Wow, my first post. Here goes nuthin.
I have studied martial arts on and off for the past 18 years or so, I started when I was 9 in Judo.
I did that for a bit and even got myself a niffty yellow belt.
Stopped judo, and started with TKD (Tae Kwon Do), both the ITF and WTF styles more seriously when I was 11 Achieved some competence with those forms. (I like the WTF better, but ITF has some interesting concepts as well)
I started the study of the sword, both Japanese and Chinese styles (Kendo with my uncle and Wushu at the local community centre) when I was 15 but sadly, I lacked the focus for the art at that time. (Girls were not very impressed with my ability to slay dandelions with one quick draw of my sword. go figure)
I started university and I started up with Jujuitsu, which is just a more combative form of judo. It emphasis self defense on a street level. It incorparates various striking techniques of foot, fist, and elbow, with a lot of different joint locks, and foot sweeps, and full body throws. (As opposed to say an Aikido wrist lock that happens to throw a person because it hurts too much to resist.)
I was able to get to my brown belt quite quickly, but then I moved away from that university. I took up Judo instead way up north. I finally achived my first black belt at the age of 20 Having achived it, I felt immediately invincible, and actually participated in the BC Northern Winter Games, which I enjoyed lots, but in the gold medal round, I had my ass handed to me by a more aggressive style of judo. Oh well, there's always someone better as they say
At the age of 22 I started Aikido and Kempo and I achived black belt in Aikido at 25.
As you can probably tell, I don't like to hit people, but I do like to grab them. Don't get me wrong, I am fully capable of doing a Mike Tyson on someone, but given my body type and my personal preferences, I'm much more likely to counter attack and go for joint locks and chokes, strangulations.
Now, I'm involved in the SCA and do recreational bouts of sword and shield fighting, spear fights, as well as axe and dagger fights.
All in all, I'd say I'm a pretty capable person, but there are a lot of people in this world who'd whoop me in a few heart beats.
As to fighting cross styles, I've done it a few times and honestly I have to say every style has something to offer to everyone, but not everyone is suited for every style.
Some of the ladies I know absolutely suck at judo and Aikido, simply by the fact that they are too small to take advantage of the leverage they can exert, but I taught two of the knife fighting skills and both of them I would wager could widdle just about anyone to size with short blades. They are familar with the more common knife defenses, the best of Aikido/Judo/Jujuitsu unarmed counterattacks, and best of all, one my girls likes to hide her "little surprise" in her bra when she goes out on the town.
Both are fast enough to capitlize on the fact that you just wouldn't EXPECT such "nice harmless girls" to be able kick your ass to do just that.
So...when it comes to a fight, plan for the worst, hope for the best, and maybe you'll live to see another day.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)