Originally Posted by JPinAZ
Sounds like you're pretty bitter over spending 50 gran on your training (and maybe rightly so if you didn't get what you paid for - maybe you did), but it was your choice to agree to that price.
TBH, from what you are saying here, I think you (and possibly Ed) may have a bit of a narrow view of WC in the world today. While I do agree that there are cases where it is getting watered down, in my experience it doesn't take 'years to learn very little beyond the basics'. And it is far from 'dying'. A good WC sifu should be able teach one to fight/defend themselves in a rather quick amount of time - that was the whole point of the art! And surely it shouldn't take 15 years! Now, mastery of the system and getting to sifu level, that's something else...
Honest question: Do you think it is realistic to impart skill and full understanding of a MA without any face-to-face or hands-on training from the teacher? How long do you think it should take to do this where you didn't see it happening face-to-face in 15 years time? And, do you think watching videos of students now-and-then is good enough QC to pass on the skill and depth of knowledge in the complete WC system?
No, I am not complaining about anything I spent. It was just a thought that perhaps the length of time to learn from some instructors is motivated by cash and getting as much as possible for as long as possible. Guys that may in fact be considered top dogs in their art. And, I suspect that may have happened 100 years ago as well. People are people and things sort of stay the same in many respect through the ages.
I'll give my take on your last paragraph. You may be assuming that the online student has ZERO WC background and that may not be the case for maybe more than half that join. I'd suspect that maybe a third may have been studying for a couple of years. They should be able to ( hopefully) get and practice what is being taught. There is this idea that the only people who buy videos know nothing or never studied anything. I bet that's 10 percent of the market. Perhaps a 1/4 of the guys that may sign up have no interest in learning WC but have seen Ed videos and liked certain ideas that they can incorporate into their methods.
I to do not think a raw person will get much out of videos aside form what one may consider tricks. That may be enough for them but it is doubtful they will progress very far video only and should have some of to a lot in person training in what they want to learn if possible for as far as they want to take it. What Ed is doing is giving his perspective and ideas and methods of training and how he understands it and I think that is brilliant and more of you should do it. I love the idea that he may make this more of self defense aspects of the art and how to use it that way. Not that he will not venture into other territories but that's is a great place to focus. I have seen little self defense applications of WC that I would consider good usage. I have seen more fight videos and I love it when they are successful. I really feel that way about any art. All of them were meant to WORK !
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