Mirror, Mirror...

[sensei8]

In solo training AT your MA school, the best piece of equipment, imho, is a hanging mirror. The mirror provides instant feedback on YOU!! Like the camera, the mirror won't blink and it's awfully true and revealing.

How many members here have or don't have hanging mirrors in your school, on one or more walls?

[MasterPain]

We have mirrors everywhere. The downside to this is that it is hard to work fighting off of a wall.

[BDPulver]

Ours is to the front of class and agree. Best thing you can have is the mirror

[tallgeese]

I don't know, I've broken more of them than actually used them.

[GeoGiant]

We have several mirrors in our dojo. I don't use the mirrors a lot but I probably should.

[IcemanSK]

I agree that they an invaluable tool for training. I used to have my dojang in a space with mirrors & I loved it. Then I had to move into a space where there were no mirrors & I could not add them. A year ago I began training for my next belt test doing forms that I couldn't see. Two weeks ago, I found a space in which to train that had plenty of mirrors. It was like a breath of fresh air. I could FINALLY see how I was doing & what I needed to correct in my forms, stances & kicks.

I don't know how I got along without them.

[DWx]

They're good but sometimes its good to train without them too. certain students will spend way too much time checking their hair or if their butt really does look big in that gi!

One of the venues we train at has them but for many years we didn't have them. In most cases they're great to use for solo training, and in group work. Great for the instructor too as they can face the same way as the class and still watch everyone. But there comes a point where you can spend too much time checking every single technique in the mirrors when you should really just get on and train. Can be a bit of a hazard if people crash into them too.

Edited December 27, 2010 by DWx

[Lupin1]

We don't have them at my school and I like that. I'm one of those who would be thinking about how big my butt looks in the gi. But I use my big bedroom mirror at home a lot to check my technique and stances and stuff. It's very helpful every once and awhile, but I think it'd be distracting in class.

[isshinryu5toforever]

What about a video camera? Or two or three? They can be set up when you want to analyze techniques, they may actually be cheaper than full length mirrors, and you don't have the danger of people staring at themselves in front of them haha.

[bushido_man96]

We've got mirrors lining two of the walls in our school. I like them, and use them here and there to look at my technique, but if they weren't there, I think I'd be ok. I do notice that the kids spend too much time looking in them, and not paying attention to what they are doing.