Class Forms and Personal Forms

Class Forms and Personal Forms

       In Kung Fu San Soo, forms, which are series of techniques done together in a sequence, are one of the tools used to work on movement and technique. The word "form" in San Soo is generally synonymous with the words such as taolu, routine, kata, hyeong, pumsae, and teul seen in arts such as Wushu, Karate, and Tae Kwon Do, although the structure of forms in San Soo is distinct from these.

       Class forms are usually given for the purposes of teaching the whole class, and they can serve as a warm down done at the end of class.

        In my experience with San Soo, a class form typically contains 26 techniques. The techniques move over an imagined cross-shaped diagram (which is taken from the plum-blossom diagram), going north, west, south, and east. Typically, techniques go in a counter-clockwise direction, but they don't always have to. Many techniques are repeated in pairs where the same technique is done on both sides, but some techniques are done stand alone.

       In general, each technique comprises a transition, defensive motions, an offensive motion, and a final stance. Sometimes, movements are emphasized and exaggerated to make a stronger impression, but all techniques in a form should be practical and effective when used correctly.

      Most techniques stay close to the center of the diagram, so as the left foot rarely moves from the center of the diagram. If reversed, then the right foot rarely moves from center.

       What follows is an example of how some San Soo forms are structured:

• The first five movements have at least one stand alone technique, but in certain cases, they can all be stand alone.

• The sixth technique is a close, facing north and bringing the student back to center.

• Techniques seven through twenty-five are usually in pairs, except for nine, sixteen, and nineteen.

• Finally, step twenty-six is a close, again facing north and bringing the student to center.

        Class forms are usually very structured, as seen above. They do not allow for a lot of forward motion, and tend to stay very centered and not take up much space. This is handy, as class forms are usually done by the entire class all at once in the same general space. Overall, class forms are very structured, focused on teaching basic motions, balance, and techniques, and can be and usually are practiced in a relatively confined space.

       Personal forms follow the same format as class forms (generally) and are created by practitioners so that they can show their understanding of how forms are made, how they function, and to show an understanding of technique, flow, and mechanics. Personal forms are also used for students to express their style and understanding of the art.
   
      Movements in a personal form may be geared toward one individual's style, comfort, and preference, and they are generally more flexible than often stringent class forms. Because of this, they can often be inappropriate as class forms. For one, they can move beyond the plum-blossom diagram, meaning they take more space, and thus are also more difficult to implement in a classroom setting if the class is not held in a very wide space. Secondly, personal forms can involve more complex combinations, where effectively a series of attacks used in tandem can count as a single technique out of the 26 that make up an entire form. These combinations are usually more appropriate for advanced students, and thus are not used within a class form, which should be accessible to both new and advanced students.

        All in all, class and personal forms are both an important part of San Soo. Some practitioners of San Soo don't use these tools, but they are useful, especially when used alongside other training methods. That said, forms in and of themselves are not typically adequate to train a fully-adapted fighter. They are again one of many way in which a practitioner of San Soo can attain mastery in the art.