Starting FMA

[llXTheOneXll]

I had no idea FMA was so popular in the states. I am really interested in taking a form of FMA so I looked up any possible choices near the area where I live and I found a couple. The only problem is that I am currently taking Karate. I'll probably have my blackbelt in about 3 months at the least but I still plan to raise in degrees after that and learn every weapon that my style teaches at my school. I was wondering if anyone here has taken 2 forms of martial arts at the same time or anyone who does not reccommend it. I'd also like to know the difference between Arnis and Kali if there is any at all. Please excuse my ignorance I am only begginning to learn about the world of FMA.

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"I must not fear, fear is the mindkiller. I will let the fear pass through me. After it has passed, only I will remain..." - Mah di'

 

[Joel Stave]

I've studied more than one style at a time. I heartily recommend it, if you have time to do it properly -- which means you have a lot of time. When I did this, it was during a time of my life when I had the time to train 6 days a week.

If you can't do that, then training in what I'll call your "main style" while taking the odd class in another style also worked pretty well for me. It expanded my horizons and gave me a much deeper understanding of the concept that while there is no "one right way" to do something, there are many wrong ways to do it.

 

[thekuntawman]

learning two arts at the same time is no problem if you are openminded enough to do it. i dont recommend it to my students unless they been in it for a long time already.

the problem is because people look at the techniques of the second art like the first one, and they miss what the teacher of the second art is trying to give them. for example, what if you join a boxing gym at the same time you practice wing chun. unless you can forget what the wing chun teacher tells you when you walk into the gym, the different punching styles will make one of them look worthless to you, or you will have a hard time to learn chi sao or slipping a jab correctly. when you are in one school you have to become that style, when you are in the other, you become that one.

another problem i see with it is that people do not stay long enough to see the benefit of that style. then when they give up they close his eyes to what techniques it has that art good just because "it didnt work for me", or if they meet another person who does that style again, they underestimate. in my own school i get guys who took tae kwon do or use to do the point competition fighting, but they try to impress me that it was not "tough/effective/realistic/combative" enough and that is why they are studying with me. so, i will put one of my boys on him to whip him with point fighting (or do it myself) or with just kicks so they will see his mistake. whatever you chose to learn stay with it until you become good at what that teacher is giving you before you make up your mind if you want to stick to it or quit.

that is why when i meet a guy who tells me he did this or that, but it was no good, i always say "you must not have been very good at it", because everything is good.

the secret to learning two arts at the same time is to become very good at what the teacher is teaching, the way he is giving it to you, before you try to make your own technique.

 

[szorn]

Training in multiple styles at the same time can actually make you an all-around better martial artist. Generally one style will fill the gaps left by the other style/s. I currently train in 3 different Filipino based systems. Although there are some similarities they are still different. Each style adds to the others.

Steve