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Original Source: www.shouyuliang.com |
W
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e
used to call them “two man” forms…which unconsciously removed the idea of a
woman’s presence even though when I started Kung Fu, women were practising
these forms, and were doing so with speed and power. Now, these pre-set empty
hand or weapons routines are normally referred to as “two person” forms. Or
“three person” forms, for the obvious reasons.
It’s
a healthy transformation, bringing our sisters into the language equation. But
that’s not the main purpose of this post.
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Source: mykungfu.freeservers.com |
LET’S
GET REAL
An
open question – might this type of training suit you?
The
main argument against two person forms is “real self defense isn’t pre-set”.
These forms, the argument continues, have nothing to do with high intensity
sparring practise, which is always free-style and improvised. In other words…closest to the way self defense
works in the street.
The
conclusions runs as follows – “if you’re going to spend a chunk of time every
week improving your fighting capabilities, you might as well concentrate on the
real thing.”
As
far as two person forms with weapons go, the added argument against these is –
“they’re great to watch but who’s going to attack you nowadays with a spear or
three sectional staff?”
So,
let’s investigate. Two or multiple partner forms are generally divided into –
1. Empty hand vs. empty hand with both
partners standing still or moving about.
2. Weapons. Both partners may carry the same
weapons.
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Source: www.usmaltd.com |
So,
like any Taekwondo pattern, you’ll find a set of movements always repeated in
the same order. Person A throws a kick, Person B blocks and then throws a
punch, etc. In the first two person form I learned, Person A performed a series
of movements which Person B always responded to with a block and then a
counterattack which Person A would respond to, etc. At a certain point, the
movements would blend over, so I would become Person B and my partner would do
the Person B part. And so on, for as long as you wanted to.
I
learned a Tai Chi push hand form that follows the same logic…at some point Person
A switches to become Person B and vice versa.
However,
with the first two person weapons form I learned – broadsword versus spear –
once both fighters concluded with their sides of the form, that was it, the
game was over. (Earlier on, I remember arriving at the kwoon with the desire to work on the form and asking: “Where’s so
and so?”…because, at the time, “so and so” was the only one who knew the spear
side of the form).
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Source:chinese-culture-symbols.com |
ALL
TECHNIQUES ARE CREATED EQUAL
1. Specific
and precise techniques embodied in the system being studied
2. A
cross section of fighting methods within that system. For example, sparring
doesn’t always involve locks, sweeps, takedowns and throws but in some Eagle
Claw two person forms, you concentrate on these as well as kicking, blocking,
punching and striking.
3. Systems
like Yang Tai Chi or Uechi Ryu Karate come equipped with all sorts of nuances
from timing to physical movements of deception to complex fighting strategies.
Two person forms allow you to generate all of these skills and concepts plus
the items found in examples 1 and 2 above, into one sequence of time and space
providing you with the opportunity to train in the whole scope of your system
or art. And if you do enough of this kind of training, the entire system may
eventually be at your fingertips.
In
sparring, you most often use the techniques that work for you. I’ve seen and
experienced this often enough. If a side kick or back fist worked for you five
years ago, chances are these techniques are still the crowns in your fighting
repertoire. Your system’s eye gouges, chokes, arm breaks, etc. get short thrift
in a sparring geared environment. But those techniques are brutally important,
and probably go way back in your particular system. Two person sets offer a
safe – and precise – method of practising these.
Then
you crank up the speed. And that’s when everything happens. That low kick blast
to the knee, the wrist grab and elbow break, the shift to one side…they begin
to reach way beyond pretence. At this furious level, you are indeed fighting,
pre-set or not. In fact, pre-set doesn’t matter anymore. Pure skill – and
incredible speed – are the only ways to counter what happens next. Indeed, you
know what happens next…but that won’t help you. The stuff is coming at you, and
it’s coming hard. Skill, by now ingrained, is your only defense.
Can
you imagine a scenario where punches, wrist locks, arm bars, knee breaks are
all treated equally, each delivered over and over with extreme speed and
precision?
At
this stage of training, I highly recommend wearing eye protection, mouth guards
and personal protection. Sparring gloves?...only the kind with open fingers.
Please remember, you’ll most likely use every part of your hand.
MAKE UP YOUR OWN
What
if your system doesn’t contain any existing two partner forms but you’re hooked
on the idea of giving this type of training a try?
Make up your own. It would be a good idea
to first check with your instructor or someone else higher up in your lineage.
A martial artist respects her or his system first of all and always treats
those who have come before with deep loyalty. Don’t refer to your two person
form as an official breakthrough routine; simply call it another personal
training device.
So
how’s it done?
1. With a partner’s help, create a list of
your system’s major hand and foot techniques. Add some locks, throws,
takedowns, etc. if you have them. (This sounds like a recipe!). If you train in
Judo, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Hapkido, etc., you may not want to fully throw your
partner. Take the foot sweep to the first point of instability, then let your
partner recover to perform the next move.
2. List the combative strategies contained
in your system and feed them into the mix so that the techniques begin to speak
the language of strategy.
3. If you’d like to include some ground
work, incorporate a group of skills where partner trade techniques back and
forth in a flowing pattern…chokes, knee locks, arm bars.
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