Does your fighting look like your forms?

[jks9199]

Let me expand on what I meant when I started this thread, because many valid points have been brought up.

First, almost every system contains something that can be identified as a form, whether it's a very "informal form" like shadowboxing, or a very prescribed "formal form" like the various kata of Karate. Some are drills that are in-between, and some are done solo while others are done with a partner. Beyond that, there are characteristics of the various styles, in which I include choices of techniques (low or high kicks, kicks or punches or throws, etc), preferences of range (some are long, some short), or methods of defense and attack, stances, and so on. The forms tend to embody or demonstrate these principles -- though some of them are more deceptive than others. (There are other subsets of forms, like pure demonstration which may have no direct application; they aren't my subject here.)

When we spar, we try to practice these principles, I hope. We achieve greater or lesser degrees of success -- and some people's sparring bears little resemblance to what they are allegedly practicing... (The real world never bears a perfect resemblance to it; that's the nature of reality.) Or at least that's my goal in training. To have what I do be recognizable as what my teacher taught; to do in application what I claim to practice in forms, drills, and exercises. My stance should be recognizable; my techniques and strategies should be clearly from my system -- not some unidentifiable mess. And that should hold whether I'm practicing light contact or full contact, or even (to a reasonable degree) when I have to use force for real.

That's my goal. I achieve it to a greater or lesser degree. I had the privilige of judging some beautifully fought matches a few months ago; the students fighting had clearly been training hard in one particular sub-system, and they fought like it! It was great to see... and fun to watch. They had STYLE.

 

[bluemtn]

I use a good amount of things out of my forms, primarily the strikes since forms are supposed to be you imagining opponents. However, I don't do the low stances and moves that are meant for displays of balance.

 

[CuongNhuka]

I use a good amount of things out of my forms, primarily the strikes since forms are supposed to be you imagining opponents. However, I don't do the low stances and moves that are meant for displays of balance.

Low stances have there fighting applications. Ever heard of Hung Gar? When they go at it, they use low deep stances. Judo guys also use alot of low deep stances. It's really easy to unbalance somebody from a low deep stance, many kicks are also alot easier from a low deep stance.

 

[Grenadier]

In most traditional Karate systems, when you practice your kata, or even practice your fundamentals, you'll take time to cross both arms, and throw a block. Or, you'll take time to chamber the hand, and throw a full turn punch.

However, in a "real" fight, you will not have time to do so, that the block suddenly becomes nothing more than an extension of one's arm, or the punch isn't chambered, etc.

Does this mean that the above training is useless? Of course not. While the methods are different, they can still compliment each other. Someone who trains repeatedly crossing the arms, chambering the hand back, etc., is going to gain a good bit of conditioning in doing so, and that when it comes time for them to throw a "quick" block or punch, that they're going to be in a better shape than they would have, had they not practiced that way.

Furthermore, someone who practices the full extent of the movement, can adapt such a movement to other purposes. For example, the arm crossing that happens during the performance of chudan uke, can be easily adapted to perform an arm lock. Someone who does not practice the full movement, and just sticks out his arm, isn't going to be able to draw such a conclusion as easily.

 

[CuongNhuka]

In most traditional Karate systems, when you practice your kata, or even practice your fundamentals, you'll take time to cross both arms, and throw a block. Or, you'll take time to chamber the hand, and throw a full turn punch.

However, in a "real" fight, you will not have time to do so, that the block suddenly becomes nothing more than an extension of one's arm, or the punch isn't chambered, etc.

Does this mean that the above training is useless? Of course not. While the methods are different, they can still compliment each other. Someone who trains repeatedly crossing the arms, chambering the hand back, etc., is going to gain a good bit of conditioning in doing so, and that when it comes time for them to throw a "quick" block or punch, that they're going to be in a better shape than they would have, had they not practiced that way.

Furthermore, someone who practices the full extent of the movement, can adapt such a movement to other purposes. For example, the arm crossing that happens during the performance of chudan uke, can be easily adapted to perform an arm lock. Someone who does not practice the full movement, and just sticks out his arm, isn't going to be able to draw such a conclusion as easily.

You have just summed up why Cuong Nhu is a forms based system, and why we put empasis on proper loads and cambering. May I quote you next time a thread like this is brought up?