How much space do you need to do your forms?

[MARTIALSTUDANT]

I ask this question because i live in a small apt and from what I have seen kung fu forms look long. Can they be trained in small spaces as well as large spaces and be as effective for your trainng?

[David Jamieson]

if you lack space, just cut your form into segments that are logical to the applications within and practice that way.

if you don't have space for that, go outside.

20' x 20' is ok for most practice...unless you're doing wushu in which case, you apparently need an entire gymn asium to do a form. :p

[BruceSteveRoy]

it depends on the form. the northern shaolin forms i know take up a lot more space than the hung fut forms. but either way i find that i can do most of the techniques in a small amount of space by cutting steps short or switching my foot work in place. i also do a lot of training just the arm moverments when i am at work in my office. but in order to not develop bad habits as a result i have to make sure that whenever i have the space to practice (either at my school or at my gym) i work extra hard to make sure my foot work is dead on. its very easy to, in these circumstances, to get in the habit of stepping short and thereby making the stances too high. maybe if i ever have a yard i will be able to practice there. or maybe one day i will get over being self conscious and go practice in a park. but i doubt it.

[Water Dragon]

All kinds of things you can do. The only 'long form' I know is Yang's Tai Chi. If you need to back up, do a few repulse monkeys. If you need to go forward, do some brush knee twist steps. If you need to go to the side, do some cloud hands. You get the idea. Nothing wrong with mixing things up.

Most of the form training I've done consisted of single movements done repeatedly. Focus on that. The same thing, over and over, until you lose your mind.

[Dale Dugas]

Im a bagua man, so I can walk a very small circle. Like around 6-8 feet around or larger. all depends on what I have. I also linear walk and that is good for work as I have this long hallway to walk up and down.

All depends really.

Be well,

Dale

[SPJ]

I used to live in an apartment in Jersy.

If I wield the staff or sword, it will hit the ceiling.

Luckily, there is a grassy area and parking lot.

I practiced outdoors even when there was a snow.

:)

[IronFist]

I used to do a form that was too big for my basement, so when I'd get to the spot where I was next to the wall and needed to keep going that way, I would just stop, go back to the middle of the room, and resume.

Kind of like how sometimes in MMA they'll reposition fighters that are up against the cage in the same position in the middle of the ring.

[Starchaser107]

yeah you can do a form on the spot pretty much or with very limited space just by adjusting yourself... If u need to work on it at home, but find other places to practice if you can if space is limited.

[GLW]

Depends on the form.

I can modify much of my Taijiquan and do it in a medium to large size elevator.

Virtually NONE of my advanced northern routines will fit.

Weapons...forget it. I am 6'1" - i need room just to extend in a front stance with a sword. I end up taking 6 feet plus just doing that.

Spear...forget it. Not only do you need more room...but HIGH ceilings. I have taken out my share of ceiling tiles even with 12 foot ceilings.

[MARTIALSTUDANT]

if you lack space, just cut your form into segments that are logical to the applications within and practice that way.

if you don't have space for that, go outside.

20' x 20' is ok for most practice...unless you're doing wushu in which case, you apparently need an entire gymn asium to do a form. :p

I just got the tape out I only have 10x12

[David Jamieson]

I just got the tape out I only have 10x12

that's fine. 10x12 is doable, if you need to segment the form then do it.
breaking down a form, like going backwards from how you learned it is actually a really vital process in yoru learning what the form is and what is in it.

[BlueTravesty]

I just got the tape out I only have 10x12


Lucky :eek: The biggest open space in my apartment is about 6'x3' and that's in the kitchen. Thank goodness we're looking for a townhome.

Don't forget that some styles of Kung Fu feature VERY small forms. Wing Chun for example, only requires about 5 square feet. The place I'm learning Kung Fu at is WAY too small for the Chin Woo forms we practice, let alone the Mizong/MyJhong forms, but we adapt.

[Donkwoon]

When you're first learning a form and practicing it in a small space, it's good to take your time and adjust your position to compensate for the lack of space so that you can just focus on doing the movements right and learning the form. Once you've done the form a hundred times and you know it well, it's a good test of your abilities and improvise by adding or subtracting steps. See if you can do this while maintaining the integrity of the movements.

[hung-le]

I ask this question because i live in a small apt and from what I have seen kung fu forms look long. Can they be trained in small spaces as well as large spaces and be as effective for your trainng?


This shouldn’t be an issue IMO since you should put the form under a microscope anyway. I always considered learning the form correctly only the beginning step.

After I learned a form I always proceeded to break it down into sequences, alternating it from left to right to include the stances of each particular application from high to low.

I also look for themes within the form or standard attacks and blocks that are prevailing at a certain part in the form and master them backwards and forwards. (Generic applications with little or no set up’s I’d put in this category)

Then, I look for unique applications within the form. I study these and what ever set up’s that must be initiated. (All the Shuai jiao and Chin na fit into the category) Again most of these techniques and applications can be altered and can be done right or left in a high or low stance. It is also important to remember that most forms have double or triple meanings to their applications so you have to explore those too….


Then I’d add an opponent to the mix

All of this IMO can usually be done in a 10x10 area.

However. From what I’ve been told and have experienced, most forms also train certain Jing that is used within a certain style. This shouldn’t be ignored so studying the form in its whole, paying close attention to the jing the body creates (opening and closing of gates etc…) while doing the form is paramount.

Obviously one is not going to learn a lot of forms this way, but what good are empty forms anyway? .

[Donkwoon]

what good are empty forms anyway? .

Exactly. We all need to be reminded of that from time to time.

[brothernumber9]

If you can step forward, then you can step back. In other words, if a segment of a form has, for instance, three steps forward in a bow stance during/between techs, then you can alternate one step forward, one step back, one step forward while still doing the same techs. This really applies to most linear sets, anc can help adapt for space restrictions in and out of the kwoon.

[TenTigers]

I used to practice my forms in a small apartment's kitchen. You learn to make adjustments, shuffles, switch steps rather than step through, etc. I can practice in the shower.
You need to do this for many reasons. One is for demos or tournaments-you cannot go outside the ring or demo area, or there might be people, bystanders present and you need to adjust.
We do demos during Chinese New Year in resteraunts. You always make adjustmants. I did Lau-Ga, which steps in a square pattern in a narrow space between glass waist high partitions. It ended up being a linear set-and I mad the adjustments on the fly.
Same with Lion Dance. Try to do an entire routine on a small sidewalk, without going into the street, or in the kitchen, etc.
They say Hung-Ga sets are done in the room for an ox to lie down in. -probably referring to pre WFH or Village Hung Kuen, but you get the idea.

[Shaolin Shi]

My teacher would quote his own teacher saying, "If Kung Fu can't be learned in a closet, then Kung Fu can't be learned."

It's nice to have a lot of room to practice, but if you really want to learn, you make do with whatever you can get.

[David Jamieson]

My teacher would quote his own teacher saying, "If Kung Fu can't be learned in a closet, then Kung Fu can't be learned."

It's nice to have a lot of room to practice, but if you really want to learn, you make do with whatever you can get.

*hands a banana over for winning the correct* :p

[Laukarbo]

after I learned the 8 diagram pole form my Sifu drew with a piece of chalk a square on the floor..maybe 4 square feet big..and then I had to do the form within the square...its all about adjusting...here in HK I do the fu hok in a room twice as big as a single bed..and I have a single bed here..:D