Direct Transmission is Essential!

[Brian R. VanCise]

Okay recently I wrote on my Blog: The Instinctive Edge about how important it is to receive Direct Transmission or learning first hand from a qualified teacher. Here is the Blog link and let's talk about this from all perspectives.

http://brianvancise.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/direct-transmission-is-essential/

 

[SenseiBear]

I can't agree more - to really learn the intricacies of techniques, you need to feel them applied, and then apply them on someone who knows what they feel like, and can coach you toward correct excecution. Seeing can help you get some of the large, basic motion, and the more experienced you are the better able you are to see and understand, so you can get more out of it... But to really learn something to the point of mastery absolutely requires direct transmission. (and lots and lots of diverse practice, of course)

 

[Xue Sheng]

Very nice I agree completely. Try and learn an application by video is just not the way to go.

In Taiji to get to martial arts you need to learn how to find someone’s center to up root them try to learn that by video or by yourself and it just is not going to happen. Same with form, to many little movements and circles you just can't see on a video

Also just as a note, some of the older CMA guys that are making videos today are making them with little flaws, intentionally, so when they come across someone that claims to have learned form them they see that little difference and know they learned form their video

 

[terryl965]

I completely agree, but here is a delima to most what is a qualify instructor. We have so many early twenty people opening up schools and are called Masters please my underwear is older than them how can they claim to be that and the general public would not know a real certificate from a fake. Just like the normal person can not tell a fake one dollar bill. So how does the average Joe know what is and whatis not?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I completely agree, but here is a delima to most what is a qualify instructor. We have so many early twenty people opening up schools and are called Masters please my underwear is older than them how can they claim to be that and the general public would not know a real certificate from a fake. Just like the normal person can not tell a fake one dollar bill. So how does the average Joe know what is and whatis not?

If they are serious about the art they train only time and experience.

My first CMA Sifu has a rather impressive background to the average American but to the average Chinese person he is a gym teacher. (To my Sanda teacher he’s a huaquan)

My Taiji Sifu doesn't advertise and has an incredibly impressive background and is highly skilled, but he tells no one and even if he did the majority of people that walk into his class would not know Yang Chengfu from Li Cunyi. They might know Bruce Lee or Jet Li or Jackie Chan but that is about it.

My first Sifu gave out certificates and still does and they look mighty impressive but they mean little so for the average Joe it is really hard to tell.

 

[Kacey]

I agree - not only do you need to work directly with an instructor to get the finer points of performing a technique, you need to work with an instructor so that you can be observed and given feedback to help you continue to improve.

Books, DVDs, videos - media of all sorts - make great references and training aides, but they cannot take the place of an experienced instructor, or even of a less experienced training partner.

 

[chinto]

yes I agree you need direct instruction from a qualified instructor to really learn any martial art properly and effectively.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Your thoughts on kata/forms concerning with "direct transmission is Essential"

Yes! Best way to learn is to do it, experience it, feel it,use it, everything else is NOT the real thing!

LIke learning swimming...one must get into the water....to learn swimming!

Aloha , Anyone can block in the air? ....to actully block something is different again.....

 

[Steel Tiger]

I have to agree with everyone else, but with a consideration. It is absolutely vital to learn the basics of any art first hand. If the basics are wrong everything that follows will be wrong. I also think it is necessary to have hands on teaching for the advanced, or higher, elements and understanding of an art. I think you can work through the intermediate levels of training without first hand teaching.