Create your own form

[David Jamieson]

I don't see value in creating forms.
You either understand what you have and are able to apply it or not.
I don't even think a set is required to learn and rather it is a traditional thing of keeping a style conformed.

But, it's not like that doesn't fall apart too. What with 20 different versions fo some same style and each claims to be better. Making forms would just serve to add to a pile of confusion already. It doesn't display any particular martial ability as far as application goes.

the real test of any style is the fight. did you win? how? what worked? etc.

[YouKnowWho]

It doesn't display any particular martial ability as far as application goes.

It depends on how you will define a "style". Take the Yang Taiji for example. It has only one long 108 moves forms. Can you find a foot sweep, or hip throw in it? It's not in that form. You may add a set of 50 individual drills along with the form. If you link those 50 drills, that's another form whether you want to call it or not. In your library, you can have 1 book or more than 1 books. It only has to do with teaching reference.

[PalmStriker]

One thing's for sure. If you don't do/practice certain tasks with your body you will not be able to at any given time. Forms can keep your muscle strength intact to perform if needed, and when not needed for defense/war, you will have your kungfu balance. Training different muscles in one form does not usually mean you will be able to do the same things/results as someone training in another form. Noticeably. Things I used to do I can no longer do. I know how and even though my weight and muscular build is the same I do not have the muscle strength to perform the movements. That is why I am creating a set that includes all the things I want to be able to do at a moment's notice, not just power strikes for crushing an opponent.

[YouKnowWho]

Things I used to do I can no longer do.

I find "right front kick with left hand touch right instep", "double jumping crescent kicks", and "tornado kick" are harder and harder to do when I get older. If I don't do combo drill such as:

- right front kick with left hand touch right instep,
- right double jumping crescent kicks,
- left double jumping crescent kicks,
- tornado kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=mUIcIwRJIT4

I'm sure the day when I'm 80 years old, I won't be able to do that any more. Whether it has combat value or not, it's great for "health maintance"

[YouKnowWho]

It will be nice that there is a form that contain:

- jab, cross, hook, uppercut, hammer fist, back fist, ...
- horizontal elbow, downward elbow, upward elbow, double side elbows, ...
- front kick, side kick, roundhouse kick, hook kick, ...
- upward knee, horizontal knee, 45 degree knee, flying knee, ...
- finger lock, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock,
- single leg, hip throw, leg lift, foot sweep, ...
- ...

If we learn that form. we will have all the tools that we need.

[PalmStriker]

I find "right front kick with left hand touch right instep", "double jumping crescent kicks", and "tornado kick" are harder and harder to do when I get older. If I don't do combo drill such as:

- right front kick with left hand touch right instep,
- right double jumping crescent kicks,
- left double jumping crescent kicks,
- tornado kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=mUIcIwRJIT4

I'm sure the day when I'm 80 years old, I won't be able to do that any more. Whether it has combat value or not, it's great for "health maintance"

I hear you, Sifu, That health maintenance part of it is the beauty of TCMA. Like Yum Cha had posted earlier, the martial techniques imbedded in a health maintenance form set is ideal kungfu.

[PalmStriker]

Also, besides health maintenance and combat techniques there are embedded in forms exercises that enable one to perform evasive actions and of course, positioning, and share equal importance. Here is a vid showing a particular exercise at 2:17 that I used to do, 4-5 consecutive, also holding my son when he was little until he weighed 60 lbs. Karate training has a similar exercise of sorts for the same purpose but not this training for this kind of control. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxqh1sREiBs

[-N-]

It will be nice that there is a form that contain:

- jab, cross, hook, uppercut, hammer fist, back fist, ...
- horizontal elbow, downward elbow, upward elbow, double side elbows, ...
- front kick, side kick, roundhouse kick, hook kick, ...
- upward knee, horizontal knee, 45 degree knee, flying knee, ...
- finger lock, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock,
- single leg, hip throw, leg lift, foot sweep, ...
- ...

If we learn that form. we will have all the tools that we need.

The particular sequence and the methods of transition will be more interesting than the individual tools or techniques.

What is your personal style, preference, or approach?

The techniques are not your system.

[YouKnowWho]

The tools are what you use. How to make your tools work is your system.

[-N-]

The tools are what you use. How to make your tools work is your system.

Yep, pretty much everyody has the same tools.

How the system uses them is the interesting part.

[YouKnowWho]

Yep, pretty much everyody has the same tools.

How the system uses them is the interesting part.

The difference is if you train

- "style" first, you will say that certain tools are against your style principle.
- "tools" first, when you find that your style doesn't use certain tools, you will find another style that uses those tools.

Some people believe that "style" will develop your body and power. Tools are not important. That kind of thinking is not realistic to me. If you don't train "hook punch", and if your style also doesn't have "hook punch", no matter how long that you may train your style, it willl not help your "hook punch" development.

[-N-]

The difference is if you train

- "style" first, you will say that certain tools are against your style principle.
- "tools" first, when you find that your style doesn't use certain tools, you will find another style that uses those tools.

It's not either/or. You can train style and tools at the same time. That is how my teacher taught, and how I teach.

[YouKnowWho]

Many years ago when I still worked for IBM, one of my projects was to build an "Object Builder". My "Object Builder" contains many basic tools such as:

- text field,
- image field,
- text button,
- select button,
- ...

By dragging and dropping those basic tools, one can construct:

- menu bar,
- pop up menu,
- pull down menu,
- text editor,
- image editor,
- ...

If you have a toolbox that contain all the tools that you need, you can build a lot of complicate objects by using it. The "Object Builder" concept can be applied on MA as well. After you have learned how the combat tools work, all you need to learn after that is how to:

- set it up?
- link them into a logical order.
- ...

[YouKnowWho]

Sometime people may say that the form is just one part of training. The application is usually trained via partner drills.

Here is the issue. How many partner drills do you have in your style? 20? 50? 100? 200? ... How do you expect your next generation to be able to remember all those individual "partner drills"?

What's the best way to "record" those information so it won't be losed? Have the TCMA forms "recorded" all the information that's needed to be recorded? I don't know about other styles. As far as the longfist system, the "head circling" is not recorded in any of the longfist forms.