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6 Dragons Kung Fu encourages new experiences

Every martial art (traditional or modern) has something to teach us:

New methods and principles
New ways to see the practice and the fight
What our personal strengths and weaknesses are
What other combat and training system’s strengths and weaknesses are
…

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

We firmly believe that to periodically practice other disciplines (not necessarily only martial-related) is always positive: every experience (good or bad) expands cultural baggage.

Are there risks practicing other activities?

Every experience (again good or bad) is formative but only if:

We give it a rational meaning
We give it a level of importance balanced with its value
It does not hinder our primary goals and capabilities
The frenzied search for novelty does not prevent us from pursuing a specific martial path
What we get is better than what we lose
…

A note by Master Kongling – In relation to the last point, it is possible to deepen the topic reading Is your instructor harming your martial growth?.

What are some disciplines that are worth trying?

Here are some martial arts / disciplines that are worth trying while following 6 Dragons Kung Fu (in random order):

Ninjutsu
Jeet Kune Do
Shaolin Quan
Tai Chi (Taiji, epecially Chen Style)
Wing Chun
Ju-Jitsu
Yoga
Muay Thai
Bagua Zhang
Mei Hua Quan
MMA
Systema
Eskrima
White Crane
Krav Maga
Hung Gar
Aikido
Kali
Silat
Kalarippayattu
…

A note by Master Kongling – These naturally are only examples from the most famous, the list would be endless. In any case, if we need more ideas we can read 6DKF: what does it teach?.

What are the courses that are not worth trying?

Among those that are serious, there is no specific course that we directly advise against but in terms of categories, the less favorable are certainly:

The ones that are less compatible with our goals (read also Kung Fu training for beginners’ fast improvement)
The ones that are too strictly confined to a specific sport competition type (as long as that is not our goal)
The ones that exploit the martial arts for pure gymnastic purposes (as long as that is not our goal)
The ones that aim purely for choreographic / historical purposes (as long as that is not our goal)
The ones that include ridiculous tricks, magic blows from a distance, etc. (usually these are immediately recognizable because, with the same boasted phenomenal combat results, not a drop of sweat is shed)
Those who practice the occult and / or aim to create a kind of mystical adoration of the teacher (read for example Aguilar: the assassin “Shaolin monk” renegade from the Temple)
…

How to address the study of other martial arts

The spirit with which this type of collateral study must be addressed is:

Humble – When we follow a lesson, we have to rely (with humility) on the experience of the instructor in his / her specific field (which hopefully should be superior to ours); naturally, if at everything he / she says we find that we know more than he / she does, it is clear that we need a more prepared teacher
Not submissive – It is not a secret that in most of the cases the less honest instructors (read Recognize a good / bad master: 5 characteristics) will try to belittle not only ours but all the other martial arts in general; well, it doesn’t matter, we let them believe what they prefer (it is up to us to decide what works for us and what not, read Is it legit?)
Not arrogant – This essentially means not contesting (unnecessarily) and not trying to teach those who know more than us (or worse, those who are unwilling to listen)
Not naive – Let’s not be fooled too easily, all the crafty teachers have their little tricks to prove they are right and we are wrong (eg. forcing the execution of a specific technique in a predictable / controlled context to prove, as appropriate, that it works or that it doesn’t work)
…

A note by Master Kongling – Regarding the last point, it is interesting to read How to know if a combat technique works or not.

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, is it mandatory to practice other martial arts? Obviously not but if we have occasion to follow a few lessons or seminars, it would definitely be something of value
Our school has been set up in such a way that it can be in effect a reference base even for other martial arts (also our instructors are more like coaches than the classical one-way teachers)
What does it mean that the martial arts mentioned are “compatible” with 6 Dragons Kung Fu? It should be emphasized that saying this we do not mean that they teach the same things or in the same way but that there are simply useful lessons to be learned; some of these disciplines has theoretical / philosophical implications very far from ours
How to limit the eventual negative incidence of the wrong experiences? If we are not expert enough to understand the problems at a glance, the simplest trick is to limit the duration of the experiences to not too long periods of time
…

A note by Master Kongling – In the past, I myself have had considerable problems in recovering certain gaps that have been imposed on me by incorrect training methods; without naming people or martial arts, while before in combat I felt free to express myself effectively, after that particular experience I felt tactically slowed down, unable to act naturally (I can’t imagine anything more serious, it took me several months to recover).

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – Fundamental exercises to build skills valid for all the martial arts

In-depth articles

Martial art and self-defense: what are the differences? – The crucial distinctions that must be made
Measure ourselves with errors – How to address the difficulties of the various martial experiences

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What martial arts have you already tried?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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