forms

[Sam]

fujita san just out of interested - what set of TKD forms have you tried?

[Sabumnim]

TKD forms easy.

If you do them properly you should be exhausted, they aren't meant to confuse you.

Simplicity is a part of practicality, a complicated form wouldn't help anyone learn correct body movements. Anyone can be taught to do a pattern, but to do it perfectly is a different matter.

[EternalRage]

In terms of # of movements yea TKD forms don't have that many moves (I'm just gonna go ahead and assume fujita san is talking about WTF forms), most have less than 40 moves, which say compared to a 100 move kung fu form with flips and butterfly kicks is less complicated and easier to do. Compared to the advent of "Xtreme MA" and more acrobatic forms, yea they're easier. I especially found the "walking" stance to be of great amusement.

But that's just the physical stuff behind the TKD forms. There's supposedly a whole philosophical side of the forms based on the 8 triagrams of the IChing. To grasp that and any other more metaphysical parts of forms and training that in conjunction with the physical is hard. Very few TKDers actually take the time to do that. Fujita san's view of TKD forms may have been due to observing TKDers that don't take the time to put into their forms, since the growing trends in TKD (albeit this is a generalization, I know, its getting more true every day) show that sparring is the big thing... The encouragement of competition in TKD puts more emphasis on plastic trophies rather than spiritual development, which is a generalization too, but for the most part its more or less true.

So TKDers, research on your forms, put the time into them, and make it an art as much as possible, because honestly, from a physical viewpoint, with the other forms out there today, WTF TKD forms are not very impressive. So work to make up for that.

[Sam]

Eternal Rage; Ive never read anywhere anything about the trigrams of the IChing in relation to TKD patterns, and i research them a lot....

I would be greatly appreciative if you could post a link to any articles that concern that.

[are you referring to the Chang Hon form set, or The Tae Guk, Pal Gae, Songham - not all WTF styles practice the same group]

Thanks in advance!

[Aodhan]

Songham - not all WTF styles practice the same group]

If it is the Songahm forms, then it is ATA related, or the instructor is violating copyright.

Aodhan

[ninjanurse]

Check out this link:

http://www.natkd.com/taeguek.htm

[EternalRage]

I think the WTF's Taekwondo book written by Yeon Hwan Park, or the book titled Taegeuk: The New Forms of TaeKwonDo by Pu Gill Won also describe the 8 triagrams and WTF Forms which should either be TaeGeuks or Pal Gwes. I've never heard of WTF practicing any other forms instead of those (def seen other schools practicing additional forms)

[Sam]

Ah thats what i thought - I study the Chang Hon form set....thats probably why ive never heard of it

Aodhan - i was just listing form sets in no particular order....

[younwhagrl]

I study the palgue forms, then once we get to 2nd red we do name forms like Koryo etc. They are exhausting to me if you do them right, they are definatly NOT easy at all, learning is easy but trying to remember them, and doing them is the hard part, in our school we go all the way from basic 1 to your highest form, which mine right now is palgue 8, that's the exhausting part, but I enjoy doing forms! The best part of training in my opinion.

[frightmaster]

Having study the WTF forms I will say that the remembering of the actual poomse is on the easy side as a lot of forms in martial arts are. What I would say to this is that the technique behind doing these forms and katas are what makes them very difficult. Personally I practiced Taegeuk 8 on Saturday with my Master and I was exhausted from this. Any time a person practices forms they should be tired when complete. I have never seen a person NOT get tired.