Mirrors or no mirrors?

[AMP-RYU]

That is the question! Do you rather teach with mirrors in your school or no mirrors? I would like to hear what others think.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif
thank you

[Jade Tigress]

I don't teach, but as a student I find mirrors to be helpful for self correction.

[Korppi76]

I usually teach without mirrors because I have learned to teach places where wasnt mirrors. Now a days I have noticed that it helps in some techniques to see your self in mirrors... usually I tell people to see themself on mirrors when I have said about same thing few times :)

[MJS]

That is the question! Do you rather teach with mirrors in your school or no mirrors? I would like to hear what others think.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif
thank you

Both. The school I train at has mirrors. I think they're great, as it gives the student another view. However, for those backyard, garage, basement workouts, no mirrors.

[terryl965]

Both for me I like them, for a new student I find them to be a distraction at times.

[KempoGuy06]

not a teacher but as a student i find them very helpful. if my instructor tells me im doing something incorrectly but it feels correct to me and can watch him do it then watch myself in the mirror and see where im making my mistakes

B

[14 Kempo]

Mirrors. For the most part, they help a student see what the instructor sees. For those times when they may be a distraction, turn the student around, away from the mirrors.

[stickarts]

Mirrors are very helpful for self correction although we also purposely will train at times away from the mirrors to avoid getting to used to always having to look in the mirror.

[TallAdam85]

i have mirrors currently, my next location i will not have mirrors we are a school that does alot of sparring, when people start to spar they move all over the floor and i am always yelling stay away from the mirrors.
they did not have mirrors in Okinawa and they train fine so I dont think my school needs them. lol

[RevIV]

Always had mirrors. Bought a school that had mirrors in it already. Moved that school after 9 years and I did not take the mirrors with me. It has now been a year and a half without mirrors and I love it. The kids would always look at the other kids in the mirrors, not using them correctly. If the adults want to target practice they can get a bag or a partner. If they have bad mechanics I will tell them how to change. Plus a lot of schools have mirrors just to make there school look bigger or because it was just always that way for no particular reason. I have an ongoing joke about mirrors. Back in the day a karate school would open up in a closed down dance studio, they already had mirrors so they kept them. This could be 100% inaccurate but it gets my point out

[Flying Crane]

I hate 'em, if they cover the whole wall. They are distracting, and it's easy to keep trying to watch yourself instead of focusing on what you are really doing.

They could be used in a limited way, just having one corner with a mirror so you can check your technique. But when you are always in front of the mirror for the duration of the class or the training session, I hate it.

[hkfuie]

Both?

I used to spar this huge guy who was military and he was always talking about training in all these arts. When he sparred me, it was like his ego was on the line (I am a woman). I found the best thing to do was to wait just a second, he'd look in the mirror to see how cool he looked, then it was time for me to attack. I LOVE mirrors.

I agree with Flying Crane's. A small mirror in a corner would be what I choose. I have always taught w/o mirrors. For me, they are a tool that should only be used when necessary. I think some people need that outside feedback, though, and it can be very helpful.

[AMP-RYU]

i have mirrors currently, my next location i will not have mirrors we are a school that does alot of sparring, when people start to spar they move all over the floor and i am always yelling stay away from the mirrors.
they did not have mirrors in Okinawa and they train fine so I dont think my school needs them. lol

Thank you, I do not have mirrors, they break easy but that is not my reason. Little kids are distracted easily but that is not my reason. My reason is with keeping students! New students, especially girls and larger kids are self consious! They come in feeling silly, and when they see themselves they know they look silly! So they just never come back, but if there are no mirrors you can get a student comfortable and then help them with what they need work on. I don't know if this is the right way but believe me it works for me and I keep alot more students, especially teen and older females and larger students! I hope this thread was helpful in someway.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Josh Oakley]

While I can understand those who don't have mirrors, I have them and use them. it helps with form, and allows me to instruct alongside the student. They can do the technique, watch me do it, and talk to me without having to break form. It can be problematic with the young kids, but it's easy enough to turn them around. It also makes a great white board for getting into the science of things and making points you want remembered.

