# Video Martial Arts...



## Satt (Jul 17, 2009)

Seeing as there is a VERY limited spread of arts where I live, I am curious. Is there really ANY kind of martial art one can learn well by video? If there isn't I understand, but it can't hurt to ask.


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## Flying Crane (Jul 17, 2009)

no, there is not. Don't waste your time and money. You'd be better off joining a gym and lifting weights and running or something, to maintain fitness.


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## celtic_crippler (Jul 17, 2009)

You can enhance your training if you already have a good understanding, but you must have hands-on instruction to be truely learn well. 

Is there nothing available to you?


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## Tensei85 (Jul 17, 2009)

Personally I would say you can mimic the movements on the video, but without a qualified Instructor you can't learn the subtleties or the proper mechanics involved. So I would say it would be better to find a qualified Instructor and commute a long distance maybe once a month or so rather than train off of videos, however videos are great for reference but not learning from scratch. Just my opinion. 

Good luck!


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## Nolerama (Jul 17, 2009)

It depends on the art, your level of athleticism, and whether or not you're searching for function or form... And it depends on your own commitment to your training. 

What are you looking into?

Also, find a training partner (or multiple partners) that's at the same commitment level as you are.

If you can, periodically visit schools that are within a few hours of driving time and ask an instructor to correct your technique. Don't do anything half way, and focus on the fundamentals.

Keep an open mind, even though I don't think that this is the absolute best, it can work. It's just up to you.

My .02


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## Joab (Jul 17, 2009)

Well, I've heard Evan Tanner learned ju jitsu by watching videos and became a world champion, I don't know if that's true or not. The main problem with learning from a video is there is no teacher or experienced fellow student to tell you when your doing something wrong. It's difficult to relearn the right way when you have learned the wrong way. I'd say go with whatever limited school there is out there, and I know where your coming from, the martial arts community in my area is very tiny.


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## MJS (Jul 17, 2009)

Satt said:


> Seeing as there is a VERY limited spread of arts where I live, I am curious. Is there really ANY kind of martial art one can learn well by video? If there isn't I understand, but it can't hurt to ask.


 
Topic has been discussed endlessly.  To answer your question, in a nutshell, no, there is no art that you could learn, with any quality, via book, dvd or video.


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## Satt (Jul 17, 2009)

Nolerama said:


> If you can, periodically visit schools that are within a few hours of driving time and ask an instructor to correct your technique. Don't do anything half way, and focus on the fundamentals.


 

I think this may be what I have to do. There are Krav Maga schools within an 1.5-2 hour drive from my house. Also, there might be BBT within that range. (Possibly even Kenpo) These are the three I have been most attracted to so far. Thanks for your help everyone.


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## Flying Crane (Jul 17, 2009)

Satt said:


> I think this may be what I have to do. There are Krav Maga schools within an 1.5-2 hour drive from my house. Also, there might be BBT within that range. (Possibly even Kenpo) These are the three I have been most attracted to so far. Thanks for your help everyone.


 
If you do this, I believe you will need to make some sort of committment to being a student of a school, and then only go to that one.  I am very doubtful that an instructor would welcome you to just wander in whenever you feel like it, and ask him to critique your technique, without making some sort of committment.  I know that if someone just showed up at my door and asked me to review what he was doing, I'd tell him to take a hike.

The reason I believe you will need to only go to one, is that different schools may do things differently, and you could be getting conflicting instructions.  Especially with your situation, that kind of confusion will be disastrous to your progress.  

So decide which school you feel offers the best instruction, and become a student of that school with the understanding that because of the distance you need to travel, you will only be able to attend on a reduced schedule.  Then, when you are at home and unable to be in class, practice the hell out of what you have learned in class, and make sure you get corrections every time you go to class. You will need to be very self-motivated to practice, and you need to pay very close attention when you are in class, because that time will be limited.


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## terryl965 (Jul 17, 2009)

Flying Crane said:


> no, there is not. Don't waste your time and money. You'd be better off joining a gym and lifting weights and running or something, to maintain fitness.


 
I will only echoes Michael words here.


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## blindsage (Jul 17, 2009)

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.






And no.


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## Dave Leverich (Jul 17, 2009)

I echo all of the above. But, I will also add this; You can add to your techniques if you're able to watch, then train those techniques assuming you have the base. But you REALLY need someone there who knows what they are doing.

My example is due to Lockflow.com btw, I get an idea to finish a submission differently and then train it at the gym live vs my team, then go back to the drawing board sometimes etc. In that manner, I'm able to use video to augment my training. 

Recent example: flying triangle off a failed single-leg shot, watched it one day, the next day guy shoots and I execute and land the triangle. And giggle. Thanks Reilly btw .


