Welcome to MAP. I've moved this to its own thread where it will get more answers. I wouldn't want to be saying your instructor is wrong; you've only had a few lessons and he may be keen to make sure you are going to stay. I would suggest covering the basics you have learnt in class, but once you become a little more established then the instructor should really be encouraging you to train as much as you are able. There are no secret moves or techniques and any instructor not being fully open does make me raise my eyebrows.
Think of it this way. You spend hours on end practicing on your own then go to the Dojang and have to undo a load of bad habits you have just drilled into your practice. I would imagine there will be a time where solo practice is appropriate but this may not be it, your teacher could well be worried about you injuring yourself or simply doing things plain wrong. Once you are a little more familiar with things then study at home will probably become a must. I don't practice Hapkido so take the above with a pinch of salt.
I imagine part of it is that since you are a "new" student, your instructors doesn't want you to get hurt doing these techniques at home, unsupervised, with a partner who doesn't know what s/he is doing. My advice would be to use your home time mostly for basic conditioning now. I would recommend that you write down the techniques that you've learned and try to get a good partner at the school so you can work on the material there before or after class while still under supervision. For newer students, the falls and locks can lead to nasty injuries very quickly - as you get a better handle on them, you can train them on your own more. For now, I think your instructors wants you have some supervision. What you might do is ask your instructor for ideas on what to work on outside of class... this will give you a good starting point.
Besides hurting yourself or your partner, watching videos or anything else, specialy if you are a starter would give you the wrong lead, you could easily confuse a technique and/or having minor mistakes and if you keep practising them wrong you would memorize them wrong. Details make the difference . I'm sure he will advice you to train what you learnt at home later on, when you know what you are doing.
I agree with the points made so far, and I do think your instructor is right at this point. In my experience techniques are best learned "on the floor". Hapkido techniques often involve pressure points, fairly precise joint angles, and and then usually combined with throws of some type and finally an immobilizing take down. There are LOTS of things that could go wrong when trying to learn from a book or Youtube. Those materials however are very good for reviewing a technique and for helping to memorize sets. Another thing is that not all Hapkido styles have printed material of their own, so Thomas' advice to take your own notes is crucial! I still take my own notes when learning new sets even though I have access to DVD's and books!
I agree with those who posted above, I don't usually encourage brand new students to practice at home just yet, mostly because they will probably do it wrong. I'm sure once you get in some more time this will change. Or it may be a traditional thing. In karate, we are told to never use karate outside the dojo (unless for defense) and some people may take this to include practice, but I find that hard to believe.
Only in terms of the "norm" for your teacher. For instance, some teachers don't want you to have anything to do with any other MA or practices. Some actually encourage it. Some don't mind if you use other materials and some forbid it. Teaching at a Community College there was always a parade of "what-ifs" of all sorts so I was very used to people bumping what they did in class up against what others did. There are also schools where teachers want students.....especially very new students....to rigidly adhere to what happens in class and the WAY it happens in class. This keeps things safe and also prevents goof-balls from coming to class and messing with other students by bringing in material that is unfamiliar, too advanced, incompatible and so forth. FWIW. Best Wishes, Bruce
as others have said, you're better off just sticking with conditioning at home, and work on the art in the dojang.
I teach Hapkido and I think Dean Winchester hit the nail on the head. It's about habits... I think you should trust your instructor and do what he or she says to do.
I feel your Instructor doesn't want you to train at home is due to safety and instilling bad habits upon yourself. If you do not have a training partner that is able to follow you while you play your techniques, you could really hurt that other person. Also while you practice alone or with a partner at home you can pick up bad habits that have to be corrected once you attend class with your instructor. Some basic techniques can be practiced at home alone without a partner, but you really need to make sure you have the proper footwork down first.
