Why Should We Bother With Forms?

Have you thought of this lately? 

Without Forms, there is no clarity,

Without clarity, there is mayhem,

With mayhem, there is disorder.

Wanna be good at Wing Chun?

Perfect Your Forms.

 

A simple question that could be presented to you either as a teacher, or delivered by you to your teacher, or even asked by a curious friend as to why you do such exercises in your training, is:

 

“Why do you do forms?”

What would your answer be?

 

Maybe at this point, and before reading on, you could take a moment to consider what your answer would be?

 

Here’s one viewpoint.

Over my last thirty-five-plus years of teaching, I have come to notice an unusual pattern, something that some of you may initially consider disagreeing with, and that pattern is that those who wish to learn Wing Chun just for street self-defence, seem to reach a ceiling level that those who study forms, do not.

 

Bruce Lee said that those who studies forms are limited in their progress and that you should be free from such restraints.

Well (and with the greatest respect), it is true that there may be some logic in this, but considering this observation, based on his own incredible skill set, came from a man who had previously studied form, I’m not sure if that is a blanket truth for everyone.

 

Let’s take the average new student (not Bruce Lee), who is wanting to learn Wing Chun for street work only, and having no interest in ‘silly form stuff’.

 

Firstly, any techniques taught to that individual, meaning all blocks and/or counters, with no structure in place for training, would likely forget most of this information by their next lesson, needing them to be retrained on a constant rotation.

Then in application of these moves, blocks may well be overcommitted, strikes telegraphed and the general defence becoming a struggle due to a lack of understanding the triggers from their opponents.

But, if we look at this in reverse, taking that person through a structure of form work first, then we have every chance of seeing a different pattern emerge.

 

Let’s begin by looking at forms as a way of cataloguing the arsenal of tools available to you, both in defence and offence, by collating them in easy to remember patterns, physical textbooks if you will.

Next, after remembering the hand positions through Siu Lim Tau (whilst developing leg strength in the basic stance), we then move on to understand how we can use these shapes in motion, through our Chum Kiu.

 

Before getting to the nitty-gritty of the second form, we do need to realise that these positions used in the first form, are simply basics, and their applications MUST be open to interpretation.

What I mean by this is, a Tan Sau (for instance), can be used higher, lower, used forwards, or backwards, or even to the side, combined with a turn, or a step or even from a static position.

BUT, before we start changing it to suite our needs, we need to know what it actually is, or, what we are going to be changing it from.

Without understanding this idea of a default setting, all hell breaks loose and nothing will be successful.

Oh, and let’s not forget, that is all this is, a default setting, a guideline, as these positions are NOT set in stone.

 

Too many people take what is learned on lesson-one as gospel and refuse to adapt their shapes, “But my teacher told me this, and I once saw  a photo of Ip Man doing it”, not only is this dangerous, but it is also ridiculous.

What is important, is to understand that when we see an image of a Tan Sau, or a Bong Sau let’s say, this shape, is nearly always being shown, before, we have gained a contact, therefore it is showing a recommended distance in which we would like to gain the interaction, not one of actual interaction.

 

I am sure you will agree that the Tan Sau and Bong Sau (as a beginner), rotate at the wrist, keeping the wrist both in centreline, and the same distance away from the body, a very basic presentation and one we were all shown.  BUT, to try to keep that Bong at Tan distance against a strong attack, it will be destroyed, and as for Chi Sau, if the Bong was to be held away from the body against any forward pressure, it would be pulled down, and your arms trapped.  Oh and in both Bong cases, how could you Lap from a Bong if you never allowed for it to draw in, in the first place?

 

Anyway, rant over, back to the forms.

 

So, Siu Lim Tau taught us what a Bong looks like (pre-contact), and Chum Kiu, shows us how to use it in transit (with the turn and gaining a contact), while at the same time understanding how far to turn in our stance, and without overcommitting our arms.

Another benefit of formwork, is learning to know when is enough and when is too much, I mean, how can you possibly wish to control your opponent if you are not able to control yourself?

We all know the expression,

‘Practice makes perfect’

 

But of course, it does not, Practice makes permanent, it is only ‘Perfect’ practice that makes perfect, hence the need to drill forms diligently.

Allow me to be distracted again for a moment when I now ask this question:

 

‘What IS the perfect form?’

 

A tricky one indeed, you may think perfection is getting every move crisp, and fast, and powerful, but is it really?  No, because, unless that form is organic, a part of you, having character and soul, then everything else is superficial.

Though I’ll save that for the next blog, look out for:

‘The Four Stages of Form’

 

Now, back to this post:

If you play your Siu Lim Tau, and you do play forms by the way, just as you play in Chi Sau, learning through play, allowing you to take chances which you might not take should there be the fear of getting hit, then your form will gain not only the correct hand position, but comfort when using it (organic).

These positions when played in Chi Sau (after much training of forms), will have developed boundaries, an understanding of what is safe and what is not,

 

“Never do anything you cannot recover from”

 

These attack and defence will then give you an awareness of intention and keep you in control, turning your techniques from defence to intuition, reading changes in stance, shifts in weight and telegraphing through tensions.

Now we start to use this same skill set, before we even gain the contact.

Reading intention in others will remind you not to show these triggers yourself, to define ranges and weapon of choice, NOW you are starting to be able to defend yourself, and what’s more, you will not even recognise it.

So do not put down forms, just because you do not see the results immediately.

If you planted some seeds, would you be disappointed if the very next day there were not flowers ready to prune?

Forms sow the seeds today, that we will enjoy tomorrow (but not literally), so enjoy each and every aspect of your Wing Chun as you learn and grow, and before you know it you will have everything you ever expected, and more.

 

Thank you for reading