form 3's grip of death

[madeku]

so there have been alot of form 3 videos circulating around lately, and i have a question... why does nobody seem to "react" to that headlock in grip of death in form 3, and have perfect posture the whole time? someone's breaking your posture into a headlock.

[MarkC]

Good question.

[Eastcoastkenpoist]

Probably for the same reason that they twirl doing Wings of Silk. They either learned the techniques learning the form, or don't practice techniques any more and only exercise their forms.

Either way their logic has left them, or perhaps might have never been there at all.

[Doc]

Forms do not always represent a literal "bunkai" or application of specific moves, and/or their reactions. Every move in a form, every nuance is representative of many aspects of the lesson to be learned. Sometimes it's posture, at others it may be timing, and still again it may be about balance, or even mental focus. Move for move applications are just one element in the performance of a form, and whatever the theme of the form will determine what it is supposed to look like, and why. Forms are nothing but "indices of information" to be archived, and the information extracted by a knowledgeable representative of the source material and its theme may, or may not fit someone else's understanding of what it is they think they see. One person may look at someone perform a form and see wonderful things. Someone else might see poor body mechanics and a complete exclusion of what the from was created to teach and represent. it is always a matter of perspective, coupled with knowledge, accented by purpose.

[KenpoChanger]

The idea is not to regain your posture after they have taken it, but to not let them take it at all; so, in form, it should just look like they have bent their legs.
Sean