Are martial arts seminars, from 6 hours to 24 hours (1 day to 3 day) helpful for novices/beginners?

I always thought of seminars for beginners as sort of a novelty event. Beginners can only absorb so much and only have so much to relate to the subject and demonstrations. I don't think a seminar would be a good investment for a beginner, though it depends on the cost. It would serve as good experience, but could also be a bit overwhelming at the same time. It could counter what they're learning, but also spark inspiration.

I think it would be completely up to the student. If he or she feels uncertain then they probably shouldn't and wait until they're more experienced.

YES!!

Usually, seminars attract practitioners you may not have seen in a while, if ever. This affords you the opportunity to train with somebody new. Make use of the opportunity.

Seminars often are hosted locally, but the host will call in from elsewhere a guest instructor. It has been my experience that the guest instructor is usually more skilled than the host (but not always). That means you get to study under a master. Make use of the opportunity.

Often, seminars are the platform for testing, since the guest instructor almost always has a black belt, and the more black belts you get watching applicants go through their tests, the more likely it is that the ones being tested will be evaluated on every aspect of their performance. This is because some may have a certain thing they like to look for, while others may want to look at the 'big picture.' In aikido and judo tests (for example), the person taking their test may need an "uke" to take ukemi for them (receive the technique), and ukes may tire out after having been tossed around for a while, so the more people there are to take ukemi, the better it is for everybody, those being tested as well as those taking ukemi. Also, you will get a good look at what testing is like. Make use of the opportunity.

Train, train, train. There is no other way.

Seminars can be helpful but there are some things people should do to best benefit from them. First off people only remember half of what they hear basically so taking notes if not allowed to record the audio portion can be helpful for referring back to and help someone to better remember something. If you can video tape it that's even better but most won't let you do that.

Secondly is that old habits die hard for most people. In order for them to take that which is useful that they learn people need to implement and work with it when they get back to where they usually train at. Forgetting it or not putting it to use then counts for little or nothing especially if they can't even remember it to begin with.

Lastly is the fact that everything presented at a seminar might not have direct value for you and/or what martial art you study or what you train in. However it might have value or meaning to others and a person or student needs to be aware of this and determine for themselves what has real meaning and value and what maybe only has indirect meaning and value. Some of this will also have a lot to do with who is conducting the seminar and their approach to things as some seminars are better than others.

As for the question of a complete novice or beginner attending one I would not recommend it as they may have a hard time determining what has value. It would be better if they had some training and time under their belt first and then maybe attended one and they also have to be able to tell that which conflicts with some of what they are learning and filter that out so as not to become confused and/or instead do things maybe as their instructor would want them to do.

Seminars are great for meeting with and training with famous ( or not so famous, but very skilled instructors ). For example, I can always tell people that I have trained with Guro Dan Inosanto on a few occasions. I was not a total beginner when I attended my first seminar, but I have witnessed total beginners get lost trying to figure out complicated moves.

I have attended FMA and Jeet Kune Do seminars, and other seminars that are open to anyone of any style. Kajukenbo seminars are usually never advertised, but I always found people from other styles that must have heard through the grapevine about the seminars, and they were always welcome. I always thought to myself, those people don`t know what they have gotten themselves into and they will be in for a surprise. Most martial artists are not used to punching and kicking each other for real without protective equipment, and it will be a challenge for them to do so for a few hours, let alone a whole weekend. But that was back in the 1980`s, when things were a bit crazier.

I think it will be a great experience for a total beginner to meet and train with reknowned martial artists for a day or two. Except for seminars in a style that is a bit crazy!

I somewhat agree with J here. Novice/beginner students already have more than enough to chew on from their routine training menus, and it's doubtful if they can really take away anything lasting from a one-time event.

However, I believe that going anyway, regardless of whether or not a newbie can pick up anything, is still a good idea: they get to meet and train with new people, experience new perspectives from different instructors, and see for themselves that their art is truly much, much larger than the confines of their own dojo. True, the whole experience depends a lot on how the seminar is conducted and whether there's any beginner-oriented material being presented. Nevertheless, it would still, IMHO, prove to be a great ride even for newbies.

Yes, sure - as long as there was appropriate material. Spending 6 hours working on the basics of a subject could be equated to spending 6 one-hour classes (ok, you can debate the merits of 5 breaks in between, etc) but in most seminars, you tend to have someone presenting material in a different manner and style than the instructor does; plus there is sometimes the benefit of being able to spend more time on a particular subject.

If it is the case that time is not allocated, or the material is not appropriate, then the novice could suffer from information overload and not learn anything at all. Perhaps, might even get confused and just leave, or have such a bad experience and won't return.

Seminars must be clear about the qualifications of the materials being presented, allowing those who might attend make an informed decision. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.

I have to agree with the general consensus here. It would depend on what level the seminar is aimed at. The head of the Association I belong to recently did 3 seminars at our school. The first was geared to the children in the class and was open to all belts. The second was adults 9th Kyu to 3nd Kyu. The third was specifically for 2nd Kyu and up. Each had a different agenda, intensity and feel.

Personally, no I don't think it would be that beneficial for a complete novice to attend that type of training, unless it was specifically designed for beginners. They would spend more time trying to figure out what was going on and trying to "just keep up" than they would learning anything useful. Now if it was geared to beginners that is a completely different story, in that case I would have to say yes, it would be well worth it.

If the seminar is designed to address beginners, they would benefit greatly.

But I have seen in some where the instructor is showing how from a single basic technique, many variations can be applied. Or how to apply kicks, which beginner students learn right away.

One thing to consider is that there are beginner children and also adults. An adult beginner could appreciate what is being taught.

If it's a seminar teaching specialized technique or a different style, it would not be beneficial for most beginners but less to a beginner who is a child.

Yes it can depending who is teaching and what is being taught. If the are teaching solely advanced techniques beginners should not be accepted. If a variety of techniques that include some basics and or theory it would be perfect for beginners.

But it really goes back to the instructors of the seminar and what they will cover.

There was this one instructor that I know that moved here from out of town. He began to work out with us. Later he was hosting a seminar on some basic self defense for beginners (women and children). He asked me for some things that he could introduce in his class and if I could come help him in the seminar. We began working of things for the class. I asked him to show me what he already had planned. Every technique he was going to teach was more advanced for a beginner and was all about fighting not self defense. I had forgotten that he is a big MMA guy and have left most of his traditional teaching. I found myself often telling him to modify his techniques for the level of the class. He was attacking every joint and using a lot of elbow strike trying to break something. First and farthermost he should have been teaching them to be aware of their surrounding then how to avoid and escape. Why teach a 90lbs woman to mount a guy to ground and pound? You don't! Why teach her to fight in close for 3 elbow strike to the joint and then to the head when she doesn't have the confidence to fight at any distance? Again, you don't. This guy has a lot of knowledge but he didn't go far enough in his traditional training to teach a class. He's more of a muay thai/bjj type person today. His original training was in wing chun. He may have had some other training along the way, but likely not ranked in those arts.

Probably a waste of time. I can't say that I've ever attended a seminar, but I just can't see the benefits to someone who doesn't know anything. Example: I actually passed on a chance to attend a seminar with Ken Shamrock, because it was a BJJ seminar, and I know virtually zero BJJ, so what's the point in wasting his and the other students' time. And I've got to think that it's actually somewhat detrimental to advanced martial artists who attend the seminar, namely when it comes to partnering up to work on what was shown/explained. Example: I'm a fairly decent kickboxer, but I know that if I was at a seminar and paired up with someone who didn't know how to hold focus mitts/thai pads, I'd probably be a little bit upset.