| Learning martial arts has, for thousands of years, | | | | common to all human bodily interactions: anatomy, |
| been done through a sacred teacher-student | | | | leverage, angles of attack, and common targets. |
| relationship that was as personal as it was | | | | If you don't know these foundational elements, |
| profound. But technology is changing even that | | | | and you're looking at a martial arts DVD for the |
| vaunted tradition in ways that have given rise to | | | | first time, you are never going to succeed. |
| significant debates. When it's possible to hear | | | | There's simply no replacing a sensei, sifu, or |
| from some of the world's most accomplished | | | | sabum. Such a figure can make basic corrections |
| martial artists on demand in your living room, is | | | | to your stances, your techniques, and most |
| personal instruction really necessary? I think | | | | importantly your assumptions. |
| there's a middle ground between the Martial Arts | | | | When you form bad habits early, they will be |
| DVD fans and the 'Senseis and Sifus' school. | | | | almost impossible to get rid of later on. Martial |
| Most Americans today have a martial arts school | | | | arts are universally based on evolving early, simple |
| in their neighborhood. In all likelihood, the guy | | | | techniques into later, more complex ones -- and if |
| running it isn't a street fighter, an ex-military, or | | | | your basics are bad, you're likely to hurt yourself |
| some other kind of genuine badass. He's | | | | (or at least fail to hurt your opponent) when you |
| probably not in the top 10 scoring point-sparring | | | | attempt the more complex techniques. That's |
| champions in his art. He's probably a mechanic, | | | | why martial arts require an instructor, though it's |
| or a photographer, or a pizza delivery driver. But | | | | not necessary to learn all of your techniques in |
| he's probably a black belt, which means he knows | | | | person. |
| enough about the art that he can teach basic | | | | If you do decide to go with a martial arts DVD |
| techniques and principles. And realistically, those | | | | for your training, get someone to spar with, who |
| basic techniques and principles are common to | | | | wants to learn from the same DVD. Give your |
| 80% of martial arts. | | | | training sessions the same weight that you'd give |
| On the other side of the equation are the martial | | | | the class you have with your live instructor. |
| arts DVDs. If you're already learning the basics | | | | Push one another to learn more quickly, stay |
| from a live teacher, getting training through a tool | | | | passionate about the study, and stick with it. |
| like that is ideal. You've already got the | | | | Without a doubt, if you can afford it, the best |
| foundations to add the new information to. Even | | | | training you can get is by going to several |
| if you're studying something really hard like | | | | different classes under several personal |
| Kyokushinkai Karate, you can get a martial arts | | | | instructors. But this is the real world, and most |
| DVD featuring a highly opposing style like Brazilian | | | | of us don't have enough competent instructors |
| Jujitsu, and you'll find that the basics you've | | | | within driving distance much less the money to |
| learned allow you to understand and adapt the | | | | pay for them. For us, there's martial arts via |
| techniques without a terrible amount of difficulty. | | | | DVD -- it's just up to us to take the best |
| The basics, if you're wondering, are the things | | | | advantage we can. |