How Much Martial Intent Shoud Be Shown When Performing Your Sets?

[bungda07]

I've seen sets done with no emotion at all and some performed that diffently let you know the person performing is about to kick some major butt. Usually his or her intent or the stare one gives when ****ed is evident. What type of balance do you use in your sets.
V/r

Steve M.

[Lohan Fury]

IMO, this depends on the person. Kinda like the introvert/extrovert personality thing. I try to give it all I have each and every time. I was told to do every move like it's going to save your life, because you never know wich one might...

That being said, I myself still have to work on this aspect. I'm pretty sure you see can the intent in my forms, but i'm not a highly vocal person. I know where to Kiai, I just don't very often...

I think as long as it's external, then lay it all out there. If you hold back in practice then you will most likely hold back in a real life and death situation. Again, all of this is my opinoin. Take it for what it's worth.

I will use some examples of different usage of intent:

Art D., from what I've heard, would push himself through the forms right to the edge. It's like driving a tuned up sports car at 100mph on a rainy street.

Other people are fast and furious, and yet they have this "Mr. Perfect" aspect to them. everything is a blur, and they somehow stop on a dime, and nothing moves.. It's as if they somehow control the strands of time. My Sigung is like this.

Both are amazing to watch. And both leave you with that uneasy feeling in your stomach after watching. They are different interpetations, and yet they both put out evreything they have. Hope that you found my babble of interest...:)

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

Enough to get the point across I guess. Don't forget when performing you're showcasing your ability, not just showing how violent and tough you can be. Show balance, speed, strength, etc. including control (stop solid on a dime).

If your showing your friends then go all out and showcase the bad-a-s-s side of what you can do in case they ever get the idea to turn against you.:)

I've heard that Choy Lay Fut, when done properly, should look like you're out of control. That may be good for fighting purposes but I don't think it makes a good show.

Performing and fighting are 2 different animals.

[Lohan Fury]

Agreed, there's a big difference in performing and actual form training. When I'm putting out the nitrous in my forms, I don't like to stop at any point... But when I perfom a set then I have stopping points. This gives the audience time to catch up with all the movement going on.

Perfomance is definitely an art form. It's not something all of us have a knack for. Seeing someone do a form in all it's glory, with all intent and no show, is also very beautiful. Some Kung Fu practitiioner's form would never win a tournament, but it's down and dirty, kick A$# and take names nature is incredible.

From what I've seen of Pong Lai material, for example, it's not flash and bravado, but you can see the intent in the practitioner. you know it's effective. That's it's beauty.

Both ways of doing form have my respect. But no matter wether you are training a form or performing it for someone, you should alway put it all out there. Train it like its real.

[bung bo]

definitely a difference in performing and practicing. one might should slow it down a bit for an audience so they can make out everything. but there should be some "killer instinct" present. let them know that what you're doing is used to f*** your opponent up.

Lohan Fury--yeah Pong Lai stuff is righteous! i watched my shrye go through bung bo and he was very precise, fast, and powerful. i've been studying pong lai for over a year now, and strong fa jing is emphasized in everything.

[bungda07]

Thanks everyone for posting. I agree that in class we try to get the speed and maybe raise the spirit more. I like when somebody performs a set smoothly, then throws in some fa-jing here and there. I also agree with the holding of a posture to let the audience catch up with what is going on. When we were in Qingdao last Summer we got to see somebody perform a mantis set that just made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. She set in the ready posture, then looked in the direction of the set and wham!!! the Intent in her eyes was scary. She diffently was performing that set like she had an opponent right in front of her. It's something you just don't forget. Thats the direction I hope to reach someday.

Again, thanks.

V/r

Steve M.