Something in martial arts that gets discussed back and forth all the time is the effectiveness of distance learning versus traditional dojo training and whether one can learn martial arts with any degree of proficiency through distance learning. In an age where communication and learning via the Internet are staples of everyday life and the ability to learn anything efficiently is open to everyone because of this, my answer is a resounding “YES!” .
Consider this… one of the recent arguments I’ve come across is that it takes years and years of blood, sweat and tears to get a Dan ranking and that only after you’ve shed blood on the dojo floor can you be considered credible for using the Dan you are awarded by Organization XYZ, School, Federation, etc. and only through this method can you become a better practitioner. While I agree with the idea in general, the argument against distance learning is that there is no way you can advance in rank as a Black Belt, or as a Colored Belt, unless you train at a school using old traditional methods. . There is no way you can learn any self defense system through “home study” methods.
OK…well…let’s say a person has spent 15-20 years training and now has the rank of 4th or 5th Dan. This person has trained and completed all the requirements to advance in his rank. I guess some might say that due to rank and years spent in training, he/she deserves praise and respect, being of great honor and integrity due to advancements and time spent training in the arts. This person has obviously learned what it means to be a better practitioner and is now credible in the eyes of his peers. Seems like a solid point.
Now, on the other side of the coin, let’s say this same person on the outside looks and acts like the rank he wears and talks like a true black belt, but deep down he has a drinking problem or a problem with drugs or worse. , both. They treat people with disrespect behind their backs and are full of ego. Every time something goes wrong in their life, all they want to do is go out, get high, and fight. Just so you know, I’m not speaking hypothetically. I trained with such a person. Does this mean that he/she deserves to use the advanced Dan rank just because he/she invested his/her time in a traditional school and passed the curriculum? Does this make you better than me or anyone else who wants to open up their learning to a credible and comprehensive distance learning program taught by honorable, committed and forward thinking people? I think not, as we all know, martial arts are much more than the belt one wears.
The traditional thinking is that if you choose to train this way you will be lacking in many aspects ie: training quality, lack of training partners, too easy to slack off and not train, no one is there to make sure you are actually performing the material , and so on, that there is no way for this to work and once you receive your rank, it’s just a “piece of paper” from a “diploma mill” or in the case of a Dan ranking, a “Black Mill” paper. of leash”. Well let me ask you this question, what takes more effort, dedication, perseverance, integrity and personal commitment, walking into a local school and having someone tell you what to do or taking a course and breaking it down yourself, putting it together? a training schedule based on your school or work schedule, provide yourself a place to train, and then actually complete training by belt rank? I realize this question is rhetorical, but the point I’m trying to make is that BOTH study methods, in class and home study, are equally effective for learning any type of material and that as martial artists, To be so closed-minded about knowledge from “outside the box” sources, especially in this age of advanced technology, is a real detriment to the advancement of the arts as a whole.
Traditionalists fail to recognize the doors this can and surely will open for students around the world, just as it has for all areas of education. Right now… today… you can earn the highest level of certified, recognized and accredited college degrees online from the most reputable colleges and universities – WORLDWIDE! This is an absolute and indisputable fact that even the most inveterate traditionalist cannot refute. In my opinion, it’s not so much how you learn what you learn, but how you apply that knowledge after you’ve learned it. I have always said that certifications and degrees are just paper, but what ultimately makes them so valuable is the application of that knowledge and how it is presented to others in the future. We must always move forward with our knowledge, always be willing to embrace new ideas and concepts. If we stop learning, we stop growing.
As the sport is constantly evolving, its practitioners must also evolve. We can no longer simply accept traditional training orthodoxy as the rule. The simple fact that hand-to-hand combat has become so much more advanced in the last 10 years would dictate that we as practitioners of the arts should be more open-minded and willing to further our learning from so many sources outside of our own backyards as possible. Distance learning offers such a solution by removing the geographic boundaries that currently exist by limiting students to training and learning in one environment, in one style, and with one instructor. With the Internet, video conferences, online tutorials, forums, blogs, etc. literally at your fingertips, the possibilities are endless. No longer will students have to be relegated to learning options that only include the local dojo. Imagine being able to train and share information and ideas about advancing the arts with students around the world in real time!
Of course, to that extent, the traditionalist would argue that there would be a problem with time differences as well as differences in training disciplines and that there is no way this would work. Always an apology. I’ve heard this argument for years, but that’s because they don’t see the potential that exists in people to find long-term solutions to these problems, solutions that are offered by a dedicated group of people like the AKPKF…American Karate Federation Kick-Punch, led by Sensei Danny Hill. This is an organization that walks the talk and is about keeping the integrity of the arts intact while marrying 21st century thinking to an age-old problem of bringing training and discipline to students around the world who would otherwise they would not have access to the information and they do it for FREE!
Now, I understand that traditionalists want to keep training in the dojo…OK…but what about the aspiring student who wants to get involved in martial arts but has nowhere to train, or lives in a remote area where Are you 50-100 miles from the nearest dojo? What about people all over the world who live in towns where there is no training for thousands of miles around? How then does the traditionalist solve this geographical problem? They resolve it by continuing to advocate classroom training as the only beneficial means of learning self defense. In my opinion, that argument really comes down to money.
Think about it. They insist that receiving your certification via distance learning is not credible, yet they charge “Little Johnny’s” tuition every month, usually an exorbitant amount, and pass the student through the system whether or not they have learned the stuff or not. Again, I’m not speaking hypothetically here. I have seen this first hand even at the black belt level. This problem exists on a large scale and is getting worse every day. Traditionalists say that distance learning has become a blight on our beloved art form and that it is denigrating everything sacred about our beloved sport, to the point of “bastardizing” what the arts stand for, while doing the same. charging outrageous monthly fees and providing training that is mediocre at best. To me this action is deplorable and not even remotely deserving of respect and honor, yet this practice continues to grow by the day with new “McDojo’s” springing up on almost every corner. The traditionalist vision has become “selling the product” and not “teaching the art”. Anything that doesn’t “match” with their way of thinking is rubbish and just their style and just the way they teach it, is the “be all to end all” and the only path to excellence in martial arts. In my opinion, there is nothing credible about this practice or this way of thinking and it is only hurting the arts, not enhancing them.
In closing, let me say that I have had great personal success training in both mediums. Each method has its place in education and each, in my opinion, is equally effective. I think both methods can coexist peacefully. Personally, I have continued to expand my knowledge of self defense through many different methods of learning such as books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, online tutorials, and traditional training on the mats with practitioners who are also open-minded enough to see The positive. impact that distance learning can have on all of us if we simply accept the need for this type of study. I have my own dojo and am about to start my training in Renzoku Jiu-Jitsu, a program that is taught by Soke John Cozatt, who happens to live on the east coast (I live on the west coast) and yes, it is a distance. apprenticeship program, one where I can advance to 5th Dan and since that is the highest level of achievement in that system, that is my goal. In lieu of this program, in order to train in a “believable” traditional jiu jitsu class setting, I would have to drive 100 miles round trip 3 nights a week at great expense to achieve what I can do on my own. dojo. through distance learning. Whether or not I get to 5th Dan will be strictly up to me, but that’s not really the problem. The point is that there is an opportunity for all of us to use modern technology to continue to advance our training and help move the sport forward into the 21st century. We have to continue to be open to new training methods and learning techniques so that martial arts can continue to grow and survive. For my part, I will do everything I can to be at the forefront of that movement.