Light Forms
Photography by Ian Darrenkamp
© Ian Darrenkamp 2012
First Edition
All Rights Reserved
Published in Philadelphia by Student Copying Services. Wachman Hall, Temple University.
Book Design and Photography by Ian Darrenkamp
This book is dedicated to Master Paul Mimidis
CONTENTSIntroduction......................
Sae Kye Hyungs...............
Pyung Ahns......................
Bassai...............................
Naihanchi Cho Dan..........
Bong Forms......................
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11
25
47
53
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Introductionon me. I thought, “Man, those gloves are pretty neat. I bet you could get some pretty cool timed exposures using them.” And then I remembered what I had done over the summer experimenting with glow sticks and my bo-staff in my backyard. So I decided to fine tune things.
I got a bunch of different glow sticks that were basically ropes. I taped a pair of orange ones on each of my legs. I used a pair of blue ones for each of my arms. I wrapped green one around my head and then used green sticks for the ends of my bo-staff when I was using that. I also taped a blue glowstick on the back of each of my hands, as well as taping orange sticks to the top of each foot. I wanted to be able to track each movement I made.
With the help of my brother Ryan and Aaron, we scheduled a night to go to a remote setting (the Darrenkamp’s Elizabethtown store) and create these photographs. Needless to say, it was a long night.
At the suggestion of Dr. Trayes, I not only recorded the entirety of each form, but five-second intervals of each form so that the viewer would be able to see not only how the form unfolds, but how the many pieces become the larger photograph.
So after many hours organizing the images, editing them, and putting them into book form (pun totally intended), here it is: Light Forms.
Fun fact: I’m a black belt in karate. I took karate at Mimidis Karate in Lancaster, PA for a grand total of seven years. Karate taught me a lot of the things I know today about life, self-control, respect, etc. But that’s not the point of this.
The type of karate I took is called Tang Soo Do (tang soo doh). Throughout the course of training, we learn these things called forms. Forms are, in a nutshell, choreographed techniques. Very much like a dance. Except instead of dancing, you’re blocking and striking as though your life was threatened by a hoard of people attacking you. At least, that’s supposedly the scenario.
In any case, these forms are really beautiful in their own way, and it dawned on me one afternoon over the summer that, “Hey, there’s got to be a way for me to capture this in photographic form.” It was a chance for me to create something truly me: combining my expertise of two different things into one. You just can’t make anyone who takes photographs perform these forms on the spot. You also can’t just take any person who knows karate and teach them how to capture the images the way I did right away.
So I experimented a bit over the summer and discovered that using orange, blue, and green glow sticks with long exposures seemed to work really well (I decided on those colors not just because they create a lot of contrast, but also because of a camera’s sensors detect red, blue and green light. Made sense to use just those, right?)
When it came time to come up with my second personal book for my photo seminar course, this wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind. It was only when I want to an Umphrey’s McGee concert in February and saw a girl with gloves with glowing/blinking fingertips that it dawned
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Sae Kye HyungsSae Kye Hyung ( say kee hyung ), literally translates to “basic form.” These forms are taught to beginner belts to learn the basic techniques.
sae kye hyung il bu (il boo)
Created by: Hwang KeeYear: 1947Where: Seoul, South KoreaForm Moves: 20
sae kye hyung e bu (ee boo)
Created by: Hwang KeeYear: 1947Where: Seoul, South KoreaForm Moves: 20
sae kye hyung sam bu (sahm boo)
Created by: Hwang KeeYear: 1947Where: Seoul, South KoreaForm Moves: 20
opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left)
The progression of Sae Kye Hyung Il Bu in Five-Second
Increments.
next page: Sae Kye Hyung Il Bu in its entirety from two different angles (straight on
and from 20-feet high looking down).
12
opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left)
The progression of Sae Kye Hyung E Bu in Five-Second
Increments.
next page: Sae Kye Hyung E Bu in its entirety from two different angles (straight on
and from 20-feet high looking down).
