Forms: really necessary for combat

[jbclinic]

some or most forms display multiple attacks, that could help you flow in a street situation,some if not all teach you to hone your breath control,flexability etc, importantly forms whenpracticed helps biuld your awareness. so keep the forms for when you've mastered them then expand on them,forms could add to your tool box

 

[Eric Daniel]

some or most forms display multiple attacks, that could help you flow in a street situation,some if not all teach you to hone your breath control,flexability etc, importantly forms whenpracticed helps biuld your awareness. so keep the forms for when you've mastered them then expand on them,forms could add to your tool box

This is a great point. What kind of things can forms add to your tool box?

 

[Flying Crane]

This is a great point. What kind of things can forms add to your tool box?

Often, forms contain applications that are very obvious. But in addition, they often contain more subtle applications that are less obvious. If you study them closely, you may discover some things you didn't realize were there. I think this vagueness is at least partially responsible for why many people don't like forms. In our Western society and culture, we are accustomed to a learning environment in which all the information is handed to us on a silver platter, for easy taking. Forms can contain a lot of information that isn't always obvious, and you need to struggle with them in order to uncover what is inside. It can be frustrating, but if you give forms the attention they deserve, it can also be very rewarding.

 

[MJS]

This is a great point. What kind of things can forms add to your tool box?

Many things can be learned. This is the reason why its so very important to understand what the moves in the form are for. Stances, locks, throws, sweeps, blocks while transitioning from one move to the next...these are just a few things that can be learned.

Mike

 

[Eric Daniel]

Thats great, Everyone should analyze their forms and see what kind of applications they come up with!

 

[Kenpo_man]

I dunno. A person could say that Kenpo has about 150 of them--all very short. It's a matter of perspective, perhaps.

lol. I suppose that is true.

 

[Kenpo_man]

Forms are fun to do and look nice as some have already said but they do not include even close to enough of the dynamics of combat to properly prepare a person for combat. There are no feints, no contact (except for the rare two person form which, again, lacks feints) and no fear of being hit. Also, what about grappling. Grappling is an important factor for combat yet I've never seen a grappling art with a form to practice, only techniques.

Are you sure there is no form in grappling? Do you do rolls? I am sure there is "form" to rolling you just have to analyze it. When you do or at least first learn a takedown or throw don't you go step by step? That can be a form ( A really strange one but still a form.) I may be going over the edge a little bit but isn't there "form" to everything we do in life? There can be "form" when you are driving, cooking, cleaning etc.

Again, I suppose, but I was thinking more along the lines of kata. The series of prearranged movements, generally named(e.g. "pinan shodan" or "panther set").