How to soften your form

[Sandtiger]

I have been studying Kuk Sul Do for about 1 1/2 years now and find I have a very difficult time doing my forms softly(smooth flowing) rather than hard. Before training in Kuk Sul I studied Kempo and the forms/strikes/kicks etc... were all done hard and crisp. What is the best way to change this. My instructor has tried getting me tired to the point of exhaustion then attempting forms but I find I am still using fast hard crisp strikes and kicks as opposed to the smooth flowing forms that are representative of Kuk Sul. My instructor says the motion should be like a whip, fast and soft then hard at the point of impact. I am more like a sledgehammer. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[traveller]

Try some visualization techniques. This is not psychobabble, it is actually used by a number of athletes in other sports to correct problems small and large.
Take a few minutes during breaks throughout the day to visualize yourself performing the forms the way you want them to be.
Imagine yourself doing your forms perfectly.
Remember the images when you actually do the forms. It will take some time and concentraion.
Then the typical answer to anything you are trying to improve upon -- train more.

[Garland]

Try some visualization techniques. This is not psychobabble, it is actually used by a number of athletes in other sports to correct problems small and large.
Take a few minutes during breaks throughout the day to visualize yourself performing the forms the way you want them to be.
Imagine yourself doing your forms perfectly.
Remember the images when you actually do the forms. It will take some time and concentraion.
Then the typical answer to anything you are trying to improve upon -- train more.

Amen. Works for for all the MA's...and they all DO it too, without exception. (although they may call it something else, or won't explicitly own up to it.)

also works for public speaking, running game, and any sport activity you may do.

[Sandtiger]

I will give that a try. I generally find myself concentrating on getting the correct foot placement/rotation, hand position and performing each strike and kick properly that I lose focus on the flowing nature of the form. That is not to say the form looks choppy just doesn't flow as well as my instructor's.

[Tant01]

You need to relax... Watch your instructor closely. You can see the "softness" flowing because his feet and hands are doing it for him. You're THINKING too much.

Maybe you're not ready yet?

[Sandtiger]

I think it is the relax thing. I just do not know how to truly relax and I am usually very tense. My wife likes to accuse me of being retentive. I tell her a wife and 4 kids will do that to you.

[GranFire]

I think it is the relax thing. I just do not know how to truly relax and I am usually very tense. My wife likes to accuse me of being retentive. I tell her a wife and 4 kids will do that to you.

LOL! Try living with a husband!


Relaxation can be learned though. Like anything else, and it takes dicipline...but you ougt to have that allready.

Try a novel approach: Yoga and Tai Chi. And before you run off and snicker...neither is as easy as it sounds...
You could also try to do your form to some music...

[Garland]

I actually like Tai Chi for limbering up and waking up...it's pretty damn refreshing...but as a self defense or combat art...I'd rather curl up into a fetal position and try to pretend I was back in my mother's womb.

Yoga is great, I freakin' love that shit...limber you up and helps to elongate the muscles, is great for balance too, not to mention breathing.

Both are great, I prefer yoga...but for visualization purposes...it's the same as shadow boxing.

The same type of focus is needed for any type of sport, dance, or anything physical, and is often applied to things such as public speaking also...

Just stretch, go slow in your forms, and focus on each individual movement, and practice doing things SLOW, like, really, really slow...in order to make your movements later crisp and proper. Slow is fast.

[kuk sool won]

The power in the strike comes at the very end of the strike, your arm needs to be focused but not tense until that point. Just try throwing basic straight punches, starting off slow and progressively getting faster - remembering that with each strike you are not to tense up until the point of impact - Its worked for me.

[Sandtiger]

I will give that a try. I appreciate all of the responses it has really given me a number of ways to work on refining my forms.

[GranFire]

I actually like Tai Chi for limbering up and waking up...it's pretty damn refreshing...but as a self defense or combat art...I'd rather curl up into a fetal position and try to pretend I was back in my mother's womb.

Yoga is great, I freakin' love that shit...limber you up and helps to elongate the muscles, is great for balance too, not to mention breathing.

Both are great, I prefer yoga...but for visualization purposes...it's the same as shadow boxing.

The same type of focus is needed for any type of sport, dance, or anything physical, and is often applied to things such as public speaking also...

Just stretch, go slow in your forms, and focus on each individual movement, and practice doing things SLOW, like, really, really slow...in order to make your movements later crisp and proper. Slow is fast.

Check this out then...you know, rolling up into a ball and playing dead...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPTyXQarsKw

[Balrog]

Try some visualization techniques. This is not psychobabble, it is actually used by a number of athletes in other sports to correct problems small and large.

True. I used to think it was hogwash until I read the results of a study done some time ago (at Hahvahd, if my aging memory serves correctly). They took three groups of students with similar physical characteristics. One group was the control group and did nothing. One group was assigned to go to a basketball court and shoot free throws for an hour a day. The third group watched the second group one day, then spent the rest of the time visualizing shooting free throws.

The experiment ended with all the participants shooting ten free throws. Group one, the control, averaged less than 20%. Group two, the hour-a-days, averaged better than 80%. Group three, the visualizers, wound up averaging about 60%, and with two days practice, the group average went up over 10 points.

Visualization ties directly into the concept of "If you can see it and you can believe it, you can achieve it."

[Garland]

Check this out then...you know, rolling up into a ball and playing dead...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPTyXQarsKw

yeah...I've seen Sonny Chiba and Gordon Liu movies too...doesn't make their arts ultimately effecient because they kick ass on camera.

[GranFire]

LOL! Magic of Hollywood...or Hongkong...

[EmptyneSs]

I have been studying Kuk Sul Do for about 1 1/2 years now and find I have a very difficult time doing my forms softly(smooth flowing) rather than hard. Before training in Kuk Sul I studied Kempo and the forms/strikes/kicks etc... were all done hard and crisp. What is the best way to change this. My instructor has tried getting me tired to the point of exhaustion then attempting forms but I find I am still using fast hard crisp strikes and kicks as opposed to the smooth flowing forms that are representative of Kuk Sul. My instructor says the motion should be like a whip, fast and soft then hard at the point of impact. I am more like a sledgehammer. Any thoughts or suggestions?

my sugesstion is to stop doing forms. cut the foreplay and get to some serious bagwork and sparring instead. you have been training for 1 1/2 years and you are this concerned about forms? smells like a mcdojo to me.