Vash
03-02-2004, 09:32 PM
First, if someone says "forms are for martial artists, not fighters," I'm going to set you dog on fire and beat your grandparents with their own severed feet.
[/GDA moment]
Here's a genuine question: For those of us who train in forms, what method do you use to train with them? Please, separate your examples into in-class exercises and independent research.
For me:
I've got 8 Empty Hand forms in Isshinryu. Plus, both sides of our Two Man drill, the "bunkai" side to our Seisan form, our staff form, both sides of a Two Man staff form (Bo/Bo Kumite), and a Gojuryu weapon form called Chizi kun Bo. All in all, that's 15 forms. Yowza. No, I'm sure all of these are rather important. However, i haven't the time (or the inclination, really), to study all of these forms indepth. So, what do I do? I keep up with all my forms, and train two or three of them.
Okay, the three I train would be Sunsu (the most advanced of our form/kata/whatever), Naihanchi, and then I have a rotating third. Usually is the Chizi kun Bo (http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/013/005/index.html)[The weapons are the same size as the Tecchu, but look a lot different]. Also substituted is Chinto.
So, on a day that I do my form training, I take one form. I work through it slowly, a la one move, back to the start, two moves, back, etc. I'll reverse it. Work through it backwards. Do it stances/kicks/body shifts only. Then, upper body techniques only. Then, I'll take a section, and use it as a drill. I'll do all the above to that section. Then, if I can get a partner, I'll go over application during light (but full-contact) sparring. Since I can't realistically do all of this in a given workout, I tend to take each training session and work on one or two of the above methods. And I space the workouts so that I'm really in-depth in the form for about two months before I go on to training the next.
Not the best, I'm sure, but it definetly helped my understanding.
I just wish I had learned my forms a bit more slowly. Even keeping up with all of those is hard work. And I didn't sign on to martial arts for hard work. :mad: :eek:
[/GDA moment]
Here's a genuine question: For those of us who train in forms, what method do you use to train with them? Please, separate your examples into in-class exercises and independent research.
For me:
I've got 8 Empty Hand forms in Isshinryu. Plus, both sides of our Two Man drill, the "bunkai" side to our Seisan form, our staff form, both sides of a Two Man staff form (Bo/Bo Kumite), and a Gojuryu weapon form called Chizi kun Bo. All in all, that's 15 forms. Yowza. No, I'm sure all of these are rather important. However, i haven't the time (or the inclination, really), to study all of these forms indepth. So, what do I do? I keep up with all my forms, and train two or three of them.
Okay, the three I train would be Sunsu (the most advanced of our form/kata/whatever), Naihanchi, and then I have a rotating third. Usually is the Chizi kun Bo (http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/013/005/index.html)[The weapons are the same size as the Tecchu, but look a lot different]. Also substituted is Chinto.
So, on a day that I do my form training, I take one form. I work through it slowly, a la one move, back to the start, two moves, back, etc. I'll reverse it. Work through it backwards. Do it stances/kicks/body shifts only. Then, upper body techniques only. Then, I'll take a section, and use it as a drill. I'll do all the above to that section. Then, if I can get a partner, I'll go over application during light (but full-contact) sparring. Since I can't realistically do all of this in a given workout, I tend to take each training session and work on one or two of the above methods. And I space the workouts so that I'm really in-depth in the form for about two months before I go on to training the next.
Not the best, I'm sure, but it definetly helped my understanding.
I just wish I had learned my forms a bit more slowly. Even keeping up with all of those is hard work. And I didn't sign on to martial arts for hard work. :mad: :eek: