Productive, or counter productive?

[amy.e.peare]

I was wondering about newbie sword training using the online videos for forms and footwork? Is it better to wait until one has an in person master to teach, or can the videos and manuals fill the gap until that can come to pass?

[Stacy Clifford]

Go ahead and start learning from what sources you have available. You may not get it down perfect, but you'll get the general ideas down. I've been teaching newbies for years now and you'll have things to fix or unlearn whether you're starting from scratch or not; we all have habits of movement from a lifetime of moving. Twenty years ago there weren't any teachers to go to until John Clements and others opened up the manuals and began figuring this art out the hard way, so starting on your own shows dedication that we value a lot. As long as you come willing to learn and able to take constructive criticism, we're usually delighted when you come with questions ready to ask and we don't have to start from scratch. You've also got this forum and, if you join, private resources and a mailing list where you can get help and advice. A lot of our members have started on their own until they could meet up with more experienced members and gone on to become good fighters, so don't be afraid to get your feet wet.

[amy.e.peare]

wonderful, thank you!!! I am encouraged and excited to start.
As for criticism, I love to learn, first and foremost, and honor those who are more learned than I am, so that's never an issue.