500 forms

[Hungsing]

Nobody can know 500 forms, it's too much to remember. Each form carries with it the techniques and all that stuff, so it's too much knowledge to learn and you can't learn that in a lifetime. I mean somebody might know 500 forms, but that somebody can only perform them and probably doesn't know the techniques.

[hurricane88]

"memorizing" 500 forms is not as daunting as you would think, since every form, at least the ones that I have always done, have a particular flow that you can grasp after a while. Then your just adding in more. Although probably more difficult, I would say that the difficulty in memorizing 500 forms could be comparable to memorizing 2000 Chinese characters and their uses. But that's just me, being a big fan of Asian languages. :) But, as was already posted, being able to fully utilize 500 forms would be overkill technique wise. There are only so many ways that the human body can effectively be used as a weapon, and 500 stand-up forms are far too many.

[Golden Spider]

Consider the number "500" as demonstrative of "quarter" forms. That means attacker AND defender side from a right, and left hand lead. That yields -4- differant, but the same, forms. This translates into 125 "complete" forms. Consider also 18 weapons and 5 animals, throw in your multipiers, hidden movements based on iron palm or Dim "whatever" techniques, and you end up with a lot of forms.
So how many weapon forms for at least 18(?#) classic weapons are we talking about? Just giving some examples folks, think "temple style", and cover all the angles.

[CodosDePiedra]

I figured the OP must be a choy li fut person, what with the hung sing name and talk of 500 forms. I know over twenty forms in choy li fut, some of which are pretty damn long (ping kuen, butterfly swords, wooden dummy) and I know only a fraction of the many forms. Why would you want to know 500? Some people are collectors of forms, and thats alright I guess, but if you learned and got good at wall bag, wooden dummy, 5 wheel horse + fist, maybe one of the long sets like ping kuen or sup ji kow da, and miscellaneous 2 person, you have everything you need (excluding weapons).

[It is Fake]

Sorry Coco, it was culled from here:
http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1475698

I took it apart because this has been surfacing lately. Too many forms or the usefulness of forms.

[Chuan]

Many schools call any combination, no matter how short, forms.

For example: A single punch, block, and kick is a form. It seems to be a way of trying to make the system seem more impressive.

[EmetShamash]

I think that there is some confusion about what is an "exercise" and what is a "form" due to people's asshat teachers. That being said I think that it is still possible for people to be good at 500 plus forms and be able to use them.

This also involves actually practicing the techniques in combat/sparring/sports in addition to going through the forms themselves. It would take far more time and resources than most of us are willing and or able to put into. I think that most people that can have 500 plus forms have been doing the shit all their lives or something.

I however am content to know only a few and be damn good at them before I move on to fucking with other stuff.

I have heard:
"If you do something
20 times you will know how it feels,
1,000 times you will know how to do it,
10,000 times you own it."

[Boyd]

500 doesn't seem like that much, considering the CMA community has about 500 different definitions of what a "form" is.

[hoodedmonk]

I call bullshit! Hell 50 seems insane.

[Southpaw]

This thread is part of the reason why Chinese martial arts lose credibility.

Too many people trying to have 'intelligent' conversations about myths and legends.

[hoodedmonk]

This thread is part of the reason why Chinese martial arts lose credibility.

Too many people trying to have 'intelligent' conversations about myths and legends.Ark y wong! Is he myth or legend ? I think his claims are what led to this discussion.:laughing1

[kwoww]

I call bullshit! Hell 50 seems insane.
Agreed, unless these forms are really short.

[It is Fake]

One day I'll list all the forms I was able to perform at one time. It was close to a hundred.

Do I believe someone could memorize 500 forms? Yes.

Would I learn from them? Hell No.

[Asriel]

If you must have forms in your system then surely a couple of empty hand and a couple of weapon forms are enough!

In 7 Star Praying Mantis there are 83 forms. 40 of those are empty hand, 1 Chi Gung and the others are weapons. Unless you're happy larping until Doomsday, how the hell are you supposed to remember all those forms while still training bagwork, sparring etc.

[CodosDePiedra]

If you're interested I can start wrting out a partial listing of CLF forms. I'm sure they number in the hundred. Also, I approve of Asriel's avatar.

[It is Fake]

If you must have forms in your system then surely a couple of empty hand and a couple of weapon forms are enough!

In 7 Star Praying Mantis there are 83 forms. 40 of those are empty hand, 1 Chi Gung and the others are weapons. Unless you're happy larping until Doomsday, how the hell are you supposed to remember all those forms while still training bagwork, sparring etc.
Exactly.
IMO forms were modified and added on to. At some point someone said hey, we are forgetting the original forms what about history?


Then, the focus went back to memorizing multiple forms.

I honestly feel that's why WC became respected so quickly.

3 empty hand
2 Weapons
1 Wodden dummy.