what a good question

[Brother John]

Personally I want to explore every aspect of a form. I don't think that forms should be executed the exact same way by everyone everywhere, our art is too diverse to be liimited by us like that.

When I say, explore...I mean it. Brainstorm about all the ways that you could execute a form differently. Fast, slow, loose, tight, eyes open/closed, backwards...etc. Then try them, see what each way has to show you.

Just a thought.
It's your Kenpo, enjoy it.
Your Brother
John

 

[Blindside]

I don't think that forms should be executed the exact same way by everyone everywhere, our art is too diverse to be liimited by us like that.

Good, because they aren't.

I'm in the process of learning Long 5, so I was reviewing some tapes of different instructors executing this tech. So I watched Mr. Tatum, Al Tracy, and one of my instructors doing this form. Cool, except each instructor had variance in angles about midway through this form, starting as you execute Leap of Death. Heck, the Tracy's had two versions with different angles. I kept rewinding, switching tapes, writing notes, and saying "What the $#$%!!!"

Mind you the techniques were essentially the same (or you could see the relationship), but the angles were definately different. It was an interesting exercise in seeing different techs interpreted in different ways, I liked that.

Lamont

 

[jfarnsworth]

Get the Planas series tapes.
Jason Farnsworth

 

[Blindside]

Oh good, thats what I need, a 5th way of doing Long 5.

Right now I've settled it for learning it my instructors way, and just peeking at everyone else. It isn't like anything is out of order or missing, just that the angles are different.

Lamont

 

[jfarnsworth]

Well I'll leave you with this. I started long 5 in '98. That was the highest form I knew up until my test a few months ago. I had never seen a video tape on any form up until 2 weeks ago. I viewed his form 6 tape and learned quite a bit. Anyway back onto 5. After viewing those 2 tapes last week (viewing them 4 times within the 7 days) I ended up taking 2 pages of notes of things that I deemed extremely important. Thought I knew the form too. Again, take it for what it could be worth, whatever you decide those are some danm good tapes.
Salute,
Jason Farnsworth

 

[Michael Billings]

OK, so like I have been doing Form #5 since, hmmmm.... well 16, 17 years, and there is still more to learn. Been to seminars with Huk, done it with Speakman, Gary Swan is great at it, Brian Duffy's Rocks, Howard Silva and Tommy Burks kept on polishing it, and even Tom Kelly Sr. said I did it "ok" (in small letters on purpose.)

But Huk's tapes were pretty much the definitive ones. I only got them last year, as a present. My student's love them and they are the closest reference I have seen. Not just lots and lots of variation - and I am not into catagory completion at all, but I like the application of Huk's work and it is well done.

DISCLAIMER: NO I DON"T GET A KICKBACK!!! TAPES SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS REFERENCES ANYWAY. A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR IS NECESSARY TO THE IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, CORRECTION AND COACHING TO ENSURE INCLUSION OF ALL CONCEPTS, PRINCIPLES, AND THEORIES OF EPAC.

I'm done yelling. I have seen a couple of sets of bad tapes, and a couple of good sets. Once again I don't want the neophyte to get ripped off. This is just my opinion, no more. If you are so far away from an instructor you only see them a couple of times a year, film them, or get them to film you after they make sure you are doing it right. That is one of the best references if they will allow.

Oos,
-Michael
UKS-Texas

 

[jfarnsworth]

Oh man, I wasn't trying to say that I knew all about 5 or anything. There's no way I would even come close to saying something like that. When I said I've been doing it for a few yrs. now that was pretty religiously practicing form 5 everyday. I was trying to reference the material on the tape because there's so much info. there I probably didn't even get it all written down. Yesterday I had an interesting experience here at work. My lunch hour is spent working out with weights. Some TKD guy came up to me grabbed my arm and said I passed along some wrong information to someone that asked my opinion on something. Well after about a 10 - 15 minute some lesson I gave him about kenpo the last thing I said to him was "what I know about kenpo is very little, I have a ton of stuff still left to learn". When we were done he asked if I could teach him some more of our stuff.
Salute,
Jason Farnsworth