# what do i do



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 8, 2010)

i want to learn really bad but there arent any dojos within 50 miles of where i live. Unless someone lives in Galveston Texas i dont know what to do other than get videos. if you guys think that that is the only option then can you tell me which videos or books are even worth buying. any help will be appreciated


----------



## EWBell (Apr 9, 2010)

There are many people who would kill to drive 50 miles for training, and make treks of much longer distances for proper instruction.  Of course there is a trade off in that you probably aren't going to make every class, but you can get instruction from an actual instructor on the trips you do make.

As far as videos go, I'm just not a fan of trying to learn an art from them.  They are good as a supplement, but you really need an instructor to learn properly.  If you are serious about learning, then find the schools that are closest to you (which I assume are in Houston) and tell them your situation.  You may find that some of their students live down your way, or along the way and that could open more training opportunities.  Where there's a will, there's a way.


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 9, 2010)

Our head sensei has a student who lives fairly far away.
He takes a private lesson every month or so to cover new material and getting mistakes corrected. Then he practices at his home for a month, and gets another lesson.

You could do something similar. It's not ideal but it's a hell of a lot better than getting video instruction only, which is about worthless if not supplemented with in-person training.


----------



## bluekey88 (Apr 9, 2010)

I know there's a pretty solid group in Houston (my instructor used to traion with them).  Houston is not that far away from Galveston (grew up in Galveston).  I imagine you could work something out (even if weekly training is not doable).

Peace,
Erik


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Apr 9, 2010)

Staggerlee8962 said:


> i want to learn really bad but there arent any dojos within 50 miles of where i live. Unless someone lives in Galveston Texas i dont know what to do other than get videos. if you guys think that that is the only option then can you tell me which videos or books are even worth buying. any help will be appreciated



In case this link might be useful:

http://www.texasbujinkan.com/bujinkan-directory.shtml

Oh, and by the way, I agree with the other comments.  A) Videos suck except as supplements to in-person training, B) 50 miles is not that far.  I would add to it this thought: if you can't be arsed to drive 50 miles, you won't make it as a student of martial arts anyway.  You'll be asked to do lots of things harder than driving 50 miles, repeatedly.  If you want it, find a way to do it.  If not, go do something else, you don't pack the gear.


----------



## MJS (Apr 9, 2010)

www.winjutsu.com

Genbukan 

Jinenkan


I would definately make the drive vs. trying to learn off of a dvd.  DVDs are a great reference tool, but to try and learn from just a dvd...doens't work well IMHO.  As others have already said, I'm sure most teachers would be more than happy to work something out with a student, if that student has the motivation to seriously learn.  Private lessons are a great learning tool.  If you can only make 1 class, see about taking a private in addition.


----------



## bekkilyn (Apr 9, 2010)

It wouldn't matter how much I wanted to learn martial arts, but current time constraints would prevent me from being able to drive 50 miles somewhere and 50 miles back multiple times a week for anything, so I can understand the difficulty. (Once or twice a month would probably be doable for most people though, if not very ideal, but my point is that there can be time limitations on people who aren't willing to quit their jobs and family responsibilities, but who still may be serious in wanting to learn in the time they do have available.)

However, is Galveston really that small of a town that it wouldn't have some sort of quality martial arts training, even if it's not the exact style that you want right now? A great teacher is a great teacher, and the various martial arts styles have many historical connections to each other, so you would likely be learning some similar techniques. You may be able find some quality instruction closer to home if you aren't focused too narrowly on a particular style.


----------



## Kajowaraku (Apr 10, 2010)

Different martial arts may be related in the sense that kicking punching, grappling, throwing and choking can't be reïnvented infinitly, so some recurrence is to be expected still.... If you can't train now due to practical limitations and want to train a particular style later on, starting with something else probably isn't the best idea. You'd be better of with just starting athletics, or running. If you start another MA first, you risk having to delearn and relearn what you have learned later, when you start your first choice of MA. Not an ideal situation at all. Also for self defense the resulting confusion will not be an undisputed benefit... With good stamina you'd probably stand a better chance than with snippets of a few arts, none of which you truely master. There is this saying it is better to run and live to fight another day, I guess you could use a henka to that saying: Run to learn martial arts and fight another day (although not having to fight at all would be an overall preferable end-goal of the arts).

As for video tuïtion, I don't think there is much to add to the comments above. Proper instruction is crucial, especially in the beginning of your MA career when you lack the skill to train independently. Try and come to an arrangement with a proper instructor to go there avery once  and a while, even if it is only once every month or longer it will be much better than bowing in to your dvd-set. It might seem slower, but at least you'll have a better chance of actually learning the things you need to know correctly. Video can be a complement to such a training, but never the other way around. I wish you the best in your search.

peace be with you.


----------



## pmosiun1 (Apr 10, 2010)

http://www.skhquest.com/store/DVD/-...lete-To-Shin-Do-Black-Belt-Course/prod_6.html


----------



## Omar B (Apr 10, 2010)

Nothing worth having is ever easy man, if it were we would all be millionaires with supermodel wives ... except for Bill, he's got that already.

