Consistency

One of the common ills inherent in practicing a work-in-progress recreated art is a lack of consistency. How you do things changes as you make new discoveries, and it is not uncommon to have more than one way of doing something because you're just not sure which is the best way.

The problem is, what you are losing by not picking one far exceeds any potential gains from diversifying.

The problem with allowing for diversity in your body mechanics is that you never train yourself to be consistent, and without consistency your practice is only partially effective. When you force yourself to do things a specific way, you are teaching your body how to comply with your will, to do things the way you want them done when you want. This is a form of discipline. Discipline, both mental and physical, is the cornerstone of martial arts. You can learn and memorize a thousand techniques, but if you can't control your body under duress then those techniques are worthless.

Another reason for consistency is muscle memory. It is a powerful force, easily demonstrated in most people's every day lives. When was the last time you consciously thought about turning the wheel or pushing pedals in a car? If you have too many ways of doing something, your muscle memory may become confused, or you may run into problems recalling the appropriate muslce memory to deal with the situation at hand.

In other words, if you have 10 ways of doing something, when are you wrong? And if you're never wrong, how can you be right?