Picking a type of instruction 
Instruction is available in multiple formats: live instruction, books and videos. Each has their own pros and cons. In this section I'll list the main ones.

Live instruction has the potential to be the most beneficial if you can use it to its potential, and have a good instructor.

The following is a list of advantages to live instruction over books and videos:

• Being able to see a technique in person
• Being able to feel a technique done to you. Especially at advanced levels, your sense of touch will give you detail that your eyes will not perceive.
• The ability to ask questions
• The ability of the instructor to correct mistakes that you may have never noticed on your own and to give individualized advice.
• Most books and videos focus on impressive techniques rather than fundamentals which is actually what is most important

Additionally, books and videos have their own advantages over live instruction:

• Access 24/7: Whenever you have time or desire you can learn
• You don't have to rely on your memory. Anytime you forget something you can review it
• You can proceed at your own pace
• The ability to study from styles or instructors that aren't available in your area or from instructors that are at a higher level than your local instructors
• An advantage of video is the ability to watch a move frame by frame (if you have a VCR that can do this)
• An advantage of books is the ability to go into great detail

Overall I would say live instruction is essential. If you look at most top professional athletes, they still have coaches and trainers. While live instruction is best for building your fundamentals and continuing to advance, it loses much of its advantage with the manner in which many instructors teach. For example many instructors teach large classes by showing a technique a couple times and then leaving students on there own. In this manner you might not be seeing the technique as well as a good video, you're not feeling the instructor doing the technique, and you're not getting the personal corrections and advice. Some instructors also discourage questions. In these cases, a video can be as good or better than live instruction. From written word and still pictures it's difficult (not impossible) to see the transitions and flow of a moving technique. The strength of books is in teaching history and theory due to the great detail that can be gone into. A live instructor could lecture the same material but personally I would rather read a book then listen to hours of lecture.

   Training 
First, almost all rules have exceptions so if I say something is done in one way I'm usually speaking in general. There will be specific instances that it might not be.

1. Practice makes perfect but only if it is perfect practice.
   If you practice with bad habits it doesn't matter how much you practice. You will just get better at your bad habits. If you're making mistakes then either you are going too fast or the technique is too complex. The key is slowing down even if it means going Tai Chi speeds. Isolate the technique down to individual moves and if need be do the footwork separate from the upper body. Then integrate it back together.
2. Make practice part of your daily life.
   When you can find a free minute, work a couple techniques. For example, as you walk around your home, shadowbox using any techniques you're working on: Kicks, strikes, footwork, etc. While microwaving food you've got a couple minutes to practice. While brushing your teeth, stand in a low stance for strength or one-legged stance for balance. While talking on the phone, do simple footwork patterns. Be creative to find ways to practice. It all adds up.
3. Take inspiration from all sources.
   Look how many traditional styles are based on observing nature (animals, bugs, etc.) An easier way is to observe people. Watch the methods employed by anyone who is at a high level of physical skill (for example sports, music, dance.) Watch how they train, generate power, increase coordination, work strength, endurance, flexibility, mental preparation, visualization, etc.
4. Use technology.
   If you often train by yourself, then tape yourself and watch for errors. If you learn a new technique tape yourself while it's fresh in your mind. This will help you to remember. If you have an instructor on tape, watch in slow motion to pick up details (just remember instructors make mistakes also or sometimes have physical limitations due to age or injury).
5. Find a style and teacher that suits you.
   There are thousands of different styles. Some styles will claim to have secret or unique techniques. Let me assure you that I've seen hundreds of styles and there is no such thing. Many times I've had instructors tell me they were teaching me a secret technique and after seeing it, I could give a half dozen other styles that used a similar idea. Instructors will often claim to have the best, most traditional (or authentic), secret or unique style. This usually comes from having studied a small number of styles themselves so they don't realize what else is out there, or sometimes it's just self-promotion. If one style were truly the best then after thousands of years of martial arts we would all be using that style.

   Efficiency 
Efficiency is important. It has a lot of different meanings, some of which I will list. As a general rule, so long as you achieve the same end, look for the simplest and quickest means to that goal. When I say goal, if you’re in a fight that may be to restrain or strike your opponent. It may also be to just run away. Whatever the goal make sure each action takes you closer to that end. Don’t just use one rule to determine efficiency. A technique can be physically efficient but tactically inefficient.

Physical efficiency
Move the shortest distance between two points. When attacking this is a straight-line. But then you have to take your opponent into consideration. If they’re protecting the straight line target then it may be best to attack another line, use a feint, or clearing action or distraction to open the straight line first.

Another example of using the shortest distance for an action is if you’re attacking or defending use the part of your body that’s closest to where you want to attack or defend. For example, a kick comes at your knee. Instead of bending over and using hands to defend, use your leg. However if the kick comes at your ribs, your hand or elbow is closest. Having said that blocking isn’t tactically the most efficient response.

Timing
Defensive actions are commonly done in a two-count rhythm. First count, a person starts an attack and the defender blocks. The second count would be the counterattack. Sometimes people will practice in a three count if the defender pauses before blocking or adds actions before the counterattack. In this case, since your goal is to counterattack without being hit, the most efficient method would be to counter on the first count. This can be achieved by either blocking and striking simultaneously, not blocking by avoiding the strike and countering or jamming or lastly, stop-hitting into the attack. All of these should be completed before the attacker finishes their attack.

If attacking in combination, do not pause between techniques. Keep the momentum going. The end of one technique should be the beginning of the next. If using the same body part to throw multiple strikes, use combinations that don’t require you to pull back and restart between strikes. Use combinations such as punch to elbow strike or elbow strike to hammer fist. If someone attempts to block your strike switch lines while continuing forward the whole time, like that of water finding a crack in a dam.

   Relaxation 
Stay relaxed as this allows you to move faster, with more coordination, power and endurance. This is why professional athletes often say they just have to go out and have fun playing. This way they play relaxed and don’t put too much pressure on themselves. You often see in championship games when a team comes out tight, they don't perform up to their potential. Staying relaxed means using your muscles to their full potential but keep those not in use relaxed. As an example, contracting your bicep causes a pulling action while contracting your triceps creates a pushing action. Therefore if you want to pull something you should contract your bicep fully while keeping your triceps relaxed. Otherwise the muscles will work in opposition to each other. This isn’t something you should actively think about however. Instead if you remain relaxed overall, your body will naturally use the muscles in an efficient manner. For overall relaxation work on relaxing your shoulders. Many people hold tension in their back and shoulders. This is why a massage feels so good in these areas. Even when not doing martial arts, try to feel when your shoulders are rising up and (if you aren’t doing an action that requires this) try to allow them to just hang naturally without tension. When practicing try to do so in a smooth flowing manner with relaxed breathing.
 

   Shadowboxing 
Shadowboxing should be done at all levels of speed, power and exertion. For instance, if your max speed is throwing four strikes in a second, then most of your shadowboxing should be spent throwing one or two strikes a second. This way you can work on your combinations, balance, body mechanics, relaxation etc, only occasionally doing the three and only rarely doing the four. What will make you faster is good body mechanics, relaxation, clearing your mind and repetition. The risks at doing the four per second are greater chance of injury (pulled muscles, hyper extended joints.) At max speed it's easy to get sloppy and you will tire out quicker, not allowing as many repetitions.

Learn to use all of your techniques. Don’t limit yourself to boxing techniques (unless you’re a boxer.) Shadowboxing should include strikes, joint locks, throws, sweeps, defensive actions, and footwork. Everything in your style.
 

   Multiple Attackers  
When facing multiple attackers you need to keep moving so you don’t allow yourself to be surrounded. Use your attackers to block each other by positioning one attacker between yourself and the other attackers. This way you actually only fight one at a time.
 

   Footwork and Distance 
Controlling Distance
One of the many reasons footwork is important, is to control distance. In general, each type of fighting has its preferred range. Whether you're a grappler, boxer or kicker (close, middle and long range) you want to fight from your preferred range and not your opponents. For example, take a grappler who primarily works his ground fighting but neglects his footwork and entries. If he fights a boxer with better footwork, each time he tries to enter, the boxer will step back maintaining a middle range and hitting the whole time. This will ensure the fight never goes to the ground. On the other hand, if a boxer or kicker practices mostly strikes from a stationary position in front of a heavy bag or focus mitts, they will likely stand stationary during a fight. At this point if a grappler tries to enter on him, the boxer will throw strikes standing still. This means he will usually get only one strike off before he's in grappling range and possibly taken to the ground. Now if you add weapons, controlling distance becomes even more important and will be heavily dependent on your footwork. It's best not to neglect your footwork in favor of fancy techniques. Without good footwork you will have a hard time getting in position to use those techniques.

Judging Distance
It's very important to judge distance. Many schools teach their students to throw strikes with full extension that end a few inches from their partner for safety. The problem with this is the attacker learns to attack outside of range and the defender defends strikes that would never hit them. How I prefer to teach is to have the students go slow enough and use control to pull their strike a few inches short while being in range. When sparring or fighting, if someone throws a strike fully extended out of range they are doing it for one of three reasons.

• They misjudged distance in which case you can take advantage by counterattacking.
• They’re trying to see your reactions to know how to best attack you.
• The attack is trying to pull you out of position by getting you to chase an attack that isn’t real then stepping in with the real attack.

You don't want to block any of these, as you are not in real danger until the attacker moves into range. It is equally important for the attacker to know their range with all of their strikes and to use the appropriate strike for the range you are in.
 

   Balance 
When practicing you should always take time to work on balance and be aware of it when doing techniques. Good balance is essential for doing effective striking combinations, footwork, throws and counters. When I say balance I mean in all of your actions and not just while standing in a stance. One common way people lose their balance is over committing to an action. In fast footwork even if you need to come to a sudden stop or direction change, you should still maintain a balanced stance. Another example is that you should not commit to strikes so much that you lose your balance if you miss.
 

   Adaptability 
Be adaptable and don’t get locked into combinations because you can’t predict what your opponent is going to do. Always prepare for different possibilities. For example practice what you would do if in the middle of your combination they threw an attack, blocked what you were doing or stepped out of range. Once you can do the technique with your partner just standing there then have your partner try these or other variations. If need be stop and analyze what you should do and then practice it.
 

   Attachments 
Don’t become overly attached to a drill, technique, or even a style. If you do then you will be reluctant to give something up even if you find something more effective. Also many people will have favorite techniques that they will try to force into situations even when they aren’t appropriate or the most effective.