16
opposite: (clockwise starting with the top left) The
progression of Sae Kye Hyung Sam Bu in Five-Second
Increments.
next page: Sae Kye Hyung Sam Bu in its entirety from two
different angles (straight on and from 20-feet high looking
down).
20
24
Pyung Ahn FormsThe Pyung Ahn (pyung ahn) symbols are Chinese characters. The first character (Pyung), looks very similar to a scale. This reprensts balance, calm, and peace. The “ahn” symbol is synonomous with safe, confident and comfortable. When a pupil masters the Pyung Ahn forms, they embody the meanings of these characters in the sense that they feel peace and confidence (or, “pyung ahn”). This happens through their patience and hard work in learning these forms.
pyung ahn sah dan (sah dahn)
Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 22
pyung ahn oh dan (oh dahn)
Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 22
pyung ahn sam dan (sahm dahn)
Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 27
The animal representation of Pyung Ahn forms is the turtle. This animal lives in a state of constant peace and confidence. Its actions are always slow and deliberate. It presents an impression of calm, comfort, and peace. Upon being attacked, it can withdraw into its shell keeping it safe from harm
pyung ahn cho dan(cho dahn)
Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 22
pyung ahn e dan (ee dahn)
Created by: Master Idos Year: 1870Where: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 29
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above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung
Ahn Cho Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Pyung Ahn Cho Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
26
above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung Ahn
E Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Pyung Ahn E Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
30
above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung
Ahn Sam Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Pyung Ahn Sam Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
34
above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung
Ahn Sah Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Pyung Ahn Sah Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
38
above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Pyung Ahn
Oh Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Pyung Ahn Oh Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
42
46
BassaiBassai ( bah-s-eye), is significant because it is the first form over 50 moves in the World Tang Soo Do Association. Its represented by the Cobra. It’s fast, collected, a selection of the best choice of moves. Advance belts learn this form and it is a one that is done particulalry often. At black belt camps, Grand Master Shin is known to have attendees perform this form over and over again along to the beat of a drum for over an hour.
Fast. Precise. Powerful. Bassai.
bassaiCreated by: unknownYear: Late 16th CenturyWhere: Na Nam Province, ChinaForm Moves: 52
following page (clockwise from top left across the spread): The progression of Bassai in five-second intervals
after: Bassai in its entirety from two different angles (straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
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Naihanchi Cho Dan
naihanchi cho dan
Created By: Master Jang Song KyeYear: 1100’sWhere: Northern ChinaForm Moves: 27
Naihanchi Cho Dan (na-hawn-chee cho dahn) is known as the form that signifies a warrior on horseback. This is the case since the form is entirely done in a stance that’s known as a hors-riding stance, where the legs are spread beyond shoulder width and slightly bent at the knees (as though riding a horse)
What also makes this form unique is the fact there is only lateral movement. That makes the two views of the form being performed in its entirety look nearly identical.
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above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Naihanchi
Cho Dan in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Naihanchi Cho Dan in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
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Bong Forms
bong form e bu
Created By: Master Jang Song KyeYear: 1983Where: Philadelphia, PAForm Moves: 28
These are my personal favorite forms to do, and they are not what you think they are. Bong (aka “staff”) forms are taught to advanced students who’ve had almost two years of train-ing. Basically, these forms are the same as the previous forms when it comes to the princples. Only difference is with these, you’re swinging around a staff as tall as you are for various strikes and blocks, as well.
bong form il bu
Created By: Grand Master ShinYear: 1983Where: Philadelphia, PAForm Moves: 23
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above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Bong
Form Il Bu in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Bong Hyung Il Bu in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
above (clockwise onto adjacent page): The progression of Bong
Form E Bu in Five-Second Increments.
next page: Bong Hyung E Bu in its entirety from two different angles
(straight on and from 20-feet high looking down).
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