For reminders and similar technique, it's definitely a useful tool.
Martial sacrilege (part 2)
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Zombocalypse
Blue Belt
A karate punch is not a martial art. Karate is a martial art. Tae Kwon Do is a martial art. An art does not revolve around an element of said art.
So, what part of a martial art is it that cannot be learned that way?
Zombocalypse
Blue Belt
I don't know. I don't understand your question.
You said you learned a technique perfectly from video, but that an art cannot be learned that way. What is the part that cannot be learned that way?
JR 137
Grandmaster
Yes and no.
When a self taught schmuck who thinks heās better than he really is runs his mouth at the golf course on Saturday morning, the worst case scenario is a bruised pride and losing a few dollars if heās stupid enough to bet.
When a self taught schmuck who thinks heās better than he really is runs his mouth at the pub on Friday night, a realistic scenario could be a bruised brain and losing a few teeth.
Fundamental difference. And a fundamental difference between a sport/exercise hobbyist MAist teaching himself and someone who actually thinks heāll be capable of defending himself by watching some YouTube videos, dvds, books, etc. and trying to replicate it.
Obviously that doesnāt mean anyone who actually trains under a teacher wonāt ever get stomped, but the odds are better when you have an actual teacher vs self taught.
JR 137
Grandmaster
An art is the whole package and/or how to apply the technique(s) vs a technique is one single thing without application???
I donāt know. Iām trying here. No idea why Iām trying to get into his head... Itās kinda scary in here.... Iād better leave now
Zombocalypse
Blue Belt
Ah, I see.
You can learn certain techniques from videos. Yes. I can do a good chokozuki and a good roundhouse kick because of youtube alone.
The aspect of martial arts that cannot be learned in videos alone is the actual act of fighting somebody. This can only be learned through sparring and fighting. Sparring and fighting are indispensable and you will NEED more than a video to do them. Sparring partners and tough opponents are key.
JR 137
Grandmaster
Goes along with working a bag. I used to hit the bag at my local YMCA. Iād get someone at least every other day telling me I should compete in kickboxing or something along those lines. One guy said āif you ever see me in the alley late at night, remember... Iām your friend.ā That one was pretty funny.
Iād always say āthis bag makes me look great; it doesnāt move out of the way and hit me back.ā Theyād usually smile and nod and move on.
Zombocalypse
Blue Belt
From what I've read, hitting heavy bags are a great way to develop striking power.
And I don't know if this applies to sand-filled bags only, but roundhouse-kicking a heavy bag hurts like hell. I used to visit an MMA gym many many years ago and would toy with a heavy-bag for fun. Now, I'm not a kickboxer. My strength and power were decent (315-pound front squat and 205-pound clean+jerk) but I was a novice with striking. And yet, even though my roundhouse kicks were relatively weak, I felt immense pain on my shins. It was a delicious, throbbing pain. I loved it. It was like having a deep pimple that hurts when you press on it. I absolutely loved it...
With that said, I have a question... What exactly is inside of a heavy bag? What variations are there? Is it sand and water? Aside from sand and water, what else is there? Or are those it?
Thanks.
EDIT: My roundhouse kicks were done Muay Thai style, with shins connecting to the object instead of the instep.
JR 137
Grandmaster
A lot of the better bags use fabric strips. They pack them pretty tight into the bag, giving them a really good firmness without being too hard. Fabric has the advantage that it doesnāt turn hard like how sand lumps up and basically turns to stone.
A lot of different stuff is used, and some manufacturers use a few different things in a single bag. Stuff like poly fill, different types of foam, and so on.
Zombocalypse
Blue Belt
Thanks.
But that is his you learn a MA, one part at a time. Unless you are Neo and this is The Matrix, in which case you can just download the art into your head.
Does that mean when you said you canāt learn MA from a video, what you actually meant was you canāt learn sparring?
If you're feeling "immense pain" you're doing something wrong.
Or fighting and defending. I think his point was you can learn the techniques but not application. It's a good point, though I don't think it goes far enough.
lklawson
Grandmaster
So Kendo doesn't revolve around the shinai? Kyudo doesn't revolve around the bow? Fencing doesn't revolve around the foil, sabre, epee, and piste?
