The benefits of cross-training in martial arts

Variety is the spice of life! The moniker martial arts is such a broad umbrella term for so many different types of systems from across the world that you almost forget the variety it encompasses. From the usual suspects of Asian martial arts such as Kung Fu, Karate, Muay Thai and Taekwondo to the lesser known Arnis, Silat, Israeli Krav Maga, Dambe (African boxing), Capoeira, Systema (the official martial art of the Russian Spetsnaz) and many more.

Even the term Kung Fu is a catch all for numerous fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. In its true literal meaning, kung fu can refer to any specialist discipline or skill such as chefs and carpenters, not just martial arts. The value of any expertise from whatever background cannot be underestimated.

With martial arts, there are vast differences in history, culture, philosophy, training formats and overall emphasis but there is only a limited number of ways a human body can move to kick and punch. Furthermore, there is an optimal range for body mechanics and martial arts should bring this to the fore.

Over the years, we have heard instructors say that you must only train in one discipline (surprisingly - their own) and others that espouse the benefits of cross-training. Now, nobody wants to be a jack of all trades but a master of none, however there are clear benefits from training across a range of martial arts, and not just if you want to be a UFC champion!

Keeping curiosity alive

Travel broadens the mind. I love travelling – seeing and experiencing new places, cultures and people is an ingrained passion for me as much as martial arts. There is just so much of the world to explore. I have travelled extensively since I was a child, filling up passports faster than you can blink an eye. I did the ubiquitous gap year trotting around the world with my friends and have been lucky enough to continue to regularly visit exotic locations with my husband.

What has struck me is how all cultures have their own version of martial arts, some obviously more globally recognised than others. But there is something innate in human nature wherever you go that makes them develop their own fighting style, whether protecting their communities from marauding invaders, other neighbouring clans or even rampaging wildlife. That same curiosity that fires my love of travelling is what drives me to seek out great martial arts systems and instructors – either to train to learn properly or experience just for the fun of it.

I have been practicing Five Ancestors Kung Fu since I was about 16 years old when my parents finally allowed me to train with Master Han, which for many martial artists is rather late in the game since they start training at five or six years old. But because I started training at this relatively young age and have continued to this day, Five Ancestors Kung Fu will forever be my base line. It is how my muscle memory works and it is how I naturally move when put under pressure. The very nature of Five Ancestors Kung Fu though is a cross pollination of styles. Is it therefore not just a continuation of this mentality that we should seek out masters of their art to fill in any gaps in our own training or satisfy our curiosity?

Over the years, I have also trained in a variety of different arts including Silat, Systema and Sanshou which have all provided me with different perspectives. I have learnt to adapt to other arts with differences in styles, footwork and stance but that comes more easily after having a strong base knowledge and awareness of my own body. My Arnis training for example has jump-started a new enthusiasm with my weapons training. My curiosity has been peaked and is sustained. The overlap and similarities with my baseline and many of these arts in principles and techniques are striking. Many Filipino martial arts such as Arnis, Escrima and Kali with a focus on stick and blade fighting have also incorporated small aspects of Kung Fu (because of their location in South East Asia) and this has led to a natural parallel for me. Training set sparring sets with traditional kung fu weapons has then been given a new injection of life and understanding.

Nothing kills off curiosity more than arrogance and thinking your system is the best. No one system is better than another. All have their pros and cons and it is for a true martial artist to realise this. Unfortunately, I have seen this attitude promulgated by students who cannot even practice their own art at a high standard, dismissing any other martial art other than their own as ineffective (not even having tried it). What they fail to realise is that their limited derogatory mindset will only stunt their growth and hinder their progress as a martial artist. You should always foster a curiosity – that is how you learn and experience the world in all its glory.

Have Fun!

As well as cross training more seriously, you should just have some fun with it. Discover what the world of martial arts has to offer, find out what suits you, enjoy some great experiences. Whenever possible when I travel, I like to seek out that country’s martial art speciality and give it a go.