[Deaf Smith]

Mirrors have their place, just as punching bags, focus mits, judo matts, and the like. Don't need every wall to have 'em, but it's very helpful to show students correct technique and stance by doing it in front of seveal mirrors and point out what is correct and what is not.

Deaf

[Gordon Nore]

Thank you, I do not have mirrors, they break easy but that is not my reason. Little kids are distracted easily but that is not my reason. My reason is with keeping students! New students, especially girls and larger kids are self consious! They come in feeling silly, and when they see themselves they know they look silly! So they just never come back, but if there are no mirrors you can get a student comfortable and then help them with what they need work on. I don't know if this is the right way but believe me it works for me and I keep alot more students, especially teen and older females and larger students! I hope this thread was helpful in someway.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

Hadn't thought of it this way. The only mirrored room we ever used was one the adult class was assigned to in the basement of the community centre. It had mirrors and a ballet bar. We got it for the adult class sometimes in the summer, and I liked being to quick-check my stance and form occasionally.

[IcemanSK]

That is the question! Do you rather teach with mirrors in your school or no mirrors? I would like to hear what others think.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif
thank you


I don't have mirrors in my school (because I use a church's fellowship hall) & I miss the help that mirrors provide. When I correct my students they really can't readily see the difference between my technique & their's.

[Rich Parsons]

That is the question! Do you rather teach with mirrors in your school or no mirrors? I would like to hear what others think.http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif
thank you

I like mirrors.

They help the students and also the instructors to watch the students.

[myusername]

We have mirrors in my boxing gym. Not along a whole wall but just in one corner near the bags. I find them very useful for correcting technique and stance when shadow boxing. However, we don't have them in my jujutsu class and I don't even notice and don't think I would use them.

I recognise that they can also be a distraction, Years ago I did a couple of lessons of Judo and was working with this other beginner and we were practising one particular novice throw with no resistance (can't remember what it was called). This class had mirrors across the whole wall, I took my turn throwing him and then on his turn he threw me. When I landed on the floor he looked in the mirror and pretended to hit me on the head whilst making a sort of "booosh" noise. Mirrors were a bad idea for that guy!

[Tez3]

Oh NO, I'm far too old to have mirrors around me!! It would put me off completely.

BTW Myusername, my instructor says your instructor is an animal lol! believe me that's a compliment!

[Sylo]

I don't think mirrors are a must have..

but, much like most other forms of martial arts training gear.. they can help in ways not having them wouldn't be able to.

I prefer mirrors myself.

[Geeba12]

I believe mirrors have a place in a Dojo, when checking the severity of injuries.
As for using mirrors when training, I believe they detract a practitioner from "entering" themselves (complete focus) while training.
As I enter my 38th year as a practitioner, I am seeing more and more the wisdom of the old Masters.
Mirrors can become a "crutch" to young (in time of training) students. They may tend to focus more on what they look like rather than what the technique(s) "feels" like.
Bottom line is any training is better than no training.
If your Dojo believes in wall to wall mirrors and the instruction is legitimate, go with it. The training is what matters most.
My experience has shown that most traditionally based Dojo set up the training area in a traditional way, no mirrors.
Students should base training decisions on the legitimacy of the Ryu, not mirrors.

Yours in the Arts,
SJG

[AMP-RYU]

Oh NO, I'm far too old to have mirrors around me!! It would put me off completely.

BTW Myusername, my instructor says your instructor is an animal lol! believe me that's a compliment!

This is why I dont use mirrors! LOLhttp://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[foggymorning162]

We have mirrors I personally don't look in them. They can be usefull for adults but in the kids classes I really wish we could cover them and the younger the kids the worst it is. The only thing I find them usefull for in the kids classes is it's like having eyes in the back of your head after you catch them fooling around a couple times when your not even looking in their direction they learn to behave all the time.