As far as martial arts go, is there really anything you can't learn on your own (alone in the sense that you don't have a proper instructor, not that you don't have a sparring partner) besides things like how to do a proper horse stance and silly things like that?
When I think about it, it just seems to me like most martial arts in general mainly teach people improve their reflexes, reaction time, and coordination, which are all things one can do if they use their common sense when training. Things like joint-locks and grappling techniques to me seem like they could be self-taught from either watching videos of others, reading a martial arts guide, or even just coming up with stuff on your own, provided you have a partner you can try your ideas on.
I guess theoretically it is possible, as that is how people come up with new styles of martial arts, but what do you think?
Yes. You can't learn martial arts from reading books, or watching videos. If you've spent years learning from an instructor, you can pick up a few things from other forms of media by understanding how they work in relation to what you've already learned, but especially at the beginner stage you will get nothing of value from "self educating."
It just doesn't work that way. Do you see a lot of olympic swimmers who are self taught? How about professional baseball players? How about professional dancers? You need a knowledgable educator there, on the scene, to move your body and reveal to you the subtleties in what you are learning. In physical activities, variances of fractions of an inch can be the difference between safe and unsafe practice, or effective and ineffective application, and you can't learn that from any book or video.
You want to learn martial arts. Here's what you need to do.
1. Figure out why. Competition? Trophies? Self defense? Fighting? Health and Fitness? Spiritual growth? An affinity for asian culture?
2. Find some schools locally that meet that need. This is much more important than style. You need a school that can cater to your interests. You won't stick with "the world's greatest martial art" if your needs aren't being met.
3. Find an instructor who has something of value to offer and knows how to communicate that. You have to have both. Some people are great martial artists who can't teach worth a lick. Some people are great teachers who don't know anything of value about martial arts. You want someone who has both. That doesn't mean they have to be the best performer of martial arts in the world. They don't necessarily have to be able to do a 720 degree tornado kick to know how, and to be able to teach you how.
4. Show up, listen up, and keep up. You won't get anywhere without going to class regularly. Listen to your instructors, you're paying them for a reason. Practice at home. They can tell who does and who doesn't. Ultimately, they get paid either way, but you only grow if you put in the time and effort. Getting good at martial arts isn't easy. It's a slog. Often times it's boring, and repetitive, and exhausting. But it's also exciting, and energizing, and mind expanding. I don't know a single black belt who would trade his experiences in the arts back for the time and money he invested to gain his belt.
It's that simple, and that complex. You've been posting a lot on this board. I can tell you're looking for something. Until you know what that thing is, you won't find it. Once you do, you can narrow your search.
But don't waste time sitting at home playing Mortal Kombat and thinking you're learning karate. It doesn't work like that. Find an expert, pay the price, practice, and you'll see the results you want.
-Rob
