Will it help or hurt?

[Bigfoot]

I've been taking Shotokan for the past two years. There is an instructer in town who teaches escrima which I allso want to take. I can take his escrirma and Tae kwon do and Muay Thai for the same price I could go to just the escrima class. I have no desire to give up on my Shotokan so would the Tae kwon do hurt or help me in my Shotokan? I realise forms would be different and the jumping style kicks are not in Shotokan but what about the basic kicks, punches and stances would they be the same or close enough between the two?
Thanks

 

[Andy Cap]

My first answer is to ask your instructor. Your instructor should know whether you are ready for "dabbling" in other styles or not.

There are a lot of dependancies here. For example; How long have you been training? I would not recommend to a student with fewer than 3 years experience to go and start a different martial art, unless they were exceptional. It can be very confusing, and quite honestly they should focus on getting their main art down solid first.

Another dependancy is the style of Tae Kwon Do you study. All TKD decends from Shotokan, but the Moo Duk Kwan schools tend to have stuck with the Shotokan forms. If you do Pyung Ahn forms you will be in for a nice surprise.

In the end, if you have a solid base of the TKD you have learned and feel you won't lose that - then I say it cannot hurt. Trying out other styles and experimenting with them is helpful for developing your own personal approach. You will find that the Japanese styles develop power in a different way, and kick differently. It can be a lot of fun to branch out.

 

[Adept]

would the Tae kwon do hurt or help me in my Shotokan?

Well that really depends on what you want to get out of your shotokan.

So, what is it?

 

[TigerWoman]

How long do you have to go to black belt in Shotokan? In Taekwondo, two years is not much. You are just starting the harder technique and have built up some strength, possibly some flexibility, etc. Alot of work left. If that is the same in Shotokan, you have a lot of work left there too. We usually don't start weapons until red belt for a reason--that the student needs to concentrate on the basics which are up to BB.

If you switched to a combination of TKD, MT and Escrima, you may be fragmenting yourself too much and nothing much is accomplished. I also don't know how you can switch back and forth between TKD rules of sparring and MT's.

If you like Shotokan, stay with it for at least a couple more years til you get red or BB to start Escrima. TW

 

[Andrew Green]

Getting kicked usually hurts...

Oh wait, thats not what you meant...

If you're interested and have the opportunity go for it, as for your instructor, well, I think the majority of karate instructors are rather biased. After all, they do karate. TKD instructors are the same, just reversed. This is YOUR training, not theirs, so get what you want out of it, not what they tell you to get out of it....

 

[Andy Cap]

I agree, but if the Shotokan instructor finds out he is training somewhere else he may have a hard time. Some instructors are rather possessive. I think it is better to be in the open with your instructor about it and know where she/he stands before you sign up.

 

[TigerWoman]

f karate instructors are rather biased. After all, they do karate. TKD instructors are the same, just reversed. This is YOUR training, not theirs, so get what you want out of it, not what they tell you to get out of it....

And if you call TKD and Karate biased, MMA is biased as well... Most arts take a while to actually learn and develop. If you want a couple of beginner years at each, you will in the end be a beginner at everything and no belt to show you have achieved any kind of mastery of the basics (BB) or mastery of the art (Master -4th dan). TW

 

[Zepp]

Even over half a century later, there are still a lot of similarities between Shotokan and Tae Kwon Do. My personal opinion is that you would get the most benefit out of traing in two arts that are completely different. I think escrima goes quite nicely with TKD myself.

Either way, it won't hurt to give something a try. Just don't let yourself get stuck with any long term contracts until you know for sure what you want to train in.

 

[Andrew Green]

And if you call TKD and Karate biased, MMA is biased as well... Most arts take a while to actually learn and develop. If you want a couple of beginner years at each, you will in the end be a beginner at everything and no belt to show you have achieved any kind of mastery of the basics (BB) or mastery of the art (Master -4th dan). TW

MMA does not mean eclectic training. It is a style of its own, although many MMA athletes will go to more specialized instructors for specialized training.

But then again, many traditional stylists make a straw man to knock down about what MMA is

 

[Bigfoot]

Thanks for all the replies so far. To answer some of the questions asked of me here goes. I've been studying in a group class for two yrs before that I used to take a private lesson every day for a week then go off shore(oil rigs) for 2 or 3 weeks. How long till I get BB, who knows maybe next year but I'm fine with if it takes me 10 more years. Some of the reasons I would like to vary my training is my schedule doesn't allowe me to go to as many classes as I would like, some weeks I get one class others I might get 3. The other school has a schedule that would allowe me to get alot more training in. Ideally I realize to get better at Shotokan I should practice more Shotokan. I can get alot of TKD classes in for what one private Shotokan class will cost me. And for know my first priorty will to become better in Shotokan with time it may reverse. Again thanks for the replies.