The Martial Arts Education

Depending on which school you choose to train with, there is a degree of martial arts rivalry or "politics" that students may have to endure. For instance, fellowship among the various organizations (ITF, WTF, ATA, etc.) within Taekwon-Do is rare as each branch believes in its superiority over the other. It's even worse between styles (Karate, Kung Fu, Ju Jitsu, etc). You can see it all over the internet on message boards and blogs. People get into some pretty serious arguments over which style is better or more complete.

Some instructors may offer to teach techniques from other martial arts, but they would certainly NEVER allow another instructor to teach their students.

The blame for these rivalries very often lies with the instructors. Whether it's ego or self-preservation, many instructors will tell a student that they need only train in one art; that their art is complete and cross-training is unnecessary. Some instructors may offer to teach techniques from other martial arts, but they would certainly NEVER allow another instructor to teach their students. Ultimately, the students suffer because the instructor is either too arrogant or afraid that students will leave to train under another teacher.

In Living the Martial Way, Forrest Morgan discusses the idea of the "core" art and cross-training. He explains that a martial artist should focus on one style as the one he/she will choose to master. This one art will serve as the core of your martial arts education; the one in which you will learn and perfect every nuance; the one in which you will be considered an expert. A student certainly can choose to focus only on his/her core art and have a very fulfilling experience. It isn't necessary to cross-train in several arts, but it is highly encouraged if you cross-train that you maintain your core art. Otherwise, a student runs the risk of becoming a Jack of All Trades, but Master of None.

Few schools embrace this philosophy. It's the reason Sorce Martial Arts offers individual programs with separate ranking. Further, it's the reason Mr. Sorce offers seminars and invites guest instructors as often as possible. Exposing students to a variety of instructors isn't a risk; it's a great way to enrich the martial arts experience. The seminars are special events open to ALL students, regardless of their core art. In fact, we invite students and instructors who train in a variety of martial arts from all over Wisconsin and Illinois to attend the seminars.

Martial arts is more than just punching and kicking. It is an education in a given discipline, just like engineering, language or mathmatics. To reap the most reward from your education, a student should seek a well-rounded experience in several disciplines from as many skilled teachers as possible, while maintaining a well focused and dedicated effort toward mastering a core curriculum.