Loyal to Style

Alan Armstrong · Black Belt

Recently listening to testimonials by martial artists, that had invested many years and money, in to their chosen style, to come to the eventual realization that they cannot defend themselves in the outside world.

MAA has been a wakeup call for many martial artists, that have been conditioned to think that their style has been blessed by a higher power.

As progressing in one MA style is a tradition for many, being exposed to other styles from time to time has its benefits, such as expanding one's own martial art awareness.

Some martial art styles are derived from other styles or two or three styles have been merged to make a new one, if they survive long enough, they become elevated to the status of traditional.

Many people all over this planet, in the 196 countries that devide it, truly belive, that their country is the best in the world and they will fight to defend it with their life; this fallacy keeps the people from defecting, a similar method used to keep martial artists loyal to a style!

There are those that have never explored beyond their own borders and when they do, without learning new ways of appreciation, blindfold themselves further in to narrow mindedness and ignorance.

Have you explored more than one martial art style?

sensei8 · KF Sensei

Yes; I've crossed trained ever since my high school days when I was a JBB. I already knew, and felt, that Shindokan has its limitations, as does any style of the MA, when I first began to train in other styles of the MA.

Both my Soke and Dai-Soke weren't too keen of his students embracing other MA styles, nonetheless, they both knew they couldn't control us outside of the dojo, and in that, they never punished us for doing so, in any shape, way, and/or form; it was our choice alone.

Over time, they both insisted that we train outside of Shindokan for a "more rounded base"; pride comes before the fall, and we're all pleased to know that that didn't occur.

I'm extremely loyal to Shindokan, but I'm not overly loyal to Shindokan, or any other style of the MA because of limitations!!

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

Tempest · Green Belt

Of course I have. It's fun.
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Think first, act second, and stop getting the two confused.

Kusotare · Purple Belt

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

Loyalty is an honourable quality, but only if the reason for it is just. Loyalty for loyalty's sake is quite meaningless. The question one ought to ask is not IF one should be loyal to a style but WHY.Competent instructors are far more important than any given style.

Excellent, good, bad and terrible teachers exist in absolutely every martial art system. Loyalty is between people, so if one is unable to continue training in one style for lack of availability or a good teacher, starting a different style under a great instructor teaching what one is looking for in martial arts should be no problem and neither should staying with that teacher as long as possible.

Lupin1 · Black Belt

I'm most certainly not overly loyal to Isshinryu. I like it. I think it's a good system. I love our traditions and history. But the reason I study Isshinryu and not some other style is because that's the school my parents signed me up for when I was 8. It doesn't have any particular hold over me.

If I were to move to a place without Isshinryu, I would gladly learn another style. In fact, I've dabbled in several other styles and arts.

There is no one "true" style. All styles have advantages and disadvantages and which style is right for which person depends a lot on that person's goals. In fact, variations between schools within a single style can sometimes be larger than variations between styles.

Alan Armstrong · Black Belt

Loyalty does give a sense of belonging.

The loyalty traits of dogs are admirable.

Loyalty in marriage also implies trust.

We are no strangers to loyalty as loyalty cards are available in marketing strategies to reward those that continually support supermarkets and coffee shops.

Loyalty is a two way street, once trust has been broken on either side, the sense of belonging falls to the wayside and the dog runs away or on the other side becomes abandoned.

There are most definitely some very good martial art schools out there, that invite other styles to exhibit and that purposely expose students to alternative ways of doing martial arts.

I'm sure the students of these MA schools appreciate being exposed to the diversity out side of their own style bubble.

CI's that have the confidence and the foresight to expand their students awareness to the "World Wide Martial Art Scene" is also helping students to understand that they belong to a much larger picture, this is also building up a special open minded relationship of loyalty and trust with the students; which is admirable.

Belonging to such a school will strengthen loyalty and trust between CI's and students.

Each student from a marketing point of view, will be sharing their positive experiences with others, openly showing their loyalty and belonging, to a martial art, that is truly worth supporting.

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

I think it depends on your art, teacher and what the student puts into the art.
Yes I have cross trained (we didn't call it that when I was starting out) in several arts but never left my main art. I never started a new art thinking it was going to pale in comparison to my art. To do so would be a waste of my time and the instructors time.

Obviously we are all looking for the magic pill that will protect us and turn us into supermen when attacked. Unfortunately there is no such pill and there is no such thing as an art that gives you super human combat abilities.

My personal opinion for so much cross training now days is the fast food mentality and our eagerness to find the next best thing, flavor of the month if you will. Years back it was Kung Fu due to Bruce Lee movies, then it was Ninjutsu due to those movies and now it's MMA due to the UFC.

Want to become proficient in combat? Find a good self defense oriented school and stick with it.

I would say 50% or better of the students that Dojo/Art hop is due to a lack of patience. It takes years of constant training to become proficient and decades to become good. Most give up after a few years when they realize that they are not magically transformed into the baddest dude on the block.

The secret... there will always be someone badder or luckier. Because on any given day someone can get lucky and knock you out. It doesn't matter if they are highly trained or an MMA fighter. How many times does the under dog beat the favorite in any sport? It's just a fact of life.

My advise... try out as many arts as you like. Once you find an art that works for you stick with it. Continue to "cross train" but stick with the art you chose. You need a good foundation.

Like the old expression goes "jack of all trades, master of none". All MMA fighters started out somewhere, judo, muay thai, wrestling, boxing, karate, ju-jutsu, etc. They built onto the foundation by finding arts that would help them compete. Without a foundation you have nothing to build on and will never find that mystical invincibility pill.

Question; if MMA is the best way for someone to learn to defend themselves, how is it that the best of the best in MMA get beat? How does a Karateka like Lyoto Machida compete in the MMA? Yes he took other arts but lets face it his main tools came from his back ground. Better yet how does a Kempo practitioner like Chuck Liddell stand up with a world renowned wrestler and win?

Not looking to argue about MMA, just making a point. Find an art that suits you and master (I hate that word but could think of another that makes the point) it and then add if you think you need to. If all you do is hop from one art to the next you never get good at any and you are incomplete as a fighter. What all good fighters have in common... they are good in their base art and proficient enough in others to give them an edge.
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The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails-but the one who moves on in spite of failure.
Charles R. Swindoll

Alan Armstrong · Black Belt

All martial art styles are intended to give a person an edge over their would be opponent(s)

Apparently some edges are more important and effective than others.

Depending on the aggressiveness and effectiveness of their marketing sales department.

vantheman · Blue Belt

No martial art style is perfect (except for Ameri-do-te, of course), so experimenting with several different styles seems like a fundamental, if not vital, part of developing an effective self defense ability. Unless you're blessed with an incredible style or an incredible instructor (which, more often than not, means the style is hybrid or the instructor is well versed in several styles), you're not likely going to be able to get a full spectrum of defense. Standup kickboxing, standing grappling/wrestling/takedowns, ground fighting, weapon defenses, situational awareness, etc.... I've come across very few styles, if any, that approach doing justice to ALL of the various components of self-defense simultaneously.

Sure, if you're at a point in your "martial arts journey/career" that you're interesting in pursuing the ART of martial arts, as I am presently, then it might make sense to focus and specialize in one art for a prolonged period of time. But, at the end of the day, cross-training can only improve your self-defense abilities. In addition to my kempo karate, I've incorporated a fair bit of Aikido and Danzan Ryu (improve standing jujitsu techniques, which are lacking in kempo), BJJ (wrestling, ground fighting), and Israeli CQC (weapons defense).

If there was one martial art that was objectively better than the rest, everybody would be training that style!
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Van

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