Question 098: Pattern improvement

Chambering depends on what the organization, school, or instructor wants to see. Some use short a chamber while some use a maximum chamber. For forms, I teach a maximum chamber. Basically, this means reaching in the opposite direction in a mirror image to the desired ending position. For example, if the ending position is a double fist middle guarding block to the left with the left fist held palm outward and the right fist held palm upward, you would reach to the right with the right arm fully extended with palm held downward and left arm across the chest with palm held upward.

Hesitate for a second at the end of each technique. Pretend you are posing for a photograph at the end of a technique. Do not move so quickly that judges cannot see your technique. For example, for a side thrust kick, fully extend the kick with perfect foot shape and hold it there for a second (just a second) before re-chambering the kick and going to the next movement

Maintain an even pace. When under stress, people tend to speed up, especially after making a minor mistake. Set a rhythm for the form and maintain that rhythm, except when certain movements are supposed to be performed slowly or quickly.