it would impact my kempo since it would not be taking time away from training kempo, and it's at a time I'm generally not thinking about kempo in general.

The only way your claim that you can only be very good if you only practice one art makes sense to me is if you also believe having any hobbies outside of martial arts will prevent you from becoming very good at them.

Let me be more clear. If the question is, "Should I devote some of the time I currently spend training in art A to study in art B instead?" Then my answer would be 'no'. I understand people have to eat and sleep and go poo and stuff.

 

[JP3]

if I was doing something different, I would be tempted to make it a different as possible, so jujitsu or boxing seem as far away from tkd as you can get from the options you have given

I agree with Jobo... pick one of those, and immerse yourself in it. Do that one for a good while, then after maybe a year (if that is even possible) only then look around for the next thing.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Let me be more clear. If the question is, "Should I devote some of the time I currently spend training in art A to study in art B instead?" Then my answer would be 'no'. I understand people have to eat and sleep and go poo and stuff.

That's fair. But he never said he would slow down or take any time away from told for the new one.

 

[DanT]

For some value of 'really good'. I don't think there is time in one lifetime to truly master any given style.

People master things. Martial Arts can be mastered. You just have to dedicate yourself.

Master: "a skilled practitioner of a particular art or activity." "I'm a master of disguise"