We can all learn something about ourselves by looking at a quick tape of us doing a form …
Chances are, if you train in a traditional form of Karate or Tang Soo Do, you have heard the Bubishi and the Moo Yae Dobo Tonji referenced a couple times by the instructors teaching you, and how it contains artifacts of what you are training in. This is all true, and I would agree that owning a copy of both of these are definitely beneficial for you in your development. You can quickly access the history of the martial art(s) you are studying in these pages for crying out loud!
One thing that I love about these books and cannot stand about them at the same time is the fact that everything referenced is a drawing! If you thought learning from a video or even pictures was difficult, try looking at a drawing of the techniques. It absolutely sucks.
When we look at modern documentation whether it be Karate Do Kyohan or Soo Bahk Do Tang Soo Do Volume One, the photographs pay huge dividends in comparison to these drawings.
Being able to properly capture the technique with the camera is a huge challenge, but when done well, there is a huge supplement for your training. We can all learn something about ourselves by looking at a quick tape of us doing a form or even a small technique. In the digital age this takes seconds to do!
Do you take the time to make your technique photographically pleasing? Do you put in the effort to photograph others to capture their development? Never take the camera for granted, it is making us better martial artists through constant and accurate depiction!
