I know a lot of the folks out here have created their own forms/katas for various reasons like testing requirements or just desire. I am wondering, the first one you created, what was your focus or goal with it? Did you pick a concept and just run with that, or just put all the things you liked in it? Were you pleased with the end result? Did it accomplish what you wanted to? I am just curious as to the experiences of others....

my first original kata was inspired by one of stephen barnes' books. the main character had a 'fitness kata' that included yoga-type stretches, acrobatics and calithstenics.

i built one of my own. included stretching, headstand into a handstand walk, pushups, dynamic tension strikes.... i had a lot of fun with that.

For my first form, I wanted to cover two things. The 8 angles of attack and the four styles of fighting (punching, kicking, felling, and grappling). I thought that it came out pretty good. There are 8 attacker's that I placed in the form so the angles were covered. Each area of fighting is covered and I even got to throw in a backward roll and a diving forward roll. As a bonus, the form starts and ends in the same spot.

Easy Couch Potato Poomsae:
You Bow go to the couch undo your belt buckel, unzip your pants lay down on the couch pop open a beer, drink it then gurp and then turn over and go to sleep.
If done properly you can score a perfect 10 but no beer spillage is allowed and the burp has to be load enough for everyone to hear it.

I know a lot of the folks out here have created their own forms/katas for various reasons like testing requirements or just desire. I am wondering, the first one you created, what was your focus or goal with it? Did you pick a concept and just run with that, or just put all the things you liked in it? Were you pleased with the end result? Did it accomplish what you wanted to? I am just curious as to the experiences of others....

The only form that I've created was for my first degree black belt test. I had a set number of moves that I had to include in the kata. I started off by figuring out a pattern that I wanted to move in. Once that was accomplished, I then moved on to the techniques I wanted to use. IMHO, a kata should flow fluidly from one move to the next, so I felt that having the proper techniques was important. I also had to explain what I was doing in the kata.

While I could not have someone else create the kata for me, I did have someone to watch and offer suggestions.

I was happy with the end result. :)

Mike

Once in a while I have a group of instructors I know stop over for practice and a friendly get together. On one of these occasions sometime during the class a newer student asked where forms/karta came from and why we did them and all seemed to enjoy them so much,
To show how self-defense is the bases of many forms I asked the first person in line ( and the newest student) to give my a self-defense tech. We all did the tech till we knew it then the 2nd student gave one and we added it to the 1st. This went on till we had one tech from all the students from newest to highest ranked. At the end with a few tweaks to promote flow we had a karta of self defense techniques.
Actually I still teach that form and it has become a part of our system today

That was not the first I tried to make up for myslef but it is the only one that was any good

In several silat systems including the one I practice there is a tradition of making up your own form. But it's a lot more difficult than choreographing and performing. You have to make it up on the spot, spontaneously and unrehearsed. You just start and move within the principles and proper body mechanics. Stop when you're done. It's considered a very difficult test of skill and the degree to which you've internalized your practice.

There are also some serious headgames involved. If it's before a friendly or not-so-friendly bout it lets others see what you do and how you do it. This gives you the opportunity to put in "mistakes" to trap the other guy or paper over your shortcomings. Of course he knows that you know that he knows....

Once in a while I have a group of instructors I know stop over for practice and a friendly get together. On one of these occasions sometime during the class a newer student asked where forms/karta came from and why we did them and all seemed to enjoy them so much,
To show how self-defense is the bases of many forms I asked the first person in line ( and the newest student) to give my a self-defense tech. We all did the tech till we knew it then the 2nd student gave one and we added it to the 1st. This went on till we had one tech from all the students from newest to highest ranked. At the end with a few tweaks to promote flow we had a karta of self defense techniques.
Actually I still teach that form and it has become a part of our system today

That was not the first I tried to make up for myslef but it is the only one that was any good

Interesting. Sounds like maybe the way some of the older/traditional forms may have evolved, also.

Hi bro
I think everybody must create its own form covering its needs of working , but when u get a category into the martial Art u can create it cause u r getting exp.

Very interesting thread. :asian:

My first form, as some other people's, kind of just evolved. For about 3 1/2 years I trained simultaneously in Shaolin Kempo and Kung Fu San Soo. This made the differences glaring, as one day I'd go to one studio, and the next day the other. These are very different arts, both in practice and philosophy (which I won't drag you through here :)). Let's just say one had more finesse and the other more body movement to generate power.

