Hi, Me and a friend of mine have recently began trying to teach ourselves martial arts, we are using martial arts books to help us learn, we are also streching and excercising regularly. I know that this is not an Ideal way of learning and I accept we would be able to have a better quality learning at a dojo and an instructor, but I am in college and have neigther the money to pay the high monthly fees, the time to go to martial arts calsses, not out of laziness but because many of the classes are at the same time as my college classes, and most of the dojos around me are a good half an hour away and I don't have the ability to pay for gas. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on any good books to use, or can offer any advice on how to do certain techniques, and if you criticise please be constructive about it, don't just bash us for not going to a dojo and recieving prorper instruction, If you think we are doing someting wrong, point it out but please offer suggestions. Thank You
Needing Help
- Thread starter jacksaber
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Chris Parker
Grandmaster
This isn't what you want to hear, but you are not training in any martial art at all, you are playing games. The best advice that can be offered is that you wait until you can afford (financially and time-wise) to attend a school under an instructor. Otherwise all you will do is instill bad habits, dangerous practices, and poor skills that your suffering instructor will need to work out of you.
Books and DVDs are references only, not teaching methods. If used in conjunction with a teacher, they can be rather useful, but as a sole method, you are missing too much for them to realistically be of any use. It doesn't matter what system you're talking about (you may notice I haven't asked which one.... martial arts are a rather generic, and far reaching term, encompassing things that you have never even considered, to be frank).
Books and DVDs are references only, not teaching methods. If used in conjunction with a teacher, they can be rather useful, but as a sole method, you are missing too much for them to realistically be of any use. It doesn't matter what system you're talking about (you may notice I haven't asked which one.... martial arts are a rather generic, and far reaching term, encompassing things that you have never even considered, to be frank).
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Say, here's an interesting question.....
If you "have recently began trying to teach ourselves martial arts, we are using martial arts books to help us learn", can you explain why your profile states that you are a 3rd Degree Black Belt in TKD?
If you "have recently began trying to teach ourselves martial arts, we are using martial arts books to help us learn", can you explain why your profile states that you are a 3rd Degree Black Belt in TKD?
I am a third degree in tae Kwon do but what we have not been doing any tae Kwon do, I should have been more specific when I said we had recently started, sorry for the confusion, and I thank you for your advice, and I understand what you are saying and I thank you for your advice again but we only have this path to follow.
What was the purpose of his post? If he was 3rd Dan why would he not continue TKD and if 3rd Dan he could train at college for free? Most colleges or Universities have a TKD program for credits. I have a curiculum and text book which can give 4 credit hours to anyone 15 and older. I try to use this for High School students so they can get a jump on credits before graduation and going on to college? It costs $90 per credit hour per simester but if I volunteer and do not get paid it cost $15 per credit hour.
You're third degree in TKD? Be honest: are we talking daycare TKD or serious training?
Have you looked around your campus? Many colleges actually have quite a lot of martial arts available, as school clubs and activities as well as simply because a college student is generally a good target market for them. I bet, for example, there are two or three MMA clubs within walking or bus range... In fact -- if you're at Ohio State, I KNOW there are several excellent clubs around.
What martial art are you trying to learn from a book? Is there a school of that art fairly nearby? Might you get your student activities group to fund bringing someone in from that school?
I'll be honest. I question whether someone with any black belt would say that they can learn another art from books alone. I question whether someone with one black belt already would simply say that "we're trying to learn martial arts".
If you can't find a school to train in -- keep exercising. Keep stretching. Keep hunting for the art you want. Keep practicing your TKD; heck, maybe you should teach a club? But don't waste your time learning things improperly.
oaktree
Master of Arts
Hi jacksaber
I am going to assume the worse that you and your friend have no money not even $10 a week each which is about $80 which could be about a month of class for one of you or at least 2 private lessons a month.
You could try to get a group going and each put in some money($5 a week) so one of you can go to class or have private lessons. Maybe discuss the situation with a teacher at a martial art school who can oversee things.
Maybe put an ad out and start a martial art club were other people who have training and rank can exchange ideas with you. Maybe join the schools wrestling club or be friends with one of the wrestling guys and learn some moves from him.
Maybe you can do video exchanges with a teacher who can critique your skills and offer suggestions. Maybe set up a web cam so he can watch.
Be creative. Using black and white photos in a book that do not show the transitions is very hard to learn from. Videos are all over the internet and offer much better instructions than say books as they show you the break down and transition of technqiue but the problem is
If you have a question or need correction no one to do this.
The forums can give possible insight but since you are your own teacher inexperienced makes learning from yourself harder.
