[burritofanatic]

This is a very interesting look at climbing as it relates to knowledge transmission.

Prior to YouTube, learning proper form really required you to probably take lessons and live/breath/be super friendly with some really good climbers as a necessity. Now, you can watch a number of good climbers online on having proper technique to get 70% there.

For example this video demonstrates how climbing crimps (a specific type of hold) requires more than just finger strength: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws06PjI4FTU

Stuff like this was nearly impossible to convey by book. If you want to learn how to be a better swimmer for example because you didn't take up swimming until you were in your 20s, it was very difficult. I did this as an adult, and each private lesson with an instructor to improve my form was $100 in recession dollars. Now, you can gather so much online and iron out the wrinkles with live instruction.

Disclaimer: the video linked above is my friend's YouTube channel.

[rurp]

I might be biased since I learned to climb before YouTube, but I find it quite difficult to learn or teach others through coaching or watching. Although I don't think that holds for the basics, if someone doesn't know what a drop knee is then a video of one would be helpful.

But past that, so much depends on subtle weight shifts and tailoring moves to ones specific body; it's hard to learn that stuff outside of just trying hard moves yourself and making small adjustments.