Multi Discipline
Martial Art Multi-Discipline
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Multi-Discipline Martial Arts are those that have been created by taking chunks of various other Martial Arts and bringing them together under one new system. The thought process behind doing this is that the trainer is picking what he/she considers to be the "best bits" from different styles and is thus creating a new style that is more effective than any of the individual martial arts upon which it is based. Of course "best bits" may often include things that the trainer finds easiest and least boring which doesn't necessarily make them the best. Obvious benefits of multi-discpline Martial Arts are that they tend to be well-rounded and contain both striking and grappling techniques. With this in mind they often refer to themselves as being more "street-effective" than single styles. The drawback is that they lack the historical and cultural aspects that surround the more traditional Martial Arts, and of course being newer there are a lot less people who practice them. It might prove hard switching to another club or competing in your style - although there are plenty of freestyle tournaments to enter. When discussing multi-discpline arts the interesting question that arises is "when does a multi-discpline martial art become a new single style?" Don't forget that many of today's well-established styles were yesterday's new multi-discpline arts. A classic example being Jeet Kune Do (The martial art that Bruce Lee created) We don't know if there is an acceptable age or number of practitioners before a new style is considered to have "officially" made it to maturity. I would probably classify anything under around 15 years old and/or with fewer than 1,000 practitioners as still establishing itself and therefore by our definition a multi-discipline Martial Art. But then what do I know?
