Posted by: MattJ
Challenge the forum wisdom - 10/01/07 09:46 AM
There are a lot of ideas that get floated on our little piece of the net here. Some good, some bad. Some seem to get a life of their own, and become automatic answers to certain questions. Perhaps you agree. Perhaps you disagree, but have been unwilling to say so. Here is your chance to offer a reasoned opinion counter to that of the "entrenched" forum wisdom on a given subject.
I'll go first.
"You can't learn from books/videos/internet/etc."
Yes, you can - AS LONG AS you have a partner to actually practice and refine said technique on. Reading without practice will get you nowhere. And sometimes even with the partner, you will not be able to get things to work, because the medium you are attempting to learn from cannot impart the necessary detail to make it functional.
But sometimes, all you need is just the idea to get started with the practice. My entire knowledge of Chi Sao came about from reading an article in some MA magazine years ago. It interested me enough to cajole my training partners into trying it, and LO AND BEHOLD - with practice, it worked!
It can be a valuable resource if no other means of instruction is available. But again, you have to actually WORK and PRACTICE the stuff to make it functional.
There you go.
I'll go first.
"You can't learn from books/videos/internet/etc."
Yes, you can - AS LONG AS you have a partner to actually practice and refine said technique on. Reading without practice will get you nowhere. And sometimes even with the partner, you will not be able to get things to work, because the medium you are attempting to learn from cannot impart the necessary detail to make it functional.
But sometimes, all you need is just the idea to get started with the practice. My entire knowledge of Chi Sao came about from reading an article in some MA magazine years ago. It interested me enough to cajole my training partners into trying it, and LO AND BEHOLD - with practice, it worked!
It can be a valuable resource if no other means of instruction is available. But again, you have to actually WORK and PRACTICE the stuff to make it functional.
There you go.