Diverse vs sole

[Bujingodai]

So what is the mix here of those who have done one art vs those who have done a few of them?

Like for me. I have been at the Ninjutsu schools for 29 years. Bujinkan for a large portion of it, independent otherwise after becoming disenchanted with the school. Now to say I trained in other styles, would be false. I did spend a lot of time at seminars of different systems and schools to gain a new perception to what I was doing and enhance application as well as opening my eyes. Some more than others. But I would not say I am "trained" in anything but Ninjutsu.

So I'd say I am sole art practitioner, although different organizations

 

[Dirty Dog]

I started training TKD in 1968 or '69 and that remains my primary art. I've spent time in other arts including HEMA, Kenjutsu, and Aikijujutsu. Actual dojo time, not just seminars, so if that's the definition, then I'm "diverse".

 

[Bujingodai]

I started training TKD in 1968 or '69 and that remains my primary art. I've spent time in other arts including HEMA, Kenjutsu, and Aikijujutsu. Actual dojo time, not just seminars, so if that's the definition, then I'm "diverse".

Likewise. Some for me were a seminar but a number of them were a travel and train vacation. I've trained in some Sogobujutsu on a number of trips to PA. Over a few decades. But I that was cross training more than anything. So I don't claim training. I would say it influenced my training.

 

[Bujingodai]

I started training TKD in 1968 or '69 and that remains my primary art. I've spent time in other arts including HEMA, Kenjutsu, and Aikijujutsu. Actual dojo time, not just seminars, so if that's the definition, then I'm "diverse".

1968 wow. Me was 94. I wasn't born til 71. I respect your longevity to the arts. Damn would love to see the subtleties that you have developed over that life of training

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You have major and you also have minor. If you start from the basic and build your foundation all the way up, that's your major. If you go to workshop to pick up information, that's minor.

 

[Buka]

Trained part time for twenty years, (three days a week) and was full time dojo rat for twenty five.

Trained in a lot of schools, a lot of styles, enjoyed them all, learned a lot.
I’ve been a lucky man.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Here's a very rough estimate of my mat time in different arts over the last 42 years.

7300+ hours BJJ
2000+ hours Muay Thai
1500+ hours Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
600+ hours Yudansha Fighting Systems (a Danzan ryu spinoff)
500+ hours Judo
450+ hours Boxing
300+ hours SCA heavy weapons fighting
300+ hours HEMA
300+ hours wrestling
200+ hours Kali (various flavors)
200+ hours Sumo
200+ hours Capoeira
100+ hours Wing Chun
10 - 100 hours each TKD, Bando, Tai Chi, Karate, Sambo
less than 10 hours each Silat, JKD, Shaolin Do

 

[Buka]

Here's a very rough estimate of my mat time in different arts over the last 42 years.

7300+ hours BJJ
2000+ hours Muay Thai
1500+ hours Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
600+ hours Yudansha Fighting Systems (a Danzan ryu spinoff)
500+ hours Judo
450+ hours Boxing
300+ hours SCA heavy weapons fighting
300+ hours HEMA
300+ hours wrestling
200+ hours Kali (various flavors)
200+ hours Sumo
200+ hours Capoeira
100+ hours Wing Chun
10 - 100 hours each TKD, Bando, Tai Chi, Karate, Sambo
less than 10 hours each Silat, JKD, Shaolin Do

How the heck do you do that, Tony?

I have no doubt about any of it, seriously, no doubt at all.

But it would be like counting the grains of rice eaten in any given decade.

(Plus, you’re an old bastard.)

 

[Bujingodai]

Honestly I am thinking I shouldn't be commenting here. Like a middle school grad with some PHD discussion going on.

I'm in middle school at best.

 

[Dirty Dog]

@Tony Dismukes, why am I not surprised that you'd know the actual hours trained in each style?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

How the heck do you do that, Tony?

I have no doubt about any of it, seriously, no doubt at all.

But it would be like counting the grains of rice eaten in any given decade.

(Plus, you’re an old bastard.)

@Tony Dismukes, why am I not surprised that you'd know the actual hours trained in each style?

It's honestly a very rough estimate. You should probably allow for plus or minus 15-20% for each art. I just figured out how many years I spent in each art and how many hours of practice per week for each I was averaging during that time.

Edit - also I originally did the math a few years back the first time I posted on the subject, then I update it every year with an estimate of how much practice I've done over the previous year.

 

[dunc]

Not in @Tony Dismukes league
Bujinkan since 1990
BJJ since 2011
Now adding Kickboxing & MMA (over the last 2-3 years)

 

[HighKick]

Here's a very rough estimate of my mat time in different arts over the last 42 years.

