| Think back to 10 years ago and consider how | | | | and observed their routines and techniques and |
| you would have responded with an acquaintance | | | | fighting styles as his cousins and uncles performed |
| of yours declaring that he or she had enrolled in | | | | mock combats with each other. |
| an on-line University to obtain their degree. | | | | A year went by and one day one of his cousins |
| "What?" you would have responded, and quietly | | | | noticed that he sat in his window watching them. |
| you would be thinking, "What kind of kooky | | | | The young man was invited to come down and |
| college is he attending and how could that degree | | | | engage in some mock fighting. He did, and to the |
| be anything but worthless!" But today, even those | | | | surprise of all the other warriors there, he was |
| students that attend on site college campuses | | | | able to defeat them all! This young man who |
| have courses that are delivered and presented | | | | never trained a day with them, was able to utilize |
| live on their computers as they watch from the | | | | their techniques and not only use their special |
| comfort of their campus housing or apartments. | | | | knowledge to his advantage, he had even |
| "But" you say, "that is different. Those classes | | | | embellished on their own secret fighting ways and |
| have to do with books, mental focus, and | | | | make them superior to theirs. He was invited to |
| concentration. Not with anything physical." Have | | | | always train with them after that. The fighting |
| you looked at You-tube lately? | | | | style that they had engaged in was Tai Chi and |
| On this video forum, every manner of instruction | | | | the young cousins family name was Yang and his |
| is available to view and learn and mimic if one is | | | | style is now the most common taught style of |
| attentive enough or if had the good luck of finding | | | | Tai Chi in the world! |
| a good video instructor. "But" you object, " A | | | | I began my training in martial arts as a child |
| student of the Martial Arts must have a qualified | | | | through the instruction of an uncle as he let me |
| instructor there to point out in real time what the | | | | tag along while he instructed his sons in different |
| student is doing right or incorrectly." You are | | | | techniques of self defense. I became so |
| thinking that there is no way a student could | | | | enamored, that I also bought a little black and |
| acquire enough knowledge and advance correctly. | | | | white paperback book to help me by studying the |
| In my martial arts career as an instructor and | | | | tiny pictures of some Asian man demonstrate the |
| studio owner, I have come to the conclusion that | | | | various defense postures and throwing techniques. |
| the best martial artists that have come through | | | | My poor playmates became unwitting training |
| my training are the ones who might spend 10 | | | | partners as I learned to throw them overhead |
| percent of their time with me and the balance | | | | and over the hip to the hard packed earth |
| with themselves! | | | | outside. We were 10 at the time. |
| I may see some students one hour a week and | | | | I would like to see everyone who is interested be |
| others 5 or more hours a week. I have | | | | able to acquire martial arts learning in their own |
| exceptional students that are amazing martial | | | | home. No need to allow lack of time, personal |
| artists who train with me the minimum and really | | | | embarrassment or even lack of funds to become |
| lousy students who come for the maximum | | | | the reasons for not training in the martial arts. |
| training in the studio hours. Based on the assertion | | | | The only impediment would be the persons lack |
| that a martial artist can only excel if he or she | | | | of desire. As time goes by, there will be more |
| trains for hours with the instructor, how can this | | | | programs in place On-line for a student to learn |
| disparity occur? I believe the answer is their | | | | any style and type of martial arts from the |
| dedication to training from home. | | | | comfort of his own home. |
| An interesting story occurred many years ago in | | | | Some programs will be offered as a belt ranked |
| Ancient China... | | | | study, with the student studying through materials |
| A royal family was known throughout the region | | | | given out on line or by DVDs and then a method |
| for their superior fighting skills and were always | | | | determined by the instructor as to how the |
| winning in local tournaments, and also excelled in | | | | student may display his comprehension of the |
| protecting their family in war. They trained in | | | | necessary materials in order to gain his rank. |
| secret beyond high stone walls so that no peering | | | | Martial Arts training can be acquired, studied and |
| enemy eyes could observe them. One day a | | | | learned by anyone. The potential student needs to |
| cousin of theirs needed asylum and was asked if | | | | study the various style available to him, see what |
| he could reside with them. He was granted safety | | | | fits and then to decide if he wants to perhaps |
| with them, but was not allowed to train with | | | | even strive for the most prestigious belt in any |
| them. But as luck would have it, his bedroom was | | | | style: and that is the black belt. All it takes is the |
| positioned high above the courtyard in which they | | | | desire to learn. |
| trained, and the young man sat day after day | | | | |