Forms and Sets > Short Form 3 > Improving Execution > General Errors

As mentioned elsewhere in this manual, there is a general rule when performing a form: one should only perform a form as fast as it can be executed properly. Because this rule is very non-specific, the speed at which a form may be performed can vary greatly between not only individuals, but the same individual over time. Therefore, there is no real specific pace at which this form must be performed. That decision is left up to the individual to decide - as long as it is performed properly and correctly. And by correctly, this means employing the rules and principles appropriately and consistently throughout not only this form, but all forms.

Since Short Form Three has an increased complexity of stance and maneuver over the previous forms, one common mistake that frequently slips into the execution of the form is leaning. One should always maintain a straight back and well-balanced stance; unless a specific form maneuver calls for a deviation from this rule (such as Grip of Death). And, although one may need to bend (not lean), one should take care to always maintain a solid and resilient stance. There should be no time throughout the form's execution where one's stance is compromised. It is obvious that the form is not comprised of just a bunch of stances strung together, but the stance is the foundation of all our maneuvers and should not be overlooked or quickly dismissed. And, maintaining a proper stance comes from an understanding of it's components and the accompanying maneuvers that effect their proper enactment.

For instance, one should be fully aware of the dimensional alignments for each stance of the form and be able to obtain them using the form's proper foot maneuver accurately and consistently. To put it succinctly, proper stance alignments are crucial to stance stability. Improper stance alignment is one of the primary causes of stance instability. Unfortunately, alignment is a general term, but in this context alignment can refer to not only the foot (dimensional) alignment, but also to the body and extremity alignments of the maneuver. Each of these components attribute to not only a stable stance, but are major contributing factors to a solid and properly implemented maneuver.

Furthermore, each foot maneuver should be performed with decisiveness and maintained stability. Every foot maneuver should be terminated into the proper dimensional alignments without the need for any further adjustments and/or tweaking. The practitioner should always be aware of American Kenpo rule #1 - Obtain a stable base. And, it's corollary - Always try to maintain a stable base. Putting these rules into practice requires an understanding of what elements create a stable base and adhering to that understanding throughout the form's execution.

Another common fault displayed in the form's execution are the angles to which each self-defense technique is executed. At first glance, this may seem like a minor point, but the angles are an important element of form design within American Kenpo. Each form has specific angles to which maneuvers are performed, and when put together lay out a cohesive and logically directed design and series of categories which are expounded upon as the forms progress. Changing the angles of execution results in this grand configuration being disrupted and the systematic design being fragmented, and therefore becoming incomplete and/or undesirably corrupted. In short, the applied angles of the form are just as important as any other aspect of the maneuvers of the form, and should not be changed without first understanding their significance and the implication of altering them to the system as a whole.