Some tips on Free Forming

It looks like free forms are going to come in to use with the Gui Ding routines still being accepted at Nationals & (surely not) Internationals.

OK, I need to put a routine together How can I do it?

After much scratching of the head and a Homer Simpson like strain of the Brain, an idea comes into your head... Genius!

I will use the Gui Ding routine + rip off a few old & new skool moves I saw on WushuOneFamily.com + a liberal splattering of nandu movements and hey presto one new routine that is going to rock the competitions.

That is until you coach sees it and lets rip with their opinion of your routine, with words such as pile, half baked and crap receiving much usage.

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Below is (in my opinion) what you need to include in your routine. Please bear in mind that this is aimed at Changquan people, so all you Nanquan no necked buffed up short arses need not read on.

-You need to perform around 60 movements in not less than 80 seconds. Aim around 81 -86 seconds to be on the safe side.

-Split your routine into 4 sections of 15 movements, or if you find it easier 8 sections of 7-8 movements.

-Map out you routine so that you cover all 4 corners of the carpet and include straight, diagonal and curved runs in you routine.

Stances
Everyone uses Bing Bu (feet together) at the beginning and end of their routine.
Defintley the 5 stances:
· Ma Bu - without your bum sticking out like a ledge
· Gong Bu
· Pu Bu - with out the knee inclining forwards - buggers your knees up when you get older
· Xu Bu
· Xue Bu - sit all the way down

Also add:
· Ding Bu
· Ban Ma Bu
· Zuo Pan - don't do it if you are stiff in the hips as it will show
· Cha Bu

Balances
Aim to have at least 2-3 balances in your routine with one of them being a Major (such as yen ci ping heng) and 2 minors (such as kou ti tui & ti xi ping heng).

Jumps
I would suggest now that you have to have at least 2 jumping combinations in your routine where as before in the past one would have sufficed.
Make one of the combos your major, for example:
Teng Kong Fei Jiao - Ce Kong Fan - Xuan Feng Jiao 540 Pi Cha (split)
And your second combo a minor such as :
Xuan Zi - 360
Remember to add some solo jumps and leaps to your routine as well.


Height
Your physical height will influence the type of routine you play.

A short player will be better suited to compact movements with bursts of explosive movement. A short player will out punch their taller counterpart and this should be stressed to catch the judges eye.

A tall player needs to make use of their long powerful limbs, I want to see them at full stretch with emphasis on circling, spinning and good coverage of the carpet to show the true flavour of Changquan.

Presence
Do people sit up and pay attention when you walk on to the carpet or do they reach for the crisp packet and turn round to talk to their mates.

If you have no neck you are in the wrong sport.

One of the first impression a judge gets of you is when you walk on to the carpet and if you walk on like a sack of wet s**t than his estimation of you will not be very high.
Practise walking on to the carpet and crisply saluting the panel of judges and then stepping into your starting position without fidgeting or biting your lip.
Remember there is a fine line between looking confident and looking arrogant - make sure you don't cross it.

Speed
One of the big problems that people who don’t put enough time into their training is that they move so slowly it looks like they are marking their routine rather than playing it.

Or

At the other extreme they rush it and miss out all the moment of stillness or build up, it ends up resembling a headless chicken.
Include good varition of speeds sometimes you will need to move slowly to emphaize a movement or you will want to explode into movement to show your speed.

Speeds
Fast / explosive
Slow / Still / build up

Power
Unfortuantley our sport does spawn a minority of people who look like they couldn't punch their way out of the paper bag. Make sure your techniques are clear, fluid and have jing (spring) or snap to them.

There is a brainless portion of people who say that wushu has no application.
You would think that the name Wushu (martial art) would give it away. But these Einsteins start going on about how you wouldn't fight the way you play the routine.

In my 20+ years of martial arts I can't recall too many people sparring/fighting the same way as they play their routines.

By learning the apllication it will help focus your technique otherwise you will be merely waving your hands about in pretty patterns. If that is so what is the difference between you and a dancer?

Below is a random list of wushu techniques that you can apply in combat:

Chong quan - I can apply it
Fan Yao - I can apply it
Pi Di - I can apply it
Za Quan - I can apply it
Tan Tui - I can apply it to your nuts
Deng Tui - A friend from Beijing took a guy out in McDonalds with this by aiming it at his chest as he waded forward

Stamina
Are you puffing like a fag hag half way through your routine? are you spewing your guts up by the end? Wushu is totally unforgiving if you are unfit, make sure that you undertake a fitness regime that includes doing repetitions of the whole routine that you are performing for competition. If you can get through 3 whole routines back to back then you will not have a problem doing it once at competition.

Style
A routine should have a certain style about it and should contain a signature move or movements.
The routine should have a good rhythm and this should vary in speed.
Typically routines should have:
A strong 1st section this is to give the judges a favourable impression of your talent.
2nd Section -Try and get all the high energy and tricky movements done by this section.
3rd Section - Slow it down, catch your breathe, the judge is looking at the marking sheet at this point.
4th section - End with a good strong finish before the judges head goes down to mark the paper.

Conclusion
There can only be one whatever you come up with. Remember to practise, practise and practise a little more.

OK, That’s all for now I hope you have found it useful.
Vincent Hopkins
www.liondance.co.uk