We live in the information age and it seems there isn’t a subject under the sun that you can’t learn about online.
And the quality of online learning resources have also improved greatly in order to meet the demand for home based online learning.
But, what about something like martial arts?
Can you learn martial arts by yourself using online resources, books and DVDs?
The truth is you can definitely learn martial arts by yourself.
And you can make use of the number of online learning resources available, as well as physical learning resources such as books and DVDs. But learning and applying in real life are very different. In order to learn to apply you must have live training, drills and partner work.
So, while you can learn martial arts by yourself, in order to become proficient in applying your martial art in a live situation, then drilling and sparring with a partner in person is still the best way.
But, not everyone wants to become a fighter, and not everyone learns martial arts because they want to be able to defend themselves in the street.
Many people want to learn martial arts for physical fitness, for managing stress and developing discipline.
If you are interested in learning muay thai at home for free with zero equipment check out my free video series – Muay Thai Foundations
In that case, the it is absolutely possible and even recommended that you begin learning martial arts by yourself.
In this post we will discuss different situations when it comes to the question of ‘Can you learn martial arts by yourself?
This is because everyone’s situation, motivations and even geographical and financial circumstances can make learning at a gym or school virtually impossible.
In this case learning by yourself is the ONLY option.
Why Learn Martial Arts by Yourself?
Learning marital in person, with qualified instructors is probably the best way to learn in order to apply your techniques in real life situations or in competition.
But for many people, learning martial arts by yourself is the only viable option. This is becasue of the reasons discussed below.
Location – no gyms/instructors in your area
For many, myself included, learning by myself is the only real option.
Where I live there are few options when it comes to martial arts that I was interested in learning. And BJJ and muay thai where the main martial arts I wanted to learn.
But there are no BJJ or muay thai gyms or schools in my country.
And to get live training in person with a qualified instructor means spending several thousand dollars and travelling thousands of kilometres by plane.
So for many people learning martial arts by yourself is the only available option due to their location and availability of gyms or schools to learn at.
Can’t Afford to Join a Gym or Academy
For others, access to live training may not be a problem and there may be excellent schools and instructors in their area but they may lack the financial resources to learn in person.
In this case learning martial arts by yourself, again, may be the only option you have available.
Attending regular martial arts classes and staying committed long term is not cheap.
In addition to tuition fees for learning there is also equipment requirements (uniforms, protective gear) as well as transport to and from lessons.
And many martial arts styles require testing in order to progress which incur additional fees in order to keep progressing.
So for some, learning martial arts by yourself is the main option due to cost and expenses of learning martial arts in person.
Apprehensive about Joining a Gym or Academy
A lot of people many be apprehensive about joining a martial arts school and this is totally understandable.
This is due to the potrayal of many martial arts as brutal blood sports in movies and TV shows.
And so learning martial arts by yourself presents as a good option in this case also.
And if you want to learn by yourself for a bit and then join a school or gym later this is also a good option.
As you develop confidence through self learning you can more comfortable about joining a gym or school in the future.
But to be honest most martial arts academies are very welcoming to newcomers and beginners and most have specialised learning for beginners to get them comfortable before joining the more experienced students in their training.
But learning martial arts by yourself because you are apprehensive about joining live training is totally understandable and it is total achievable also.
Not Interested in fighting, competing
A lot of people want to learn martial arts for the physical fitness benefits, self discipline and fun.
In this case, learning martial arts by yourself is a great option too.
Not everyone is interested in becoming a champion or some bad ass street fighter.
Self confidence, weight loss, better balance and flexibility, self discipline as well as physical strength can all be developed by learning martial arts by yourself.
I am a living example of this through learning and training muay thai and Gracie Jiu Jitsu from home through heavy bag training, shadow boxing, calisthenics, jump rope training and solo drills.
And if you are interested in learning muay thai from home with zero equipment, please check out my 5 week free video series Muay Thai Foundations where you can learn all the foundational aspects of muay thai to develop into a decent martial artists from home.
What are the Best Martial Arts to Learn By Yourself?
I have a comprehensive post about the best martial arts to learn by yourself that you can read here.
But in my opinion and summarising briefly, why I think the following are the best martial arts to learn by yourself it would have to be muay thai, Karate, Wing Chun and Kickboxing or Boxing.
The main reasons I chose the martial arts above (which you can in more detail in my post linked above) is because:
i) striking based styles can be effectively practiced solo with a heavy bag or wall bag as in wing chun or makiwara as in Karate
ii) grappling styles require partner work for effective drilling, even for the most basic techniques such as a basic hip throw or passing the guard so styles such as Judo or BJJ are probably no the best martial arts to learn by yourself – in my opinion
iii) Each of the martial arts listed above have excellent self teaching learning resources in the form of online lessons, books and DVDs taught by very experienced teachers and instructors.
Can You Learn Martial Arts By Yourself – Wrap Up
It is possible to learn martial arts by yourself if you have the right learning resources and the dedication and discipline to pursue self learning.
For many people learning by yourself is the only real viable option due to the factors discussed above such as location and finances.
And in this case it is totally fine to learn by yourself and perhaps later join a gym or travel for in person training.
While learning martial arts by yourself is possible, the best martial arts to learn by yourself would probably be striking-based martial arts such as muay thai or Wing chun.
I would highly recommend muay thai, as it is a relatively simple martial art and you can get started using the free video series I put together.
Striking based martial arts can be trained effectively with a heavy bag or punching bag if you have decent instruction.
Grappling based styles are much more difficult to learn and train solo – but it is not impossible as long as you are determined and have good self learning based instruction and a willing partner to drill with also.
