In order to learn Martial Arts online, you must have great self-motivation. Online Martial Arts training is similar to home schooling. Many people will learn more effectively in public school because of the learning environment that is created. Public schooling is extroverted, home schooling is introverted. If you have self-discipline, training online can be very effective & possibly more effective than learning directly. Learning directly may not be an option for many because when you learn directly, you must pay for the time from your Sifu. Also, the Martial Arts require thousands of hours of training. Paying for each hour can easily become too expensive. A Sifu who teaches online can provide lessons at a very low cost to make it affordable for many. Training directly with a Sifu is like attending a University; it will cost thousands of dollars in order to graduate. Training online is like going to your public library & learning from all the books available that is relevant to your development in the Martial Arts.
Now in order to learn effectively at the library, you must be self-directed, you must have discipline, otherwise it will be ineffective. Most people in society need to attend a University to obtain a higher education, few people in society have the self-discipline to obtain a higher education without motivating factors that the University provides. The University provides you with the learning environment & it provides you with certifications & certain goals to obtain in order to motivate you to excel. They have standards set that you are expected to achieve in order to graduate. When you step into the library, there is none of this; you have to set your own goals & standards.
There are benefits of online training; there are benefits of training directly. If you have the opportunity & the money available to train directly, then of course that is the route to take. If you have no direct Sifu to train with & you do not have the money, online training can be effective. Online training can be very effective for the self-motivated individual, the introvert. Direct training will be very effective for those who are genuinely open to learn. Extroverts tend to favor direct training because of the training atmosphere, environment, & the benefits of learning within a group.
Online training at FMK can be just as effective for the self-motivated individual as direct training can be. The body & spiritual development is publicly taught through the FMK YouTube channel. Over 1400 videos are posted that are relevant to your advancement of the Body & Spirit. The only missing component to complete you as a Zen Martial Artist would be the combat training of FMK. That would be conducted via private lessons. Most of the lessons are designed for your advancement through self-training with or without equipment. Once money is saved, valuable equipment’s such as the Bob training bag, wooden dummy, weights, pull up bars, mirrors, etc. can be purchased to enhance your development. Your form, technique, physical abilities, & spiritual understanding can all be evaluated by Shi zu. Sharing private or public progress videos with Shi zu will provide Shi zu the opportunity to provide you with valuable feedback. Visiting the FMK kwoon based out of Chicago, IL before you become promoted to the rank of Sifu will provide you with all the sparring experiences you will need to become fully certified as a Sifu.
Those who train online can realistically advance quicker than those who train directly. Those who train online are more likely to be more spiritually advanced in FMK for the simple fact that they may have a greater appreciation for the spiritual teachings offered online at the FMK YouTube channel. Most of the spiritual teachings of FMK are not shared to Todai’s during direct training as it would take a vast amount of training time away. Direct Todai’s of FMK are responsible for keeping updated with all YouTube & Facebook postings so that they continually train their spirits throughout the entire day & continually develop a deeper understanding of the philosophies of FMK & Eastern Philosophy. Todai’s who train directly may tend to not keep updated with FMK teachings online; this ends up becoming their downfall. Online Todai’s are more likely to keep updated with all online postings & thus have an advantage in their Body & Spirit development. Direct Todai’s obviously have an advantage in combative development as they receive immediate feedback on their performance.
[via FMK’s Facebook]
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