My form stinks

[Judge Pen]

That's what I came away with tonight. I taped myself doing some forms (I haven't watched myself on tape doing a form in a very long time). It was an eye-opener. My focus was undisciplined, and my stances were too high. Moves I thought I was doing well had less extension than I could have imagined. I was sloppy, too fast and just generally bad. It has motivated me somewhat in that I realized I was getting complacent and need to work much harder at doing the little things better.

It's not the system. It's not the teachers (it was my teacher's idea to film me so I could see things form myself). It's me, and I have a lot of work to do.

[Shaolinlueb]

hey man, now that you know, you can improve. start training hard!!!

[anton]

Start practicing in front of a mirror more

[Chief Fox]

Yeah, video is a great tool. It sees all. But kudos to you for looking at yourself objectively.

[chud]

That's what I came away with tonight. I taped myself doing some forms (I haven't watched myself on tape doing a form in a very long time). It was an eye-opener. My focus was undisciplined, and my stances were too high. Moves I thought I was doing well had less extension than I could have imagined. I was sloppy, too fast and just generally bad. It has motivated me somewhat in that I realized I was getting complacent and need to work much harder at doing the little things better.

It's not the system. It's not the teachers (it was my teacher's idea to film me so I could see things form myself). It's me, and I have a lot of work to do.

I know how you feel. All we can do is just keep practicing and try to get better.

Peace,
Chud

[monkeyfoot]

ha I know what you mean mate

I record myself occassionally, and things I think were perfect are really sloppy. It is a real dissapointment when you think that you have got something down and when you rewatch it you actually dont.

I rewatch and rewatch and study where I have gone wrong. The stances that are off I take, digital image over and over until I get the perfect position. I also use mirrors if I have the option.

You will find, as I have, that you will improve drastically, even if you feel as if you aren't getting anyware.

After a few months, just take a look back at some of the first first videos you ever took of yourself.....will make you laugh at how far you have come along.

you're way better than me anyhow...so be happy
craig

[Judge Pen]

I know. Enlightenment is never painless. My treacher made the point that he has always watched himself on tape (he's been demo'ing since he was 5) I know now why his form is so good. I never thought my form approached his, but I really thought I was doing better than I was.

I needed a shock to change some apparaent bad habits I've been developing. I'm going out and buying a camera today. I'm going to record all of the forms I'm working on and use that to get better.

[monkeyfoot]

while you're at it and if you dont mind , chuck one online for us all to see.....
craig

[Judge Pen]

while you're at it and if you dont mind , chuck one online for us all to see.....
craig

I will. I promised a bit of Tiger/Crane to compare to another SD vid, and SanNjie for Vash years ago. I just never had a camera before.

[MasterKiller]

I'm always dissapointed when I see myself on video. My stances are always much higher than I think they are.

[sean_stonehart]

I'm always dissapointed when I see myself on video. My stances are always much higher than I think they are.

Me too... they always feel lower than they actually are. I'm never happy with the way I perform, so I just don't watch me if I can help it.

[MasterKiller]

I really hate watching myself spar. In my head I'm Jet Li in Fist of Legend, but when I watch the tapes I move more like Jerry Cooney.

[Mortal1]

This is why we all need constant polishing from a great teacher. Just showing someone a form and correcting a couple of moves isn't enough.

[Vash]

I will. I promised a bit of Tiger/Crane to compare to another SD vid, and SanNjie for Vash years ago. I just never had a camera before.

So, we get to see the elusive SanNjie? Dang. I was a gimp back when we talked about that. Tell you what - you get that up, then I'll throw one up of me doing Sanchin sans dynamic tension.

[Jules]

I know exactly how you feel. Usually when our class is crowded I somehow end all the way on the side where there is no mirror, thinking that I'm doing all right, up until I get corrected (thankfully.) And then when there are fewer people in the room and I do manage to see what I look like, it's always a shock. The words that come to mind are "flailing limbs." Really something to work on.

But video shows more to you than a mirror, though. I think it's because we're used to seeing ourselves in a mirror, and also because it's real-time: you can't stop to look at everything. When you see it on video, not only is it an unfamiliar format, but you can stop, rewind, look again. Then you really see the things you are doing wrong.

Anyway, I know how you feel.

~~Jules