Martial Arts in the modern era has moved a very long way from its roots. The ability for students to learn multiple styles simultaneously, to chop and change teachers at will, ignore the basics and learn esoteric techniques at the multiplicity of available seminars makes it extremely difficult for the traditional arts to compete.
There is a saying in Martial Arts "If you try to learn everything you will Master nothing". Learning a wide variety of techniques from many different styles can be counterproductive as the systems may not be compatible. There is much more to a technique than just the moves of the application. There is the footwork, body positioning , timing and setting up of the technique. These aspects are part and parcel of the traditional system and without these the applications becomes a technical exercise which will be difficult to apply in a real situation.
In my youth I did not understand this and so I trained in multiple systems under different teachers. I suppose that I was hoping to somehow merge all the techniques into a cohesive fighting style but all I ended up with was a generic kickboxing style that didn't really use any of the special techniques that I had learnt.
As I grew older I realised the error of my ways and decided to go back to basics so I took up the study of traditional Taijiquan under one teacher and have attempted to understand the depth of the system instead of attempting to master the every aspect of the system. 17 years on and I am still learning from the same teacher and the same system and my ability to use what I have learnt in this system in a natural way has improved immensely.
The statement that I have only one teacher is not strictly correct, as I do have other sources of instruction, and they are the Tai Chi Classics, my Tai Chi brothers & sisters, my students, the books of teachers from other arts and styles , and last but not least Chang San Feng , the mystical founder who gave me my greatest lesson which today still provides me with the insight to answer the many questions that students pose.