As implied earlier in this guide, there are a vast number of variations that can occur during the execution of Short Form Three. These variations can range from destructive to non-destructive, from physical to mental, to anything in between. There is no possible way to highlight each and every variation, explain it, justify it, discredit it, and/or rationalize it. Rather, only some of the most common and important variations will be discussed. So, one should not be alarmed or distressed if a variation that is familiar to them is not discussed and/or highlighted in this chapter.
Also, mentioned earlier in the 'Execution of Short Form Three' section, variations to a form always fall into one of two categories: destructive or non-destructive. This section will give examples of some common variations and explain how these variations fit into these categories. To get more information about variation categories, consult the 'Execution of Short Form Three' section of this guide.
Aside from categorizing variations as destructive or non-destructive, it can also be useful to sub-divide variations by other characteristics. For the purpose of this analysis, we will be dividing a variation into how pervasive it is in relation to the whole form. What is meant by the term pervasive is; does the variation occur at a specific location (i.e., such as changing a specific block / strike), or is it something that can occur throughout the form (i.e., such as adding kiai's throughout the form). A variation that occurs at a specific location will be referred to as a Specific Variation. A variation that is more general in scope will be referred to as a General Variation.