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## Omar B (Jul 17, 2009)

There are many little things that you might watch on a video and think you are doing right but  in reality you are not.  One can easily break a wrist doing a punch just slightly wrong, or torque a joint and really hurt yourself.  The difference between good form and bad form at times is mere millimeters and watching a video you won't be able to pick up those subtitles.

Heck, I've been doing Sanchin Kata for most of my life and still need occasional adjustments, I could never imagine learning some of those steps on my own.


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## Nolerama (Jul 17, 2009)

Satt, where do you live and exactly what kind of MA are you interested in?


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## Satt (Jul 17, 2009)

Nolerama said:


> Satt, where do you live and exactly what kind of MA are you interested in?


 

Well, I just got off the phone with the guy I used to drive and take BBT from. He is quitting teaching.  I live in Cleveland, TN. In Chattanooga, about 30 miles away, I just noticed there is a "five animal Kenpo" dojo. I am really interested in this possibly. I don't know what "five animal" means, but ok. I am calling the guy back in about an hour and a half. Here is his website. What do you think? http://www.dojochattanooga.com/   I am also interested in Krav Maga, but the closest thing is over an hour away and they want you there three days a week.

Jason


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## bowser666 (Jul 17, 2009)

I was actually going to say that you guys  are all wrong.  You can learn MA at home.  You can become a Home - Self Taught  KIA !!! Master.  Results and severity of *** beatings may vary though.  Sorry I couldn't resist.  Meaning you try to learn at home and those are the results that you will most likely see.  You install false self confidence in poor or wrong technique and get very, very, hurt.


Tell us where you live, OP , perhaps there is something in your area that you may have overlooked.


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## tallgeese (Jul 17, 2009)

I'd concur with everyone, it's not going to be highly useful for you.

Stuff like that is good supplimental material if you already have a good understanding or if your looking at other things to bring up your overall understanding of what other arts do.  But learning ground up is going to be difficult and probably counter productive.

Another option is to keep an ear out for people who have or do train in your area that are in the same boat as you.  Often, informal groups like t his are a great way to exchange information and get training partners.

Good luck.


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## yak sao (Jul 17, 2009)

What part of TN are you from? I know a couple of people there that do CMA. I'm the next state over if you're interested, and it's feasible, I'll train with you.


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## Flying Crane (Jul 17, 2009)

tallgeese said:


> Stuff like that is good supplimental material if you already have a good understanding or if your looking at other things to bring up your overall understanding of what other arts do. But learning ground up is going to be difficult and probably counter productive.


 
I would say that this is only true if what you are learning from video is very very similar to what you already do, and if your background is rock-solid.  Otherwise, no.  I believe that exploring a different art thru video instruction is a big mistake, no matter how solid your background in your first art is.

I'm sorry to take such a strong stance on this, but some things are really really just so very different in their very approach, that you simply cannot learn them this way. I'm primarily a kenpo, and tibetan white crane guy, and these arts are very different.  My background in one would really be a hinderance in learning the other, if I didn't have a good teacher to guide me and I was trying to do it thru video.  The very basic things, like stances and power generation are so different, and you can't figure it out thru video and without direct feedback from a teacher.

At best, you could mimick the postures and ending positions.  But the actual exectution of technique will be wrong, no doubt about it.


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## tallgeese (Jul 17, 2009)

I'd agree. 

I'm speaking more to familiarization with other arts.  Supplementation would occur in similar arts.


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## DergaSmash (Jul 17, 2009)

Go to the Kenpo dojo. Take a trial class, ask the instructor a lot of questions. Good luck with your search!


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## blindsage (Jul 19, 2009)

Satt said:


> Well, I just got off the phone with the guy I used to drive and take BBT from. He is quitting teaching.  I live in Cleveland, TN. In Chattanooga, about 30 miles away, I just noticed there is a "five animal Kenpo" dojo. I am really interested in this possibly. I don't know what "five animal" means, but ok. I am calling the guy back in about an hour and a half. Here is his website. What do you think? http://www.dojochattanooga.com/   I am also interested in Krav Maga, but the closest thing is over an hour away and they want you there three days a week.
> 
> Jason


Aside from him calling Wing Chun an internal art and saying you will train like a warrior of old, I'd say it's worth checking out.


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## still learning (Jul 22, 2009)

Hello, Video training is a good supplement to any existing training...

If video training was very effective? ....everyone would be learning to golfing,swiming,diving,tennis,bowling,skating,sking,shooting,etc..endless activities.....on videos...today... How effective for the untrain..or unlearner....each person will vary off course....

Nothing like the real thing in actual movments against opponents..

Easy to learn how to block,strike,duck, and move.....thru video training....
In the real world? ....will you trust your OWN training in the real world?

Aloha, ....have over a 100 martial videos...can only remember a few things....and do even fewer....NOTHING like training in a real class..


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