CROSSTRAINING
By Maurice Msarsa
Ku Dan Isshinryu
 

Is cross training in the martial arts beneficial, or is it harmful? Should people trained in any one discipline train in another art? Are we being disloyal to our martial art discipline if we seek training in another?

In the very early years, the choices to study martial arts were limited to whatever dojo was available at that time. As the arts gained acceptance, the demand for dojos grew and other dojos, teaching different styles, opened their doors. Karate kas signed up at the dojos, gained knowledge, got trained, and got promoted in rank. Eventually, they entered open tournaments, got exposed to different styles. Some were satisfied with their base of knowledge. Others needed to learn more. They realized that the martial arts universe is too big to claim that any one style contains all, or even most, of the knowledge in the arts.

Martial artists cross train for different reasons. Some wish to absorb all the knowledge that they possibly can. Some do it to enhance the techniques they have. Others would argue that by knowing the attackers techniques, they could better defend themselves in a confrontation. Novices that train in one style for a short period, then jump to another, then another, then another, are not really cross training. They usually do not know what they are looking for, and they remain novices. Those that gain knowledge and rank in one discipline, then seek additional training and knowledge in others…continuing the training
in all the disciplines…qualify as cross-trained martial artists.

Was Master Tatsuo Shimabuku a cross-trained martial artist? Published reports give us this account of his training:

He started his training in Shuri-tu under his uncle, Ursha Matsumura before he was 10 years old. In his early 20’s he began his training in Shorin-Ryu under Chotuku Kyan, and later under Choki Motobu. After Master Kyan’s death, Master Shimabuku started studying Goju-Ryu under Chojun Miyagi. After mastering Shuri-tu, Shorin-Ryu, and Goju-Ru, Master Shimabuku started his study of Kubudo (ancient weapons) under Shinken Taira. I believe that in our world today, this could be considered cross training.

It is evident that after all the training in the different disciplines, Master Shimabuku was not satisfied that he was exposed to the best karate knowledge. He experimented by combining selected techniques from the styles he studied with his own techniques to create Isshinryu…, which our sensei, Grandmaster Harold Long, called The Ultimate Fighting Art.

Some people would argue that since Master Shimabuku did the “cross training” to eventually create Isshinryu, we do not need to cross train beyond the knowledge that Isshinryu gives us. Is that really a legitimate position to take? I’ll leave this for the reader to digest. I believe that when a person wants to cross train, that person is seeking knowledge that was not available in the art that was studied earlier. By cross training, the individual expands his/her base of knowledge into new horizons.

What if Master Shimabuku concentrated on only one of the early styles he studied? Would all the Isshinryu followers be training in that style?

At the Karate Five, Isshinryu is the base of our martial arts training. Cross training in other styles is utilized to enhance and expand our base of knowledge.

Isshinryu…One Heart