Revised and Updated on May 26, 2026.
Distance learning has gone through many phases: correspondence learning by mail in the 1800s, radio and television formats reaching the masses in the early to mid-1900s, and web-based learning first appearing in the late 1900s.
Today, online learning is widely available. You can literally learn anything through the internet!
The Global Martial Arts University (GMAU) is a leader in providing high quality, personalized, and affordable online martial-arts training. Read on to learn about the benefits and challenges of this learning format and get tips for successful online training from several GMAU black belts.
5 Online Learning Tips From 5 Global Martial Arts University Black Belts
TIP #1: Be Prepared to Train Differently
There are many benefits of online learning, but it also takes a lot of self-motivation and discipline. Where in-person learning tends to be more instructor-led, online learning is student-focused and participative. It’s truly unique. The online format creates a different type of experience and, to be successful, you must realize this.
“Tracking training time through the GMAU website is very motivating. Much more personalized feedback after sending in assignment or grading videos than at the physical dojo. Sensei Jon is a great mentor and a gentle, nice but also firm person. I regard him as a role model, and I can learn so much from his life and martial arts experience.”
– Jonas Bieri, GMAU ‘Shotokan Karate’ Black Belt & Instructor
TIP #2: Set a Time to Train
This was a common recommendation across the board. Just as a physical school will have a set schedule, students learning through the GMAU need to set times for training. This requires prioritizing and dedication.
“Make a training schedule and stick to it no matter what. Even better, don’t just say ‘I’ll practice 30 minutes today’, come up with a brief plan and time of day you plan to train. You will see definite improvement this way and then when the time comes to practice you won’t talk yourself out of it.”
– Levi Potter, GMAU ‘Ultimate Bo’ Black Chevron
TIP #3: Make a Commitment to Yourself
The GMAU format requires you to be internally motivated. See this article from U.S. News & World Report for further insights.
”I could certainly see how people are less motivated when training alone and/or without constant direct supervision … you need to train as if you were in a real dojo and for some people that can be hard to do. People who need constant encouragement inside a dojo, for instance, won’t train as hard as required when training by themselves.”
– Rick Langevoort, GMAU ‘Ultimate Bo’ Black Chevron
TIP #4: Take Advantage of the GMAU’s Unique Features
You would think that not (physically) being in class with others would be a major drawback of online martial-arts training. Of course, there is some truth to this, but the GMAU includes features to overcome this by providing options within the system to allow for (and require) instructor-to-student and student-to-student interaction.
”The interactions between the instructors and myself, as well as the good communication between the other students and myself despite the distance learning (was a positive experience).”
– Christian Rainer, GMAU ‘Shotokan Karate’ Black Belt
TIP #5: Set Realistic Goals
Whether you attend a brick-and-mortar school or learn via distance, you need to have goals to guide your progress. Goal setting is highly recommended by successful GMAU black belts. Click here for more information on how to create SMART goals.
“The way I do training is to wake up at 05:00 and to a follow along workout till about 05:45 that I do for four days a week. Being over 40 it is according to me better to train 4 times a week for 30-45 min. than to train for 2 hours 5 times a week. The body takes longer to heal when over 40.”
– Ferdie Oosthuizen, GMAU ‘Shotokan Karate’ Black Belt
The Power of Online Learning
Research into online learning confirms that…
- Online courses offer students greater control over their own learning by enabling them to work at their own pace.
- Learning retention is enhanced by an online courses’ multimedia content, access to an instructor and fellow classmates via online chat, and the lower likelihood of outside scheduling conflicts.
- Online courses tend to include more frequent assessments. The more often students are assessed, the better their instructors can track progress and intervene when needed.
The GMAU Difference
The black belts interviewed for this article gave several reasons why they chose the GMAU for their training and what makes it unique:
- Convenience: Convenience is a hallmark of the GMAU format. The flexibility of working at your own pace (fast OR slow), being able to train when your work or life schedule allows and not when the dojo is open, and the comfort of training at home (or anytime, anyplace they chose to) were specifically mentioned.
- Professionalism: The instruction, feedback and the website are very professional compared to other schools/providers on the internet.
- High Quality Videos: Not only were these black belts attracted to the GMAU after seeing our sample classes on YouTube, they place great value on the pre-recorded lessons, classes, and extra videos available in their GMAU programs.
- Interaction with the GMAU Community: One of the unique features of the GMAU site is the ability for students to locate other students, send emails to their instructors (and one another), and interact with instructors and students on discussion boards. These features not only create unique social interaction you would not have through a brick-and-mortar school, but they also overcome one of the cons of not being physically in class with others.
- Individualized Feedback: GMAU students receive personal feedback from their instructors and they’re also able to track their training progress through the GMAU course dashboard.
If you’re considering learning a martial art online through the GMAU, here are a few other things you need to think about:
- You must have a basic understanding of and aptitude with computers.
- You have to be able to easily navigate the internet and send emails.
- You should be comfortable recording videos of yourself and posting them on YouTube (for submitting some assignments and all rank tests).
- You should have an understanding of “netiquette” – expressing yourself in an electronic format. This is different from speaking to someone in person or on the phone.
- Because most of the learning is through pre-recorded videos, being a visual learner is a plus.
- You must be a critical thinker to express yourself through assignments that require you to communicate your thoughts about martial-arts concepts and techniques (e.g., posting on discussion boards and commenting on other students’ posts).
The GMAU has 6 major martial-arts courses for you to choose from. Train at home at a fraction of the cost of “brick and mortar” school fees!
Navigate to any of the courses on the GMAU website and click on the JOIN NOW FREE button to set up a FREE Beginner’s Account and start training IMMEDIATELY!
