<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Welcome to the KenpoPedia > Forms > Form 5 > Improving Execution > Form Pace

Generally speaking, form pace for Form Five is very similar to the other forms of the system. By this, it is meant that the proper pace for the form is a subjective thing. One person's proper pace can be another person's fast or slow pace. Yet, Form Five does have a relatively distinctive element that does standout.

 

From one perspective, proper pace is determined by the individual and the overall sense they wish to impart to the observer. A slower and/or harder execution gives a completely different response than a faster and/or smoother implementation of the same form. But, the one thing that both of these renditions should share is that all the maneuvers of the execution should be determined to be effective and performed properly.

 

On the fast side of the spectrum, the American Kenpo adage associated with pace determination is: "A form should only be executed as fast as it can be done right (or correctly)". Generally speaking, there is no equal adage to the slow end of the same spectrum. But if one were to be coined, it would be: "A form should be executed fast enough as to be considered effective". Therefore, any pace that falls within these boundaries would be considered to be executed at an acceptable pace.

 

The interesting element of the previous paragraph is; why there is an upper limit adage and not a lower limit one? This is because, for the most part, everyone tries to be effective as possible in their execution of any form. Because of this, the low end of the pace spectrum is almost never an issue. It is the upper pace limit that tends to be where problems arise. Therefore, this is where more guiding and governing factors need to be expressed.

 

Another way to say this same thing is: practitioners tend to be able to self-set slower pace without issue, but tend to need more guidance in setting upper pace limits. And, the upper end of the spectrum is were Form Five pace begins to show differences from the other forms of the system.

 

As specified elsewhere in this book, Form Five tends to concentrate more on lower body striking and manipulations than the other forms of the system. And, although these lower body maneuverings share many of the same basic elements as their upper body counterparts, there are some elements that are indeed distinctive.

 

Starting from an upper body perspective, if one were to rush through a form (i.e. set too fast of a pace), the upper body offensive and defensive maneuvers would give the impression of being imprecise, not well defined (i.e. mumbled motion), sloppy, and/or ineffective. Taking this same scenario from a lower body perspective, the overall impression would be very similar; but there would be one major distinctive difference. The lower body strikes, such as stomps, would change from giving the impression of having effective weight transfers with proper impact and maneuvering; to more of a sense of a lighter, almost dance-like routine. Almost the same as mumbled motion of the upper body. Very similar; but with distinctive characteristics.

 

In other words, the lower body strikes of Form Five, if executed at a proper pace, should give the impression of hard hitting and effective impact and maneuverings with proper back-up mass and delineation; just like their upper body equivalents. Yet, as the pace begins to advance beyond an effective rate, these same maneuvers will begin to strike and manipulate less effectively, and proper body alignments and coordination will begin to suffer. Again, just like their upper body equivalents. But, since these lower body maneuvers are also often simultaneously being used as a stance (or partial stance), this will result in the impression of the stance being less stable with less bracing angles and alignments. A new set of characteristics, distinctive to these lower body maneuvers; but simultaneously sharing the similarity of an overall impression of being less effective.

 

To restate the previous observation; these less effective lower body maneuvers result in what appears to be more of a dance routine than a series of striking and/or coordinated series of effective maneuvers and manipulations. And, this distinguishable characteristic can be used specifically to help in determining a proper pace for Form Five. Stated yet another way, the more Form Five's lower body maneuverings begin to look like a dance routine; the more the practitioner needs to slow their pace and work on the effectiveness and coordination of these strikes and lower body maneuver sequences - by themselves and in tandem with their upper body counterparts.

 

The importance of this guidance cannot be understated. Once one has learned to observe improper lower body maneuvering within Form Five, it becomes a very noticeable characteristic that is easily spotted in both self and others. And one can use this skill in determining not only proper pace, but overall proper execution of the form.

 

One final note: pace should not be confused with coordination. Coordination deals with the timing of the varying elements comprising maneuvers, either individually or collectively, to achieve a specific physical and/or psychological outcome - such as effectiveness, emphasis, intent, etc. Pace being only one of those components. And, although pace is directly intertwined with coordination, it is not coordination.