Cross Training

Some people believe in cross training, while others shun it. It really depends on our perspective. For me, cross training is beneficial for my core style, which is generally karate and specifically Goju-Ryu. Some people might say that concentrating in one style that is ideal for him/her is the way. It shows loyalty and focus. But of course other people say that people definitely must cross train to enrich their techniques and arsenal. I tend to the later one, but I still maintain my core, Goju-Ryu, and use other concepts as a reference point, as a third-person perspective of some techniques that also exist in Goju-Ryu. This might be a biased opinion, but for me Goju-Ryu is already a complete martial art. There’s striking, grappling, locks, submission, throws, and also ways to attack vital points. Whenever I learn something from other system, I might think the mechanic and the concept of the technique is different from Goju-Ryu, but constant training usually reveals, that the concept is actually the other side of the coin of the technique. That’s why I always try to keep myself open. The focus for me is training and developing my karate. If I can learn and enhance my karate by learning from others, why should I close the door and shun it just because it’s different, it’s older, it’s more modern, or looks impractical? In the olden days, people used to learn from different masters, so it is not really an ethical breach. One master might be good in striking, while others are good in grappling. As long as the foundation is good, cross training, for me, is very beneficial.