But really, if you are committed then you can make it work.  I would also suggest along with training at the dojo when you can sign up for some other fitness program so you'll be doing something physical and structured even when not practicing on your own.


----------



## bekkilyn (Apr 10, 2010)

A number of great martial artists practiced more than one style in their lifetimes. No need to unlearn a good technique even if you're practicing a different style and can't use it while testing or in a point competition, etc. I'm not suggesting one do snippets of 15 different styles all at once, but if your chosen style is not available and won't be available to you for a good amount of time due to life circumstances, then find a good martial arts instructor in a different style that is available and learn what you can.

I agree that general fitness is very valuable, but if one also wants to learn martial arts, then there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of whatever opportunities are available even if one's first choice is currently out of reach.


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 13, 2010)

forgot to say i cant drive and my parents dont like the idea of martial arts


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 13, 2010)

but i have done my research and there is a very small dojo behind a gas station, not ideal but something to look into


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 13, 2010)

teach judo


----------



## Cryozombie (Apr 13, 2010)

Staggerlee8962 said:


> forgot to say i cant drive and my parents dont like the idea of martial arts



How old are you, if I may ask?


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 14, 2010)

Well, if you're a kid, then you are pretty much bound by your parents. Work with them and compromise. If your parents don't support your choice, then the 50 miles will be a huge obstacle.

The thing is, any martial art will give you a better foundation to later switch to another art than if you had just done nothing until you were free to choose. If there is a judo dojo nearby that you could train at, with the support from your parents (in exchange for good test results in school for example), then that will give you a good foundation to switch to another japanese art later on.


----------



## derobec (Apr 14, 2010)

Hi,

I think that having a Judo dojo close to hand may well be a good thing in your situation, at least you can then 'sell it' to your parents not so much on the lines of a martial art but as an Olympic sport. Just a thought.

At the same time you should receive a very sound base on which to build later in life if you choose to continue. Lots of great martial artists started out with Judo, in the West that often had a lot to do with the fact that Judo was all that was available to them at the time; see a parallel?(!).

I'd be very careful about trying to learn from videos, as a reference point once you've started to acquire experience they can be very useful but until that point you could find you're doing more damage than good -as an example, I believe that it was Bruno@MT (on another thread, apologies to Bruno if I've got that wrong) who mentioned a little while ago that even Tanemura Sensei's basic kyu grade manual is put together in such a way that some of the techniques are not quite as they should be and you can only learn the exact technique by attending a class and learning from an instructor: basically, the book is an aide memoire for a practicing student not an instruction manual for 'outsiders'. 

Best Wishes and Good Luck,
William


----------



## Chris Parker (Apr 14, 2010)

The thing you may want to remember is that unless your parents have some martial arts background, they will probably not have a very realistic or informed knowledge of what martial arts actually are, let alone specific systems. So you may find that while your parents are opposed to one approach (Can I learn Ninjutsu?), they may be open to another approach (Hey, can I take up Judo? It looks like a great sport!).

When I was (much!) younger, about 10 or so, I asked my parents if I could learn Ninjutsu, and was told emphatically "NO! It's far too violent!!!" So I asked if I could learn Karate. "Sure, that's fine". The thing to remember was that the primary image of Ninjutsu and Ninja was one of violent movies, bad guys, lots of weapons, whereas Karate was publicised as being fun, family friendly, and giving good morals (?). The Karate Kid was out around then, just so you know.

Now, with my understanding of these systems, I find this rather funny, as Karate's primary strategy is one of attack, it is forward moving, it's primary stance is offensive, and so on, whereas Ninjutsu focuses on escape, avoiding conflict, and has it's primary stance as a defensive one... but then again, no one ever said my mother knew anything about martial arts. So if Judo is available, try asking in a different way, and see what happens. Who knows, you may get more support than you think!


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 14, 2010)

derobec said:


> I believe that it was Bruno@MT (on another thread, apologies to Bruno if I've got that wrong) who mentioned a little while ago that even Tanemura Sensei's basic kyu grade manual is put together in such a way that some of the techniques are not quite as they should be and you can only learn the exact technique by attending a class and learning from an instructor: basically, the book is an aide memoire for a practicing student not an instruction manual for 'outsiders'.



Yes that is correct. The publicly available books and other materials have a significant amount of incorrect descriptions and pictures. Sometimes the stance is wrong, sometimes the pictures are not correct for the technique that is explained, sometimes the text does not match the pictures and sometimes the pics are flipped to their mirror image.

The point is that anyone with in-person training will be able to use the book as a guideline for rehearsing his or her curriculum because they will immediately spot the errors that are obvious if you've had the training. To anyone else the book is pretty useless.

The only exception are the dvds that are available to members.
You can buy dvds with material for your grade if you are an official member. In that case, your sensei can order the dvd and it will have the correct forms on it. However, it is not possible to order material that is not for your grade, and you are not allowed to share what you bought.

And even then, the material is intended to be used in conjunction with in person training by a qualified instructor. While they will not contain errors afaik, neither will they contain the kuden so they are still incomplete.


