By modern, I mean that you are not constantly in the horse stance. And yes, my instructor does a great job of teaching me the application of forms. I practise my forms a lot, and I enjoy it. But if I were to get into a fight, I would NOT keep my hands at my waist, and I would not fight in the horse stance. I have been taught the forms , I have seen the forms, I have performed the forms, and anyone who has ever been in a physical confrontation will agree, that are hardly applicable (Hope I used that right). And to the person that said you should keep your hands are your waist... that is just rediculous. Fight someone with your hands lower than chin level, see what happens. I will just tell you, they will hit you in the chin, and you will be knocked out. I'd much rather damage the back of my fist than my face. Mobility is the key to fighting, you cannot keep your head in one place, with your back straight, and your legs firmly planted in a fight. What good is a strong stance if you are being hit? Watch any Vale Tudo fights, do you ever see a horse stance, cat stance, dragon stance, bow and arrow stance? No, and if you do, the person that is in that stance is about to get seriously injured. They keep their hands high, because they know that if they get hit in the face hard, it WILL hurt. You may think your training has made you invincible, but it has not. Hold your hands high and don't stand still. Read some of Bruce Lee's books.