Sumo Wrestling

Japan has always held a certain mystery for me – with such ancient history and a completely different culture, even compared to anywhere else in Asia. It is the home of so many widely practiced martial arts like Judo, Jujutsu and Karate. So, the obvious choice of training when we visited in July 2018 was of course – Sumo. A completely alien martial art to me, I was fascinated by this ancient and ritualistic full contact, competitive wrestling and grappling art that is also a national sport of Japan.

How did they get to be such giants? What type of training do they even do? How would I fare when trying it out?

The basic rules are simple – if any part of your body other than your feet touch the ground or you step outside the straw ring, the match is over, and you lose to your opponent. There are rules, which include no hair pulling, hitting with closed fists (open palms are allowed), eye gouging (fair enough!), choking and grabbing your opponent’s crotch area.

We spent a fantastic full day training with two very experienced sumo wrestlers, one a former professional sumo wrestler and the other a highly ranked amateur at a specialist stadium in the suburbs just outside Tokyo. With the help of our two Japanese interpreters, we got down to our training. After an introduction to the art and gearing up with our very humorous looking uniforms, we warmed up and stretched. It was eye opening how flexible these athletes were – they could do the splits, squat low with perfect posture and looked like yogis. They also had tremendous rooting, and it was not just because of their sheer size. We trained feet shuffling exercises in very low stances which allows each sumo to use gravity to maximise their sense of balance. We were taught the opening ceremonial stomping technique of shiko to build lower body and leg strength. Alternately lifting each leg high in the air with control, holding it there as the other stayed rooted to the ground and then driving it down into the mat with force. We did it about 50 times and were completely knackered. They train this technique 500 times as part of their daily morning routine.

We were also taught teppo training (pushing exercise with our heads) and butsukari-geiko to get an idea of leverage and hand placement to push each other from one end of the ring to the other. But the cherry on the cake was then to have a real go at having some matches with these sumo wrestlers. It was beyond hard work to move these giants even an inch but so much fun. I got an insight into a martial art that I would never have considered trying otherwise.

Krav Maga

Krav Maga is a modern martial art that was developed for the Israeli military and derives from a mixture of techniques sourced from karate, boxing, aikido, wresting and judo – the ultimate Israeli MMA. Krav Maga is no doubt a reflection of Israeli society and their harsh reality. They have selected what works, tried and tested their techniques and passed them onto their people. Some may call it aggressive but when you think of its source and understand its purpose, how can it be anything else?

When we visited Israel in February 2019, we couldn’t pass up the chance at training in Hadera with Avivit Cohen, arguably one of the most well-known figures in Krav Maga. She holds a 6th Dan in Krav Maga (the first woman to do so), is founder and coach at Smart Fight and featured in the Discovery Channel’s TV show Fight Quest. Training with someone like Avavit was an honour. We got to have an understanding into what Krav Maga was all about, the intensity of open hand and weapons combat but also how our previous training had put us in good stead for such an experience.

We all know that cross training can lead to the usual multitude of benefits – injury prevention, increasing your strength and skills, keeping boredom at bay and ensuring that your training plateau is a distant future. But what I have discovered is probably more profound. In searching and training for something that can be considered as “truth” (what essentially works under pressure and what doesn’t), you will encounter the realisation that something, for whatever reason, simply does not work. It is can be painful at first, both physically and to the ego, having put in the time and effort into learning and training something. But what do you do at that crossroads? Do you face up to reality, accept the somewhat difficult truth, and adapt or do you dig deeper into the sands of denial and go back to your old ways of training because it is the easier option? Cross training allows you to encounter these realisations on an ongoing basis. It is up to you how you react and move forward. You will face the same encounters in your daily life – whether in business, your relationships or how you even grieve and view death. The lessons that we can learn from cross training and searching for the true path of martial arts (whichever arts they may be) can go far beyond what you expect and touch on every facet of your life and your outlook.

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