Number of Forms??

[nanfeishen]

Do you feel that a system that has 4 or 5 forms, is any better or any worse than a system that has 40, 50 or more forms to it?

[David]

I'min no position to judge, but I have been wondering about styles with high form-counts.

 

If the style requires 50 or 90 forms to express it, how integrated is it? Can content from all forms be used with content from all the others? How do you make 10,000 techniques your own instinctive arsenal?

 

My own mantis expanded from 4 or 5 to 30+ now. The main cause of this is that techniques used once in a particular form were drawn out and put into their own form so they get more attention/practice. Is the resulting form really a form worthy of the name, or a glorified drill? Do styles with 90 or more forms really just have a huge number of tedious drills, two for every technique?

 

Rgds,

 

David

[nanfeishen]

I can understand how movements can be drawn out of a form to create another form as to perfect the particular movements, and i can understand that some systems incorporate a large number of weapons and this adds to form count , but how many, if any, systems have a form that is taught maybe as the last form of the hand forms that has all the preceding techniques of the various forms in one? A form that can be practised by the seniors that covers the system, granted it would probabily have to be a long form , maybe reduced to 2 maximum 3 forms that incorporate the whole system. I am refering to stand alone systems when i speak about these forms , not obviously mixed systems of the various animal forms.

[ovine king]

just want to point out, in some chinese styles, when you talk of a 'form' in english, it IS in reality just a simple mini-sequence of techniques that have been put together as a flow drill.

 

it is a kind of form but isn't a form in the 'classical' sense.

 

in a very loose way, a form is more of a learning tool. the mini-forms/drills are practice tools.

 

very slight difference but at the same time, quite a big difference.

[Chaz]

In my art, forms aren't meant to be memorized and remembered, the point of forms in San Soo is to expose you to various types of situations and different alternatives so that if a situation were to arise, you'll have much experiance and many ways to deal with any situation without having to utilize a specific technique...

[InsaneTigerCrane]

forms are designed to build your mind body coordination. your mind tells your body what to do. everything from timing to intensity, right down to the exact placement of each finger. it all helps your overall coordination, which is a factor in a self defense situation(coordination that is). however i don't think that someone who knows 10 forms should be considered better than someone who only knows 5.

some people have better natural coordination than others.

[dtstiachi]

The quantity of forms you have under your belt is not the important issue. How is the quality of the forms you know. Are they solid? Learn a few moves/forms well instead of being a form mill machine.

[Ali]

Frankly speaking, the fewer form the school have, the

easier the school to promote.

You can see Wing Chun got usually

3 fist form, 1 knife form, 1 stickplay and 1 wooden dummy.

Taking seven star praying mantis as an example,

indeed, many form from 1 st form to 2 nd form are usually

duplicated the technique and may be added only 1 special

technique that 1 st form do not have.

This may be good to set a good foundation in ancient time.

But in modern world, is it still workable?

I am not sure.

[KeithBerg]

in 5 animal kungfu we have many forms.

But emphasis should be on quality instead of: the more the better.

in our ng ying kungfu system it is better to do a few things very well then many things very weak