Forms No More

Me doing Moon Moo last year

I have competed in forms for twelve years or so. I absolutely love training in forms. I recently wrote a great blog recently on the magic power of forms training which I encourage any martial artist to read. When I began competition forms training when I was a teenager (not getting my age that easy!) When we used to compete, my friend Jessie used to video tape us, but I used to use those videos as a training tool. It really developed my eye for details and my first master always told me "great forms have great details."

My first two forms competitions I ever did I took 3rd place both times. After several months of doing forms training and getting my details down, which at the time transformed my forms completely, I was on a role. My first gold medal in forms was at Master Mark Williams's tournament, the US Grand Prix Winter Nationals in Jersey City, doing the 1st Degree ITF Form Po Ehn. (My mentor would shake his head today knowing I chose that form to compete with!- LOL)

I then went on a gold medal streak in forms and I even tapped into some of the WTF forms and competed with them. In 2004-2005 competition year I won 12 Gold medals straight in forms competition. I was happy, but never satisfied. I always strived to get better and better and better.  I always looked to improve my forms and was always open to change. Change of interpretation, change of style, and change of expression.

I have written countless blogs working with mentor Master Kevin Balon, 7th Dan Black Belt. There is no one better than this man. He always challenges me, always has something new to pass down to me, and has opened my horizons in forms work, and traditional Taekwondo in general. He is the perfect mentor to work with, when you think you can't get any better, you get better. I am so grateful to have him to work with.

I believe the AAU Taekwondo program has the best layout for forms competition. You can perform several times to making it to the finals. For example, my student William had to do his form six times at the nationals this week (Look for his blog soon). You can also change the form you do as long as it's regulated by your rank. The AAU is also the only place I have seen traditional ITF forms being performed where most everywhere else is graded forms and WTF style ONLY. I do know all the Taeguek, Palgwe, and Black Belt WTF forms as well, but I believe the ITF forms are superior and train the body better.

In 2012 I did my first AAU Taekwondo forms competition, centered by my friend today Nina Beauchaine. I was training for my 4th Dan and was a 3rd Dan at the time. I did the 3rd Dan form Choi Yong and performed it a few times to win the Gold. Winning in forms in the AAU I believed had much more value in any other competition. I used Yoo Sin at the 2012 Nationals to win Silver.

People often ask me what my favorite form is. The answer: The 4th Degree ITF form Moon Moo. After 2nd Dan, I taught myself all my new forms, including the WTF forms. But when it got to Moon Moo, I wanted someone else to teach it to me. Moon Moo was the first time I had someone teach me a form for five years, and of course it was taught to me fresh from my own mentor Master Balon himself. So you could only imagine when he happened to have centered the ring that I first did Moon Moo in competition with. I won first round and did Ul Ji, the second 4th Dan form for the Gold. I also won Gold at his tournament in 2013. The 2013 Nationals I won Gold with Moon Moo.

This year I was up against two 5th Dan Black Belts in forms at the AAU Nationals. One said he was from Korea. One was a master under Korean New York District Director. I was happy and proud to win the Gold in forms this year at the AAU nationals. I was emotional when I won, and I knew why.

This was my last forms competition. I made the decision earlier in the year that this would be it. As of this year's nationals, I am officially retiring from forms competition. It is time to move on. I will of course continue practicing my forms, as I do every day. Why every day, along with all the other things I train in? A master pianist plays piano every day. A master ice skater ice skates every day. A master painter paints every day. I would expect nothing less from myself with my forms. And I have a lot of work to do with Master Balon still. But I am a martial artist before anything else. A martial artist comes from a place of spirit, not ego.

I am going to focus on the things I struggle with and am not good at. Why? Well first off, most people don't do that. And why not? I want to get better! I want to improve. I want to learn. I want to experience. And that's what I'll do. I have some very big goals the next couple of years and a lot of work to do. And I plan on doing them all. I take my goals very seriously. But I have made my decision and will be sticking to it.

I want to thank all who have supported me and watched me compete in forms. But I especially want to thank Master Balon for all his help and hard work with me. It is his caliber of knowledge and performance that I strive for and for always pushing the envelope with me, as I know you will continue to do. And now, to move on. (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO