what should i do?

Question

well i do Tae kwon do and when im a black belt im thinking about doing a different martial art to broaden my knowledge of martial arts and i was thinking of wushu or shaolin kung fu or karate and i would also would like to know does being a black belt in TKD give you any advantage in starting karate as in getting up belts faster or learning techniques faster thanks

Answer 1

Yes Koshi it usually does. Most people that have studied something else be it gymnastics, golf, or another martial art then have "learned how to learn" as I refer to it. They tend to take being taught and coached new things faster and better; especially if they are into their teens and can look at something from a different perspective. The exception to this is a young student who is ten years old and is not mature enough mentally and can not do this and so then can actually be more difficult than teaching a ten year old with no experience. Along with that your balance, coordination, flexibility and agility will be much better than that of a raw beginner's probably making it physical easier for you to learn new things as well.

Answer 2

Hi there

I started a new martial art 8 years ago after training in karate for over 10 years. The only time your previous experience will help is if the arts are similar in style. For example karate and TKD use similar techniques. If you started to learn Aikido then your previous experience wont help you. In fact my previous experience made it harder for me to learn. So it really depends what you want to do. For me personally i wouldn't go for the easy option because you wont really be learning anything new. Its far better to challenge your way of thinking and your way of moving. One benefit of previous experience is that you are already fit and disciplined at studying a martial art. Its also easier if you choose an art from the same country as your previous one. That way the philosophy and terminology will be the same.

Hope this makes sense.

Best wishes

idai

Answer 3

If you are looking to become more well-rounded, try something completely different than what you are studying now.
After (or during) your study of TKD, look for something a bit more ground oriented- Brazilian Ju Jutsu, Judo, etc.
If you still have the bug, you can continue with a more weapons heavy art.
Luck in battle!

Answer 4

well if you have a black belt in TKD, then you should have most of the kicks down pat, except that karate kicks are held out longer that the taekwondo snap in their kicks. yo will also know many hand techniques so you would progress faster

Answer 5

I've been through several arts..the greatest and deepest that I have ever seen is Systema
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O7_dzu4TQDs