What Are Forms and Why Do We Do Them?

[chenyaolong]

[charles]

Is that you, chenyaolong, in the video?

I liked what you had to say about forms. Like many, over the years I've learned many forms. I don't practice forms much these days, instead focusing on individual movements/exercises. I think, in part, it depends on what forms vs. individual exercises a particular system/style includes, or what one extracts from forms or one makes up.

[chenyaolong]

Yes thats me

Thanks.... in future I wanna do a follow up where I show how I myself practice forms, the method I was taught by my teacher... which was not to do a form in its entirety, but to take, as you say, individual movements or sections and drill them.

[Bao]

Thanks for sharing. Good introduction.

I don't practice forms much these days, instead focusing on individual movements/exercises.

Yeah I also tend to take out single movements and sections and more practice them as drills or short forms stringed together. I often focus on just one principle or similar and try to perfect details.

I remember TT Liang saying that long forms are important as they help to build up heat better. I do agree with this, but I believe that continuous drills or work with sections can be just as good. But as it takes a longer time for a beginner to build up the internal heat, the long form might be one of the most necessary ways of practice at least for the few first years of the Tai Chi journey. I am not sure that it’s as important in other styles.