Northern Shaolin Newbie

[Solitary Ninja]

Just a nice, easy (or maybe not) question for anyone who practices Northern Shaolin, or just Kung Fu in general. I know there are specific animal forms involved with the various variations of Kung Fu and I was just wondering one particular question. Just as TKD is criticized for producing mechanical fighters due to memorization of forms for their ranking tests, do you believe the same could hold true in Northern Shaolin should I take it? Is there a difference between learning forms in Shaolin as opposed to those in TKD for ranking? Is there a way to prevent the mechanical fighter syndrome that forms often produce in the various arts? Hope you all can help. Thanks ever-so-much.

I also posted this over in the Shaolin forum so please excuse the double post. Just looking for some answers before my first visit to the class tomorrow night.

[Le nOObi]

Northern shaolin doesnt have nearly as standardized a ciriculum as TKD so it depends on the training method of the northern shaolin place it self.

[SifuAbel]

Originally posted by Solitary Ninja
.......Just as TKD is criticized for producing mechanical fighters due to memorization of forms for their ranking tests, do you believe the same could hold true in Northern Shaolin should I take it? I

Ahhhhhhhhhh, no. TKD is criticized for cranking out black belts like burgers at mcdonalds, hence the mcdojo. Form work alone isn't an issue. Driving the whole industry into sport point fighting is the real issue.

[Solitary Ninja]

I don't have so much as an issue with their sport-style fighting as I do with the claim that having to memorize forms makes one into a mechanical fighter by wanting to always follow up a specific move with another predetermined one. This was where my particular concern lied. I'm not much interested in how or for what TKD is frowned upon for. I'm just talking forms in general and just how Northern Shaolin's animal forms and such are different as compared to forms in other styles. Just a simple question. Thanks so much for the replies, however.

[SevenStar]

yeah, what abel said. Also, TKD guys get criticized for the tendency to keep their hands low, and to fight almost solely with high kicks. They also get knocked for ATA's infamous camoflouge belt.

kung fu guys get dissed for different things....not all schools spar, so they catch flak for that. Also, you don't see them in many NHB tourneys, so some MMA guys knock them (and all "traditional" styles for that matter) for that. They also get knocked for various other things - chi king, pressure points, etc.

No matter what style you get into, there will be some sort of criticizing.

Back to your post though, Forms will help you, you have to remember though - forms teach principles. you may not use the exact set of techniques in a fight, but look at the principle behind it - that's where you find the keys to your system.

[Serpent]

Forms teach you basic techniques and combinations. They drill you over and over with those things and therefore you develop muscle memory of how to do all those techniques. Your instructor should then explain to you what the applications for each of those techniques is and how they could be used. Then it's up to you to practice your forms diligently and practice the applications with your sparring partners and training brothers and sisters.

Then, when you fight, it's up to you how you fight and how you use all the techniques that you've learned. If all you can do is follow one technique with another just like in the form then you are still an absolute beginner. Anybody that isn't progressing beyond this stage should seriously re-evaluate their school and teacher.