Taking two styles, Should I?

Samuel · Yellow Belt

Ive been practicing Wado-Ryu Karate for about too months now, passing my 9th kyu (red belt) last week.

But just last night we had a group of Aikidoka giving us a demonstation of their art since they have a club about 10min away. We had this demo mainly because most of the body shifting and body movement is similar to what we do in Wado and also our sensei trains in Aikido along with another of out brown belts

I was thinking if it would be good to train in both styles, Wado-Ryu and Aikido at such an early time. On one hand im thinking starting to styles so early will let me get better at both, coparing and sharing techniques, (Such as Aikido having a lack of strikes and more escapes etc, and wado being somewhat the reverse)

But on the other hand im thinking it would be a bad thing because It could get complicated or something like that.

But both styles seem to compliment each other alot, Wado being the Way of Peace, And Aikido being the Harmonising way and such, Complimentary in their names, But also in their techniques, absorbing moves and using body shifting.

Opinions please?

CheekyMusician · Green Belt

Its really up to you. You know whether you're likely to become saturated with knowledge doing two arts at once at this early stage or not.

When I first started my Shotokan training, I started training in Aikido a few months into it, too, and I found that they did complement each other quite well, but left Aikido after a couple of months, partly because I didn't like the teacher and partly because I felt I'd rather get to a stage where my Shotokan techniques started to become second nature to me before I started training in another art.

Its always an option to find the middle ground and maybe wait until you've maybe reached the mid-kyus with karate before branching out into Aikido, but as I say, you know how you learn better than we do, and so you can only really judge for yourself.
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patusai · Black Belt

As said, it is up to you. My first instructor, when he started training, trained in karate and Akido at the same time. Try it. If it works for you fine. If not adjust accordingly/ Good luck

danbong · Orange Belt

I would wait until you have trained for a couple of years before taking up a second art.

Samuel · Yellow Belt

Hmm, Well next Wado-Ryu session I have ill have a chat with my Sensei about coming to Aikido, to take part, If not just watch for a while.

He trains at the same Aikido club so he will have a good idea on weather or not I should really start mixing styles already. But im sure with him Practicing Wado and Aikido, and likes to boast the benifits of both all the time, Im sure he will be very intrested in me wanting to mix Wado with Aikido.

Bluetulipx · Yellow Belt

I have tried to train in 1 martial art more than twice a week, but it really doesn't seem to fit my personality for some reason.

I currently train in Tae Kwon Do, Aikido & Kick Boxing. TKD & KB are very complimentary to each other and Aikido is very different.

I find that by thinking ... oh, I only have TKD once a week so I must go to that lesson, or knowing that Aikido is on a Tuesday and Friday that somehow it keeps me motivated to go.

As everyone else has stated, it depends on how you feel about it. I know that doing different styles works well for me.

Jiffy · Black Belt

There have been a lot of posts on this and it just shows how many different opinions there are.

Me personally, I think cross training is fantastic. HOWEVER, I think everyone should get a good understanding of one art before starting to cross training. I think there is too much to try and absorb to do mutliple styles right from the get go. Do a couple of years (or better still 1st Dan) in one art and use that as your primary art. Then, add other arts to compliment it.

Don't be in a rush. The only thing we really have is time.
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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

These two styles differ enough in their focuses that crosstraining them so early should not be a problem for you. The combination should keep you pretty well rounded.
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Samuel · Yellow Belt

After tonight, I seem pretty certain that I should go right in a practice both.

My sensei is obviously bias'd to his opinion because he studys aikido, but he applys all he's learnt to the lessons he teaches us, about body movement and irimi.

most of the 2nd session stuff we do (the 2nd hour of our training dedicated mainly to self defence/sparring/extra study) mostly aikido techniques when it comes to self defence. inculuding tonight, doing some wrist grab defences, Nikkyo I think it was. Not Ikkyo, since apparently that hurts more

anyway, after speaking to sensei, hes going to give me a lift with the brownbelt to the aikido club, he said its pretty small and only 12 or so people tend to train there.

Anyway, I expect ill keep going and get into both arts, as bushido_man96 said, the combonation should make me pretty rounded if I learn both well.

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

Good luck to you!

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