Creat your own form.

[StirringMotion]

There was a thread about whether or not people have created their own styles, but as someone pointed out, everyone develops their own style of fighting after a while. People may be using the same styles for training and practice, but how they fight is different from one person to the next. My question is, has anyone gotten far enough in their training, or just felt confident enough in how they fight, to actually create a form based off their own unique way of fighting people? A form they perform regularly to keep techniques that they use frequently or that they favor fresh on their mind.

The reason I placed this question here is because of just how emphasized forms are in Chinese Martial Arts as opposed to other styles. Most of the time when you see a video for a Chinese Style, it's a form.

[bushido_man96]

I've never put a form together for that kind of purpose before. To be honest, I don't think I could put a form together like that. My mind just doesn't really think that way, I guess. I'd just rather have a partner to work on the stuff with than make a form to practice on my own. There are plenty of other forms already out there, and I really think there are better ways of transmitting that kind of information now than there were available at the time when forms transmission began.

Not a bad topic, though. I'd be interested to see if anyone else has tried it, and how they decided to put it all together.

[Alan Armstrong]

There is alot of information lost in forms. Also there is no allowances for strategic movements. Example if your opponent is: taller, stronger, skinner, slower, experienced, angry, the list goes on infinitely. Forms have there place like a foundation to build upon but imho shouldn't be any substitute for one on one sparring no matter how well the form is done. Creating one's own kata or form is not realistic in a practical way but combining a weapon in to a kata is. Actually combining lets say Samurai with TKD could be spectacular! I combined using two nunchaku with TkD in a kata demonstration at a MA tournament.

[lowereastside]

From what I was told by my teacher - No forms actually existed in Kung Fu. Forms where created later and with the passing of time - later generations created more forms and more forms. The founders of many of the Kung Fu styles supposedly had a clear understanding of their particular style and developed their forms accordingly. If one somewhat understands their particular style somewhat inside and out - then create a form. Problem today is that many individuals don't understand or think they understand and start putting movements together just for the sake of it. They start rearranging instead of a block punch its now a kick punch. Just my 3 cents worth.

[Alan Armstrong]

I've created my own style of moving but not a form to be duplicated. I'm sure what works for me doesn't work for the other guy. I no longer belong to a school because I don't conform to forms that do not work for me. I don't plan on creating my own form the same way I don't plan on creating a new tea making ceremony. I just make a tea without thinking about it. As I have made a cup of tea trillions of times before. A style of moving is far more advanced than creating one's own new form. All the animal movements that have been incorporated in MA also use that animal's fighting virtue. Robots can be programmed to move in a set pattern but it is the way people move that can make the form come alive.

[KeithBerg]

well even with the set forms you see differences.

We for instance in Ng Ying Kungfu practise a short form which is called: Gau Fu Kuen "Nine Tigers".

This form.is taught ti many people and even when the order of things are set you see very much diffences, because people grow from.their own roots. See it like writing, or driving a car the ways are the same but individual differences result in different details which is a good thing.

So creating an own form.is possible and can work ofcourse

[OneKickWonder]

If you create your own form, which I think is a good idea by the way purely for ones own personal development, how do you know the principles it conveys would actually work?

Some of the older forms come from a time when there were fewer reals and more live combat experience. But how do you test new ideas without smashing bits off a resisting opponent?

[bushido_man96]

If you create your own form, which I think is a good idea by the way purely for ones own personal development, how do you know the principles it conveys would actually work?

Some of the older forms come from a time when there were fewer reals and more live combat experience. But how do you test new ideas without smashing bits off a resisting opponent?

That's a good question. I think instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'd take moves that already portray distinct self-defense maneuvers and build my form out of them.

Unless I figured something out from my own unfortunate experience of self-defense, and could come up with a way to mimic that movement that would look different than anything I've already seen in a form.

[OneKickWonder]

If you create your own form, which I think is a good idea by the way purely for ones own personal development, how do you know the principles it conveys would actually work?

Some of the older forms come from a time when there were fewer reals and more live combat experience. But how do you test new ideas without smashing bits off a resisting opponent?

That's a good question. I think instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'd take moves that already portray distinct self-defense maneuvers and build my form out of them.

Unless I figured something out from my own unfortunate experience of self-defense, and could come up with a way to mimic that movement that would look different than anything I've already seen in a form.

I think it would have to be something that had been seen to work on multiple occasions against different attacks.

Otherwise lots of forms would portray the 'lucky punch' or even wrap one arm around the head while swinging the other arm wildly.

My point being, lots of things might work once, even if they are just blind panic reaction. That doesn't mean they are generally good moves.

[singularity6]

Heh, I've screwed up forms in class. I just say "I am making a new one!"