There will be many posts concerning the errors of self learning thru books be aware of that.
Best of luck
I am going to assume the worse that you and your friend have no money not even $10 a week each which is about $80 which could be about a month of class for one of you or at least 2 private lessons a month.
You could try to get a group going and each put in some money($5 a week) so one of you can go to class or have private lessons. Maybe discuss the situation with a teacher at a martial art school who can oversee things.
Maybe put an ad out and start a martial art club were other people who have training and rank can exchange ideas with you. Maybe join the schools wrestling club or be friends with one of the wrestling guys and learn some moves from him.
Maybe you can do video exchanges with a teacher who can critique your skills and offer suggestions. Maybe set up a web cam so he can watch.
Be creative. Using black and white photos in a book that do not show the transitions is very hard to learn from. Videos are all over the internet and offer much better instructions than say books as they show you the break down and transition of technqiue but the problem is
If you have a question or need correction no one to do this.
The forums can give possible insight but since you are your own teacher inexperienced makes learning from yourself harder.
There will be many posts concerning the errors of self learning thru books be aware of that.
Best of luck
Among your options:
Columbus Bando - Columbus, Ohio
CONTACT: Steve Jaszek bjaszek@columbus.rr.com
INSTRUCTORS: Sayaji Tim Fleming, Saya Rick Rossitter, Saya Steve Jaszek, Saya Greg Cochran
(I can personally vouch for & recommend Columbus Bando. Good people, good fighters...)
http://www.columbusninjutsuclub.com/
(Don't know anything about this other than what's on the website)
http://www.centralohiomartialarts.com/
(Another one I don't know anything about)
http://www.aikidoschool.org/
(Looks to be a rather legit aikido school)
And most of that's out of a quick Google search...
I'm also pretty confident that there's a respectable traditional TKD school not far from OSU... since one of the students used to be a very active poster hereabouts.
Columbus Bando - Columbus, Ohio
CONTACT: Steve Jaszek bjaszek@columbus.rr.com
INSTRUCTORS: Sayaji Tim Fleming, Saya Rick Rossitter, Saya Steve Jaszek, Saya Greg Cochran
(I can personally vouch for & recommend Columbus Bando. Good people, good fighters...)
http://www.columbusninjutsuclub.com/
(Don't know anything about this other than what's on the website)
http://www.centralohiomartialarts.com/
(Another one I don't know anything about)
http://www.aikidoschool.org/
(Looks to be a rather legit aikido school)
And most of that's out of a quick Google search...
I'm also pretty confident that there's a respectable traditional TKD school not far from OSU... since one of the students used to be a very active poster hereabouts.
Blade96
Senior Master
College and university dojos I think are often good options for university students. My dojo isone such dojo, and it holds classes friday evenings and tuesday evenings (most students take daytime courses) as they charge just $100 a semester, 3 months. Sometimes they only charged $80 for 3 months. In the summer its only $50. Meanwhile, another dojo, belonging to the same association, at a grade school about half an hour away, charges $120 for 3 months. University dojos know students have a hard time with money.
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Jack, is there a reason you aren't answering any questions? JKS asked quite a few, you barely answered mine (simply admitted that you do hold a third degree in TKD, with no real explanation of your unusual posting), instead you constantly thank people for "their advice", say you will follow it, but show no sign of actually taking anything on board. Let's try once more, shall we?
What martial art are you trying to learn from a book?
Why don't you simply continue with your TKD training with your friend if you just want to train?
If you are really an established martial artist already, what is the reference to "trying to teach ourselves martial arts" all about?
Be honest, are you just trolling here?
I await your answers.
What martial art are you trying to learn from a book?
Why don't you simply continue with your TKD training with your friend if you just want to train?
If you are really an established martial artist already, what is the reference to "trying to teach ourselves martial arts" all about?
Be honest, are you just trolling here?
I await your answers.
Let's see if can answer your questions Chris. We have two books for two martial arts, that's one book each. The two are muay Thai and small circle jujitsu. I don't continue in tae kwon do for two reasons, the first one is I have been out of practice for the past four years, and the second is my dojo closed, we had an arrangement with the master where money was concerned. The teaching ourselves martial arts quote that you are so keen about was a poor choice of words. Now to answer why I haven,t answered them is I've really only had time to put up those thank you and such. Now Chris I have a question for you, did you forget in my first post that I asked for your advice and not a witch hunt? And jks I'll answer your questions later on, and we are not trying to learn martial arts in as much we are studying these books to find which techniques that work best for self-defense.
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Thanks, let's see how we go.
