Mood:
sharpTopic: physical training
For this discussion we will use two forms which I have on my youtube site.
One Stance, One Punch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIhB-0Vv9s
Cannon and Hammer Boxing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTtRIlPAddk
In each form, any form really, there is more than one way to do it. There is the teaching mode where the form is done at a medium speed and there is a pause between each defined technique. The stance work does not shift much and there isn't much power. A student often does not have the skill to recognize the movements and can only see the beginning and end of a movement. This recognition can actually be of the beginning of one movement to the end of a second or third movement.
The second way to perform any form is to allow the student to self define the movements. Attack, defense, joint locks, and throws are defined based upon the students own skills. The student simply imitates the teacher until the form is close enough. While this tends to make the form almost unrecognizable, it saves time for the teacher. The teacher receives an incredible insight into what is missing and the mental structures the student. This information will determine what is taught first and how in depth each individual concept is presented.
The third way is often the way most teachers present information. Each move is presented alone. One movement is taught, applications are shown and it is left to the student to combine the movements into a set. This way allows the instructor to teach in a very detailed way while still leaving out the concepts which define the form. Some styles, such as Karate, benefit from this type of training. Other styles don't.
What it all eventually comes down to is the attention paid by the teacher. If the teacher is lazy, the student can not hope to perform correctly. If the student is lazy then he or she will simply suck until they get their act together.
During the practice phase, there are other ways to perform a form that still do not require conceptual understanding. The form can be performed high, medium, or low. In addition, the form can be performed fast, slow, and medium along with powerful or precise. This gives you twelve variations of performance just when learning the form.
In any form, there will be hight variations, speed changes, angles of attack, and the direction of focus. This proper performance requires an understanding of the concepts. This is when we get into the two forms that were mentioned earlier. One Step, one punch is a simple form with simple movements. Each movement is self contained and the form will look choppy. The concept is that one stance generates the power and one punch can efficiently transmit that power. Multiple strikes will simply take away from that one punch. You do not blend movements. There aren't important movements and unimportant movements. The posture provides the power. the block opens the way, and the punch goes fore-ward. There are no tactics. If a move is blocked, you simply step to the next stance and punch again. Many people make the form too fluid and weaken the techniques. Some also make the hand movements so fast that the stances cannot keep up and the feet begin to roll. It is important that the feet be on the ground and the legs performing a stance when the strike is executed.
Cannon and Hammer boxing is the name. You strike as if your fist was a hammer shot from a cannon. This form almost looks like you were running or jumping into the opponent. The stances are large because you can't fire a cannon from a canoe. The punches are big and contain the whole body. Cannon and Hammer should result in the opponent actually flying back-wards or spinning just like the movies. Many people try and perform this form with solid stance-work which actually slows the fist down. The performer almost leaps into the next posture and the punches feel like you fell out a window.
Without the concepts it would be easy to make both forms look the same. If they were the same, One stance, one punch would look like the more advanced set from the intricate hand work. With the concepts, it becomes apparent that the intricate hand work is the result of the need for defense. Without the concepts Cannon and Hammer looks like a stance form with rudimentary punches. With the concept, it becomes apparent that cannon and hammer uses a tremendous amount of power and requires advance tactical knowledge to use correctly.
Your forms should not look the same.
It should be very difficult to do every form you know in a row.
Each form is a different aspect of your style which will be combined in fighting. In training they are separated so that details do not get lost.
Train hard.
Train smart.
Train better.