Seeing strengths and not-so strengths in both, I began to wonder if they could ever be blended. My first original fighting form (did a purely self defense form a couple of years before) grew out of this question. The form used the KFSS 8 basic foot movements, with blocks and strikes from both arts built on top of this. Each stance combined with one block flowing into a natural counter strike is Short Form 1; taken to three counter strikes, some hidden, some counter traps or throws or grabs, it becomes Long Form 1. I use it with students to reinforce basics from beginning to intermediate level, while also offering a fairly complete fighting package that's easily practiced.

We're now experimenting with bunkai as The Way of Kata suggests, and also in the Iain Abernethy mold. It's a blast! And the best part: I get to learn the most. Have always bought into Seneca's aphorism: A man, as long as he teaches, learns. (I know it's sexist, but please consider the times). Anyway, sure true for me. :ultracool

I'm in the process of coming up with one at the moment. I'm working on using the concepts I use, the stance I'm developing and it's guard, and the attacks I use. My reasoning for creating it is complex, yet simple.
I've run across a couple jillion ways of barely tweaking a kata that makes it the same, yet makes you understand the form better. So, I'm working on a form that I could do all those with one form. I'm still developing it, but I have most of the bugs worked out. I'm also trying to imbed a stance and guard that I'm developing.
My spidey senses are tingling... I sense a new thread being posted.

I'm still developing it, but I have most of the bugs worked out.
I am almost willing to bet that in a few years you will look at the form as it is now and find even more tweaks to make on it . Somehow there is always something we miss or something that could be just a little different when we try to make up our own forms. I think it keeps us on our toes and our minds open to where we where and where we are at the moment

BTW good luck with it I would love to see a video of it when you feel you have
it

My first kata was inspired by a Uechi-ryu school in Virginia or West Virginia. I took a form they had created and changed it around into a new form. It was/is called 38 Special. Named for the 38 kicks that are in the kata. I created it for my students to use in competition. It was back in my pre-TKD days.

My first kata was inspired by a Uechi-ryu school in Virginia or West Virginia. I took a form they had created and changed it around into a new form. It was/is called 38 Special. Named for the 38 kicks that are in the kata. I created it for my students to use in competition. It was back in my pre-TKD days.

38 Special. Love it! Do you still keep up with it?

Easy Couch Potato Poomsae:

If done properly you can score a perfect 10 but no beer spillage is allowed and the burp has to be load enough for everyone to hear it.

I can just hear your wife. "Nice Kihap!":drinkbeer

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

We're required to create an open hand form and a weapon form for 1st degree BB. I've got a staff form that's structured around a four person attack. I don't necessarily like it and it will definitely evolve significantly before it's a final product.

IMO, creating forms and techniques just adds another layer of understanding to being a student and an instructor. I think everyone should have to do it at some point, it really takes a lot of thought about what you know and how it can be put together so that it makes sense, but also looks good from a performance aspect.

In Tracy kenpo we have a huge number of self defense techniques that make the bulk of our curriculum. Many of those techniques are found directly in the kata. Many of them are not. I created 4 kata to bring some of those missing techniques into the context of a kata. The reason I did that is because I personally find it easier to remember them all when they are in the context of a kata, rather than just floating around as a free piece of information. There are so many techniques that I have to carry a list around in order to remember them all to practice. I was hoping to eliminate that need by having a full series of kata.

The four that I created took care of all the techs for orange and purple belt. I estimated I would need to create about 8 or 9 more to cover all the material to first black. Never got that far.

The four that I created took care of all the techs for orange and purple belt. I estimated I would need to create about 8 or 9 more to cover all the material to first black. Never got that far.

But you will, Michael. Lifetime journey, and all that. :)

And who knows that someday your filling in those 'gaps' might not become part of the curriculum?

In Tracy kenpo we have a huge number of self defense techniques that make the bulk of our curriculum. Many of those techniques are found directly in the kata. Many of them are not. I created 4 kata to bring some of those missing techniques into the context of a kata. The reason I did that is because I personally find it easier to remember them all when they are in the context of a kata, rather than just floating around as a free piece of information. There are so many techniques that I have to carry a list around in order to remember them all to practice. I was hoping to eliminate that need by having a full series of kata.