7300+ hours BJJ
2000+ hours Muay Thai
1500+ hours Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
600+ hours Yudansha Fighting Systems (a Danzan ryu spinoff)
500+ hours Judo
450+ hours Boxing
300+ hours SCA heavy weapons fighting
300+ hours HEMA
300+ hours wrestling
200+ hours Kali (various flavors)
200+ hours Sumo
200+ hours Capoeira
100+ hours Wing Chun
10 - 100 hours each TKD, Bando, Tai Chi, Karate, Sambo
less than 10 hours each Silat, JKD, Shaolin Do

That is a refreshing and logical way to look at training time. In hindsight, I wish I had done the same.

To put it in perspective for folks, a 40-hour work week equates to 2,080 hours/year.
So, you have almost 7-years training at 40-hours (which no one does). Very impressive.
In reality, how many years have you been training?

 

[HighKick]

I have trained Moo Duk Kwan TKD for 39-years, WT/KKW TKD for 38-years, Shotokan for 6-years, and Kali for about 12-years.

I started Shotokan during/after my TKD competition days when I realized the gap in training upper body and hand techniques. It certainly helped that a good friend owned the local Shotokan school and we regularly cross-trained with each other.

I started Kali in my LEO days, partly to augment my self-defense skills, but mostly because I have always been intrigued by FMA. When Tuhan Bill Mcgrath moved to the adjoining town for 5-years to work with the Metro police department, I jumped at the chance to train with him.

I am belted in Shotokan and Kali, but nowadays, I mostly stay in my TKD lane and have integrated a good bit of what I have learned from the other styles into our SD curriculum.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

Started out in Kyokushin, moved into boxing gyms and sparred a lot. Followed up with Aikido, Wing Chun, Wado Ryu settled on Taijiquan. Set up a home gym, trained with various instructors and students throughout my youth. Still enjoy boxing alongside the Taijiquan, Working in gyms as a PT gave me a lot of access to instructors and military folk - we spent a lot of time sparring, exchanging techniques and workshopping ideas. Never been loyal to any particular style or club, operated more like a ronin wandering from place to place... learned a great deal from real fights and self-defense situations too. These days I'm just doing the form and training to keep fit and healthy in mind, body and spirit.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

That is a refreshing and logical way to look at training time. In hindsight, I wish I had done the same.

To put it in perspective for folks, a 40-hour work week equates to 2,080 hours/year.
So, you have almost 7-years training at 40-hours (which no one does). Very impressive.
In reality, how many years have you been training?

A bit over 42 years. So my average works out to a bit over 6 hours per week. Not that impressive, just consistent over time.

My current average is typically 8-10 hours per week, but I have to balance that out with years when I wasn’t training as much and weeks that I’ve taken off for travel, sickness, or injury. (For example, I’ve been out with a cold this entire last week.) Taking it all into consideration, an average of 6 hours per week for the last 42 years seems about right.

That’s mat time. If I counted all the time I’ve spent watching martial arts videos, reading martial arts books, thinking about and talking about martial arts it would add a few thousand more hours into the mix.

 

[skribs]

How the heck do you do that, Tony?

I have no doubt about any of it, seriously, no doubt at all.

But it would be like counting the grains of rice eaten in any given decade.

(Plus, you’re an old bastard.)

You don't count how many grains of rice you eat?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

You don't count how many grains of rice you eat?

I got distracted and lost count after grain number 314767 and I couldn’t bring myself to start over from scratch.

 

[HighKick]

I got distracted and lost count after grain number 314767 and I couldn’t bring myself to start over from scratch.

I thought we were doing bits & bytes for a second. A 4-byte integer is between 2147483647 and -2147483647.

 

[skribs]

Here's a very rough estimate of my mat time in different arts over the last 42 years.

7300+ hours BJJ
2000+ hours Muay Thai
1500+ hours Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
600+ hours Yudansha Fighting Systems (a Danzan ryu spinoff)
500+ hours Judo
450+ hours Boxing
300+ hours SCA heavy weapons fighting
300+ hours HEMA
300+ hours wrestling
200+ hours Kali (various flavors)
200+ hours Sumo
200+ hours Capoeira
100+ hours Wing Chun
10 - 100 hours each TKD, Bando, Tai Chi, Karate, Sambo
less than 10 hours each Silat, JKD, Shaolin Do

I think I have around:

7000 hours of TKD
400 hours of BJJ
400 hours of Wrestling
351 hours of HKD (the 1 is a trial class in my new town)
200 hours of Muay Thai

This is over the course of around 18 years of training.