What do you guys think about mixing Akido with KungFu?

[EricK]

I just started training in kungfu about two months ago. And today I was looking up akido and realized that its mainly learning how to grapple and how to defend your self against multiple attackers. So I was just thinking what it would be like if you mixed them.
Sorry if I butchered any thing like what akido is really about or any thing else, like I said Im only two months into kungfu so Im relatively new to martial arts all together.

 

[Shnappley]

Foremost, there's many kinds of kung fu. I might suggest you find out or mention what style of kung fu you're studying.

Aikido and any style of kung fu are traditional arts, that have a lot of depth to them. It could take years for someone to really wrap their head around just one of these arts. Trying to come to grips with both of them at the same time, and with no previous training at all, it's a bad route, if you ask me.

Going to two different martial arts schools for two different martial arts is like attending two universities at the same time, and trying to major in two totally unrelated subjects. You could try it. You might even succeed for a time. But at the end of the day, when you've crammed in that day's material from each class, what have you really learned? You're splitting your time and attention in two different ways.

You've been studying your kung fu for two months. Congratulations. You've just dipped your toe into the vast ocean that is your martial art. I'm mentioning that not as a "look, you're new, you've got to put in your dues" type of thing. I'm not even saying it as a "if you take two arts at once, you'll get confused!" type of thing either. I'm saying it because you don't seem to have a clue about if your art includes any Chin Na (the term for "trapping and locking", ie, joint locks or grappling), and to what extent, and if your sifu knows and teaches it. Nor do you seem to know if your style includes takedowns and throws and to what extent, and if your sifu knows and teaches those techniques. So, be patient. Keep practicing. Keep studying. You'll keep learning, and then you'll see what your art can really offer you.

 

[Link]

I think combining arts is controversial- many arts have certain ways of thinking, as well as unique styles and techniques. However, combining the best of everything can have many benefits. Aikido and kung fu are quite different arts, so it might be particularly difficult to find a mix that works. But if you did, I think it might be surprisingly effective.

I do it all the time, I'm almost ashamed to say. Sometimes, in Tae Kwon Do, different styles are more effective. Having a karate guard, or using a Brazillian jiu jitsu take-down is just the right thing to do at the right time. Whatever works for you, do it!