Question

[TeaL]

Im new here, ive been reading for a while...

 

i personaly enjoy martial arts for meditation, and confidence purposes.

 

i have only had about a year or two of karate, but i didnt find it to my liking, the "Time based" rank system... extc.

 

Well bsck to my point, over the last year or so ive been fasincated learning about styles, and techniques. I've tought myself more then i ever learned at a dojo, and i feel more confident in self defense then ever...

 

The only dojo close to me is what i conider a "Mcdojo", it is a TSD, although they follow it closly, only some hipkido is mixed in, i feel its very fake... but im thinking about joining anyways... i want to know if all my research and pratice at home would allow me to start at a higher level then a 7th ryu... i dont want to learn the basics for the 4th time... I know you cant speak for them, but do you bleive self tought knowledge might start me off higher?

 

i gotta go, study halls ending hahah

 

-teal

[Shane]

Dont worry about what level you start at. Go there start at the begining level. Self taught knowledge can actually be harmful and build bad habits if you do not have a great amount of experience under an instructor. Having an instructor there to make proper corrections especially on the basics is very important. The basics are the most important they are your foundation so you really need to have that instructor there to help you with them.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Short and sweet...you can't teach yourself anything major in the martial arts from a book or video. You need and instructor. Period.

 

Chances are, if you walk into taht dojo and tell the sensei that you have trained extensively on your own from books/video's, he'll smile and say "Show me". That's what I'd do.

 

Personally, I'd recommend just joining the dojo of your choice, keep your mouth shut about outside training, dive and and learn. If what you've studied does you some good...GREAT! I think you'll find however, that it won't.

[P.A.L]

start from beginig , "shane" is right about bad habits .you can't see them but a good teacher can correct your basics. and don't worry about belt color, just go and train hard.

[Master Jules]

PAL hit it right on the money.

[TeaL]

I understand what your saying... but ive started/quit karate a few times... im 99% sure i dont forget anything about being a white belt... its just frusterating, im small, but very well built for martial arts... And i always gave it my all, on almost ever punch, i just never was recognised for my efforts, 6 months per belt... it was to much time to just waste doing punches in a horse stance..

 

Sure my technique is probibly flawed, but im a natural fighter, i picked up on my kata and kusmine very quickly.. and its not as if i need basics to train my strength...

 

i dont mean this as like insult to people who have been extensivly at a dojo, but i blieve myself to be more suffient then some "black belts" that have walked out of there(the dojo near me)...

 

anyways... ill think about it, starting from 7th might not be as bad as i remeber, but i might consider just continuing to teach myself, i enjoy the chalenge of learning around 7 styles at once... it gives me a better feel, and allows me to mix and match, as well gives me a sense of self accomplishment instead of "Kick higher", which i dont understand the importance to...

 

incase anyone was wondering ive been doing some:

 

karate. judo, ninjitsu, TKD, TSD, kick boxing, and some hipkido....

 

Dont get me wrong, i also have study'd there historys, origins, and spirituality around most of these.. i feel its very important.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

i dont mean this as like insult to people who have been extensivly at a dojo, but i blieve myself to be more suffient then some "black belts" that have walked out of there(the dojo near me)...

 

That's entirely possible I suppose, but unlikely. I've seen black belts that I wondered how they had enough skill to tie their belts..no kidding! I think the only person you're fooling is yourself however Teal. You can watch video's, read book's, hit a heavy bag intil your body is bruised and bloody, and that doesn't mean you are developing any skill because there is no one there to correct bad technique and teach you how to get the most out of your training.

... i enjoy the chalenge of learning around 7 styles at once (karate. judo, ninjitsu, TKD, TSD, kick boxing, and some hipkido...) it gives me a better feel, and allows me to mix and match, as well gives me a sense of self accomplishment instead of "Kick higher", which i dont understand the importance to...

 

How do you do judo without a partner to practice the techniques against? You can't...simple. Or sparring and self-defense techniques? Again, you can't.

 

If self-training is what you want to do...I say go for it Teal. But don't fool yourself into thinking you're going to get anywhere up near a black belt level in your lifetime doing this. One day you may have to actually use these self-taught techniques in a real situation, and you might just find out that what you have been doing, just isn't going to work.

 

Good luck.

[Mu Ryuk]

Teal, out of curiosity, is the Dojang you're talking about a place in Monterey, California called Bodyworx?

 

I know it's a long shot, but the place you're talking about sounds a lot like Bodyworx.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Teal, out of curiosity, is the Dojang you're talking about a place in Monterey, California called Bodyworx?

 

I know it's a long shot, but the place you're talking about sounds a lot like Bodyworx.

 

Heck Mu Ryuk, I can name you 5 dojo's that I personally know of, some local, some around the state, where the black belts are handed out like confetti, and their skill levels, from what I've seen, are incredibly poor IMHO. They're all over the place, and I'm sure just about any person on this forum that's been in the arts long enough can tell you the same thing.

 

McDojo's abound in this land, and they're growing in numbers every year.

[Shane]

If you enjoy learning a mix at once, then I suggest finding a good mixed martial arts school. At least then you could have an experience instructor evaluating you and making the appropiate corrections needed to perfect each technique. Some mixed arts schools have belt systems, some level programs and others you just go and train. So do not even be concerned with that, just start out where they place you and go from there.