Home study??

[de_medici99]

this may be a more appropriate forum to post this, but what are all of your opinions about home study courses for martial arts/karate.. more specifically Kenpo. I was searching online for karate styles, and came across a home study program that helps train and teach Kenpo, with advancements in belt rank. What is you opinion?

[Red J]

Nothing compares to live training in a dojo. Videos may be good for referencing material, but the whole train at home and test by tape concept doesn't cut it in most cases, especially for newbs.

I think the mentality of the marketing is to sell a home videos series and then count on most people not even following through with testing.

If you live in a remote location, have an instructor you can get to once or twice a month, have the requirements on tape for you to practice and reference, then maybe it would work if you had the discipline and commitment necessary to train on your own. I would only recommend this for someone that was experienced in the system or a similar system.

IMO, the major benefit of these series is for reference.

[Bushido58266]

you should always train in a dojo this way an instructor can correct your mistakes

[de_medici99]

thanks for the input, i guess i just go caught up in the "ease" of doing the home study thing, but you guys really put it back into "reality" for me to really understand what i may have got myself into. I will stick with the live, one on one training offered at a dojo, not at home.

[marie curie]

I know that for some people the videos can be great supplements.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

thanks for the input, i guess i just go caught up in the "ease" of doing the home study thing, but you guys really put it back into "reality" for me to really understand what i may have got myself into. I will stick with the live, one on one training offered at a dojo, not at home.

You said it. At times all of the hard work seems like a royal pain. And wouldn't it be nice to do it the "easy way". Well as you know, the things that really are worthwhile are the ones we have to work the hardest for. Sadly our society has come to value instant gratification over hard work and a sense of accomplishment.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

I know that for some people the videos can be great supplements.

SUPPLEMENTS! That's what most folks don't understand. I have many books, and some videos that I've downloaded off of Uechi sites. They've helped me when I'm learning something new, or working to perfect something, but I'd never consider them a primary source to learn by. Going to class and learning from my Sensei and being corrected over and over and over until I get it is bad enough, but if I wasn't in class, I'd probably never get things right.

FYI, do you use videos at all? One area that I"m toying with is to tape my practices. This way I can see what I'm working on. The hard part is making the time to train as it is, let alone going through a bunch of tape and watching it.

[parkerlineage]

more specifically Kenpo

Do you mean American Kenpo?

If so...

The general "video as suppliments only" rule should definetly apply. That is true no matter what the style, I'm sure. Kenpo has a lot of evolution and personal modification of techniques that must be monitored by an instructor, if you want to really learn them.

If you have no instructor of Kenpo around you, and you insist on getting videos (and you're talking about American Kenpo), then I reccomend this for the kata http://www.parkerplanaslineage.com/Merchandise.html (my instructor's instructor) and this for the techniques http://kenpokaratedvds.com/orderinfo.html (my instructor). Additional reading material could be perhaps found here http://arnis.org/index.htm.

Of course, that's if you're talking American Kenpo.

[de_medici99]

actually, it is Chinese kenpo. I was referred to a website that was commendable and trustworthy, and i tried it. I find things that i have learned in the videos a great not only work out, but reference as well. Instead of being in classes and teaching a group once or twice, i can replay and slow mo a specific technique to really break it down and understand why it is done that specific way.

[Red J]

Well, its very possible that the "Chinese Kenpo" is someone's version of Parker's Kenpo as different instructors have organized the principle's under different organizations. Who's the instructor?