The four that I created took care of all the techs for orange and purple belt. I estimated I would need to create about 8 or 9 more to cover all the material to first black. Never got that far.

We have four "colored sets" that comprise all of the techniques and kicks learned up green belt. They're part of the requirement for 3rd degree brown. It's amazing when you realize that everything you've learned, except for katas, can be done in about 5 minutes...

We have four "colored sets" that comprise all of the techniques and kicks learned up green belt. They're part of the requirement for 3rd degree brown. It's amazing when you realize that everything you've learned, except for katas, can be done in about 5 minutes...

That's very cool. In my experience, though, it's also very unusual. Have I just lived a sheltered life?

I know a lot of the folks out here have created their own forms/katas for various reasons like testing requirements or just desire. I am wondering, the first one you created, what was your focus or goal with it?
My instructor gave us that assignment in class.

Did you pick a concept and just run with that, or just put all the things you liked in it?
I kinda did both. More on the 'things I liked' side of it, though.

Were you pleased with the end result?
Kind of. I never finished it.

Did it accomplish what you wanted to? I am just curious as to the experiences of others....
Maybe if I finished it.

My instructor gave us that assignment in class.


I kinda did both. More on the 'things I liked' side of it, though.


Kind of. I never finished it.


Maybe if I finished it.

Well close that book and get to work! :boing1: And please let us know how it turns out. :)

But you will, Michael. Lifetime journey, and all that. :)

And who knows that someday your filling in those 'gaps' might not become part of the curriculum?


Yeah, I spent a bunch of years away from kenpo, training in other arts so I never continued down that path. I'm retraining all my kenpo now, from ground zero on up, with a top instructor in Tracys. I just started a couple months ago, relearning everything to make sure I understand it all properly. For now, I've let those kata that I created drift away. I wrote them down, step by step, so I can always return to them if needed. After I have some time in retraining, I'll reconsider all of my past ideas about my kenpo and decide which of them have merit and should be pursued, and which don't. It's just a huge amount of material...

We have four "colored sets" that comprise all of the techniques and kicks learned up green belt. They're part of the requirement for 3rd degree brown. It's amazing when you realize that everything you've learned, except for katas, can be done in about 5 minutes...


I think your lineage is at least in part from Tracys, if I am not mistaken? Do you happen to know how much?

We have 30 of these self defense techs per belt, I know I could not practice everything in 5 minutes, not with any quality anyway. It can take half an hour to go thru one belt, and even that is not a huge number of repetitions, esp. if you are working with a partner, each taking a turn and trying to get everthing right...

I think your lineage is at least in part from Tracys, if I am not mistaken? Do you happen to know how much?

We have 30 of these self defense techs per belt, I know I could not practice everything in 5 minutes, not with any quality anyway. It can take half an hour to go thru one belt, and even that is not a huge number of repetitions, esp. if you are working with a partner, each taking a turn and trying to get everthing right...

GM Lee was one of Al Tracy's first BB's and ran a number of schools for him in the sixties. He was also friends with Ed Parker. We have a great deal in common with the Tracy system and to a lesser extent, the Parker system. We don't do the full list of extensions. We have one, or two per technique. The four sets cover 90 techniques (with extensions) and 26 kicks.

3rd degree brown also requires a kata that includes all the katas up to green belt, left and right side. Takes about 5 minutes and is a butt kicker.

That's very cool. In my experience, though, it's also very unusual. Have I just lived a sheltered life?

By the time you get to green belt, you have learned 20% of the material required for BB. Green belt and each degree of brown each comprises another 20%. Because we look at our brown belts as advanced martial artists and the adults at this level are also instructors, the test for brown belt includes everything you've learned in the system up to that point. That's why there are 9 katas required for brown belt, in addition to 56 techniques (extensions included) and 10 kicks. There's a lot of material there!

I know a lot of the folks out here have created their own forms/katas for various reasons like testing requirements or just desire. I am wondering, the first one you created, what was your focus or goal with it? Did you pick a concept and just run with that, or just put all the things you liked in it? Were you pleased with the end result? Did it accomplish what you wanted to? I am just curious as to the experiences of others....

The first form I created was part of my thesis for my teaching credentials over and above my 3rd Dan test in Yasashii Do. It had to be more than 65 movements long, and take on at least one attack from all 8 angles, as well as at least one multiple attacker scenario. It was not allowed to be flashy, and had to stress practicality.