Four Things You Will Need To Successfully Teach Yourself Martial Arts
Let’s begin with the most obvious question, “can you teach yourself Martial Arts (MA)?” The answer is a definite YES and in this article I will show you how.
There are many reasons why you would consider teaching yourself Martial Arts at home. These reasons can be any, or all, of the following:
– There are no schools in your area
– There are no schools offering the style that you are interested in
– You want to enhance and supplement your current training
– You are a loner and prefer training alone
– You are shy and want to get some skills before joining a school…
– It is not financially possible for you to train at a school
Now just because you fall into one (or all) of the above categories doesn’t mean you have to give up on your MA dreams. You simply have to find a creative way where you can learn Martial Arts at home by yourself and still be successful.
The first obstacle you’ll have to overcome is the overwhelming negativity that you’ll be faced with from the MA community out there. Everyone will want to convince you that it cannot be done.
Now let’s be honest here. Yes it will be difficult, but no it’s not impossible. And I’m not just saying so, if people like Evan Tanner (UFC champion), Chet Schemahorn (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor), Huo Yuanjia (famous Chinese Martial artist), Hwang Kee (founder of Tang Soo Do), Rich Franklin (UFC Champion 2005 to 2006), and many others can do it, then why can’t you?
So now that you can see that it is definitely possible to learn Martial Arts at home, let’s get into the three most important things that you’ll need to be successful.
1. Belief
Belief is simply the knowledge that you can do it, and if you look at those mentioned above who have already succeeded, and some without the benefits of modern technology, you will see how you can do it too. None of those mentioned above would consider themselves special in any way and would be the first to tell you that if they can do it then you can do it too.
2. Planning
When you attend a MA school, all the lesson plans will be worked out and given to you. However, when you teach yourself Martial Arts you will have to do this planning for yourself.
You will have to take your training and future MA goals very seriously if you truly want to succeed. Just because you are training at home alone doesn’t mean you can be lazy. In fact it means you have to be highly motivated and push yourself harder than those who attend a school.
So, spend some time before you begin training to plan:
– what you will do (which MA, technique, etc)
– when you’ll be doing it (how many days per week at what time)
– where you’ll be training (prepare a suitable area to train in)
– how long you will train for (half an hour, an hour or two hours each session)
3. Get the right equipment
Each MA has its own requirements. If you’re planning to learn a grappling art you’ll need to get yourself some mats, etc, to work with. On the other hand if you are learning a kicking or punching art you’ll need space to work in and at the very least, a punch bag.
You’ll also need to do your homework and decide on the most suitable DVD or online course for your personal needs.
The final and most important thing you’ll need is:
4. The right system
Because you’ll be doing all your MA training by yourself, you’ll need to rely on the skill and experience of others who have already done this to help you succeed. For this reason one of the most important things you’ll need to get is a system that will ‘hold your hand’ and walk your through the do’s and don’ts of learning a Martial Art at home by yourself.
Teaching yourself Martial Arts is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Not only will you acquire valuable skills, but you will also become the Master of Yourself; the ultimate goal of the Martial Arts.