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 14, 2010)

Also just in case you were doubting this: having prior experience in judo or jujutsu will make it much easier to progress in ninjutsu later on at an accelerated pace.

I practised modern jujutsu intensely for 3+ years when I was younger. When the youngest kid was starting to sleep full nights again  in january last year, I wanted to pick up jujutsu again and accidentally found my way into ninpo.

Despite having to start over and having to unlearn certain habits, I (similar to the sempai who has judo background) was able to pick up things faster than the rest of the class because I had already learned how to do breakfalls and rolls, basic throws and locks, etc. Learning to fall is something you can only do by being thrown. If you've already done that for a couple of years, you will have no problem adjusting to the ninpo ways of rolling and falling in a short time. Otoh if you have to start from scratch, you have to build up all that experience as well.


----------



## EWBell (Apr 14, 2010)

Bruno@MT said:


> The only exception are the dvds that are available to members.


 
Even those have some intentional "errors" on them.  It kind of marks the people who learn from the books and videos, as opposed to the ones who learn from an actual teacher.

As far as the OP goes, if judo is what is available to you locally then I say go for it.  You could do far worse than learning judo.


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 14, 2010)

Well I have to say that doesn't surprise me 
But from what I understood (iirc), those differences are not really 'errors' per se, but more a way to mark those who didn't have the in person training, just like you said.


----------



## EWBell (Apr 14, 2010)

Bruno@MT said:


> Well I have to say that doesn't surprise me
> But from what I understood (iirc), those differences are not really 'errors' per se, but more a way to mark those who didn't have the in person training, just like you said.


 
That's exactly right, Bruno.


----------



## ScholarsInk (Apr 15, 2010)

Staggerlee8962 said:


> i want to learn really bad but there arent any dojos within 50 miles of where i live. Unless someone lives in Galveston Texas i dont know what to do other than get videos. if you guys think that that is the only option then can you tell me which videos or books are even worth buying. any help will be appreciated



Even going to a dojo one time a month is better than the video approach. So do that.

I know - I tried the home study approach myself, when I wanted to study Bujinkan and I lived three hours away _*by plane*_ from the nearest dojo. Someone here mentioned the Hayes Home Study Course - don't fall for it. The videos do not work unless you're already an experienced student using them as a supplement.


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 18, 2010)

16 put age wrong on accident cause i was rushing, my parents are just very protective and stuff and dont think i am quite ready for a license


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 18, 2010)

thanks for the input, i think i will try to convince my parents to sign me up for judo, thank you


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 19, 2010)

Staggerlee8962 said:


> thanks for the input, i think i will try to convince my parents to sign me up for judo, thank you



Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 26, 2010)

my dad thinks its impractical, and that i would never need it, i told him that its a olympic sport, i have friends that go there and it would get me in shape and build my endurance for hawii this summer and he just wont listen, my mom doesnt seem to care as much tho i just cant figure out wat to do


----------



## derobec (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi,

Such a pity, I really don't know what to recommend, it's certainly not for me to suggest that you should go against your father's wishes or, for that matter, try to rope your mother in to have a word on your behalf. I suppose that you're to some extent bound by their wishes for at least another couple of years.

It may be worth getting involved in some other activity which will lay a solid physical base for later training -gymnastics spring to mind, but it's probably quite a daunting prospect for the average 16 year old male to join a gymnastics class. Feldenkrais/Pilate's/yoga will certainly be of later use in training as well as everyday life and the basics of these things _could_ perhaps be worked on via books/videos although it'll take personal commitment to stick to any self designed programme. 

I still think that judo is a fine art and hope that you can persuade your father of it's benefits.

On a final note, it's nice to see a teenager who actually cares about what his parents think rather than simply throwing a temper tantrum like I see so often.

Use this as an early demonstration as to the door opening potential of a driving licence -and get one as soon as you can.

Good Luck, and please remember that good things really do come to those that wait!

William


----------



## EWBell (Apr 26, 2010)

Staggerlee8962 said:


> my dad thinks its impractical, and that i would never need it, i told him that its a olympic sport, i have friends that go there and it would get me in shape and build my endurance for hawii this summer and he just wont listen, my mom doesnt seem to care as much tho i just cant figure out wat to do


 
Does your high school have wrestling?  That might be something to think about, because knowing how father's are he's probably thinking about the cost. (Trust me, I've got two kids)


----------



## Staggerlee8962 (Apr 26, 2010)

it most likely has wrestling and i will see and i will try to do some of that yoga, thanks again


----------



## Bruno@MT (Apr 27, 2010)

Yes, good luck.
Sometimes it is annoying that your parents do not see things the same way that you do. Wrestling is also a good thing to do and will give you lots of experience, as well as build up endurance.

But even if you can't start wrestling or something else, there are still plenty of things you can do in preparation for the day when you turn 18 and can start making some decisions for yourself. Build up endurance (not muscle mass) and flexibility. Try to run obstacle courses and things like that. If you are in prime condition when you start MA, and you are flexible in your legs etc, then you will be able to pick up the physical side of MA much quicker than if you had to start building up all that at that point in time.


----------

