The Dance

How does function influence form?  In the case of martial arts forms – strongly, we hope.  Often times when students learn a form they can imitate the motions fine but there is still something missing.  Then, when they are shown the application of the move, everything becomes a bit clearer because now they know why they were asked to turn their foot or twist their fist or whatever else the form demanded of them.

After learning the function, the student often returns to the form with a renewed sense of purpose – the ability to breathe life into the moves, to make it look like a choreographed fight and not a dance.  Then the student is reminded that forms are also a presentation, a way of showing off the art and everything becomes a bit clearer because they are reminded of this and flourishes get added, jumps get higher, punches snap back and so on.  The form begins to look more like a dance and less like a choreographed fight.

Then the student is once again reminded of the function of the move…

See what the students thought of today’s classes here.