MT:Learning Ninjutsu by Correspondence/DVD course?

[Knowledge Bot]

Learning Ninjutsu by Correspondence/DVD course? By Fushichou - Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:18:37 GMT

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I am interested in studying with the Bujinkan, but there are no Shidoshi around me that are running any dojo that I know of.

I know Richard Van Donk has his DVD course, and theoretically you can earn up to 4th Dan through it (and up to 1st Kyu without having to test in person), but I'm skeptical of learning an art purely by correspondence.

I've got some martial arts experience in a number of arts, but never to the point of a dan rank. One of my instructors was teaching a form of Kempo but also had a 1st dan in Budo Taijutsu and sometimes threw in elements of his Bujinkan training into class over the years, so unless he was completely making stuff up I've been taught some rudiments of that school albeit unofficially.

I can easily see it being nigh impossible for somebody with no prior experience learning only by a video, but I'm intrigued to the idea that I could learn from it, having at least some martial arts experience, but I'm still just skeptical enough to avoid spending the several hundred dollars charged for the course (and a video camera to record my tests, and a black gi, and by the time I add up everything I'd need).

I'm wondering if anybody here has had any experience with this course, what is it like, how hard it is it to learn essentially on your own?


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[leeman17]

You are right. There isnt any way you would learn successful budo taijutsu from a DVD course alone for a number of reasons: You would have no one telling you that you are doing it right or wrong, no one to train with as the majority of what we do is with others in pairs or against many (training with others is also important as different body types, sizes and flexibility affect what will work and what will not e.g. if a wrist lock is no working flow to whatever is most natural. This is somthing that your body must develop and learn and not your mind). Also think of this, would you become a profetional gymnast if your training concisted of watching an instuctional DVD and trying the moves yourself without help or guidance from anyone experienced in it, also if you start practicing somthing in a way that would be ineffective because you have no teacher you will start developing bad habbits which means when you start training you must unlearn things before you can truely start learning. Hope you find a dojo m8

[freefighter2010]

I do have the upmost respect for Richard Van Donk but running some distant learning course on how to learn an art is bloody ridiculuous. If all you want is a blackbelt certificate to put on your wall to show off to your mates then do this.