What do you call your forms?

[Jas0n]

At American Karate they have names to associate the froms.
I learned Alternating Mace. Sword of Destruction...and so fourth are all American Kenpo forms named like these? is the nameing convention accross the board or per specific dojo?

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Jas0n
At American Karate they have names to associate the froms.
I learned Alternating Mace. Sword of Destruction...and so fourth are all American Kenpo forms named like these? is the nameing convention accross the board or per specific dojo?

In American Kenpo, they are the same across the board,
as you've stated. However, those are not forms, they are
self defense techniques. The forms are called Short Form and
Long Form, followed by a number .... eg. Short Form 1, Long
Form 1, Short Form 2, etcetera.

 

[Jas0n]

Originally posted by Kirk
In American Kenpo, they are the same across the board,
as you've stated. However, those are not forms, they are
self defense techniques. The forms are called Short Form and
Long Form, followed by a number .... eg. Short Form 1, Long
Form 1, Short Form 2, etcetera.

so whats a form? a bunch of self defense techniques put together?
In order to get your Yellow belt there is like 12 of these techniques you have to master..does that sound right?

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Jas0n
so whats a form? a bunch of self defense techniques put together?

Hopefully someone who knows more than I do will chime in here,
but a form isn't necessarily a bunch of techniques all put together,
however, there are some techniques inside some
forms ... or so I hear. I'm only learning Long Form 1 right now.
Short Form 1 and Long Form 1 don't have specific techniques in
them, to my knowledge.

My current understanding is that both teach you 'motion' and
'how to flow'. One of the cool things about American Kenpo is
that there's no wasted motion. If someone attacks you, you and
I will eventually be taught that the closest weapon attacks
(defends) your opponent. And then the closest weapon after
that, and then the closest weapon after that. Not only the closest
weapon, but the most effective motion in which to use that
weapon. Both forms and self defense techniques are supposed
to teach us that. There's also Sets, and I'll bet you need to learn
at least one set for yellow also, that are isolated movements to
help teach effective motion. Have you been told about the "Star
Blocking Set" ?

Originally posted by Jas0n
In order to get your Yellow belt there is like 12 of these techniques you have to master..does that sound right?

In my school there were 11, and I've seen a lot that had 10. So
I guess 12 would be about right. Maybe it's 11 and 1 set?

I don't really know much, I've only been studying for a little over
a year, so someone with more experience can provide more help,
or explain it better.

 

[ikenpo]

Originally posted by Jas0n
so whats a form? a bunch of self defense techniques put together?
In order to get your Yellow belt there is like 12 of these techniques you have to master..does that sound right?

Hey,

It's Kirk jr. Great questions JasOn. Take care of him Kirk...

jb:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by jbkenpo
Hey,

It's Kirk jr. Great questions JasOn. Take care of him Kirk...

jb:asian:

:shrug:



:roflmao:

 

[Jas0n]

Kirk, if you dont mind me asking in a year what belt have you become? and how mnay days a week have you gone?

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Jas0n
Kirk, if you dont mind me asking in a year what belt have you become? and how mnay days a week have you gone?

For the first 9 months or so, we had class offered twice a week.
Now it's offered 4 times per week, and I get to make it in about
3 times per week.

I'm a purple belt, but I have enough time in to be a green belt.
I took time off when my wife had a baby, and then I got
pneumonia and had to take time off then too. I'm a bit anal in
wanting to be able to perform the techniques at a certain degree
of competency that I am comfortable with, and I'm
overweight. I won't be testing anymore until I lose some more
weight. Although I've lost some, the tests are becoming pretty
intense now, so I'd like to be able to handle them easier than I
do right now.

 

[Jas0n]

Originally posted by Kirk
For the first 9 months or so, we had class offered twice a week.
Now it's offered 4 times per week, and I get to make it in about
3 times per week.