Okay, that's the systems. With your TKD background, you may be able to get through some of the Muay Thai with a degree of success, but the Jujutsu I'm seeing problems with, especially from a book. But we'll get to your reasons, and maybe even get something close to your original question.
So you were Third Degree 4 years ago? And you're now in college, so you're, what, early 20's? I'd place you at 16 to 18 when you were 3rd Degree, would that be accurate?
Yes it was. But it does seem accurate from what you are describing here (learning techniques from a book), and it's still far from a good idea.
Hmm, your posts yesterday are spread out over about 5 hours... you didn't have time when replying to answer one or two questions?
Not at all, and I offered it, whether it was what you wanted to hear or not. As far as a "witch hunt" goes, this is really incredibly gentle to be honest. And you may not have invited one, but you did invite questions into your background simply by claiming to be teaching yourself martial arts from a book. The first thing that comes to mind with us is what makes you think you're in any way qualified or able to do so? And I do have a tendency to want to know who I'm dealing with, so I will check your profile if I feel it can add to my comments and advice. In your case, it's certainly added to the issue, I'd say.
I'll save you some time, then. You won't. Stop looking for "techniques" for self defence from books, in fact, don't look for "techniques" for self defence period. You're looking at the wrong thing, in the wrong way, and have no chance of actually having real success if this is your aim. You may think you can do some of the movements in the books (probably missing quite a bit, especially in the Jujutsu area), but that's really not the same.
What you need for self defence is the correct approach, and drills to achieve it. Techniques really mean very little, and if that is what you are focused on, you have no hope. But I'm not going to give you the drills, as I can't really guarantee that you will use them properly, or understand them enough to get the benefits out of them. You need an instructor who knows what they are doing. And there really is no getting around that.
frank raud
Master of Arts
Hmm, a teenage 3rd Dan in TKD trying to learn from a book after a four year layoff?what could possibly be wrong with this picture?
And what is your basis for assessing effectiveness in self defense? Are you going out and getting into fights, trying to use something from the books? Seeing what works in some sort of free sparring? Deciding that one technique or another looks effective or cool? Have you done any reading or research into what happens to you during a life or death situation?
You still haven't directly answered my question about what sort of TKD you studied -- though I have my suspicions if you ranked to 3rd degree at an age between 13 and 17 or so (assuming you started college around 18...). Those suspicions are rebuttable, though.
Let me be straight with you: Picking up a book or two and and trying to randomly pull something together has about the same chance of success as closing your eyes and randomly typing on the keyboard will produce a work of literature. It took me seconds to find several programs in the general Columbus area; admittedly, it helped that I knew of one of them personally, but it wasn't hard. I just found at least 13 student clubs at OSU (I'm making an assumption that you're attending OSU based on your listd home; if I'm wrong, the principle applies to other schools) that offer different forms of martial arts, including krav maga, wushu, shuiachao, kenpo, kendo, and even Renaissance Martial Arts! Some may not be active anymore, but still -- you gotta be able to find something there!
3rd Dan is junior Master? Any master or GM who generaly either teaches the college classes or posts one of his bb thier to teach for experience as part of earnig credit time in rank for advancing they would be happy to have you be part of any class in the dojang or another location for free. He might even sponsor your testing fees if you are teaching and testing colored belts?
I find it hard to believe you would not want to continue on to 4th Dan and you can still pick up other skills along the way. as a reward for my advanced students depending on age and skill level I give them a certain amount of Hapkido, Judo, Kempo/Kyushojitsu. Books are fine to be used as a mind tickler for remembering what you have already learned but they are 2 dimentional and the knowledge is 3 dementional and you cannot learn many things with touch and reaction you must recieve pain and give pain in a controled way to actually learn books?? please
I remeber the old Cerial box advertisements and bublel gum wrappers for kids Hey learn Karate just send and get the book and be a black belt?
Tell me what gum did you chew to get 3rd Dan? if you learned from a book?
oaktree
Master of Arts
Hi Jacksaber
Here are some videos on the subject you are looking into. They are supplement videos for actual training but better than the Black and white books you are using.
http://www.56.com/w63/album-aid-8119522.html
This has a couple of Thai videos.
http://so.56.com/index?key=jiujitsu&charset=utf-8&type=&kw=
Here is a bunch of Jujutsu videos.
Hopefully you get a school or private lessons soon.
Good luck.
Here are some videos on the subject you are looking into. They are supplement videos for actual training but better than the Black and white books you are using.
http://www.56.com/w63/album-aid-8119522.html
This has a couple of Thai videos.
http://so.56.com/index?key=jiujitsu&charset=utf-8&type=&kw=
Here is a bunch of Jujutsu videos.
Hopefully you get a school or private lessons soon.
Good luck.
