Inspiring People From History

[singularity6]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I suppose anything is possible, but people like Frederick Douglass are an exception to the rule. Knowledge is passed down from others... many folks work hard to develop something (science, math, martial arts, etc) and then different folks work hard at figuring out how to deliver the content in an efficient way. (Why reinvent the wheel?)

Trying to teach oneself martial arts with limited instruction would require one to have a solid understanding on body mechanics and a fair amount of physical ability.

[OneKickWonder]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I was reading up just recently about a style called Bartitsu. It was created a couple of hundred years ago by an English gentleman that spent some time in Japan, learned some jujitsu, and decided to adapt it to more quintessential English gentleman style self defence using walking canes and umbrellas and such as improvised weapons.

The art never made it big apparently. It was all but lost to time.

But a few records remain, in newspaper articles and such. And modern day enthusiasts are trying to recreate the style by pulling together magazine articles, old photographs, anecdotal evidence etc. There are now practical enthusiasts that run demos of it, all dressed in victoriana style attire of course.

The point I'm trying to make is, yes I think people can become self taught in martial arts, if they are determined enough, and willing to experiment.

[XtremeTrainer]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I suppose anything is possible, but people like Frederick Douglass are an exception to the rule. Knowledge is passed down from others... many folks work hard to develop something (science, math, martial arts, etc) and then different folks work hard at figuring out how to deliver the content in an efficient way. (Why reinvent the wheel?)

Trying to teach oneself martial arts with limited instruction would require one to have a solid understanding on body mechanics and a fair amount of physical ability.

I agree that you're best off not trying to reinvent the wheel and that to learn the martial arts its best to learn it from full time instruction from a good instructor. However, if a person only has access to limited instruction that's the only way they can learn it. Frederick Douglass only had access to limited instruction when it came to learning to read and write, he could not go to school full time, so he used what he had. So Im talking about a situation where somebody only has limited access to training in the martial arts.

[XtremeTrainer]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I was reading up just recently about a style called Bartitsu. It was created a couple of hundred years ago by an English gentleman that spent some time in Japan, learned some jujitsu, and decided to adapt it to more quintessential English gentleman style self defence using walking canes and umbrellas and such as improvised weapons.

The art never made it big apparently. It was all but lost to time.

But a few records remain, in newspaper articles and such. And modern day enthusiasts are trying to recreate the style by pulling together magazine articles, old photographs, anecdotal evidence etc. There are now practical enthusiasts that run demos of it, all dressed in victoriana style attire of course.

The point I'm trying to make is, yes I think people can become self taught in martial arts, if they are determined enough, and willing to experiment.

I thought Bartitsu was a fictional martial art used in the Sherlock Holmes stories. I didn't know it was based on any real martial art, than again, I never got much into Sherlock Holmes.

[G95champ]

I'm an American history teacher so I could list many but I'll limit my list to one.

George Washington

[LLLEARNER]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I was reading up just recently about a style called Bartitsu. It was created a couple of hundred years ago by an English gentleman that spent some time in Japan, learned some jujitsu, and decided to adapt it to more quintessential English gentleman style self defence using walking canes and umbrellas and such as improvised weapons.

The art never made it big apparently. It was all but lost to time.

But a few records remain, in newspaper articles and such. And modern day enthusiasts are trying to recreate the style by pulling together magazine articles, old photographs, anecdotal evidence etc. There are now practical enthusiasts that run demos of it, all dressed in victoriana style attire of course.

The point I'm trying to make is, yes I think people can become self taught in martial arts, if they are determined enough, and willing to experiment.

I thought Bartitsu was a fictional martial art used in the Sherlock Holmes stories. I didn't know it was based on any real martial art, than again, I never got much into Sherlock Holmes.

Yes. It is real. http://www.bartitsu.org/

[OneKickWonder]

So I was wondering since Frederick Douglass was mostly self taught on how to read and write, how possible is it to learn martial arts with very limited instruction? Frederick Douglass was an exceptional individual so its not like most people would be able to do what he did but how would somebody like him do at learning the martial arts when they get the same kind of instruction he did?

I was reading up just recently about a style called Bartitsu. It was created a couple of hundred years ago by an English gentleman that spent some time in Japan, learned some jujitsu, and decided to adapt it to more quintessential English gentleman style self defence using walking canes and umbrellas and such as improvised weapons.

The art never made it big apparently. It was all but lost to time.

But a few records remain, in newspaper articles and such. And modern day enthusiasts are trying to recreate the style by pulling together magazine articles, old photographs, anecdotal evidence etc. There are now practical enthusiasts that run demos of it, all dressed in victoriana style attire of course.

The point I'm trying to make is, yes I think people can become self taught in martial arts, if they are determined enough, and willing to experiment.

I thought Bartitsu was a fictional martial art used in the Sherlock Holmes stories. I didn't know it was based on any real martial art, than again, I never got much into Sherlock Holmes.

Yes. It is real. http://www.bartitsu.org/

Given what the information age enables us to know about martial arts history, it is possible it was fictional, but is, as you say, now real.

Even those that study it acknowledge that the record is sparse and fragmented. I expect surviving newspaper articles from the time would be as credible as claims about other martial arts styles featuring the ability to fly and shoot energy balls. Now of course such claims are ridiculed and rightly so, but an englishman learning jujitsu in Japan and then adapting it, even if it did start as fiction it is plausible.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Napoléon Bonaparte

Winston Churchill

Both were men who knew how to inspire and lead their people through difficult times and often with difficult odds.

[LLLEARNER]

I always had an admiration for "Renaissance Men." People like Teddy Roosevelt, Jack London, Ben Franklin, etc.

[XtremeTrainer]

I'm an American history teacher so I could list many but I'll limit my list to one.

George Washington

Well yes George Washington is one of the most important people in American history, often regarded as the father of the USA if it weren't for George Washington we probably would've never had the USA.

But, while George Washington gave birth to the USA, Frederick Douglass played a major part in helping the USA grow up.