Self-teaching certain skills has been on the rise since tutorial videos have become more popular.
Instead of going to classes and taking lessons, many people turn to the internet.
One of the many benefits of learning things from internet tutorials is that there is almost a tutorial for anything you want to learn, including martial arts.
Karate is one of the most popular martial arts to learn. It is not only popular for adults to learn karate but there is the potential for children to learn it.
The great thing about karate is that there are so many online tutorials, that people often question whether it can be self-taught.
In this guide, we are going to answer all of your questions surrounding whether or not karate can be self-taught.
We are also going to walk you through the advantages and disadvantages of teaching karate to yourself.
Is It Possible To Self-Teach Karate?
Whilst it may seem as though the answer to this question is simple, that is not exactly the case.
The answer to this question is not a complete yes, nor is it a complete no.
The truth is that it is possible to teach yourself karate.
However, this should not be your first choice and if possible you should avoid teaching yourself karate.
The reason for this is that karate is something that allows you to make connections with others as you learn it.
Although, if you already live in an isolated area, we can understand why you might want to teach karate to yourself.
However, there is one important thing to note about trying to teach yourself karate.
The reason the answer is not a complete yes to this question is that you will only be able to teach yourself karate to an extent.
On your own, without the support of a proper teacher, it would not be possible to learn all you need to know.
This includes elements such as your form and movements.
So, if you do attempt to teach yourself karate, then you are at risk of learning things the wrong way without being corrected.
Is Karate Hard To Learn?
Karate is a great martial art to learn regardless of what age you are.
In fact, many of the movements that you learn in karate are not able to be used in combat.
This means that instead of being able to use them in combat they have another purpose.
Instead of using the moves in a fight, some of the things you learn in karate are to help your state of mind and your physical condition.
As mentioned above, karate is something that anyone can learn.
Children in youth classes are able to learn vital skills from karate. These skills include being able to concentrate, developing their motor skills, and patience.
Those who are older, also benefit from learning karate, as the movements will not cause them to exert themselves too much.
In fact, those that are older might benefit from learning karate in terms of their memory.
Kata is a part of karate where students will learn a series of movements that are striking and blocking routines.
These movements have to be learned in a certain order, which is what can help with someone’s memory.
This part of karate is not hard to learn by yourself.
However, there are elements of karate that are hard to learn. This would be Kumite.
Kumite is the combat side of karate. It requires a partner in order to learn it.
Advantages Of Self-Teaching Karate
So, now you know it is partially possible to teach karate to yourself, let’s look at the advantages of self-teaching karate.
Cost
The first benefit of self-teaching karate is cutting down on the cost.
Since there are many video tutorials on free online platforms such as YouTube, you would not need to invest in a resource to learn it.
If you are not able to spend money on going to a karate class, then this is a good option for you.
However, keep in mind that you should follow tutorials from a reputable instructor, so you can increase your chances of success in self-teaching karate.
Practicality
Self-teaching karate might be more practical than going to a class.
Being able to self-teach karate means you can do it whenever you are available to do so.
It means that you are not committed to learning it at a certain time.
Some people’s schedules are forever changing, this makes it almost impossible for them to make the commitment to go to a class.
Self-teaching karate would allow these people to have more control over their timetables.
Structure
When it comes to going to a karate class, you have to learn what the instructors are teaching in a structure that they have decided.
This can be inconvenient for those that only wish to learn a specific part of karate.
By self-teaching karate, you can complete control over what you choose to learn.
Disadvantages Of Self-Teaching Karate
Whilst there are some advantages, there are also some disadvantages to self-teaching karate.
Correction
The main issue with learning karate without an instructor is that you do not get the benefit of being taught the correct form.
This means, you might not have your body positioned in the correct way and you might not notice.
Testing Your Ability
In karate, belts are provided to show where you are with your learning.
Self-teaching means you are unable to know what level you are at with your learning.
This can become problematic if you would like to test your ability through sparring.
Also, self-teaching means that there are no partners for you to continuously test yourself and see if you have improved.
Conclusion
It is possible to an extent to self-teach karate. However, it is not possible to fully self-teach karate and become a master at it.
Self-teaching karate means you will miss out on vital elements such as good form and understanding the level you are at.
We hope this has answered all of your questions about self-teaching karate.
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