can you learn martial arts by yourself?

Question

cant you teach yourself discipline and self control and make up moves

Answer 1

The problem is, that without an instructor you won't know what you're doing wrong and you won't be able to correct yourself.

There are three stages in training in the martial arts, imitation, interpretation, and creation. In the beginning you imitate your instructor as you learn the basic moves. As you reach black belt you enter interpretation where you are taught multiple meanings in the same movements, and you learn to find even more interpretations on your own. After about 20-30 years you begin to enter creation, where you find new meanings for all movements and go beyond the existing to find new ones that have meaning (and that are actually effective).

Answer 2

Whether or not you are in a class, you are learning martial arts yourself. The instructor can only guide you through the exercises and repeat over and over again information you have not yet learned. The time you spend at home practicing each day is extremely important. If you have to ask, I doubt that you can teach yourself discipline. No you can not make up moves, there are reasons that movements are done the way they are done.

Answer 3

Learning the basic moves and developing the level of flexibility, strength and control to perform them can probably be done on your own. The trouble is, that martial arts are about developing skills and reactions to counter attack which can only really be developed by interacting with others.

You can train with punch bags and chop up boards all you want but there's really no substitute for hands-on sparring to aid training. As a wise man once said "boards don't hit back"

Answer 4

No. How will you spar? How will you know if your techniques work?
It sounds like you are talking about creating your own art when you say "make up moves"? What basis and experience do you have to make your own art? Last time I read one of your questions you stated that you only train one day a week.

I wish you would do yourself a favor and find a real school. Stop trying to take short cuts by going to a half-baked school and trying to make your own martial art.

Answer 5

How would you know they worked? And if you got them out of a book or off a video, how would you know if you were doing them right?

In my experience, if you already know a martial art, and are trying to learn more forms from a similar martial art, then that you can do with a book or video, but until you know one, it's usually not a good idea to make up your own.

Answer 6

Yes and No. You can learn some moves from books and DVDs, but no forms, katas or practical applications. The Books and DVDs are to enhance your learning experiance, you may be in the Dojo for two or three hours a week, but use it as reference when you are practicing outside the dojo.

If you are learning strictly from books and DVDs you MUST have a training partners, also the DVD sets are very expensive, so you are your partners can split the cost of buying the set. The DVD sets run about $100 to $400.

Answer 7

Based on the martial arts you are trying to learn it is possible to teach yourself. Various striking arts such as tae kwon do kempo those can be self taught as far as the offensive aspects of it go. Arts such as grappling arts or defensive arts judo ju jitsu akido are best learned with aid cause they invole holds or throws that you can watch and see how they are applied or used but can be perfected unless you have someone to guide you in the uses of them properly.

Answer 8

No.

You can learn martial arts techniques, but that is not martial arts.

You cannot learn zanshin and kuzushi, nor can you develop the instincts necesary to apply these principles.

No technique ever goes as planned. Without the understanding of principles, you cannot apply techniques effectively.

Answer 9

Sure ok yes you can learn martial arts all by your self, not only that you can tell people that your a master cuz you really just created your own style, right?

Answer 10

You can probably get a video to learn the moves, but actually martial arts is a lot of one-on-one contact, and definately learning descipline and respect of the Dojo (studio) and your master. I don't believe you will get that on your own.