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TOPIC: Why Free Form?

Why Free Form? 2 years 8 months ago #42

  • sf master Lucien Kane
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Free form is a martial artist's expression of their chosen art. It's not planned nor choreographed. Instead the practitioner will utilize their knowledge of the techniques and curriculum to fluidly demonstrate their knowledge of a chosen art.

Why is it important?

Free form is important because it is personal expression at it's finest. Free form is where we take our understanding and demonstrate it to our audience. It's great exercise, and if you pay attention to your movements it can show you where you need work. Do you favor one block over another? Is one strike stronger than another? How comfortable are you with your footwork? All of these things can be self assessed as you move through a free form.

How do you free form successfully.

Successful free form can be achieved by employing these ideals

Fluidity: Meaning a working knowledge of the techniques, good free form isn't necessarily fast. It just flows together. It doesn't mean your techniques don't have a crispness to them, but it does mean that your techniques shouldn't be choppy and unrefined. Every strike/block should be targeting/defending something specific. Which leads us to our next point.

Visualize your opponent(s): Great free form should be improvised, and the best way to do that is to create a battle that you can see. When you block, make it a block. If you're turning in another direction to block, you should be catching the motion of your imaginary opponent moving in. You know... Pretend!

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: We recited this often in the Marine Corps... Again you don't have to be blindingly fast. Watch the sword play in Pirates of the Carribean. It's slow, but deliberate and precise. Looks amazing. Slow free form can be downright gorgeous, and once you develop technique you can develop your speed and power.

Start Small: You don't need to start off with elaborate free form. If you know how to sai strike and defend. Your free form can be simple and elegant.

Think Big: With free form you're limited by two things, your skill, and your imagination. The skill comes with time. Imagination is up to you!

Finally, HAVE FUN!!! Few of us will ever have to raise a sword to actually defend ourselves, we devote our time to an ancient art with a modern day twist because it's fun and it's good exercise. So have fun with your training, and enjoy yourself.


So with that being said let's see your free form!

"This challenge you will not overcome. Your lightsaber is nothing against the power of the dark side."
"That's why I always carry two."
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Why Free Form? 2 years 8 months ago #494

  • Count_Arkanus
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OK Master Lucien, Free-form challenge accepted.

The following is a short video showing two freeforms, each roughly conforming to the formulae of Shii-cho and Makashi. Of course, they are both just fixed points in time, and I'm constantly working to improve my skills as a swordsman, but hopefully they give people an idea....and something which I hope they enjoy watching.

The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities, some consider to be unnatural!
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Why Free Form? 2 years 8 months ago #709

  • Takamatsu
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I love that video Lucien (have seen it before).
Everything from the way that the light turns on as you power up your saber.... The great golden yellow you have for your blade....The throw&catches ... Speed....Fluidity. It's great!
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Why Free Form? 2 years 8 months ago #710

  • sf master Lucien Kane
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Thanks man! I appreciate the kind words. I may put up a request thread in the Q&A section for people to request videos and tutorials from me.
"This challenge you will not overcome. Your lightsaber is nothing against the power of the dark side."
"That's why I always carry two."
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Why Free Form? 1 year 2 months ago #48045

  • Neeja_Halcyon
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  • And of course I'm happy to spar with you. You're freshly out of combat, your reactions are sharp. I've been sitting idle for quite a while—I need the test."
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Free form is great, but new saber swingers should not make it their main focus. Work on your footwork, work on your basic strikes and orbits, and when you first start delving into free form, try to stick to those techniques you pracitce and chain them together into combos.

LK always has some great info and is never difficult to speak to and ask questions.
"A word here, an act there, allowing people to choose between good or evil at their own speed and peril was more our way." -Hal Horn
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