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John Lindsey
25th May 2000, 06:23
To what degree to you feel that media such as movies and videos have at effecting how we look at “legends” in the martial arts? I remember when I first saw a video of Ueshiba demonstrating Aikido. My first reaction was that it didn’t seem so special, and I was kinda let down at the time (I was a lot younger back at this time). Maybe I had been reading too many Aikido stories and had this perception of what he was like. Of course today I hold Ueshiba sensei in high regard, but I find it interesting how my mind had painted a different picture than what my eyes finally saw in that short, grainy film clip.

Today, the technology is such that we can get high quality video of our modern “legends” and so much so that future generations won’t have any problem with seeing how Master XYZ moved or what his art was like. They are being documented not only in proffessional videos, but home videos of students like at no other time in the history of the martial arts. Of course, there are serious limitations to what can be captured on celluloid or electrons.

Just a few stray thoughts to get this new forum cooking…
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John Lindsey

MarkF
25th May 2000, 10:44
I think many are all ready saying as much concerning how much we can glean from videos and the like. It may come to pass that we all go back to the "way" things were done traditionally. OK, that is my next birthday wish, but still.

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Mark F. Feigenbaum

maurice richard libby
25th May 2000, 17:00
Yesterday I was watching a home movie of a little-known, but quite incredible Okinawan karateka doing kata. I stopped the tape after the first four moves of Fugyugata Ichi and spent the next hour trying to get those four moves of that most 'basic' of katas.

I have had some quite wonderful teachers,and have learned a lot from them, but having these tapes takes things into the next realm.

maurice

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maurice richard libby
ronin at large
moose jaw/toronto

Neil Hawkins
26th May 2000, 09:17
I think video is a good supplement to training. I will often try to obtain or make a tape that covers an area I am currently working on. I used to write long copious notes, but they are difficult to do whilst training and often hard to interpret years later.

The danger arises from people with little or no knowledge of the subject using the tape as a substitute for proper training. This can lead to all manner if mis-conceptions or mis-interpretations.

I think I told the story before, where this guy was doing Basai dai at a Competition and had the directions totally wrong. The moves themselves were very good, he'd obviously been practicing for a long time. But the judges could work out how he ended up facing the wrong way. It turned out that he had learnt the kata from a video and hadn't taken into consideration the different camera angles used to show all the technique.

Video is no better or worse than using books for training, they don't replace personal instruction or interpretation. They are a good aid. As John says it is easy to discount something or draw conclusions from what you see when the explaination is lacking. Most of the time these conclusions are wrong and once made are hard to overcome.

I made it a point years ago to not buy "how-to" books or videos, if I can't find a direct source to show or explain then I didn't really need to know. http://216.10.1.92/ubb/smile.gif

Regards

Neil

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The one thing that must be learnt, but cannot be taught is understanding.

MarkF
26th May 2000, 10:51
I agree with you Neil one-hundred per cent. Tape can explain much when it is hard to describe. I just think tape should be used or made as you did. For in-house consumption, not for the general public. There should be no narrative. That is the teacher's job, and nothing will take its place. Make tapes and use them with your students. Personally though, I'll take the notes you kept http://216.10.1.92/ubb/smile.gif



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Mark F. Feigenbaum

Gil Gillespie
27th May 2000, 04:54
HONTO, Neil, well said. My sensei has long cautioned against learning MA from books & videos. As aids they are wonderful.

The true value for me is the video of my own performance in both Aikido & Iaido. When I got past the ego bruise of cringing at how awful I looked, i soon learned to use that footage as a great training tool. Your sensei can correct you dozens of times but there is nothing like watching yourself & picking your own shortcomings. SEEING them is a great platform from which to correct them, or at least address them.

Set that camera & shoot yourself! Don't keep it; you're not that good no matter what you think. Learn from it & move on. Erase it, tape over it; only keep your promotion tests.

And don't EVER take that footage too seriously.

Gil Gillespie

Gil Gillespie
27th May 2000, 05:06
Oh, the topic! Video & the masters. If not for that I (we) would never have a chance to see) O-Sensei or any of the masters. Those pieces, no matter how grainy, are priceless. They are priceless time capsules.

The temptation to define the master depicted by the footage observed must be overridden by the reminder that that is only a moment. The wealth of that master's bequeathed tradition is given life by the senseis who carry it on.

Treasure those vignettes captured on film. Never substitute them for the actual breadth of that sensei's art as passed on by the art you are practicing in your own moment.

"Be here now." --Baba Ram Dass (sorry, it fit)

Gil Gillespie