How do you deal with multiple fighting styles?

[Obadele Kambon]

Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have--Do you practice multiple Martial Arts?
For those of you who are martial arts practitioners: how do you deal with multiple styles? Do you treat each art that you practice or dabble in as a distinct entity? Do you merge the styles together to create an amalgam of arts? Do you have a primary style, to which you merely incorporate relevant principles from other arts? Or do you eschew practicing multiple arts and stick to one?

Please describe your approach and philosophy to this matter.

[Yaw Agbede]

I mainly study EO. I have dabbled in a couple of other arts for two reasons: (1) to incorporate relevant principles/techniques, and (2) to find the weaknesses in those arts, should I encounter praticioners of those arts. For me, EO is (unconsciously) the lense that I view all other arts. It's like if you were born speaking/thinking/living Afrikan then you will "impose" that perspective on everything else - the same is true for me with the martial arts.

Where the other arts complement my EO, I use it. Where they conflict with it I discard them.

[Obadele Kambon]

I mainly study EO. I have dabbled in a couple of other arts for two reasons: (1) to incorporate relevant principles/techniques, and (2) to find the weaknesses in those arts, should I encounter praticioners of those arts. For me, EO is (unconsciously) the lense that I view all other arts. It's like if you were born speaking/thinking/living Afrikan then you will "impose" that perspective on everything else - the same is true for me with the martial arts.

Where the other arts complement my EO, I use it. Where they conflict with it I discard them.

@Yaw Asare Aboagye was asking me where on the continent ẸO was from and I couldn't tell him definitively. The name suggests Yorùbá but my initial knowledge about it was as a blend of Afrikan fighting arts from different places brought together as a system to deal with various ranges/situations. Can you or @Baba Balogun shed some Black on the subject.

Sounds like a smart plan of action. Do you get to spar/fight/battle much with those from other disciplines? Which other arts have you dabbled into?

[Yaw Agbede]

Yes, Egbe Ogun is a mix of west Afrikan arts including Laamb (Wolof), Ijakadi (Yoruba), and Kilijawaaro (Mandinka). It's called "wrestling," but not in the western sense. Our "wrestling" includes groundfighting, grappling, freemovement, weapons, throws/take downs, kwk. It's a mixed martial art in one sense, but it's really not "mixed" at all as all elements form a single homogeneous system (not like studying bjj, western wrestling, muay thai and "mixing" it all together).

I briefly studied philipino martial arts - kali and silat, and I have only been to workshops in brazillian jew-jitsu and capoeira. I am interested in studying more capoeira. We usually have Afrikans train with us who have experience with other arts, so I frequently get to spar with people who practice other arts.

[Obadele Kambon]

I'm familiar with Laamb and Ìjàkadì but not Kilijawaaro. It's always fun to train with those who have background in other arts. Especially those who doubt the effectiveness of "your art" (you). Who's teaching Capoeira down your way?

Yes, Egbe Ogun is a mix of west Afrikan arts including Laamb (Wolof), Ijakadi (Yoruba), and Kilijawaaro (Mandinka). It's called "wrestling," but not in the western sense. Our "wrestling" includes groundfighting, grappling, freemovement, weapons, throws/take downs, kwk. It's a mixed martial art in one sense, but it's really not "mixed" at all as all elements form a single homogeneous system (not like studying bjj, western wrestling, muay thai and "mixing" it all together).

I briefly studied philipino martial arts - kali and silat, and I have only been to workshops in brazillian jew-jitsu and capoeira. I am interested in studying more capoeira. We usually have Afrikans train with us who have experience with other arts, so I frequently get to spar with people who practice other arts.

[Yaw Asare Aboagye]

I can't comment anymore on my martial arts training technique wise since I've long since let it go..(MISTAKE). But if you good Brothers know of anybody teaching our arts in the NYC area let me know. More so for my son than me.

[Heru Djet]

I practice multiple martial arts: Capoeira, Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu, Wing Chun/Chi Tao Chuan Kung Fu, and various stick fighting styles. I tend to practice them separately most of the time, in order to maintain the integrity of each system. However I also combine them so that I can understand their interoperability.

[Obadele Kambon]

What similarities and differences do you see in terms of interoperability?

[Heru Djet]

Mestre Terry Baruti's approach to Combat Capoeira mirrors my use of WC/CTC in really close quarters in terms of his use of elbows and knees. The vertical plane of Capoeira is very similar to CLF. WC/CTC and CLF have some similarities in terms of slipping and center-line attacks. Capoeira and CLF use similar take-downs (rasteira meia lua and vingativa). Galopante is similar to Kup Choy (slap fist) in CLF.

Two of the three stick-fighting styles that we usually do are similar. One is based on Kali the other is Ahati Kilindi Iyi's Naboot style.

[Obadele Kambon]

Mestre Terry Baruti's approach to Combat Capoeira mirrors my use of WC/CTC in really close quarters in terms of his use of elbows and knees. The vertical plane of Capoeira is very similar to CLF. WC/CTC and CLF have some similarities in terms of slipping and center-line attacks. Capoeira and CLF use similar take-downs (rasteira meia lua and vingativa). Galopante is similar to Kup Choy (slap fist) in CLF.

Two of the three stick-fighting styles that we usually do are similar. One is based on Kali the other is Ahati Kilindi Iyi's Naboot style.

I have a workshop video of Mestre Terry Baruti's that I look at from time to time. Would you call a particular art your "base" upon which you build or frame of reference through which you evaluate the other systems that you come into contact with?
I remember seeing you work on the long stick at the encampments with the Naboot. BlackTastic!