The nearest place that offers classes is an hour and a half drive on a good day and a bit pricey. Books I don't think will work so I was thinking of getting instructional video's. I guess it's like being self taught but I'd like to know if it really gives you the skills to know what to do if you ever needed to use them or if it would be a waist of time.
Unfortunately not. I've tried self-teaching for 4 years and well, it did work out, but not as well as it would have if I had a teacher's guidance. It took me a long time to know where my moves went wrong (I eventually noticed if my moves were wrong because it either looked sloppy or I couldn't get enough strength behind it)
My main point is, self-teaching can only get you so far, but if you have a teacher you can bring out your full potential. I don't know where you live but it's quite troublesome if you live an hour and a half hour drive away from the "closest" martial arts place. but don't be a bit stingy about over an hour drive if you're really determined to learn martial arts.
It is very much possible to self-teach Kung Fu or any other kind of Martial Arts. This is because only YOU can teach yourself how your body works. the rest is just learning how muscles in the human body work in general and what restricts them and causes pain. You can be your own Master and teach yourself how to defend and attack in different ways, it is what some of the greatest Kung Fu masters of the ancient times learned and how many forms of Kung Fu were developed in the first place. Contact me if you need any help with anything, my e-mail is open on my profile.
I don't think so. Without a strong base in a martial art, watching videos and reading books will only get you so far. You can't be effective if all you do is practice techniques by yourself, you don't know when you're doing something wrong or right.
If you already know a martial art then the books and vids can be beneficial to add to your current knowledge but learning just from books will get you wasted.
It depends if you're a good learner.. If you want to learn just for self-defense, you can watch instructional videos (Just be careful if you wish to try the moves out on your friends or sister or brother, they can hurt real bad). However, if you want to learn for sport, I suggest you take classes. Coz that's where you really improve and increase in rank, and fight against fellow martial artists. 
It's not a waste of time, but not really a great way to use time either. learning from books can help you, but not well. You could learn a little form them, but they will give you a false sense of pride, and will also not give you the skills you want.
Learn a little from videos, but try to get a teacher, it helps.
No, instructional videos and books and websites are supplements to your training, not an actual replacement for training. You will be wasting your time if you attempt to use them as your main source of learning.
Do yourself a favor, go train at a real gym or a dojo or don't bother.
I've done martial arts for half my life that's only eight years but I have learned a lot. I have learned some really great things from instructional videos and I think they are great way to learn extra stuff once you have some knowledge but for starting out I don't think it's that great of an idea but I think that would be better than not learning at all.
no instructional videos only serve the purpose of a reference tool to those who already have a certain amount of proficiency in the style a beginner would only build bad habits from small mistakes they make while watching(these would continue on through the entire style making it all wrong)
a teacher is there to tell you what you are doing wrong ( not the only purpose but one of the most relevant to this discussion)
The best you'd be able to do is to mimic the person on the DVD. now you may thing, "That's pretty cool if I could mimic Brock Lester" or someone.
But it's the equivalent of a parrot being taught to say the Gettysburg Address. Sure, he mimics President Lincoln but it doesn't mean he's smart.
No, not as stand alone teaching tools. a video can enhance classroom training, but never replace it. There is nothing more interactive than martial arts.
I Hear – I Forget
I see – I Remember
I Do – I Understand
These are the rules in general.
There are couple of problems with this approach but your situation pretty much leaves you with few or no other options unfortunately unless you move or a school opens up near where you live. You can learn some simple things from some videos but you will never be able to like what you would from an instructor. the other part of the problem is that practice and repetition is very important in better learning and developing your skills and it sounds like there is nobody to train with. so being able to remember and execute these things is even harder for someone like yourself then.
I would recommend that you redouble your efforts and check around in your area and see if there is someone offering classes or lessons near where you live. perhaps there is someone that works out and is looking for a workout partner or used to do martial arts and is looking for someone to practice with. I would pursue that more fully first and you just might find someone that is or does. Look on Craig's list, check with the local parks and recreation people, the YMCA and some other places and perhaps they have a class or know someone that has a background in martial arts who works out.
I have several friends that do martial arts that like you live pretty far out there in a rural area where there is no martial arts but them. they learned and trained at a school with an instructor when they were younger usually. Such people are working out and training themselves still usually at a gym or health club or where there is some floor area and maybe a bag to work out on. Do some investigating and you might find someone near where you live. that would probably be better than going the video route.
Only an instructor can correct your mistakes. Even if you could learn on your own and do things correctly, you would have no experience using what you learned against another person. you can't develop timing, distance, angle, ….etc. without a proper training partner. Forget having someone work out with you. Then you have two people that don't know what is right from what is not trying to teach each other. a video or book can at best allow you to mimic martial arts, but never learn them. Books, Video, …etc. are good for refreshing your memory on something that you have learned correctly in the past, or to give you a better understanding of something you may not know. but it is a terrible way to try to learn. It is sure to make you think that you have developed skills that are in fact flawed from the beginning. you have no way to know what is wrong, or how to fix it. You then put yourself at greater risk of being injured in a fight. If you then join a good martial arts school you will have an even harder and longer time learning. you will have to be corrected, and then work things properly for many months in order to overcome the bad habits you have developed. If it is not possible for you to join a good martial arts school, it would be better if you do not try to teach yourself anything. Then at least in the future when you do get to join a good school, you will learn faster and have no bad habits to overcome.
I know this is not the answer you want to hear. but, it is the answer that is based on nearly 44 years of serious martial arts study and teaching. Having owned my own dojo for many years, I have had many new students that were self taught come join. It was always a big struggle for them. many of them became discouraged and quit. perhaps if they had not learned a lot of bad habits and incorrect beliefs, they might have stayed longer or at least learned the correct way.
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