Arrowhead Martial Arts Studio Blog

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Many of you know that I first started my martial arts journey in Tae Kwon Do when I lived in Ann Arbor Michigan.

A friend of mine, Jeff Smith, was in it and so I gave it a try and loved it. I have longer legs so kicking always gave me an advantage. However, when I first moved to Utah, I couldn’t find any local Tae Kwon Do (TKD) dojos so I decided to take a martial arts class at college. They offered “American Kenpo” and I remember thinking “how different could it be?” So I signed up and went to my first lesson.

WOW! What a difference!

I felt dumb not knowing how VERY different another martial art could be. TKD is known for being a sport oriented art (it’s in the Olympics) and having a lot of kicks. Kenpo, in case you don’t know, is the exact opposite. It relies more on hand strikes with supplemental kicks and is oriented for street smart self-defense.

I was amazed when the chief instructor, Doug Anderson, demonstrated some basic Kenpo techniques. I remember seeing “Five Swords” and thinking … how could you defend against that?! It wasn’t about winning points in the ring. It was about keeping you safe in the parking lot.

Everything had a name (all in English) … it was built around modern day self-defense… you didn’t need to be flexible to execute the moves in the system… it was (and continues to be) a modern system of motion with logical, practical and direct application.

I knew the second I saw Kenpo in action that it was the martial art for me. Nearly 20 years later, I still think back to how easily it would’ve been to just continue to do what I was doing. It wasn’t a hard choice when it came down to it because I didn’t care how much time I invested in the other art. American Kenpo made more sense to me and I wanted the best for myself. It’s not a slam on TKD, it just wasn’t right for me once I understood the difference and determined what exactly I wanted to get out of taking a martial art.

So, if you’re interested in seeing what American Kenpo is like, I encourage you to come in and check it out. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you see.

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I just wanted to post a quick congratulatory message to both Cory and Jessica on their promotion to Yellow belt on Tuesday. So without any further ado, congratulations! Keep doing what you’re doing as you’re both catching on fast.

Remember to always have the passion for the art and strive for the mental, physical and spiritual benefits without chasing the rank. If you do that, the rank / belts will ALWAYS follow.

See you in class.

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Does Cross Training in the Martial Arts Make You A Partial Artist?

My opinion is yes, I think it can make you a partial artist. Learning one art then moving on to another is one thing, jumping around to multiple studios at the same time, to me, isn’t the most focused way to go about things. If you’re supplementing your training with videos and books from other martial arts systems and styles, that’s one thing. It’s not a total distraction from your training. Taking seminars in other arts also follows into this bucket. However, in my estimation, taking two systems or more at the same time with equal focus takes you off track and doesn’t allow you to “rifle” in.

Mr. Mills once told me one time of a conversation he had with his instructor Mr. Ed Parker about this subject. Mr. Parker told him to rifle in instead of using the shotgun/scattered approach so he could thoroughly learn American Kenpo. The sentiment was you can either be good at one thing, or a jack of all trades. Mr. Parker did it. Mr. Mills did it. Wise advise, and fine examples, if you ask me.

Why the term partial artist? Because you can’t fully understand all of the intricacies, methodologies and techniques when juggling different arts. Most arts have different mindsets, philosophies and maneuvers. It’s like trying to learn German, French and Russian then trying to combine them as you speak. What a mess!

So why do some people study more than one martial art at a time? Some martial arts students feel that there isn’t one perfect system out there and they want to sample different arts - taking the best moves and strategies - as a means to become competent in several different areas of the arts. Further, that it will also make them a more “complete” or well rounded martial artist. The reality is that while a small amount of people can accomplish this, for most, it can dilute their understanding of truly learning one art well.

By focusing and dedicating themselves to learning one art, those that focus hope to rifle in and understand it more completely and thoroughly by immersing themselves in it. For many, learning one art is hard enough to truly learn all of its intricacies, movements and philosophies. Some might find this boring or that they are happier with more variety. One of the best solutions is to take an art that encompasses several other martial arts allowing one to focus on art but become multifaceted.

I’m not saying don’t be open to new ideas, but trying to juggle multiple systems at the same time isn’t the smartest use of time, if you ask me. It can make you a partial artist.

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Mr. Mills has always said not become a “pattern junkie” with our Kenpo techniques. But what does that mean? To me, it means there are far more important things to work on and internalize than to sit around collecting self defense techniques (forms, sets, etc). In the end, it’s not a contest of who knows more.

Techniques are case studies for us to learn, experience, dissect and try to internalize. They are a means to an end. At some point, however, we need to be free of the techniques. While it’s true we do need to first learn them so we can absorb the concepts, principles, and movements, we don’t want to forever be bound by them.

Remember, it’s not how much you know, it’s what you can do with what you know.

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