Hi Reg (and All),

> That's a fairly bold statement
That's me 'Bold' - OK Good Looking and Bold - OK Intelligent, Good
Looking and Bold.... (Could go on but don't want to appear big
headed) - :) :) :) :) :)

The idea I wanted to share is that practice of any martial art
benefits practice of any other martial art - YES I totally agree with
the concept that a base art should be studied for long enough for the
exponent to be comfortable and to understand not only the moves but
the principles of the art - but then cross training - I suggest - is
beneficial.

It's beneficial not only for filling in the holes in the base art -
and EVERY martial art without exception has holes (Because otherwise
the art that didn't have any holes would be the one that we would ALL
study)... but also because practising a different art often will give
you insights into the GOOD STUFF in your base art as you can get to
the "Can't see the wood for the trees" situation in your base art and
think you are practising and developing when in fact you are
practising and stagnating (BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!)

By the way you mentioned "variation in the practice of wado" - I
wasn't suggesting that at all - when I'm at the Wado club I try and
do everything the way the instructor wants - the Wado way, the same
as when I go to Ju-Jitsu on a Friday evening I try and do things the
Ju-Jitsu way... Of course sometimes (especially when under pressure)
other bits and pieces pop out - but hey that's the fun of it all.

The best one was doing a push-hands type drill at Ju-jitsu some
months ago and being partnered up with a young black belt who just
couldn't figure out why he couldn't touch me whilst I could pretty
much touch him at will - the associations senior instructor (who was
teaching at the club that night) knows I teach Tai Chi and quietly
crept up behind me and pinned my arms to my side so as to give the
young guy a chance - LOVED IT :) :) :)

You also (earlier in your post) mentioned arts being "diametrically
opposed in character" - I just don't think that is EVER true - we all
have two arms, two legs, etc and the same physical laws apply to
everybody - so even if basic things like power generation are
intrinsically different they are still just variations on a theme...

All the best.

Robert.
---
Robert Agar-Hutton
www.p-k-j.org