Some Call it Long Form I

[Lance C]

The club started working through all of the forms and sets to prove to ourselves that we do not practice enough.

Why is it that everyone seems to forget the same three things in Long Form I ?

1) The Cat and Cover on side 1
2) The Outward Elbow During Turn 2
3) Stepping Into Turn 3 (low blocks)

I caught myself doing it this year, even after teaching it correctly for several years. (I had originally learned a version from a poor source, but have taught this version for approx 3 years to more than a dozen students)

Generated Hypothesis:

1) I teach Short I and Short I (both sides) way too much and was confused.
2) The form is fairly natural feeling and these "stand out" moves were put in intentionally as details, and if you do not practice enough, they are the first to fade away.


Now I will be consciously practicing and reviewing my forms more often.

-Lance

[warrior-scholar]

Hey Lance,
Good to see this post. I have been out of it a while, but am glad to return to such an appropriate comment.

None of my students have ever had a problem with remembering the elbow, but your third point seems universal! It makes a lot of sense though. Think about what they have been doing up to this point with respect to the blocks. Short 1 includes a retreating step OR a transitional foot maneuver with each block. The whole idea of stepping INTO the block is completely new! Also, Deflecting Hammer in Yellow and Thrusting Salute, Buckling Branch in Orange teach a retreating step with the block as well. Long 1 is asking them to do something contrary to their training!

Another point of difficulty in Long 1 seems to be the isolated downward diagonal hammering blocks palm up/down. It isn't that my students don't remember the order, but rather the correct form and flow of those blocks in succession. Perhaps more time should be spent working these blocks in response to actual attacks.

Anyways, thanks for the post!
Ryan