learning through dvd's

yea i have a quick question. trained for 10 years in the martial arts and stopped to play high school football for a while. i am getting back into martial arts but am currently in football. Can you learn anything from the instructional dvd's for sale. I want to further my training through learning aspects of other styles can i train through the videos and books for the time being or are dvd's a waste of money?

I'm sure some ppl who have an understanding of the basics and terminology of whatever MA they are wtching on th tape can pick up some pointers, but if there is something you don't understand or don't know if you are doing properly you can't ask te video for a better explanation. Physicaly doing tyhe moves is the only way to go, in my opinion. It's hard to know if you are doing that armbar right when the VCR doesn't tap out no matter how hard you bend it

I generally speak against training from a video, for all the reasons just mentioned. If you are in a position where you can't find someone to train with, then video learning is sufficient until you find someone to train with, but I'd avoid it if I didn't need it.

Videos can be a valuable training aid but only with a good training partner. Otherwise it's rather pointless.

That's why I get a kick out the Combatives guys who talk about buying ***'s videos and practicing the moves on their Spar-Pro dummies as their sole method of training.

yea i know that training with an instructor is the best but i seen this cool looking video at www.sammyfranco.com called the widow maker program and i though id give it a try but wanted to hear some input first.

Modernwarrior,

Have to agree with Fletch and the others here. Think of it this way, how much could you get out of watching a lot of how-to videos on football practice? Then watching a couple of Superbowls?

Not much...you get the basics down, conceptually. But unless you try your techniques in training against real folk....basically, you get.... not a whole lot.

Goodluck!

-B

I'm sure you can learn from them, because you have some prior training in MA. But I would advise that they can only really help you improve your current technique, you won't really learn anything completely different from what you knew and only in your previous art (although this is pushing it a little because of the time period where you haven't studied).

I'd have to say that if you really want to learn, go find a qualified instructor and learn for real. Books and DVDs are best used as supplementary material for practicing martial artists.

Quote:

---

yea i know that training with an instructor is the best but i seen this cool looking video at www.sammyfranco.com called the widow maker program and i though id give it a try but wanted to hear some input first.

---

Go buy the video immediately.

If it does what it says, you'll never need to spend all those hours training.

Keep us informed of your progress.