How Do You Memorize Hyungs?

[K31]

Do you memorize each move or do you simply not consciously try to and just learn it through repetition? I asked one of our BB/assistants this question once and he said he memorized the name of each move. I have tried to make a diagramming method and I've found this helps me because it forces me to remember each move to diagram it. It's not a perfect means to diagram a form yet since I haven't quite settled on a way to indicate the way you are facing rather than the way you are moving for those moves where you might say do a 180 but stay in the same spot. What is your method?

 

[Deaf Smith]

K31,

When I first encounter a new form I do this:

1) I go through the motions. Nothing fancy, just the basic idea of the form's motions. I break the form down to parts. Each just a set of simple steps, and I then go through them till I know the pattern well.

2) Then, when I have the layout down, I go back and start looking at the details. See it's the details that make a form what it is. The little things. At each step one has to perfrom maybe a certian block, or punch, or kick, ,or even combination of them. So I study how that partular step is supposed to be done, and done right. I look at the stance, where the arms are supposed to be, how they are supposed to end up in that position, how the wrist should be bend, or hand postion, foot postion, etc... It's the fine points.

3) I then go back to and overall view and look at how the form is suppoed to be done. That is, done slow or fast or strong or whatever way the form is stupposed to be done.

Oh, and I don't do any of the steps above just once. You have to go back again and again and again. Only by doing that will you 'see' what you should see in the form. And you will do that form well in test or exibition.

Deaf

 

[fireman00]

very similar approach... go through the form about 6 times - one move one count to learn the basics, then continue ad infinitum to refine the details. I find that if I think of the form as a "dance" ... for whatever reason it helps me to learn the form.

 

[Kacey]

Deaf's three methods are all very good - what I would add is that different methods work for different people. I had a friend who could only learn patterns as a gestalt, from beginning to end; then he could go back and work on individual techniques, but his learning style worked best by learning the whole thing at once. I have students who learn best by being given a section a of pattern and working on it until it is reasonably well done, then learning the next section, and then adding the sections together until the pattern is complete. I learn best through repetition using both methods. What works for me may not work for someone else.

 

[IcemanSK]

Kacey is right on when she says that everyone learns them differently. Finding the way that works best for you is crucial.

I used to need to learn a form in parts or halves. Now I need to do the form entirely in order to really get how it's supposed to move.

For me, watching videos only helps if I've done the form before. I have to do the whole thing several times, then I use the video later as a reminder & get finer points.

All my best to you!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

For me, it is repetition. Its the same way as with scales when I play guitar; I memorize the physical shape. One of the reasons I had such a hard time with scales in vocal training; no hand patterns to memorize. In any case, once I do the form a few times, I have it down, then I spend time trying to get the details sorted, which commits it to memory even more.

Daniel

 

[MBuzzy]

I'll third that it depends on the person, everyone learns differently. A little about it here.

Personally, I learn best by doing the whole form, then cleaning, but I need the motions and directions first. If I try to clean everything and perfect every movement first, I find that I have too many things to think about. So I learn the whole thing, then go back over it for proper technique.

Although, there are plenty of techniques....do it backwards, video tape yourself (mirror neurons), watch others, learn it in sections, learn it all at once, etc etc etc.

 

[Windsinger]

I have yet to learn what works for me for memorizing patterns, but I think that's because I spend too much time second guessing myself. Even on something pretty basic. Like I was able to learn Saju Jirugi fairly quickly, but I still find myself second guessing on Saju Makgi. Sure, I'm only a white belt, but these patterns aren't exactly brain surgery.

My son, I would guess, is one who learns in parts. He's working on Chun Ji for his yellow belt testing later this month. He's got the first 8 movements down, as well as the last 4, so now he's working on the middle 7. How he can learn the sections out of order is beyond me, but, hey, if it works for him...

He still gets a kick out of the fact that he's the senior student, so I have to call him Mr. Loewen or Sir.

 

[jim777]

I personally need to learn off the whole thing at once; the section by section way hasn't worked for me so far (though that may change in the future).

I personally am also a firm adherent to GM Jhoon Rhee's "do every hyung 300 times before testing it", so I also rely heavily on repetition. Repetition also has the added advantage of bringing you insight into what you're doing. You really only have to be careful that you are not simply going through the motions when you do your repetitions, but are paying attention to what you're doing and the movements themselves.

Parrots learn by rote memorization and repetition as well; so you want to be very careful you don't simply parrot the hyungs.

 

[bluekey88]

Th etechnique I use to memorize a form is the same one I've developed for memorizing piano performance pieces.

First, I go through the form with someone else and learn the steps. This creates a "map" if you will. At this stage this is enough to get the moves into my head (when you've learned to memorize an entire piano snoata with hundreds of complicated notes...20, 30 or even 60 moves of a form are nothing).

Then, I try to either get a hold of a written description/pictures of the form or I make one myself (right after learning the moves). This process serves to further cement my memorization as well as gives me a place to take notes and jot down refinements.

From here I alternate trying to perform moves over and over for physical memorization. I also mentally run through the form several times a day. This serves as practice to improve my phsyical perfoermoance 9as I imagine doing the form perfectly)...it also highlights areas I am unsure of. If I can't picture exactly how a move is to go, then I don't know it. I can then refer to my notes.

in short order i know th emoves and can perform them with some alacrity. From there further repeition is aimed at refining individual motions in the context of the the entire form, figuring out applications so that I can add some realism to my "performance", etc.

Peace,
Erik

 

[terryl965]

I have always leaned by seperating it into three section, first allthe movements of the feet and then put in the hands and then try them all together after that it is on to understanding each tech. and what can be outside of the original methods for today S.D. stituations. I hope that helps, but to be honest we all learn differently and you need to find out what will work for you the best.

