[It is Fake]

I can not find this magazine. I guess that is a good thing?

[ChickenBeakFist]

Originally Posted by It is Fake

I can not find this magazine. I guess that is a good thing?

The summer before my junior year in high school I got a job moving boxes in a warehouse. One day I actually fell for the "Go to the hardware store and ask for a can of striped paint" prank.

I would consider the public purchase of Kung Fu Magazine only slightly less humiliating.

[It is Fake]

Originally Posted by ChickenBeakFist

The summer before my junior year in high school I got a job moving boxes in a warehouse. One day I actually fell for the "Go to the hardware store and ask for a can of striped paint" prank.

I would consider the public purchase of Kung Fu Magazine only slightly less humiliating.

I don't know why?

The "public" still thinks a Black Belt, in any art, is an huge accomplishment and a gauge of fighting skill.

You know what is funny? Did anyone see who was on the cover of BB Magazine last month?

[lkfmdc]

Originally Posted by Ronin.74

My intructor had the same reaction when he saw it.

At the risk of falling into my standard "carry on" mode, the attempt to introduce forms into San Shou/San Da is missing the entire point. It isn't WHAT you practice, it is HOW you practice. Much (but not "all") of what San Shou/San Da people do is TCMA from a variety of sources/traditions. The (should be obvious?) fundamental difference is that instead of practicing by way of forms, they practice them "alive"... which, I would argue, is why they can actually use them :)

Trying to introduce forms is going backwards IMHO

[ChickenBeakFist]

Originally Posted by lkfmdc

Trying to introduce forms is going backwards IMHO

As an instructor, would you mind speaking to this a little more? Have you seen other San Dan/Sanshou coaches defend or encourage the practice of forms? What would be the justification? The only thing I can think of is making it more palatable to non-fighters. I can't imagine it would be considered a useful training tool for full-contact fighters and their trainers. Just like I can't imagine you could convince Eddie Van Halen that he would really improve his playing by doing more air guitar.

Originally Posted by It Is Fake

You know what is funny? Did anyone see who was on the cover of BB Magazine last month?

At least it's a stab at relevance. Its cringe-worthiness is comparable to the times when your parents would attempt to "hang" with you and your friends, but it's a lot less embarassing than Kung Fu Magazine. I just can't imagine someone saying "Fist of Intention" with a straight face in this day and age. I'm sure it happens. I'm sure there are people that still believe in voodoo and witchcraft, but I don't consider it any less wacky.

[It is Fake]

Originally Posted by ChickenBeakFist

At least it's a stab at relevance. Its cringe-worthiness is comparable to the times when your parents would attempt to "hang" with you and your friends,

Wow better you than me. My parents never tried to be hip.

[ChickenBeakFist]

Originally Posted by It is Fake

Wow better you than me. My parents never tried to be hip.

You are indeed fortunate that you missed my dad's brief, regrettable, "punk" phase

[lkfmdc]

Originally Posted by ChickenBeakFist

As an instructor, would you mind speaking to this a little more? Have you seen other San Dan/Sanshou coaches defend or encourage the practice of forms? What would be the justification? The only thing I can think of is making it more palatable to non-fighters. I can't imagine it would be considered a useful training tool for full-contact fighters and their trainers. Just like I can't imagine you could convince Eddie Van Halen that he would really improve his playing by doing more air guitar.

I am a professional/commercial instructor, ie I make my living teaching so my school is a business. I have over 300 students. Less than 10% are competitive/fighters

IE we appeal just fine to normal human beings without forms. Of the "big 7", ie the full time san shou/san da programs in the US, I can't name one that does forms. As an interesting side statistic, in over a decade no one from a traditional (ie "forms") school has ever beaten a "big 7" athlete in a national level San Da match.

Forms are like outhouses, they sure did have some use in the past, but technology has come up with better ways to address the problem

[ChickenBeakFist]

Originally Posted by lkfmdc

Forms are like outhouses, they sure did have some use in the past, but technology has come up with better ways to address the problem

Much appreciated.

[Ming Loyalist]

this discussion seems to have drifted a bit, but i feel the need to add my 2 cents...

i agree 100% that creating "sanda forms" is really backwards and counter-productive. the idea is just plain silly to me.

that being said, i do not discourage forms work as part of a student's kung fu training (although if their stated goal is to train for sanda competition i would suggest that they either put off forms training until after they have reached their competition goals OR have them limit their forms training to a couple hours a week maximum.)

what i have been able to do, is to more easily explain a concept in my sanda class through reference to a particular part of a form. of course if the student has not learned that form, i don't make the reference. this method has been very successful for me when teaching someone who has spent years concentrating on forms work and now wants to do sanda training, in that they are sometimes able to quickly learn a technique once i make the connection for them.