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Can You Learn a Martial Art from Martial Arts Books

Can you learn martial arts from martial arts books? You might be able to learn the history, names, dates, maybe even forms. But I doubt you will learn much more than that. The chances of training incorrectly are really high. You probably will make a ton of mistakes and never even know you did.

Learning from a book makes you more apt to settle into bad habits. Instructors help prevent incorrect form and mistakes, making the martial art more fluid and powerful.

Books are helpful in that they show you the various forms of martial arts out there, like Judo or Taekwondo. Studying these books can help you make an informed decision in choosing the martial art which is right for you.

The biggest problem with learning from books is the lack of a sparring partner. Putting the art into practice gives you confidence in your abilities if you ever need them. At home, you’re practicing your techniques in a void, away from a moving, thinking target. In a classroom you have the chance to actually try your techniques on real training partners.

Classes offer motivation to move forward and increase skill. This is hard to do from books except by the highest of motivated people. Most people need the motivation a class and instructor can offer. The instructor can help you reach higher levels of success you might never have reached through solitary practice.

If finances or distance is a problem, a book might be the best bet for you, otherwise, try to find a class. I view learning martial arts through a book as a last resort. An instructor is very important as stated earlier. There are just some things you can’t learn from a book. However, if a book is all you have, then by all means practice from a book until you can find someone to train you properly.
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Panel Discussion: Lectures on the Art of Hebrew Manuscripts and Books