I'm a purple belt, but I have enough time in to be a green belt.
I took time off when my wife had a baby, and then I got
pneumonia and had to take time off then too. I'm a bit anal in
wanting to be able to perform the techniques at a certain degree
of competency that I am comfortable with, and I'm
overweight. I won't be testing anymore until I lose some more
weight. Although I've lost some, the tests are becoming pretty
intense now, so I'd like to be able to handle them easier than I
do right now.

Congrates on the baby!!!
My wife and i have a 10 month old and one due in july.
i am 35lbs over weight I was hoping I would lose it within 6 months...maybe I wont be able to? Have you lost any?

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Jas0n
Congrates on the baby!!!
My wife and i have a 10 month old and one due in july.
i am 35lbs over weight I was hoping I would lose it within 6 months...maybe I wont be able to? Have you lost any?

Thanks, and congrats both times to you. Mine is 1 yr old now.

I've lost about 50 lbs, and really have over 100 left to go.
On a positive note about that, my cholesterol, triglycerides, all
my blood work, and blood pressure reached "superbly healthy
levels" according to my doctor. They weren't healthy at all when
I first started.

In my working at losing weight, I realized that my diet isn't as
healthy as it needs to be. I wasn't necessarily fooling myself,
I just wasn't aware. A lot of it caught me off guard. So now that
I'm doing physical activity, I'm going to focus on proper diet.
Plus, not that it's an excuse, I got into kenpo, and have a passion
for it that I didn't expect to have when I started. I just thought
it'd be a fun way to get some exercise. I found myself focusing
heavily on kenpo, and not too much on weight loss. I was at
the point where during calisthenics I was thinking to myself,
"lets hurry up through this exercise crap so we can do some
kenpo!!" I've found that by focusing on making the exercises
strict, and tough on myself, that the weight loss comes a bit
quicker. Which is what I was doing when I first started, and kind
of lost the path on for awhile there.

 

[Jas0n]

Originally posted by Kirk
Thanks, and congrats both times to you. Mine is 1 yr old now.

I've lost about 50 lbs, and really have over 100 left to go.
On a positive note about that, my cholesterol, triglycerides, all
my blood work, and blood pressure reached "superbly healthy
levels" according to my doctor. They weren't healthy at all when
I first started.

In my working at losing weight, I realized that my diet isn't as
healthy as it needs to be. I wasn't necessarily fooling myself,
I just wasn't aware. A lot of it caught me off guard. So now that
I'm doing physical activity, I'm going to focus on proper diet.
Plus, not that it's an excuse, I got into kenpo, and have a passion
for it that I didn't expect to have when I started. I just thought
it'd be a fun way to get some exercise. I found myself focusing
heavily on kenpo, and not too much on weight loss. I was at
the point where during calisthenics I was thinking to myself,
"lets hurry up through this exercise crap so we can do some
kenpo!!" I've found that by focusing on making the exercises
strict, and tough on myself, that the weight loss comes a bit
quicker. Which is what I was doing when I first started, and kind
of lost the path on for awhile there.

thats Awesome man! I really hope i can lose it...I am starting to get dicouraged already and I have only been to 4 lessons. I just feel like I cant lose

 

[SingingTiger]

Originally posted by Jas0n
I really hope i can lose it...I am starting to get dicouraged already and I have only been to 4 lessons. I just feel like I cant lose

You can lose it, Jason, don't get discouraged.

On the surface, it's fairly simple: whether you gain weight or lose it comes down to how many calories you take in versus how many you burn off. Increased exercise burns off more calories, so I'm sure your kenpo workouts will help, just don't expect overnight miracles.

Below the surface, it gets more complicated when you factor in "why." Why does someone want to take in more calories than they know they should, why might someone not want to get as much exercise as they should, etc. But with the right attitude, and sometimes with a little help from others, you should be able to do what you need to do.

Just remember that outward appearance doesn't necessarily tell the story that you think it might. My dad's always been the type that can eat a 2-pound meal and only gain 3 ounces, while my mom's always been the type that eats a 2-pound meal and gains 3 pounds . Yet it was my dad who had the heart attack at 57, because, although his outward appearance was fine, he wasn't healthy inside. A healthy mind and a healthy body are equally important in my opinion.

