Defender of Tang Soo Do Forms
By: Floyd Burk

“What you see is what you get” is a common attitude martial artists have about forms, which is why many people see them as empty sequences of movements with nothing to offer in the way of combat prowess. Conversely, other people look at dorms as a vast repository of knowledge and techniques.

John Godwin, a tang soo do expert from Bear, Delaware, belongs to the second group, and he values forms dearly. He believes that they have unlimited potential and that more martial artists ought to take advantage of the wisdom they contain.

“A primary goal of tang soo do study and practice is to become one with nature, which is interpreted as becoming one with out human nature and the untapped potential that lies in each individual,” Godwin says. “The umyang symbol displayed on the Korean flag represents the theory of a world of two opposite yet complementary and harmonious parts. By maintaining a balance between those parts – which is where the life force and nature spring from – a person can tap into this potential. This belief should be transferred to our practice and interpretation of traditional tang soo do forms.”

Twenty-five empty-hand and weapons forms make up the curriculum that Godwin practices. “They provide you with a vast number of responses for and self-defense situation,” he says. Godwin advises students to think of those responses as tools: the more you know, the more choices you have for finding the right one in a given situation. Godwin believes that the number of forms you know isn’t as important as the depth of your understanding of the ones you’ve memorized – which is needed before you can apply their movements in self-defense. Therefore, he advises, you should look deeply into the forms you know, performing countless repetitions and always contemplating the possible applications. As you gain an understanding of leverage, circular motion and centrifugal force, your overall fighting ability will grow.

Godwin says that when it comes to applications, keeping an open mind is essential. “You wouldn’t limit the use of a set of wrenches to the way they’re ordered in the package,” he says. “You’d use the wrench that fits the situation at hand.

“As suggested by my grandmaster, Jae C. Shin, don’t limit the number of potentially useful applications to one set [that’s been deemed] correct. It’s acceptable for any instructor to bring to light as many applications as possible. In this way, forms are a door to infinite potential.”

To hone their knowledge of real-world self-defense, Godwin and other instructors in the World Tang Soo Do Association participate in a yearly masters camp that culminates in a forms-application workshop. Because many of the patterns can be tracked back hundreds of years, no one knows the creators’ intents, and that leaves the masters with an opportunity to share their students.

The preferred methodology for teaching tang soo do forms progresses through three phases: introduction, application and integration. “In the introduction phase, we break the form down into small chucks and teach those using play-by-play descriptions, as well as demonstrations of the techniques and the flow,” Godwin says. “At this early phase, we teach only the basic movements so the student can learn the pattern and techniques.

“Once the student can perform the entire form without help of the instructor, he’s ready for the application phase. The student works at interpreting the movements for use as practical self-defense techniques and combinations. We share our known applications to broaden the student’s knowledge and encourage a deeper understanding of the form.”

In the final phase, the student is encouraged to use certain principles of his forms training in other areas, such as sparring and breaking, Godwin Says. “We also integrate aspects of forms practice into our daily living. An example is provided when practicing the Pyung ahn forms. One strives to do them in a calm, well-balanced and peaceful state. We take this practice and integrate it to reduce stress and tension and to help us to respond positively to difficult situations in business and out personal lives.”

About the author:

Floyd Burk is a freelance writer and martial arts instructor with 35 years of experience. For more information about him or John Godwin, visit www.blackbeltmag.com