The first forms that the  student learns are the Four Foundation Forms.  These are easier to learn than the later Ten core forms.  The Ten forms are actually quite  athletic and challenging to  preform.  Few people are ready for  them when they start training in Kung Fu.  The Ten Core Forms assume that the  practitioner already has a well coordinated, strong, and flexible body withh a good foundation in fundamental techniques.  To ensure that the new student is  ready  for the Ten Core Forms the Foundation Forms are taught.  There are four  Preparatory Forms.  They are Springy Legs, Connecting Steps, Small Circles and Preying Mantis. 

These forms are famous forms in their own right.  Springy Legs is an impressive beginners Form teaching foundation skills and techniques.  Connecting Steps expands the length and techniques of stepping.  Both of the forms people practice, even after learning  the others, to focus on developing these skills.  Small Circles builds good  coordination and skills and Praying Mantis teaches hand positioning and leaping.   These are advanced forms in their own right.

1. 1. 1. Overview of the Ten Forms of Northern Shaolin
         

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The Ten Forms are the heart of  Northern Shaolin.  These forms are very unified  and consistent in their style. The Ten Forms are an encyclopedia of martial arts techniques.  Learning all Ten Forms is a great achievement.  Mastering them is  the work of a lifetime.  The construction and design of these forms is very deep.  The longer one spends with them and the more that one puts into them the more they will gradually reveal their mysteries. 

In the Ten Forms five are short and five are long.  The five short forms contain about forty techniques.  The five long forms contain about eighty movements.  Because the long forms are also much more complicated and athletically challenging they are really three times as hard as the short forms. 

Nowadays the forms are usually taught in reverse order  of difficulty.  That means the easiest are learned first and the more difficult are learned last.  This order would be 6, 7, 8, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3, 9, 10.  In the past people may have learned them in numerical order.  Apparently the numbers were added long after the forms were created.  One can also practice them in numerical order.   In this case there are three long forms and the five short forms and then the remaining two  long forms.  In this way the short forms provide a break between the long forms.  Regardless of the order during practice if all Ten Forms are performed in one session that is a major workout. 

All of  these  forms  contain movements that are unique to that form mixed  with moves that are shared by the other Forms.  When describing a form as emphasizing or teaching a certain skill we refer to the unique movements or combinations found only in that form.  These unique techniques are usually about 20% of  the Form.  So most of the form will consist of moves shared by other forms in the Ten Forms. 

From the observers point of the view all of the Ten Forms resemble each other more than they appear different.  The four Preparatory Forms all are more different from each other and from the Ten Forms.  In this way the Ten Forms display a consistent style and approach.    The are very integrated and really fit together as a  series. 

If a person learns and practices The Ten Core Forms there is no doubt that they will become healthy, strong, well coordinated, flexible, balanced, and with a strong focused mind.  In addition, they will be able to protect themselves and their loved ones with powerful combat skills.