I currently take TKD, and I am planning on cross training in other martial arts in the future, but i can only afford attending one school right now. Thing is, our school also has aikido... and my school tuition i already pay would cover aikido also. Would it be worth my time and effort to add aikido to my training, or should i just stick with tkd and later on cross train in jujitsu or some other grappling art? (Plz don't turn this into a anti-tkd post or anything, i'm already going to stick with tkd no matter what so just tell me about the aikido) Thanks guys.
what style of aikido? oh well, style of aikido doesn't matter anyway. try it. i can go all day talking about how i enjoyed and love training in aikido but its different when you experience it.
I currently cross train with aikido and have done a lil tkd... One thing you have to realize is that Aikido and tkd are not a likely combination to see in a fighter.... mainly because of contrasting theories.... tkders bounce a lot to stay light on their feet to kick... aikidokas slide their feet and hardly ever respond to an attack by kicking...the stances/pomses(sp?) are different Hapkido might be a good combination with tkd because of similiar fighting methods and beliefs however, aikido is for everyone and absolutely everyone can do it.... it only matters on the individual... if you can pretty much throw out a lot of tkd theories and start anew with aikido then i say go for it.. aikido is one of the most enjoyable arts to take part in physically mentally and spiritually.. so more power to you if you can do it
Well, we incorporate some judo (or hapkido??) techniques in with our tkd. But like i said, i prob would cross train in jujitsu or something, but being as i can take aikido with no extra charge in tuition, that's why i'm concidering it. I don't really like hurting people, so if i were in a real fight, i think i'd rather use more evasive techniques than hard strikes and stuff. Esp concidering most of the ppl i would possibibly have to defend against around work are just smart ass teens who think they are bad. I wouldn't want to hurt them, it'd be neat to evade everything they attempt though and show them up in front of everyone.
I take TKD right now and am SERIOUSLY thinking about switching to Aikido, and possibly resuming TKD later in life. I just want to learn the concept of manipulating someone else's balance. And also, striking styles such as Karate, TKD, and such require lots of power. I doubt I'll have the power I have now when I'm 50 or 60. But I still want to be able to defend myself against punk hoodlums. If I had unlimited time and money, I'd learn EVERY style on Earth. I don't, so I have to pick the styles that interest me the most. You have to do the same. Don't pick based on looks. Smashing somebody's head in with a kick is just as neat as flipping them without using any energy. Don't look at self-defence. If you've found a good TKD school, you'll be taught enough of that. This is why it's a hard decision for me. My current TKD school is excellent. Small classes, and a teacher that is insanely good, and really knows what he's doing. PL
In my experience anybody who has trained in another art that contrasts against aikido finds it hard to addapt to Aikido. Aikido is just so different. If you can get over that hardle though, then Aikido should compliment your TKD. But then you have to remember it doesn't work in reverse. You can't applie TKD to Aikido. Since you're already covered for it I see no harm in trying it out. Let us know how it goes.
PoopLoops: Yeah same here. My tkd school is really good, and they do include some groundfighting and grappling for self defense. Even some stick fighting now and then. I just really want to add some something that doesn't require that much strentgh and where being short isn't as much disadvantage. I am so much smaller then everyone, if i were to get attacked by someone alot bigger then me, i might hurt him with some tkd but i doubt i could win. There are some guys in my class who are at the same skill level as me yet crush me in sparring. I wanna find ways to get better at evading and stuff. From what i've read around here though aikido takes years to master... i think that kind of turns me off. Someone at my school did aikido for 2 years and said when he tried to use it in real life, none of it was instinct so it wasn't helpful. Takes many years to become instinct.
Well I'll tell you this.... aikido does take a long time to master but it's not only because you have to train long years in the techniques but also the spiritual side and mind set of the art... i've been doing aikido for 7 years now and i actually was away from it for 4 years because of college so technically ive been only practicing for 3.... but during that time that i was away from the dojo i would read about o'sensei, ran every technique through my head, read every book on aikido, did a lil aikido in a corner where no one would be watching, etc... and it helped... i feel my randori (free sparring if you will) in aikido has greatly improved since i left by getting in the mindset and theories of aikido.... obviously i need more time to master the techniques but jus the other day my friend after having a few drinks was getting a lil rowdy and started pushing me and instead of knocking him in the face i simply evaded and evaded and unbalanced him left and right til he jus gave up
Yeah, assuming I don't try aikido, after I get first dan in tkd, i'm going to cross train in either jujitsu, hapkido, or maybe if i can find a school, wing chun. I don't really want to stop taking tkd at that point, so i'll prob choose something that compliments it rather then have to learn a totally different way of fighting. I do think i'm going to go and attend the aikido class next week to see what i think.
I dont get it!! why all the guys have to cross train!! it is really hard to master one art !! and all are too excited to cross train!! is it u guys want to show some bravery in frnt of your girlfreind!!that ur a martial art fighter!! u can save her anytime!! stick into one!! all martial arts have spirit!! master one art and u can beat any other style with ur skill!! Fighters and artists are different!!
ha ha ha if people want to cross-train, let them be. a friend of mine thinks that with cross-training you never ''really'' learn a martial art, because u learn a little bit of this, a little bit of that. well, there might be some truth in it. but it also depends on how much time you dedicate to those martial arts and how long you are in martial arts. concerning TKD and aikido, i have to say once again - a funny combination. before i started training TKD, i went to several aikido classes and have to say that they were really boring. but then again, not all schools and instructors and styles are the same and neither are we. if the money covers both at ur school, give it a try, see it for yourself. if it doesn't work, then you can choose something else.
Which is why I want to find the martial art I like the best first. I don't want to spend years training something, just to find out there was something else I could have done, that would have gone better with my personality and body build. PL
I don't see anything wrong with sticking to one martial art. I love tkd, but i'm not going to lie to myself and say if i get good enough at it, i will be able to defend against anyone. I do have an instructor that is good enough and fast enough with his tkd that i think it would be very hard for anyone of any style to beat, but even HE cross trains in groundfighting styles and grappling. I'm not in it for spirituality and stuff otherwise i'd stick with one. Also: Just because a person cross trains doesn't mean pervious training was in vein. I don't plan on quitting tkd, i just plan on complimenting it with another style that deals with things tkd can't. What if you are tkd, are in a real fight and someone is good at evading... they evade and take you to the ground, if all you know is tkd strike techniques, you are screwed. That's where cross training comes in.
why can't I train in TKD and Aikido? the 2 schools I train at haven't said that they mind, and I don't mind. So I'll continue. yeah, the stances are totally different, as is the posture, and the moves, but I like them both and have different experiences at each of them. The TKD is a lot more like constant exercise, linework, padwork, sparring and warm down. the Aikido is more like warm-up, practise some techniques, warm down. I like 'em both.
Yeah. I really want to take something that i can use with tkd. I think to round out martial arts training, everyone should train in some stand up striking style and a ground fighting/grappling style. I think i've decided not to worry about aikido right now and just focus all my effort in tkd, and then later on when i have more money to spend, finding another school for jujitsu or something.
I think if people want to cross train they should. My own teacher personaly doesn't allow it. And I do see his point. Aikido is hard enough to teach without having to fight against another phylosophy at the same time. I am always amazed when perfectly capable grown men come to join the class and they can't so much as put the right foot in front of their left. If you're already covered for it, i say try it. There's nothing to be lost by trying.
Yeah personally i wouldn't get into 2 conflicting arts (or arts that just teach different versions of the same type of thing). For example i wouldn't take TKD and Karate. But if one art covers one thing, nothing wrong with cross training in an art that covers something else. Aikido is more mind-work then alot of arts from what i hear. It would be hard to teach that kind of stuff and soft techniques if you were also studying jujitsu or judo.
Actually... it is! Just that "mastering" a style is near impossible, something most people never do. Technically, with a good enough roundhouse, you could knock anybody out, no matter what. Does anybody like that exist? Doubt it. But it's possible. PL
