I've seen the question posed recently, but it's also been posted multiple times in the past on MT and other martial arts discussion forums.
The question, generically, goes like this:
"I have been promoted to [insert rank here, typically 1st degree black belt] in style [insert style here] and I'm thinking of taking up another style so that I can become more WELL-ROUNDED as a martial artist. What style do you think I should take?"
So I often make a smartass comment, which I am trying to avoid from now on, because it's counterproductive and mean. What I'd like to do instead is examine what thoughts are going through my head when I read this question (and to the OP of the recent post, I am not picking on you; this is a very common topic).
First of all, what does it mean to be 'well-rounded'?
The dictionary gives many meanings, but I suspect the the people who post about wanting to become well-rounded martial artists are referring to comprehensive, including many things, or having a large variety of training. Based on what I've read in the various threads about the subject, it often seems that the person wishing to become more well-rounded sees or believes they have gaps in their training, which training in another style of martial arts would fill.
So I understand the basic premise, I think. Say a person has been training in a stand-up, striking art such as karate. They feel they lack a 'ground game' and cannot properly defend themselves on the ground as well as a competent wrestler, judoka, or jiu jitsu artist might. And on the surface, I can see that point.
But then I have to ask if the person making the request is really certain that they art they currently study doesn't have the necessary applications in it to fill that perceived gap. Typically, it seems the people asking such questions don't have a lot of time into their training, but they still feel they have learned all there is to learn about it. I don't know if that is true or not, but I know that in my case, a decade of training is hardly adequate to say one knows it all, or even close. Having achieved the first of ten grades of black belt, one can hardly say one has a firm grip on what the entire system can do in capable hands. It's like being able to name all the tools in the toolbox, but not being able to use each of them to their full potential.
This is why I often recommend that the person who suggests that their style has a hole in it to consider that perhaps their style does not have a hole in it. Perhaps they need to train more, because they are not yet qualified to judge.
Alternatives I do not like to think about, but which may also exist, would be that the person's style isn't actually a complete system. In other words, it may actually have holes in it. This would be a sad situation indeed. Alternatively, the instructor may not be capable of teaching the system well enough to provide those needed abilities. Sadly, I think this may sometimes happen when you have someone training for a few years and going off to start their own training facility, having only a rudimentary grasp of their system themselves. Their students may perceive that the style in question has holes in it because the instructor doesn't have the knowledge or training or experience to pass along the complete system.
But this is why I often ask people who feel they need some other kind of training to ask their current instructor and see what he or she thinks they should do. The answers may be instructive.
I also wonder if the person wanting to change styles isn't going to lose some ability in the style they currently train in. I know some people have more free time than I do, but I find it difficult to devote two training days a week to in-dojo training (from 5PM to 9:30PM) and one half-day working out at home. I don't think I could take on more at this stage in my life. And I know from experience that if I miss a week or two's worth of training, I lose quite a bit of my edge. Things start to fall apart. I have to stay in my training, or I feel my ability declining. How then, is a person supposed to give 100% to training in two or more different styles at the same time? I can't quite get my mind around that one.
So having discussed well-roundedness is, let me now move on to why a person would want to be (presumably) well-rounded.
From my point of view, having the belief that it takes a lifetime to truly master any given martial art, I don't know what dividing my remaining time on this earth between multiple systems would get me. If I were a carpenter, I would devote my time to becoming the best possible carpenter, rather than beginning to learn plumbing in a desire to be more well-rounded. In other words, and to use a common term, I would rather not be a jack of all trades, and a master of none. In my ruder moments, simply say would you rather be good in one system, or suck at a bunch of them?
So I would say this about cross-training...
It's fine if that's what you want to do. And I don't see anything at all wrong with exposing oneself to other styles of martial arts, such as with informal training or seminars or sharing knowledge, practicing moves and techniques from other styles, etc. It's all grist for the mill. However, there's a difference between doing that and committing to long term training in a different style, particularly if it means neglecting your current style.
And again, I think that for most of us, we're not that competent yet in our own styles that we can firmly say that we know all there is to know about it, we know it has holes that cannot be addressed in our own training, and the only answer is to train in some other styles. I suspect more often, the problem is that the student, or the instructor (or both) are lacking. In some cases, regrettably, it is possible that the style itself is too superficial to provide a complete experience.
What I think is more likely, is that students become bored. They are tired of going to class and doing the same kata, the same kihon, the same sparring. They think they have progressed as far as they can, and they want to experience new things. That's fine, I guess. It betrays a lack of maturity and a lack of understanding what the true purpose of training is, I think, but if one is really that bored, I guess they need to do whatever to cure that.
I also think some few students are too attracted to the signs of success in a given training system. They want more belts in more styles. They want more patches. They want more tournament trophies. Again, if that is truly what they want, I guess it's OK, but it also betrays a lack of understand what martial arts training is for at a basic level, in my humble opinion.
Don't get me wrong. I like other styles of martial arts, and I respect the people who train in styles other than my own. I've learned a lot from some of my friends who train in other styles, and some of the things we do in the dojo where I train are from other styles of martial arts. It's fun, it's interesting, and in some cases, it's eye-opening. But I never think to myself,
"Gee, maybe my system is crap and I should go train with those guys," or "
Gee, maybe I have learned all I can learn and I need to become more well-rounded by training with someone else." What I think to myself typically is,
"Wow, those guys are great! I need to keep training hard in my system so that I can learn how we would deal with situation X, or technique Y, and maybe I will find out how our system does it and then I can show my friends a thing or two!"
I truly believe that in my case, if there is anything 'missing' in my training, it's on me. My instructor is world-class, and I mean that literally; he's known and respected around the world. Just to be training with him is an honor; people see his name on my dojo patch and they're awestruck. The system I train in is fantastic; I have never, ever, had a situation where I asked "How would we do X or Y," and our instructors do not have an answer, and by answer I don't mean a BS blow-off crap answer but a real example that obviously works against a resisting opponent. I'm 56 and I'm pretty well over hero worship and cult of personality; my BS detector is very functional. If it didn't work, or it only worked on non-resisting opponents, I'd know it. So if there are ANY holes in our system, that is on me 100%. Why would I want to abandon that and train elsewhere? I started pretty late in life, and I can guarantee I won't master this system before I take the big dirt nap. So I don't think I would even consider training in any other system. No time!