Multimedia Transference of Knowledge

[NTDeveloper]

I have noticed that many participants in this forum have made statements to the
effect that communicating certain aspects of the martial arts via videotape is
impossible. With all respect, I humbly disagree.

Now let me state clearly, I'm not arguing that one hour of instruction via videotape
is equivalent in quality to one hour of face-to-face instruction. You cannot ask a
videotape questions nor can a videotape observe your execution and critique it.
What I am arguing, howerver, is that any scientific base of knowledge
(and this includes Kenpo) can be codified and presented in an assimilable fashion.

Suppose the converse: That there exist elements of the Kenpo system (or any other MA system)
that cannot be expressed in written and/or visual form. Would this not mean then
that these aspects are metaphysical (i.e. not addressable within a scientific
framework) in nature? But, this would contradict the fact that kenpo *is* a
scientific system.

Now, consider the example of learning to be a chiropractor. Is it possible for
someone to learn how to be a chiropractor by watching videotaped instruction
in the discipline? Absolutely not. Is it possible, however, to codify the whole
of Chiropractic knowledge in a multimedia format? Of course it is. If it were not,
it would not be a science - and we all agree that it is a science.

Also, take massage therapy as another example. A person cannot learn how to be a
competent massage therapist by just watching tapes. However, the knowlege that a
massage therapist needs can be presented in such a fashion. Without tactile experience,
however, someone will never become a good massage therapist. Suppose, however, a group
of people who knew nothing about massage therapy studied these hypothetical
tapes, practiced on and received feedback from one another. After a reasonable
period of time, would these people be considered "good" massage therapists? Possibly..
it not an unrealistic outcome of such an experiment. Would these folks have
progressed more quickly and acquired more skill had they been under the supervision
of a master massage therapist who could answer questions and iterract with them?
Again, the answer is probably "yes."

Now, last thought experiment: Suppose you had a group of people and a two-way
audio-video hookup between the group and a competent Kenpo instructor. Would it
be possible for the group to learn Kenpo in this fashion? It seems feasible to me. Would
it be better if the instructor were actually present in the room? Sure..but I would
argue that there is no scientific knowledge that could not be transferred in that
fashion. What sort of scientific knowledge could not be transferred?

 

[Citius]

The answer is not a simple one nor do I profess to know the answer. But I have a few thoughts on the issue. All of man’s knowledge that has survived the ages has been passed down through various recording methods such as cave drawings, followed by pictographs about 10,500 years ago, then the first alphabet around 3,500 years ago. The evolution of data storage has progressed toward the digital age where audio and video can capture vast amounts of data and preserve it forever. Since the passage of knowledge “through available means of recording” has served mankind since his infancy it would be reasonable to assume that “Multimedia Transference” would be a viable method to passing and preserving the martial arts. It would also be reasonable to assume that the quality of the education would not be equivalent to face-to-face instruction. Therefore if a student is seeking the highest quality of education then the pursuit of face-to-face instruction is recommended. However if only a working knowledge of the art is required then “Multimedia Transference” would suffice. Many people, who learn from videos, do so because they enjoy martial arts and enjoy the freedom and convenience of this kind of education. They more than likely will never lay any claim to be a master of the art but merely a student. As we are all students we cannot condemn them or the method of their education. In short I don’t think you would ever want a brain surgeon who learned strictly from video cutting on you. But then again martial arts is not brain surgery. Martial arts can be embraced lightly or one can immerse them self. The beauty of Martial arts is that there is room for everybody no matter how deep their passion runs.

 

[Kenpomachine]

Citius, you forget that this transference of knowledge to paper and/or video has made it somewhat easier to manipulate the information available once people begins to rely on it too much and forget to learn and memorize it.

 

[John Bishop]

Yes, knowledge and information can be passed down by word of mouth,writing, and video. But physical training is a totally differant thing.

 

[Mark Weiser]

As I have stated in another post. Video / Distance Training you can mimic the moves but to truly understand them in the physical/mental sense such as throwing a puch in the open air vs throwing a punch at a real body changes the training / teaching model. With instant correction of an instructor is so vital that any other way you lose out on the Martial Arts experience. The only other viable option in distance training is using a Video phone or Video Conferencing and to train you must have a training partner to get sweaty with.

 

[kenposikh]

Imho Recorded material is useful for reference but I don't believe it is really feasible to learn a science by. The theories etc can be learnt but as regards the practical you do need hands on experience and a tutor/instructor to asssit in the finer points to ensure you get the best out of what you're doing.

One of my favourite questions to people is "what is you least favourite technique and why", I then like to look at them performing the technique and breakdown and analyse in a way that the student understands where I see the problems lie.

Once this actual hands on training is done they then tend to have another technique which is least favourite however we have improved on their training and now they can refer to videos etc as a quick reminder.

Yours In Kenpo

Amrik Singh

 

[MJS]

Anything can be learned from a visual or audio aid, but you will be limiting yourself as to what you can actually get from it, due to the lack of hands on training.

Mike

 

[rmcrobertson]

My first comment, I'm afraid, is--once again, anything to avoid sweating and those unsightly lumps, eh? Anything to avoid the sheer time commitment--after all, that's what they did in the first "Matrix," movie.

It is characteristic of advanced capitalist societies to encourage the abstraction of knowledge, their transformation into a (sellable) commodity. That's what's at stake here, and I expect it's a process that will go on and on.

Certainly, tapes and DVDs and all the rest of what's coming have all sorts of uses--but in the end, they're just fancy books, with better illustrations. But Giles from "Buffy," was right--the getting of knowledge is a smelly process, and the vaunted multi-media cannot provide that.

Video cannot provide an instructor's emotional content. It can't bring out your feelings, either, or the sense of success and failure. It can't help you develop a "feel," for other students, or for yourself. It can't bring on those lumps and bruises, and the feel of getting hit. Nor is it going to, not until we can jack in, and even then....

Moreover, "multimedia," provides the fantasy of total knowledge--it's all right on the video!--and the fantasy of being able to fast forward. (Remember the accountant in "Ghostbusters?" the one who says, "You know what I did? I ran my exercise video on fast forward--got a great workout in half the time...") It doesn't provide an instructor who can fiddle with what you're doing, or decide what they want to teach you, or get you to slow down and really learn. Or decide there are some things they're not going to teach, for that matter.

But I encourage people, who want to, to video train exclusively. I figure that if I'm going to get into a fight with a martial artist, I want it to be somebody incompetent--please, Lord, a distance ed tae-bo master if it has to be anybody at all. NOT one of those sweaty people who's been doin' some damn thing like good judo for thirty years, or some angry lump-nosed and cauliflower-eared boxer, or some cranky kenpo guy like Clyde.

What is being addressed in martial arts isn't primarily the conscious mind. Transmitting the martial arts isn't simply about squirting purified technique at students.