Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...

[JR 137]

I've heard Meitoku Yagi (Chojun Miyagi's successor) didn't have mirrors in his dojo, saying "I'm the only mirror my students need." Can't remember where I read that.

On second thought, it may have been one of the senseis in Ti: The Spirit of Okinawan Karate.

[tallgeese]

Not for us. I've been in gyms before with and without. They can be exceptional tools. They can also be breaking hazards.

We frequently moved them in one gym I taught at to cover holes that "developed" in the drywall for one reason or another.

[IcemanSK]

My dojang was rented space at my church, so I couldn't have mirrors. As the CI I struggled to be able to correct students quickly without them. After several years, I figured I'd worked around it. Then 5 years ago, I started training at the Y in the aerobics room in prep for my next belt test. The 1st day, it was like I had opened my eyes while training for the first time in years! I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to be able to see myself as I trained.

I've certainly seen folks loose themselves in the mirror as they tried to train, but I think the value in mirrors for correcting one's own technique can't be overstated.