Home Study Courses (don't laugh!)

[bushido_man96]

So, today i was working with a student on basic kicks. They were slop, she was having a hard time just getting them around. I walked around and noted that her hip was turned just a little bit when she kicked, putting the heel at the wrong angle, then I had her adjust her hips with an adjustment that I had a difficult time describing other than vague gesturing and requests to "put the bowl down", "sink" in certain places, and the like.

Took less than five minutes to find the changes and the kicks went from slop to crisp. How many months would it take a self study person?

In a case like that, it would take lots of self-discovery. I agree that having an instructor present is the better alternative.

[JusticeZero]

Right.

I have always held that home study is a dead end in training. Too many things are like that.

That said, a dedicated student could do fine as long as they can get that feedback sometimes. If you can only see a teacher every couple weeks, you're still doing okay, because your teacher can critique what you are doing and help you put together your curriculum to work on until next time. For those who want to self-train for various constraints, I feel that this would be a much better alternative.

You may need a couple weeks of more intensive training time in order to build up your very basic library - it takes me 10-20 hours or training time to communicate the root curriculum of my art well enough that I can name a basic technique and have the students do something that looks like it. But it's a lot easier to sell "I'm going to take a week or two of classes, then get back with them every couple weeks" than to commit to a permanent schedule change, if there really is that heavy of an activity schedule that you can't get to classes.

[FangPwnsAll7]

I do this all the time. Nothing to be ashamed of.

[madtanker]

Hello,

I'm curious if there are any home study courses that are not completely ridiculous. Ideally something with graded levels.

Before you burst into laughter...

• I'm in my 40s and am mainly interested in doing this for fun.
   
  
• I have a busy life and a number of physical activities I can't swap out for martial arts (i.e., we do stuff as a family and no one else has any MA interest). My free time tends to be at times when no MA studio is open - e.g., 5am.
   
  
• I have studied several martial arts but never particularly deeply because I've moved a bit. Six months each in two different styles of kung fu, purple belt in Kenpo.
   
  
• It's not vital to me how "effective" what I learn is. In fact, I wouldn't mind something that included a kata portion.
   
  
• I would like something with a belt system, as having goals to strive for keeps me motivated.

After a bit of googling, I've seen:

- Stephen K Hayes

- Richard van Donk

- Shintai Ryu

- Shorin Ryu ("Kobukan Karate")

- American Kenpo Legacy ("Arnis") - not sure if they are still in business

I'm curious if

(a) all home study courses are a joke

(b) there is something good I've missed

© anyone has opinions on the above

I am doing some home study for different reasons, and I know it is not always the way to go, or preferred... but I know of one program that is decent; I have googled this person to death; however, I am not going to post the person for copyright reasons. If you are allowed to, and you fully intend to pursue this, message me (but only if this is allowed by the moderator... I am not going to break rules, and I do not want to have this considered advertising).

It is really up to you to see if this is right for you... and some research can help; including people in here. I posted a similar question, and have gotten some excellent responses... People care in here.

[shinka]

it's my opinion but I don't think you can succeed in a martial art just by home study.... lack of so many basics...

If you want to learn some fighting moves,get in shape etc...YES it's possible.

Many dvds of TAE BO.... Cardio boxing and kickboxing are available and are very good for what they do.

You will learn kicks,punches,lots of cardio etc...

If you want to go in a complex martial art...well like i said... No so sure.

Anyway, it's my opinion only so...

Wish you the best of luck.

[bushido_man96]

it's my opinion but I don't think you can succeed in a martial art just by home study.... lack of so many basics...

I agree. Nor can you ever succeed if you never start....

[Nevinyrral]

I think you can learn a move or two, but they can be sloppy ( unless you are a genius). Try making some friends with people that know MA and ask them to help you

[Drew]

Bas Rutten had was an excellent kickboxer but had next to no ground game when he went pro. He watched other fighters do submissions on tv, and dreamed of stuff, woke up, and tried them on his wife. By the end of his career, unless I'm sorely mistaken, he had more wins by submission than by KO.

Evan Tanner, with only a high school wrestling background, learned from those Gracie instructional tapes.

Jon Jones, also with a high school wrestling background, just started copying things he saw on youtube videos and look where he is at now. Champ and a testament to all of the "low percentage" strikes he can get his hands on.

I realize that all of these people have had formal training of some kind, but my point is you will never get anywhere if you don't try, and you stand to gain a butt ton of skill even with flawed learning methods.

[JusticeZero]

Well yes. Everyone has so far said that someone who has training in martial arts structure, methodology, and principles can supplement their training effectively with such materials. It is the problems inherent in trying to study remotely before that basic skill building has been developed that is the problem. I suspect that an accomplished yogi, feldenkrais, or trained dancer could start learning a martial art from a tape from zero, for instance. The tape cannot get you over that hurdle of needing to learn the "body hacks" of advanced proprioception and internalization of anatomical principles where the dangerous traps lie.

[Drew]

I'm sure that the aforementioned didn't only watch the tapes, surely they had a group of friends they scrapped with, sparring partners, what have you. I don't think its a hard hump to get over, even recreationally.