I'm not saying you're right or wrong, I'm just asking you to think a bit more deeply about your statements.
lklawson
Grandmaster
One 19th Century boxing "heavy" bag used Oats for stuffing.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Iām not sure what he means which is why Iām asking him. Not all MA involve fighting, so Iād like to know if he thinks you can learn them from videos or not.
skribs
Grandmaster
I'm also going to say that the quality of the video is of great importance as well. There are 3 types of videos I've seen for teaching martial arts online:
1. The succinct video that only shows the technique. For example, a high block video with a music track behind it, which shows the chamber and block positions of the high block, with a couple notes saying "start with your blocking arm cradled below the other arm" and then "ensure the block is at a 45-degree angle."
2. The unscripted, verbose video that shows the technique and many different applications for it. This is the type of video where someone says "this is how you high block, now a high block can lead to other things, like here I can grab his wrist, but you might be thinking he can do this or that, but he doesn't have time to do this, and if he does that I'll do this other thing, but only if X and Y and Z..." It features a lot of details, sometimes strung together haphazardly, and no editing.
3. The scripted, verbose video. These videos feature a lot of applications of a technique, but do so in a well-edited manner that's easy to follow. For example, they may show a high block, and then show different clips of high blocks being used to initiate grabs, chain into counter-attacks, or how to transition into another block, and then will show clips with different details of the high block.
Scenario 1 is great for showing the skills, but useless for polishing skills or teaching applications. I believe that without understanding the application of a technique it can be hard to progress with it, so Scenario 1 is great for showing what your requirements are on a test or what skills you should practice, but not for instruction.
Scenario 2 is an example of a bad way to correct the problems with Scenario 1. These videos are hard to follow, sometimes completely incoherent, in that the instructor is responding to questions in his own mind, or is doing a FAQ without properly pacing the questions and answers. Verbose videos done in 1 cut tend to have a feeling of unpreparedness about them, and are not professional and hard to use.
Scenario 3 is a good way of doing a video. You not only cover the material, but do so in a way that is easy to present to the audience. Ginger Ninja Trickster on Youtube is an example of how to do good tutorials. They are generally well edited so you can see the variations of the technique and different applications, and can easily find the spot you're looking for on future viewings.
Even so, I wouldn't replace Scenario 3 with a good local instructor.
1. The succinct video that only shows the technique. For example, a high block video with a music track behind it, which shows the chamber and block positions of the high block, with a couple notes saying "start with your blocking arm cradled below the other arm" and then "ensure the block is at a 45-degree angle."
2. The unscripted, verbose video that shows the technique and many different applications for it. This is the type of video where someone says "this is how you high block, now a high block can lead to other things, like here I can grab his wrist, but you might be thinking he can do this or that, but he doesn't have time to do this, and if he does that I'll do this other thing, but only if X and Y and Z..." It features a lot of details, sometimes strung together haphazardly, and no editing.
3. The scripted, verbose video. These videos feature a lot of applications of a technique, but do so in a well-edited manner that's easy to follow. For example, they may show a high block, and then show different clips of high blocks being used to initiate grabs, chain into counter-attacks, or how to transition into another block, and then will show clips with different details of the high block.
Scenario 1 is great for showing the skills, but useless for polishing skills or teaching applications. I believe that without understanding the application of a technique it can be hard to progress with it, so Scenario 1 is great for showing what your requirements are on a test or what skills you should practice, but not for instruction.
Scenario 2 is an example of a bad way to correct the problems with Scenario 1. These videos are hard to follow, sometimes completely incoherent, in that the instructor is responding to questions in his own mind, or is doing a FAQ without properly pacing the questions and answers. Verbose videos done in 1 cut tend to have a feeling of unpreparedness about them, and are not professional and hard to use.
Scenario 3 is a good way of doing a video. You not only cover the material, but do so in a way that is easy to present to the audience. Ginger Ninja Trickster on Youtube is an example of how to do good tutorials. They are generally well edited so you can see the variations of the technique and different applications, and can easily find the spot you're looking for on future viewings.
Even so, I wouldn't replace Scenario 3 with a good local instructor.
