home videos

[Hanzo04]

using home videos, books, and training aids, can a person who is dedicated to learning MA's really teach themselves and become competent in that art?

 

[MA-Caver]

Personally I don't think so. I mean you can pick up a lot from video but without a (skilled and qualified) instructor to point out what it is you may be doing wrong, you'll probably end up getting your butt whupped should you try out those techniques on someone. Particularly when they involve grabbing someone to throw or grappel with, or to block even a slow punch/kick can teach you a lot more than just a video.
Hands on with a qualified instructor in whatever art you choose is the best route.
I've seen several MA video training tapes but never thought of trying them on someone unless someone else shows me (in person) what is the right way to do the technique that made me say to myself..."that was cool!"

 

[Flatlander]

Videos and books can help expand one's knowledge once they have recieved a base in the art, so as to give the literature context, but without that, it would be like trying to teach yourself to fly a plane. You need qualified instruction in order to develop skill. Martial Arts is about doing. Someone who has been there before knows how to show you how to "do it right". Another fundamental quality of martial arts is also about "feeling". You need a resistant partner to get that. "Video not hit back".

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Think of books and videos as being similar to textbooks is school. Good as a suppliment to a teacher's instruction, but not a replacement for it. An instructor will not only teach you the material, but will give you feedback on your performance of same. He/she can correct the "little" (but important) things which you may think you're doing correctly, but actually need adjustment.

 

[John Bishop]

Easy way to find out. Do the video course and video testing, then go out and enter a tournament. Point fighting, full contact, submission fighting, your choice.
If your successful, I'd do a video football course and then go try out for the Raiders.

The likelyhood that you can develop baseball, football, hockey, boxing, martial arts, or wrestling skills from video instruction is next to impossible. All of these activities require "live" opponants of various skill levels to train with and against, for hundreds if not thousands of hours.

Video can help a already skilled martial artist learn new techniques. But these techniques have to be taken back to the school and practiced on "live" training partners.

Video is also a good training aid for "homework" when you need to remember a kata or technique after the class is over, and your practicing it at home.

 

[Gentle Fist]

Like some have already stated, Videos only help if you understand the movements beforehand.