Self teaching

What are your views on self taught martial artists, and the skills thay can achieve? Are there any self taught people out there with any good achievements?

My view on that is not favorable.

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Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

Agree with Unk.

The only exception is if you've had actual instruction for years, have a solid grasp on the principles and mechanics of the body and the techniques you wish to study and understand the principles.

Few people have that though that train their own, they often just jump the gun and get things ass backwards

Have to agree with Unk and MH. MOst people who are self taught dont really know what they are doing. A few might have a solid background and are forced to continue on there own for various reasons.Personally I had to ask myself a question. I have my Kempo style's training manual. The head of the style published it bc alot of schools were calling themselves Okinawa Kempo Karate but adding things that ren't apart of the style. So he wrote the book to give a "this is what muist be taught for what belt mimimum' and if anything else is added great but this is what will be taught. Well being a green belt and in the army I am constantly moving around and can't always find a school to train in. However, I decided that I would find a school locally that i liked and train with them. There were ofcourse other reasons as to why I wont go back to the style but the reason I dont continue it, even with the manual, is I dont agree with self taught. To much of a chance of screwing something up. Plus you dont get to learn from your person, seniors, and subordinates alike. Sparring with someone or going through two man (or more) application drills make understanding alot easier IMO.

I disagree. I think it's more about practical testing. I think if you are determined to learn to fight and you study applications (perhaps via video) and then try them in the real world, you are likely to be a better martial artist than someone who has learned from a "Master" but has never tested what he has learned.

Martial arts can be extremely complicated-- if you want to learn a "system" so that it is recognisable and an ART. But loads of morons are good fighters.

Some stuff I've been taught by "teachers" has been utterly impractical, but it is only in testing such techniques you discover what works and what doesn't. Let's be honest, if you want to know how to fight, you want to know how to strike, and what to do if you get taken to the ground. Scrapping will teach you that.

Now combine the two-- a good teacher and practical testing-- you're in a very strong position!

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Faith itself, compelled by the Holy Spirit, possesses an inner dynamism that necessitates deeper understanding. ~Thomas Weinandy O.F.M.

As someone who is trying to learn a system on their own, I will have to agree it is not advisable. While I feel I am making progress on my own, I know I would be making much more progress if I had someone teaching me.

FF mentioned that with testing, you could still develope good skill. However, you would still need a solid base in order to create a curriculum and schedule that would lead to success. Otherwise, you run the risk of injury that might lead to serious complications later in life. It would be like someone performing surgery by trial and error.

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

isnt cam predominatly self taught?

personally i do better with tuition

but learnt alot of 6' staff myself

and only realised how much i had managed to understand

when i started training under guidance

but still it is quite remarkable how much of the basic content me and a few friends manged to suss out

just by hitting each other with sticks

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

Aleister Crowley

LOL, that and a good knowledge of physics and human body kinetics help!

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“	Originally Posted By: WraithAlcon As someone who is trying to learn a system on their own, I will have to agree it is not advisable. While I feel I am making progress on my own, I know I would be making much more progress if I had someone teaching me.	”

Exactly! That is what a good teacher does. They have done the hard work and so can point to a short cut. Doesn't mean you wont get there on your own, in fact real training often involves working on something you have been taught until you find an answer to a problem.

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Faith itself, compelled by the Holy Spirit, possesses an inner dynamism that necessitates deeper understanding. ~Thomas Weinandy O.F.M.

There are several things you can do with just yourself, but once done with someone else there is a very obvious difference

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You are not where you have been and you are not where you are going you are only here.

“	Originally Posted By: aqira There are several things you can do with just yourself, but once done with someone else there is a very obvious difference	”

I see what you did there...

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

There are certain styles better self taught than others, but I believe that the Arts should be taught by someone who knows them.

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If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can't be solved.

Some people have a natural aptitude for fighting. This doesn't necessarily make them skilled martial artists, but they can still hit hard, take a punch, stay calm in a fight, without any formal training.

The ability to learn effectively when "self-taught" -- well, as indicated in posts above, it depends on a few things, including natural ability, previous experience, attitude toward learning, and availability of learning resources.

I remember a time when it was difficult to locate the resources I needed in order to learn CMA, so I empathize with those who have to learn on their own. I was able to find like-minded people with the same problem, so we worked out together sharing what information we knew. No great leaps in learning, but we had fun.

I'd say the worst thing to do if training yourself is to come into it with a "full cup" attitude. You know the type -- "I'm going to create my own MA system because I read Tao of JKD and my friend with 2 years of TKD is going to teach me his moves ... and I'm going to start everything off by creating a school website."

But if you have an open attitude of "I want to learn, and I know that I know little/nothing," you may not have to train alone for too long, and you may find a very good resource soon enough.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

Great post Sammy!

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Faith itself, compelled by the Holy Spirit, possesses an inner dynamism that necessitates deeper understanding. ~Thomas Weinandy O.F.M.