 

[punisher73]

While true that everyone learns "differently" there are some basic principals of learning that apply to everyone. It is up to you to see if you are a person who learns better "all at once" or a "sequence at a time".

1) The more senses you involve in the learning process, the faster learning occurs. So by seeing it performed, performing it, talking yourself through it and saying what you are doing aloud, and writing it. You will learn the quickest because you are engaging almost all of your senses and also engaging the three primary learning methods (auditory, visual, kinesthetic).

2) Physical movement is accomplished through a process called "Mylineation". When you first learn a new move, your body uses lots more energy and muscles to do the task than is needed. That is why we are clumsy and awkward when learning a new movement. The more we do that movement, the better the body learns to perform it and "coats the fiber" so to speak to enforce the action. As time goes on, it becomes so enbedded that it does not require conscious thought and the body performs at peak performance.

As an aside note, your body can NOT tell the difference between thinking about an action while you are in a relaxed state and physically doing it. The same neurons fire and the same chemicals react as if you really were performing it. Use this to your advantage. After you practice your form, pick a sequence and while laying down before bed go through it in your mind and picture yourself doing it perfectly. The more real you can make it, the faster it aids in the "mylineation" of the movement.

3) One of the things that helped me is using the clock principle or the compass method. n/s/e/w and ne/se/sw/nw or using the clock 12/3/6/9 and then 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30. This will help give you a reference point on which direction you are facing.

At the end of the day though, pick which suggestions fit your personal learning the best and build from there.

 

[Tryak]

I use the pattern guide here: http://www.itf-information.com/patterns02.htm and masking tape the diagram complete with letters onto my floor. Then I write the numbers from 1-19 or however many steps on sticky notes and stick them to the floor where each move is performed..think like they do for dancers painting feet on the floor to learn to waltz.

I print the steps off and walk through the sticky notes as I read the moves 3 or 4 times until I have the feet down. Then I memorize the hand movements like (low block, high punch, high punch) and say them in my head as I walk through the steps.

Doing this I was able to learn both Chun Ji and Dan Gun in less than 2 hours each and then spent the rest of the 2-3 months practicing perfecting the execution of the moves.

I also find it helps to get someone else to watch the pattern on youtube and then watch you do it as they can point out spots that look weird or awkward for you to review.

 

[Kacey]

I use the pattern guide here: http://www.itf-information.com/patterns02.htm and masking tape the diagram complete with letters onto my floor. Then I write the numbers from 1-19 or however many steps on sticky notes and stick them to the floor where each move is performed..think like they do for dancers painting feet on the floor to learn to waltz.

I print the steps off and walk through the sticky notes as I read the moves 3 or 4 times until I have the feet down. Then I memorize the hand movements like (low block, high punch, high punch) and say them in my head as I walk through the steps.

Doing this I was able to learn both Chun Ji and Dan Gun in less than 2 hours each and then spent the rest of the 2-3 months practicing perfecting the execution of the moves.

I also find it helps to get someone else to watch the pattern on youtube and then watch you do it as they can point out spots that look weird or awkward for you to review.

This is a great method for beginners... but one of my tuls has 62 moves... can you imagine what would happen with the sticky notes? I'd go nuts - or my dog would walk over them and move them before I really get going! Still, for students with shorter patterns, or those who need a visual reminder beyond repeated demonstrations, this a great method.

 

[K31]

As an aside note, your body can NOT tell the difference between thinking about an action while you are in a relaxed state and physically doing it. The same neurons fire and the same chemicals react as if you really were performing it. Use this to your advantage. After you practice your form, pick a sequence and while laying down before bed go through it in your mind and picture yourself doing it perfectly. The more real you can make it, the faster it aids in the "mylineation" of the movement.

I've actually tried this before. I usually take my notebook with me into boring meetings and either try to perfect my diagrams or go over them. I've tried at those times to mentally imagine myself going through the movements. I haven't had much success however I can't really close my eyes to concentrate on it in that setting.

 

[Twin Fist]

4 moves at a time, in blocks

 

[MBuzzy]

Something else that I very recently noticed....the longer I am involved in the art, the easier it is to learn a hyung and the quicker I will learn it. I suppose you just start to recognize the patterns....

 

[K31]

Something else that I very recently noticed....the longer I am involved in the art, the easier it is to learn a hyung and the quicker I will learn it. I suppose you just start to recognize the patterns....

I've got mixed feelings about that. On one hand I think I have problems memorizing things because I'm a.) Older, b.) have more "stuff" to occupying my thinking, c.) I'm usually exhausted when when get shown this stuff, d.) have medical problems that might effect my memory. On the other hand I do know more of the kicks, blocks, hand strikes, chambers so I do already "know" parts of new forms.

 

[Kacey]

I've actually tried this before. I usually take my notebook with me into boring meetings and either try to perfect my diagrams or go over them. I've tried at those times to mentally imagine myself going through the movements. I haven't had much success however I can't really close my eyes to concentrate on it in that setting.

When I get bored in meetings I start writing down tuls move by move, including the section, stance, and facing... I can pay attention better when I'm doing something with my hands, and I'm not very good at doodling - and people around me (at least, the ones who can't see the page) think I'm taking notes on the meeting.

 

[K31]

When I get bored in meetings I start writing down tuls move by move, including the section, stance, and facing... I can pay attention better when I'm doing something with my hands, and I'm not very good at doodling - and people around me (at least, the ones who can't see the page) think I'm taking notes on the meeting.

That's funny because I have people look over at my diagrams and I think they are either too intimidated or think whatever I'm doing is too "dry" to start a conversation about. Like this:


-> R'C'B ->
| BS
| UC
| HS
| RCHP
|
- L'C'B <- CB
BS
UC
HS
LCHP