Can you learn Martial Arts from internet?

[xo-karate]

I agree with JusticeZero on the point that video does not give feedback.

BUT you get feedback when you try to learn the skill shown on video. You can use tons of ways of getting feedback - mirrow, heavybag, friend or just listening to your body...

I also have to agree on the point made about getting insured - don't do stupid things:-)

I got insured just last weekend and the instructor was 6th dan! But I was doing stupid things - too careless in randori.

I think internet is one of the best "teachers". It's so full of incorrect information that you have to really think .. to find things that you agree on. It's also full of great advice - some suitable for you and some great but not for this moment or my style or body and so on.

[bushido_man96]

But, as you mention, JusticeZero, anything worth doing is worth doing badly.

Yes and this is true. But part of that is that you want to get better every time. A video doesn't give feedback. Especially if you don't have a solid foundational knowledge to work from, you can be training to do the techniques wrong and never know it until your doctor tells you that you're going to be using crutches for the next few weeks and whatever it was you were doing stop it, and even then not know how to fix it.

I agree that not having feedback is worriesome. I also agree that one can cause injury to oneself when not receiving correct instruction. Paying attention to what the body is telling you can help to reduce the amount of injury the body takes on. There is a difference between the type of muscle pain that sets on from soreness, and the pain that sets on in the joints from improper movement. Listening to the body can help this. I agree its not ideal, but I'm speaking in extreme cases when there is no other choice. If its "learn by internet or go without," do you just go without?

I would also add that having a partner that you can discuss everything with, evaluate everything, and give honest feedback about, is one of the best training tools one could have. And again, I'm speaking an extreme case of no instruction available.

[sensei8]

Forget about feedback for a moment, while feedback is important....what about the NO APPLICATION training. If one can't engage with someone, then there will be no effectiveness across the board in this type of training venue.

Imagine if Doctors were trained this way.

[Dobbersky]

Forget about feedback for a moment, while feedback is important....what about the NO APPLICATION training. If one can't engage with someone, then there will be no effectiveness across the board in this type of training venue.

Imagine if Doctors were trained this way.

Totally agree. without the technique being varified by a qualified instructor as Injuries can occur etc.

body mechanics work in a different way than the best discription! Application of techniques HAVE to be able to be changed as you can't guarantee where your attacker will "land"

[xo-karate]

Forget about feedback for a moment, while feedback is important....what about the NO APPLICATION training. If one can't engage with someone, then there will be no effectiveness across the board in this type of training venue.

Imagine if Doctors were trained this way.

In Finland Doctord read books. Is this bad? Or am I missing the point?

If the point is that you don't learn to spar with out sparring, I do agree. You can shadow box and learn your compinations, but with out actual sparring, it's not realistic.

It would be very hard to learn to roll in BJJ with out an actual partner:-)

Still you can learn something - or get ready to learn.

One step in learning is to think and figure out things. And final step might be to execute the techniques with out thinking:-) And that will need a lot of sparring.

[JusticeZero]

In Finland Doctord read books. Is this bad? Or am I missing the point?

Do you get people entering the field who have, until they are called to deal with their first patient, never laid hands on a human being outside of Grey's Anatomy or had any guidance from other doctors other than taped lectures? That's not the time to first discover the subtleties that need a teacher to be patiently looking over your shoulder to notice.

[sensei8]

"Opps!!"and "AHA!!"...these are the wrong times to realize a boo-boo's been made.

[xo-karate]

In Finland Doctord read books. Is this bad? Or am I missing the point?

Do you get people entering the field who have, until they are called to deal with their first patient, never laid hands on a human being outside of Grey's Anatomy or had any guidance from other doctors other than taped lectures? That's not the time to first discover the subtleties that need a teacher to be patiently looking over your shoulder to notice.

This would be silly, woundn't it? Silly like thinking that you have to learn everything from internet, woundn't it?

[bushido_man96]

Forget about feedback for a moment, while feedback is important....what about the NO APPLICATION training. If one can't engage with someone, then there will be no effectiveness across the board in this type of training venue.

Imagine if Doctors were trained this way.

Totally agree. without the technique being varified by a qualified instructor as Injuries can occur etc.

body mechanics work in a different way than the best discription! Application of techniques HAVE to be able to be changed as you can't guarantee where your attacker will "land"

I don't disagree with you guys here. But, if there is no other choice but to learn from media of different kinds, or don't learn at all, what would you do? Not learn at all? Not even try?

[JusticeZero]

The part I disagree with is the "no choice". There is almost always more options than the easy to see ones. If you can make a road trip to see a teacher on occasion, and make sure to get lots of feedback, you can drill on your own. You can get feedback from other teachers on body structure. You can find something locally available, even if it isn't the exact skill you dream of, and find that you actually get what you need. You can find that guy who doesn't have a shingle out, but is decently competent and has nobody to practice with. But just saying "I have YouTube, I don't need a teacher" is a recipe for disaster.