kickboxerkid

I'm not sure where this should have been posted, so if it's in the wrong place I apologise in advance.

Dojo Mirrors

Every dojo I have visited and trained at has had mirrors surrounding the walls. I remember when I first started off, I asked my sensei what they were for. He began to talk about the importance of being able to see your opponent, not only for safety but for awareness. At the time I thought "I can see his point, being in a closed environment and having to be careful"...and I left it at that.

Personally I think mirrors promote ignorance. It's far too easy to see a kick coming in a dojo than it is outdoors in an uncontrolled environment for example. What ever happened to the increasing awareness using other senses such as sound and instinct?

Am I wrong? No? Yes? Opinions please

Bryan

The way that I have always been trained is that Mirrors are more or less used for your own benefit. It is not only to "see your opponent" but it is more or less used to watch yourself.

You want to use it to watch your form, see how you loo, and if you are performing something correctly. How else would you be able to see all angles of your body to make sure your stance is correct, or if you have left yourself unguarded somehow?

It's all for the technique.

kickboxerkid

Great point, however do you not still feel that you become too dependant on checking your technique, stance and form more often than you should be?

roundhouse87

I find myself using the mirrors to check my technique and speed improvements.

Outside the dojo I have my garage as my little personal gym and I've got 4 mirrors, two on adjacent walls so that when doing forms, kata, and stand up techniques I can monitor improvement, style, finesse and posture.

kickboxerkid

I see what you mean, I guess I need to stop worrying about dependancy and start focusing on what I'm doing.

Practise makes perfect!

roundhouse87

Now you've got it. The more comfortable you become that you're style, technique and posture is developing...the better you can perform without the use of mirrors as training aids.

Just remember, don't move away too fast.

Bryan

No, I don't feel dependent. It's greatly improved my style and technique when fighting. I think it's a necessity for everyone. That way, you can always make sure that you are doing something right.

On top of that - when the instructor is showing you a stance, you can't just get up from yours and walk around to check the way he has positioned himself some how.

Instead you can look in the mirror to see how his body is, and how is arms are, and you can talk "face to face" with an instructor while he is in stance through the mirror.

roundhouse87

Bryan hit the nail on the head with his post. It's all about communication....not only verbal but mental and visual.

rogue

I've been using mirrors for the same reason that Bryan stated. It's really to compare and examine your technique and form in places that you can't see.

Just like whenever someone lifts free weights or something, everything is done in front of a mirror so you can make sure you are working out correctly.

kickboxerkid

I'm starting to come around to this idea more and more...so today I went and bought some new 4'x1' mirrors to put into the gym