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Old 09-21-2005, 08:10 AM   #12
akiy
 
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Re: Aikido Instructional Videos????

Going back to the two other questions (outside of video recommendations) the original poster asked...

Quote:
Mindy Imbuido wrote:
I've seen many different varieties for sale recently while shopping online for a new gi. Do you think this type of thing is a good idea?
Sometimes, what is shown in the video may differ from the manner in which techniques are practiced at your dojo. This may impact the manner in which you do them which may become an issue, especially if you are still a beginner and working on the kihon/foundational techniques in your curriculum.

As such, I think it's always a good idea to consult your instructor for recommendations for books and videos. Of course, this is less of an issue once a practitioner has obtained the ability to do the kihon/foundational techniques and enough experience to be able to "experiment" without going against what is being taught/shown at your dojo.
Quote:
What can a complete beginner or experienced practitioner gain from purchasing these videos/dvd's?
With the above said, I think it's also important for people to gain an understanding that the way things are done at one's dojo is a way of doing things and not the way. From what I've experienced, no single instructor (even the shihan with whom I've trained) emphasizes everything that I have found to be important in aikido. As such, videos and such provide the practitioner with exposure to the myriad approaches to expressing aikido.

Lastly, I wanted to say that I think videos, books, and such should be treated as auxilary sources of information that does not nor can not replace actual "on the mat" training with a qualified instructor. Regardless of who is on the video, I think it's dangerous both in terms of the possibility of physical injury as well as unknowingly practicing in a manner not conducive to proper learning if people treat videos and books as their primary source of aikido/budo training information. Just my thoughts.

-- Jun

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