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If you want to learn martial arts then you have to practice, practice, practice. There are some techniques you can practice at home; but, like any true skill, you are going to have to get a trainer to learn from.

 Locks:

Joint locks or submission holds are the basics of many styles. You see these used as the preferred method of many UFC fighters as it ends fights fast. A skilled submission fighter can end a fight in seconds as most joints can only go one way. Submission holds should only be practiced under trained supervision as they can be extremely dangerous.

 Kicks:

A misconception on kicks is that it is all about power. While power is a big player, speed, accuracy, and flexibility are just as important. Working on flexibility at home is simple and should be done daily. If you watch the old Bruce Lee movies, you will see he could do the splits and so should you. To practice accuracy at home you can get a body bag. Place and X on the bag and aim for the X. You do not need to kick hard but hit the X each time. Controlled movement is what you are aiming for.

 Technique:

Training without proper technique will be fruitless. This is really why you must find a proper instructor. Otherwise, you will be repeating and reinforcing bad habits and going nowhere. Then, when you do go to a class, you will have to unlearn wrong techniques.

 Falls:

In many martial arts classes you will learn how to take a fall. This is good news for some and bad news for others.

 Learning martial arts requires supervision, and while you can and should practice at home, you should not attempt to teach yourself. Many of the techniques are very dangerous and can cause serious harm to yourself and others.