Self inscruction Know-how

[Driftraven]

I wrote a while back about if anyone had any idea of any sword schools in my area. I got some good leads, but none were useful. :( SO, Ive decided once I've aquired a decent sword I will be self-taught. Hopefully. Dose anyone know how I might come about doing this? Once again any help would be greatly appreicated. :bow:

[jjaje]

Basically, if you have to go get stitches, you did something wrong. If the hospital has to sew a part of your body back on, you did something really wrong.

Without someone who can critique stances, footwork and movement, it will be difficult toknow how well you are doing, but go for it.

You might also check out swordforum.com as they have people there who are attempting to be self taught.

[Cebu]

I just had a weekend clinic in an introduction to Iaido. It was fun, enlightening, and a great challenge. There was so much to grasp. Proper grips, cuts, stances, control, balance, not to mention a whole new vocabulary and etiquette.

I was fortunate to be invited to continue training with a highly gifted teacher. I cannot even begin to imagine trying to capture even just the little I learned from this past weekend from a book or video. It may be possible and I wish you luck if thats REALLY your only choice. I just know there is an incredible amount of nuance(sp?) that went into the instruction.

A qualified teacher just brings so much in experience alone, not to mention immediate feedback, encouragement, and safety and effectiveness in training.

Is Houston that far to drive for instruction? I Googled "martial arts sword Houston" and came up with quite a bit. If the drive is a bit far, you may want to make some contacts with practicioners there to see if they know of any trained individuals closer to you willing to instruct.

I hope your search ends well.

[Driftraven]

Yes Houston is a little bit too far for instruction, about 100 or so miles too far. And I really would enjoy training under someone who knows just what their doing. But it really seems that just isnt in the cards right know. Mabye in the future there will be more schools closer to Livingston but in the mean time I will keep trying as hard as I possibly can. Thanks for all the help!!!

[Harutomo]

hello. my friend and i have been training together now for many years with no formal experience and we are quite skilled. my friend works in a sword shop and just recently met a customer who was a skilled instructor of a traditional kenjutsu style. when the instructor heard that my friend was self taught, he asked my friend for a match. after the match was over, he said my friend was indeed quite skilled, but a master would own him royally. then he offered to personally instruct my friend. so go with the self taught thing and see where it takes you.

skill + connections = potential instruction

always respect the blade, as it is an extension of YOU. train for the right reasons.

:bow:

[scott irey]

Brandon,

About the worst thing you can do if you really want to learn classical Japanese swordsmanship is to teach yourself. The habits you will create will prove to be nearly impossible to correct if you ever seek out qualified instruction. Classical Japanese swordsmanship is so much more than swinging a boken around or chopping up straw mats.... My suggestion is be patient, keep looking and when the oppurtunity arises to study under a qualified instructor take it. Don't start before then.

[tsurashi]

I wrote a while back about if anyone had any idea of any sword schools in my area. I got some good leads, but none were useful. :( SO, Ive decided once I've aquired a decent sword I will be self-taught. Hopefully. Dose anyone know how I might come about doing this? Once again any help would be greatly appreicated. :bow:

Hello,
I would strongly suggest that you not worry about buying a sword untill you have instruction available to you. Please consider getting a quality bokken (wood) with a plastic saya (scabbard).
Even people working with instruction rarely if ever start with real blades.

An excellent example of saya bokuto (bokken) can be had at

http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_stdweapons.htm#Bokuto

Scroll down the page to Shiro Kashi Saya Bokuto.
Safety first.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

I wrote a while back about if anyone had any idea of any sword schools in my area. I got some good leads, but none were useful. :( SO, Ive decided once I've aquired a decent sword I will be self-taught. Hopefully. Dose anyone know how I might come about doing this? Once again any help would be greatly appreicated. :bow:

Some advice about being self-taught in swordsmanship, DON'T F$%&ING DO IT! :) simple as that eh? You either train or you don't; You don't train at all or you go to a dojo and train. There is no middle road where you dabble and glean from books.

(Edited for bad language and for an Irishman using too many Canadianisms)

[Ewok85]

If you are training yourself then you are not training in anything at all, its just you, swinging a sword :( Find a club or someone with some experience and get at least the basics. Bad habits are hard to break.

[Mekugi]

SO, Ive decided once I've aquired a decent sword I will be self-taught. Hopefully. Dose anyone know how I might come about doing this? Once again any help would be greatly appreicated. :bow:
In all seriousness- the best advice I could offer would be to not bother with "self training" and prompt you to simply find something else to do. Try Kendo!

I believe that your time is too valuable to waste, I would hope you think the same!

Always,

[tknight350]

Bad habits are 1000 times harder to break than to form.

Nevertheless, you can begin learning while you continue seeking qualified help. Check out Panther Videos featuring Grandmaster Shoto Tanemura and Master Masayuki Shimabukuro. Just remember your opponent will see your mistakes better than you do.

http://panthervideo.com/
http://www.genbukan.org/
http://www.jikishin-kai.com/

[Spartacus5201]

While it is potentially and in most cases a very bad idea to become self-taught in an art, especially a weapons form of Martial Arts, always remember one thing: Each style started with one person who taught themselves in the beginning. No one taught the first practitioner of a style. How could they, for what comes before the first?
__________
Josh Jacob
-People who want to die, hurry up and die. You're wasting good air.

[Mekugi]

Wait a minute here, that's not exactly true- although I understand your sentiment. There are several ryuha that developed out of training and being instructed in something else. Loads and loads of them.

I would wager to say most of the existant sword schools in Japan sprang from something else. The "originals" were trial and error type of thing methinks, error being dead.

Why re-invent the wheel??


Each style started with one person who taught themselves in the beginning. No one taught the first practitioner of a style. How could they, for what comes before the first?
__________
Josh Jacob
-People who want to die, hurry up and die. You're wasting good air.

[Sgathak]

The generally accepted model is that the "first" was the guy who survived the fight long enough to tell someone else "hey, this trick works"...

[Charles Mahan]

Russ is right. Practically all extant sword traditions were founded by folks who had been trained in a different system. Most of the founders, and the first few generations after the founders were then able to test their ideas by engaging in combat. Those who came back, presumably had better ideas than those who did not.

Your arguement that all styles started with a backyard samurai is bogus. Even if it were true, you would still have no way to test the theory, and at any rate it would not be a Japanese sword art as it originated in your backyard. I guess that would make it an American Backyard Samurai Wannabe Ryu

[Ewok85]

I would start with a bokken as suggested for a number of reasons, its cheap so if you get bored its not a big investment, its lighter so you can get used to using a sword (trust me on that, if your arms DONT hurt after 1000 reps of sayumen you can move up), its safer; your not as likey to hurt your self or others and finally you can train with anyone with a bokken, some schools will not let you come in and just start using a normal sword.