<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Forms and Sets > Short Form 3 > Frequently Asked Questions > Are there areas of Short Form Three where I need to lean?

No. Leaning can be done in a number of ways. First, one can just lean while settled in a stance (leaning); or, one can lean while maneuvering between stances (jet lagging). Either way, the back is not kept perpendicular to the ground.

 

But, there are areas in the form where the practitioner bends in their stance. The major difference between leaning and bending is that leaning is primarily unintentional, has no purpose and is problematic throughout the execution of a form and should therefore be corrected. In contrast, bending is intentional, has a purpose and is done at very specific points throughout the execution of a form. The three points in Short Form Three where the practitioner bends is:

 

1.Arching of the back at the beginning of Scraping Hoof.

2.Bending of the head and upper body forward at the beginning of Fatal Cross.

3.Bending of the upper body sideways at the beginning of Grip of Death.

 

One thing to notice about each of the situations is that they demonstrate a different direction of bending (backward, forward, and to the side) and that they each have an integral purpose and meaning in the execution of the form.