Originally Posted by
sanjuro_ronin
Historically most ( if not all) MA trained in more than one style and it worked well for them, as it continues to work well for most.
Sure there are some that find a style and stick with it and no other and theyare fine with that, but personally I feel they are missing on a huge facet in their MA training and that is experiencing the differences in tactitcs, concepts and principels of other system that can make their system even better ( or at worse prepare them for meeting said systems).
As for cross over I don't think it is that much of an issue, every person customizes their system to an extent ( or at least they should).
Since you mention Hung Kuen, lets take it as an example:
A person who is 6-4 and 230 will have a certain hand, and a person that is 5-4 and 130 will have another.
A person coming in with NO prior MA experience will have a certain hand while someone with prior MA will have another.
Just the way it is.
The pros far outweight the cons
To kind of reiterate what Ronin said, people learn, practice, and teach systems according to their peronalities, strengths, and desires. In other words, an instructor from the same system may teach much differently than another instructor from that same system. Everyone puts their own touch on things learned and things done, just like anything else.
Two auto mechanics may have different methods to troubleshoot and fix a car, but so long as the job gets done it really doesn't matter.
I personally feel knowledge is something we should all continue to strive for and it is possible to train multiple styles of Kung Fu or other martial arts, but I do feel a person should have a base art they train in for at least 3 years before doing so. I have trained in multiple styles, nothing as long as my training in Pai Lum however I have always found something I learned or improved upon in each system. Refining and improving techniques often is more beneficial than learning new ones.
"The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero projects his fear onto his opponent while the coward runs. 'Fear'. It's the same thing, but it's what you do with it that matters". -Cus D'Amato