Getting back to the topic of the thread, I'll offer my two cents. A form is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order, much like a choreographed "dance." While it's good to imagine an opponent taking the brunt of your movements, they're generally done alone (though I've heard of practicing forms "against" an opponent in order to visualize the opponent better when practicing alone). A self-defense technique is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order in response to a specific attack. These are generally taught without an opponent, but must be practiced with an opponent in order to become proficient enough to actually use the technique in a real-life situation (that's my opinion, anyway). At my school, we're generally taught that forms should be performed smoothly, while self-defense techniques should be performed with hard, fast motions, but that varies greatly from school to school.

Finally, I'll second something that Kirk said: I, too, used to think "C'mon, let's get on with the kenpo" when I was doing calisthenics in class. But I've found that they're a very important part of the whole.

Good luck!

Rich

 

[Michael Billings]

Think about Forms as teaching Principles and Concepts, teaching opposites and reverses. Unlike other systems, Kenpo Forms are not necessarily "fighting", but rather learning proper basics (in motion.) That is not to say they do not have a fighting application, they most certainly do. Those who have worked with Huk or Mr. Conatser can understand the depth of what is taught ... since they make sure and let you know how much more there is to learn about any form ... and yes, that is at my level also.

I could expound, but figure I don't want to end this thread, it is going somewhere cool.

-Michael
Kenpo-Texas.com

 

[jfarnsworth]

Originally posted by Kirk
I've lost about 50 lbs, and really have over 100 left to go.

Kirk, that's awesome way to go. Keep up the work. Always remember just take it pound by pound.

 

[Chronuss]

first off, I'm a newbie and an average MA-ist, so my opinion might have no credit, but I'd like to offer it anyways. SingingTiger said it very eloquently:

A form is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order, much like a choreographed "dance." While it's good to imagine an opponent taking the brunt of your movements, they're generally done alone (though I've heard of practicing forms "against" an opponent in order to visualize the opponent better when practicing alone). A self-defense technique is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order in response to a specific attack. These are generally taught without an opponent, but must be practiced with an opponent in order to become proficient enough to actually use the technique in a real-life situation.

take Short 1 for example. as you progress, you'll see that Short 1 is just a rearrangement of Blocking Set. The Forms "are expressions of basic skills." they show that you know the movements, can execute the techniques (blocks, punches, strikes, etc.) effectively. the Self-Defense Techniques are a series of predermined movements that can be effective against a certain situation. Delayed Sword: front right hand lapel grab. granted there are many techniques against lapel grabs, but each technique is thought to be better against a certain circumstance or situation or even in a certain environment.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by Kirk
I've lost about 50 lbs, and really have over 100 left to go.

Great Job Kirk..... Gary Catherman has lost a ton, and I'm down 27 lbs since Jan 1,..... so I'm hot on your heels..... and gonna catch and pass you up, so keep steady...... or repeat several times......... "stay on target... stay on target"!

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by Jas0n
So whats a form? A bunch of self defense techniques put together?

It can be. Forms and sets are "Kenpo Tools" under the basics division of our Art. There are several uses for them. The first 4 forms in AK are the dictionaries to the system, the next are considered the encyclopedia's and the sets are the appendices to the system.

Each have a specific theme and underlying uses. Like you have stated ....... there are forms that contain "Self Defense Techniques", either of a specific nature (punches, grabs, weapons, etc.) yet others can contain all the Yellow Belt Techniques (Yellow Belt Form), and still others that specifically focus on takedowns or other categories of Kenpo.

They are multi-dimensional..... some are just to develop certain coordination's, while others hone in on kicks. As you can see there are many uses and at the same time each has embryonic to sophisticated underlying elements to them.

Work hard on them and discover what is "REALLY" there.

:asian: