When I first started Taekwondo class, as a kid, it was presumed that I had to do forms as part of a traditional training program. It almost seemed as if the forms were what made it a martial art. But today, many schools don't follow a traditional route. In fact, the popularity of certain martial arts hinges around the lack of formal testing and forms. So why have things changed? Are forms really important? And what do I foresee for the future?


“In the struggle between stone and water, in time, the water wins.” - Japanese Proverb


First, let me explain what a form is, for anyone not familiar with the term. They go by many names, also including patterns, hyungs, and kata. A form is a pre-arranged pattern of techniques, that when put together in the proper order, demonstrate the level of technical skill, for the martial artist. So lets take a quick look at what has changed in the martial arts world, and what impact it has had on our sport.


One of the most sought after martial arts today is one called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling based martial art that closely resembles wrestling. One of the reasons for it's popularity is that it doesn't focus on testings, rank, or in some cases, even formal discipline. There technically are no forms, and instructors don't force students to memorize hundreds of moves to move forward with training. So, why doesn't everyone do BJJ? It's actually simple to answer. Many students seek out consistency, formal discipline, and rank. Does this make either martial art wrong? Of course not.


Let's look at the forms themselves. The other night, I asked my students to tell me why we do forms? I was given many answers ranging from developing better technique, better kicks, discipline, exercise, and rhythm. My old instructor used to define it as an imaginary fight. All of these answers are correct, although my reply is much different.


“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat” - Richard Marcinko


Due to also training in Jiu-Jitsu, I look at this question from a much different perspective. It is a very simple, and basic answer. The reason we do forms is to force them to PRACTICE! As I said, it is a very basic answer, but let's go back and look at it in comparison to BJJ. In Jiu-Jitsu, a student learns control positions such as Mount, Guard, and Side Control. These are similar to a stance, in any stand-up art. Students learn submissions such as Arm Bars, Chokes, and Triangles. In a stand-up art, we would call an attack a strike. In BJJ, they also focus heavily on defending themselves against these attacks. In a stand-up art, these are blocks.


So if both arts have stances, blocks, and attacks, why do they both not have forms? Here is where my answer gets interesting. In essence, they both do. But wait, how? In Taekwondo we give a specific series of moves a formal place in the art. We tell the students that someone of your rank should be using these particular moves and setting up combinations of moves similar to these, effectively. To promote in rank, a student must be able to perform those techniques, correctly, and with proper intensity.


“I fear not the man who has done 10,000 kicks once. I fear the man who has done one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee


In Jiu-Jitsu, this exact same concept is used. The difference is that it is masked a little differently. Students are usually taught combinations of moves from each position so that they have several tools to use depending on where, or what, their opponent moves. These series of moves are drilled until the student can flow from one to another. Put simply, they are learning a short form. Instead of giving it a formal name, they use terms such as flow drill, game plan, tool box, or feed series.


“To achieve success, you must develop self-discipline” - Unknown


Why did this concept change? Why are they different? When I was a child, stepping into the Dojang for the first time, I was heavily influenced by movies and martial artists of that time period. Watching the Karate Kid for the first time, was life changing for me. Names such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were very well known. I would go to my grand parents house and watch Kung Fu Theater on TV. Many kids were influenced by Muhammad Ali and later the fictional Rocky Balboa, which led to popularity in the boxing world. Watching these movies and learning about these artists, both real and fictional, always came down to focusing on tradition, and forms were traditional. I never thought to question this. I understood that by learning to fight, we taught ourselves how to avoid fights. We learned that discipline was developed from within, and peace was developed through focusing a continual calm, inwards.


Since then, many movies and our culture have shifted to fighting. Kids grow up watching the UFC, and even cartoons have gotten away from the importance of training and focused on the fight. Even video games are focused on the end product, and not on how to get there. Many modern day students don't want to learn tradition, and as sad as that fact is, it is the reality that we live in.


So, are forms important? That is a tricky question and needs to be answered based on a point of view. For me personally, I love training with forms. I enjoy the rhythm. I enjoy the ability to critique myself and strive for personal perfection. I enjoy seeing growth as my skills mature at each level. But, not everyone is me. Many people don't care to take on that life style. Many don't have the discipline to set aside time to practice. Many just want to learn a couple of moves and then get on with their lives. Everyone has such short attention spans that very few are willing to invest the time anymore. If your interest lies in learning tradition and the deeper meanings of our arts, I highly encourage spending time learning forms. If the focus is on learning how to kick, punch, throw, choke, etc., then a potential student should look at multiple different arts and figure out what they want to achieve.


“There are two types of students at belt testing, those who practiced, and those who wished they practiced.” - J. S. Doan


In conclusion, I wanted to show that there are many similarities involved in other arts, even those that don't take a traditional viewpoint. The choice of arts is dependent on the student. Taekwondo is a personal journey. A student comes to class, then goes home and practices. In BJJ, it is difficult to practice alone, so it involves more time in class, training with a partner. In both arts, students will be required to learn combinations of moves and be required to put them together in a series of combinations, to be promoted. They have different names, but the concept is the same. The simple question comes down to a students personality.


“The best martial art is the one you are currently learning.” - Unknown

​Every year we find ourselves setting New Year's resolutions that often fail before the end of January. I too am guilty of this, but over the years I have picked up a few tricks. In today's blog entry, I want to list a few of my goals, explain how I hope to reach some of them, and give tips to those of you who find yourself faltering.


If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. – Zig Zigler


I am a complex person, so I usually don't start the year with a simple goal. I have a whole list of goals that I want to reach and in different areas of my life. These consist of my own personal fitness goals, martial arts goals, business goals, financial goals, etc. Many of these goals overlap, and some are independent. They are all important to me and will lead me towards my ultimate goal – early retirement, happy and healthy.


Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. - Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog


So, let's dive in and look at what I've been teaching in class regarding “goal setting.” My students have learned that I define a Goal as “a dream with a deadline”. This is very critical because when I randomly asked students what their goal was, I got answers like “to get my black belt” or “to kick higher”. Although these are great dreams, they miss the fundamental element that makes them a goal, that is the deadline. If a student says, “I want to get my blue belt, AT THE NEXT BELT TESTING”, it is now a goal. It is also a goal if a student says “I want to throw a face high side kick, BY THE TIME I REACH PURPLE BELT”. Although it is a simple concept, many people fail right from the beginning.


If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else. - Yogi Berra


So let's look at some of my goals: On a personal level, I need to lose some weight. Throughout the past several months, I have started concentrating on my diet. Although, I don't eat the best, I have started tracking calories and eating more vegetables. This process has aided me in stopping the upward rise in weight, but also has not provided for a drop in pounds either. I am currently plateaued. So, what do I need to do to get over the hump and start dropping again? I believe the answer is more physical exercise. Of course, I am already very active and workout almost daily, so I need to either eat less or burn more calories. For my lifestyle, working out more is a better fit. So my official goal is to lose 1 pound per week, or ultimately, 25 pounds before July 4th.


Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself. - J. Howes


Now, to achieve this goal, I need to look at my workouts. I currently workout around 30 minutes per day. But, in saying that, it isn't always consistent. Some days I work hard and leave the gym layered in sweat. On other days, I have very little motivation, and simply run through a couple of forms, not even losing my breath. My biggest focus this year will be on re-building my cardio levels. To achieve this, I intend to start running again daily, plus I intend to add in more kicking drills and calisthenics. Although, I'm not listing them, I intend to increase these weekly, and have separate goals for each. I will also continue to practice forms daily in preparation for my belt testing in 2019.


A goal is not always meant to be reached, often it is only something to aim at – Bruce Lee


In concluding, I have listed a couple of my many goals. So what is my reason for listing these? And, why did I go into such detail regarding my process? I workout in our Dojang, every night, after class is over. Students and parents are filtering though on their way out, and I do it on purpose so they see me working. Many instructors tell their students to practice every day, but those same instructors don't do it themselves. I want for my success to motivate my students. On the days that I'm motivated, hopefully I can motivate others, on the days I need that motivation, hopefully there will be students there to push me on. This is the ultimate requirement for success. Find some friends, build off each others strengths and be there to help each other through the failures.


With the right plan, hard work, and dedication to achieving your goal, anything is possible.


Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – Unknown