Many people feel that they do not have the time or money set aside to take classes and learn martial arts from instructors. Life can get really busy and it may seem hard to find the time to learn a new skill.
The good news is that if you are interested in martial arts, there are several ways you can learn on your own while using less time and money.
The question is can you learn martial arts by yourself? Yes, this means that you can learn on your own time, even in your living room. The cost is usually far less to train on your own than in a martial art gym.
Videos and DVD training are much more accessible today. This training is almost as good as going to a gym. The cost is much lower.
Bruce Lee trained at his house with many students all the time when he lived in California.
Martial arts training can be so beneficial for the skills it gives you and the exercise, even if you are a beginner.
Here are a few tips and tricks on how to learn martial arts when you are by yourself.
Online Courses
When it comes to learning martial arts at home, your best chance is to find good tutorial videos or classes online. There are many programs that have tutorial videos for martial arts.
They can be very personal, and they even go at a pace that is easy for viewers to follow along with. They know what they are doing, and the great thing is that if you need to, you can pause the video or restart it.
Learning by yourself gives you the freedom to have that opportunity that you wouldn’t have in class.
If you simply go onto Google and search “martial arts at home”, many options will show up.
It is important that you take the time to research what type of martial art you may be interested in taking.
One good resource is the website you are on now because we have free training.
Our training offers:
- How to punch
- Learn to kick
- Stance and movement in a fight
- How to take out an attacker quickly
- Locks and chokes
- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced training
- Our free training
Our program is helpful because we teach techniques in many different styles. You can check out our videos and decide on a style that may best suit you.
You may not be interested in combat or a street-fighting type of martial art.
This is where you can take traditional martial art training like Karate, Kung Fu, or Taekwondo. Many people love taking more traditional martial arts.
When I first started martial arts I did Shorin-Ryu Karate and liked it for the first year. The problem was I wanted to get good at fighting to defend myself and Shorin-Ryu was not teaching me how to fight or defend myself.
I found Jeet Kune Do which is the system Bruce Lee developed and was more of a combative art. I loved it and my focus since has been the fighting arts so what do you want to do with your training?
Pick a Martial Art to Train In
Before you start trying to train yourself in martial arts, it is important to realize that there are many different types of martial arts.
You want to make sure that you figure out which type best fits what you are looking to accomplish. The best thing to do is to take into consideration your strength, experience, time, etc.
Choosing a traditional martial art like:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Kung Fu
Karate is a martial art that uses mostly striking. This includes punching, knee and elbow strikes, kicking, and open-hand techniques. Katas are also performed and are a series of moves, with stepping and turning, punching, blocking, and kicking while attempting to maintain perfect form.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art based on mostly kicking techniques. You will also train in punching but it is not the focus like kicking. Katas are also an essential part of training.
Kung Fu has a variety of techniques, with a lot of emphases on the hands. Depending on which style of Kung Fu you take as to the techniques you will learn.
If you would rather not go the traditional route, you can choose a fighting martial art like:
- MMA
- Jiu-Jitsu
- Muay Thai
MMA stands for mixed martial art which is what you see on the UFC. MMA includes using several techniques from different martial arts and combat sports.
Jiu- Jitsu is a Brazilian martial art and combat sport. It includes grappling and ground fighting to submit or win against an opponent.
Muay Thai is also known as Thai boxing. It is a very destructive art when done properly because it uses a lot of stand-up and clinching techniques involving fists, elbows, shins, and knees.
Make the Time to Train
If you are serious about actually wanting to take on the challenge of learning this new skill of martial arts, you have to take the time to do so.
This is not something that is going to come super easy with no energy and minimal practice.
It is vital that you set aside at least 2 to 4 times a week to practice for at least a half-hour. If you do not give yourself the time to practice, you will never fully be successful and fully understand techniques.
They say that practice makes perfect, and this is certainly an example of a sport where this is true. If you have never done anything similar to this, it is going to take your body some time to adjust and get used to moving in these ways.
It is okay that you are not perfect at first and that it may seem a little hard. If you give yourself the benefit of the doubt and put in the time and energy, you will be able to learn martial arts by yourself.
Time and practice mean everything when it comes to martial arts.
Write it down, mark it on your calendar, whatever you need to do to make yourself practice it multiple times a week.
If you’re going to do this, you might as well put in the most effort so that you get the most out of it.
Don’t be Opposed to a Partner
It is not completely necessary to have a partner, and you can successfully learn by yourself. Yet, having a partner you will able to practice more techniques.
Not only that, but you will have a second set of eyes to help along the journey of learning martial arts. They could help you figure out what you are doing right and wrong.
There are some pretty awesome techniques that are not possible without a partner, so it is definitely worth it.
It is going to be more comfortable to practice with a partner of your choice than go to a class and practice with others that you don’t know.
This gives you more opportunities to learn from your failure without being embarrassed or overwhelmed. Find someone and you can both learn martial arts together.
Who knows, maybe the two of you can help each other and learn from each other as well.
Equipment you Need
For the best results, it would be a good idea to purchase a punching bag and some other equipment. There are different punching bags for different types of martial arts and training.
You have free-standing punching bags and hanging punching bags plus they come in different weight ranges.
You could also invest in getting shin pads for kicking and boxing gloves to hit the heavy bag. The equipment you need for at-home training is below.
Equipment for the at-home gym:
- Punching bag
- Muay Thai Heavy bag
- Boxing gloves 12 ounces or more
- Wraps for the hands
- Muay Thai shin guards (Optional)
- Boxing focus mitts if you have a partner
Conclusion
Overall, it is possible to learn martial arts by yourself. It gives you the freedom to practice anywhere you would like and whenever you would like.
You will not be successful unless you put in the time and energy to do so. Put the time in also to research the best martial art for you to learn.
If you’re going to take time out of your busy life to do this, you want to do it right.