I get this question a lot. I believe there are very few exceptions to my answer:Short answer
Have you had any training in the art before?If your answer is...
Yes: Yeah you can probably learn quite a bit.
No: No, you probably won't gain much at all from watching a video and can never use it as your sole source of training.
Long answer
If you're asking the question, then the answer is probably no. Those who usually ask this question are usually untrained in any art or have only done one art before.As far as martial arts and ANY type of remote learning - video, books, articles - goes, I believe the following: once you have a solid foundation of what is being discussed, you can learn remotely. If you do not have a solid foundation in the topic, you can't learn anything effectively.
Simple example:
A. You don't know Brazilian jiujitsu or any basic ground fighting concepts. You try to learn from a video. I promise you, you just won't get it. You can 'learn' all you want from it, but the first time you set foot on a mat you will probably be less far along than a guy who has only been to one or two classes.
B. You know BJJ pretty well. You've been to maybe only a few classes, but you have a good grasp of what is going on. You go look at some videos for new techniques on the internet. You go back to the mat and try to pull them off - you probably won't do well the first few times, but you can work on it with someone and learn it quickly.
Replace "BJJ" with any art - Karate, Aikido, Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, whatever - in that example and you'll find the same result. This isn't just what I believe, but it's also what I've observed for many years.
If you've had training in a similar art as the one you're trying to study remotely, then yes I think it's still possible to learn something.
Regardless of your experience level, if you never test out your training with a partner then you're almost sure to fail.
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6 comments:
Good post. I agree with you overall except in one area.
Now I am expanding your topic here perhaps (but it should all be the same thing). One thing total beginners can and should learn is the pre attack attck or pre fight stage of conflict. Good things for beginners to learn include the Colour Codes of Awareness, pre attack indicators such such as fidgeting, wrestlessness, opening and clenching hands, hiding one hand (weapon), lack of eye contact, asking a 'testing' question to assess suitability as target and more. Other areas could be learning what is the most likely attack they will face for their area and lifestyle (assault or robbery) along with where the biggest danger areas are for each type of attack.
Now I know I've expanded beyond your example of physical martial arts styles to a broader subject area but learning to defend and protect oneself is more than being able to knock out or choke out an attacker. Indeed, the skills I touched on would possibly be of more immediate benefit than the physical techniques.
I understand what the post is about, and I agree with what you're saying but wanted to mention these other areas as well.
Oh by the way great blog. I've been a subscriber for a while now, keep up the interesting posts :)
@Adam -
I completely agree with you. This is one of those few exceptions I mentioned at the beginning. I guess I should narrow my idea down to not the whole martial arts world, but maybe just technique.
Problem with books is they can't teach you rhythm, and they can't correct your mistakes.
As you've said, though, if you have a vague idea of how a technique is supposed to work, then a book can be good.
Totally agree. Videos are much better than books. My take:
1. only way to learn practical fighting (a subset of martial art) is to try it. Start with maximal gear and then gradually cut them down to minimal.
2. You will get smashed if you are new. Now think about why you were beaten up. Go search for solutions on videos. (Unfortunately you need experience to tell if the videos are descent or not. For e.g. Exerpet village martial "master" is average, dog brothers ==> good)
3. Test it out.
I really like this blog. Hope more people see this.
3.
I think that you can learn martial arts from a video or a book much as you can learn any topic (how to knit, go fishing, algebra equations). I think vids and books are a great resource for information.
The problem with this media for training, specifically martial arts training, is that there is a tremendous amount of subtlety and accuracy that is missed due to the limitations of the book and vid format -- there is just not enough room and not enough time to accurately give the learner the best depiction of the technique. What's more is that because the learner is only receiving the instruction in one direction, there is no way for this person to know if they are doing it correctly.
The best thing that a book and vid can transmit to any person is 1.) a broad perspective on the material 2.) a good general philosophical sense of the topic.
When used in conjunction with an instructor, vids and books are a great resource because the student and teacher can use this material as a basis for their training.
On another level, books and vids are most useful, I think, to experienced practitioners of the martial arts because they can glean the information and find applications for the material with respect to their own practices. For example, it wouldn't hurt if an FMA guy watches a vid on small-circle ju jitsu to help expand his/her awareness on joint locking and transitional flow.
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This is a great blog and I read it often. Please keep up the good work.
@Anonymous (the second) -
I think that's a good point. Using them in parallel and for research to broaden your horizons is certainly useful.
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