Modernizing forms

[Lucas]

Just curious if anyone else does this on a regular basis.

I do practice forms.

Some of the forms I really like i have two versions of.

the version i was taught, that i still practice to its traditional methods.

and a version i call "modern" for lack of a better word.

raise up most of my stances. drop some stances all together ie: drop stance, resting, sitting. close a lot of the more open movements. substitute/alter some techniques/strikes with things more in favor with effeciency and so forth.

basically move some of my old traditional sets into a realm where they actually seem more akin to modern fighting.

how many of you do this that do practice form?

[TenTigers]

in Hung-Ga, if you shorten up and raise the stances, you don't have a modern version, what you have is the older version that was more geared for fighting. The deep, low exagerreted stances and extended techniques are more recent 'innovations," brought about by a desire to attract students. Perhaps looking to the roots of your won style might reveal this as well.
just food for thought.

[Pork Chop]

I've actually wanted to do this for a while.
But I know i need to get the full skill first.
Develop the gung, learn the faht, generate some ging, and grasp the sum faht before I start messin around with stuff.

[Lucas]

ya, im probably ahead of myself.

but its a lot of fun.

i like doing this the most with my xiaohongquan. well i think thats my favorite form all around, so i spend a lot of time with it.

[Sifu Darkfist]

I have composed forms by using the most relevant moves to modern day hand to hand combat from the top three styles we train. also the attention to tactics must change as well according to the intended result of the confrontation.
i.e. perpertrator aprehension, self defense, sport fighting etc.

Forms are still one of the best ways to train when you are alone coupled with bagwork etc, the fighter can really improve martial skill through these tools.

innovation and evolution as always happened from the onset of all styles its just usually not accepted from other than asian sources nevertheless i do not let that stop me.

[Laukarbo]

once someone asked me to add some "more flashy" movements to our 8 diagram pole form..:rolleyes:

shortening forms -yes! everything else-No!

@TT,when do u think it started with all the low stances in forms ?

[TenTigers]

LKB-check out the photos of Lam Sai-Wing. I've brought this up before, and of course, like alot of things I bring up, I caught some flak for it, from those,"higher up on the totem pole," with them saying, he was older when those were taken. Well, look at the pics. He couldn't of been more than fifty-something. I have spoken with many older Hung players and they all do a narrower horse, and bow with the back leg not locked, hip tucked and chest hollowed more. Alot closer to the Tai Chi Chuan bow. But, each family does it different. Gwok Si, Gwok Faht. Each Sifu has his own method. I see the low horse as a training method for teaching larger groups(as opposed to one on one) to develop a strong foundation, which can be tweaked later.

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

For me, I would not tweak existing forms, especially really ancient ones. I'd just make up a new one to play around with innovations and such.

[SPJ]

like it or not.

forms are just a string of postures.

meaning they are constantly "shuffled" around.

we study and practice one posture at a time.

we do not have to be so hung up with a "fixed" pattern/string/order of postures.

from one we may derive many.

or million's methods coming from one source.

--

:):D

[sanjuro_ronin]

I modified my sanchin after taking some advice from a few adavanced Hung G practioners.
Showed it to a 8th dan in Okinawan Goju and he commented on it as being "well done and very interesting concept".

So...