Southern Mantis Forms
There is quite a lot of mythology and mysticism concerning kung fu forms. They are kind of like the ring in Lord of the Rings. Whoever has the right form has the secret power of the style and containing this knowledge is the only thing that makes you legitimate. This is not unique to China as it exists in other parts of the East including India. Most of it is based on some type of numerology that goes 9-18-36-72-108, all intervals of the number nine. Nine/Jiu is the same sound as another character that symbolizes longevity in China. Since they sound the same they are thought related. It is also the reason why they don't sell things packaged in fours in China, like four golf balls together. The sound for the number 4 is Si which is the same sound for death or kill. So they don't want this written on a package due to bad luck. Most martial systems have forms that relate to these numbers often culminating in 108 as the final and complete form. I personally see nothing mystical about this and I know that many will vehemently disagree with me on this matter.
There is a lot of controversy over the forms in this style. I've seen articles that say none of the forms taught in the US are taught in China. That it is a US invention of Lum Wing Fay(Grand Master). I've seen other articles, often contradicting previous articles, that there are several forms practiced in China. So be prepared for differing opinions. I will tell you as I was taught it and my opinion on forms.
There are five major forms.
The first is Sān bù jiàntóu (Som Bo Gin in Cantonese), the three step arrow. Forms with this name exist in other styles including Okinawa karate. It teaches overall structure, short power and striking. It has specified breathing techniques to go along with the motion It is the base of Jook Lum mantis. All else comes off of this.
The second is Shi Ba Dian (Sup Bot dim Cantonese0, the 18 points. This teaches the four quadrants of the body and the 18 striking points in each one combining hand and leg work to deliver each blow.
The third is the Sān shíliù wèi shèng tú, the Thirty Six Arhats (saints) (Som Sup Luk Sim Cantonese). This teaches the breathing and qigong exercises along with the mantis forms.
The fourth is Qīshí'èr gè biǎodá (Chut Sup Yed Dim Cantonese) , The 72 steps, combining all previous steps.
The fifth and final is Yībǎi bāshí gè xíngshì (Yut Ba Lin Bot Cantonese), the 108 which is a two man breakdown fighting form that is supposed to express the entire system.
Now for my take on forms.
They are a combination of a catalogue of techniques and training exercises to keep some organization to the style. Pretty much like a recipe that is preserved and protected. My philosophy on teaching is to give the student all of the components, from the ground up, so they have a strong foundation on which to build their fighting style. A music analogy would be learning scales and chords on a piano. You practice them arduously so they get under your skin, become you. Teaching someone a song, like teaching a form, only allows them to play that song in that manner, it does not give them a foundation in all music. When you build the basics; scales, chords etc. you gain a foundation that allows you to play all songs effortlessly because you have built a physical base in your body. Exercises are not songs they are the path to songs. I will quote a very famous British studio musician I worked with years ago: "When you practice all the time you get very good at practicing but no good at playing, you actually have to play to do that". It's like memorizing something in a foreign language. All you've done is memorize something but you have not gained the skill to speak in that language fluently.
Forms are not fighting they are the foundation of strength that you fight from. In this style of Jook Lum there is not just one way to do the form. Once you know the basis you can add to it, improvise and make it your own. Grand Master Lum Wing Fay did Som Bo Gin many different ways but expressed the essence of the form in each of them. Sifu Mark Foon is the same way often varying on the way he expresses it. Like a musician will improvise on a song but maintain its core so too are the Jook Lum forms. As I said before there are others in branches of this style who claim to hold the 'secret original forms' that will greatly disagree with me but that's ok. Only Catholics get to heaven, right? or is it Evangelicals or Methodists or Muslims, Hebrews, Jehovahs.....one of them has the exclusive rights I guess. So it is with forms in my opinion.
JMcS
There is a lot of controversy over the forms in this style. I've seen articles that say none of the forms taught in the US are taught in China. That it is a US invention of Lum Wing Fay(Grand Master). I've seen other articles, often contradicting previous articles, that there are several forms practiced in China. So be prepared for differing opinions. I will tell you as I was taught it and my opinion on forms.
There are five major forms.
The first is Sān bù jiàntóu (Som Bo Gin in Cantonese), the three step arrow. Forms with this name exist in other styles including Okinawa karate. It teaches overall structure, short power and striking. It has specified breathing techniques to go along with the motion It is the base of Jook Lum mantis. All else comes off of this.
The second is Shi Ba Dian (Sup Bot dim Cantonese0, the 18 points. This teaches the four quadrants of the body and the 18 striking points in each one combining hand and leg work to deliver each blow.
The third is the Sān shíliù wèi shèng tú, the Thirty Six Arhats (saints) (Som Sup Luk Sim Cantonese). This teaches the breathing and qigong exercises along with the mantis forms.
The fourth is Qīshí'èr gè biǎodá (Chut Sup Yed Dim Cantonese) , The 72 steps, combining all previous steps.
The fifth and final is Yībǎi bāshí gè xíngshì (Yut Ba Lin Bot Cantonese), the 108 which is a two man breakdown fighting form that is supposed to express the entire system.
Now for my take on forms.
They are a combination of a catalogue of techniques and training exercises to keep some organization to the style. Pretty much like a recipe that is preserved and protected. My philosophy on teaching is to give the student all of the components, from the ground up, so they have a strong foundation on which to build their fighting style. A music analogy would be learning scales and chords on a piano. You practice them arduously so they get under your skin, become you. Teaching someone a song, like teaching a form, only allows them to play that song in that manner, it does not give them a foundation in all music. When you build the basics; scales, chords etc. you gain a foundation that allows you to play all songs effortlessly because you have built a physical base in your body. Exercises are not songs they are the path to songs. I will quote a very famous British studio musician I worked with years ago: "When you practice all the time you get very good at practicing but no good at playing, you actually have to play to do that". It's like memorizing something in a foreign language. All you've done is memorize something but you have not gained the skill to speak in that language fluently.
Forms are not fighting they are the foundation of strength that you fight from. In this style of Jook Lum there is not just one way to do the form. Once you know the basis you can add to it, improvise and make it your own. Grand Master Lum Wing Fay did Som Bo Gin many different ways but expressed the essence of the form in each of them. Sifu Mark Foon is the same way often varying on the way he expresses it. Like a musician will improvise on a song but maintain its core so too are the Jook Lum forms. As I said before there are others in branches of this style who claim to hold the 'secret original forms' that will greatly disagree with me but that's ok. Only Catholics get to heaven, right? or is it Evangelicals or Methodists or Muslims, Hebrews, Jehovahs.....one of them has the exclusive rights I guess. So it is with forms in my opinion.
JMcS