I'll add this. Much like meecer's comment I was told that our 30 short form were a distillation of the original 108 Lohan which were simplified. That's ok if Sin The knew the original 108. But he said, [direct quote from page 46 and 47 of his deposition]
Q: Those 30 different kata were not something that you created yourself; correct?
A: Not correct. I created myself.
Q: Okay. Don't you in your book say that these 30 kata are part of a system of 108?
A: That is a legend that they have 108 short form, but nobody ever seen it.
Q: Okay. So you don't know how to do the 108 form?
A: That is correct.
Q: Okay. And of the 30 that you teach, those are part of the 108 form>
A: No. That's part I created.
Q: Okay. So it's not part of some ancient system, it's something you made up yourself?
A: Correct.
Q: So in your book when you say that it's part of the 108 form, ancient form, you're not telling the truth?
A: No, not telling the truth. But because legend has it that it's 108 form.
With all respect to Bill Leonard's letter, there's no squaring this testimony with what we were told. It's one thing to know the 108 form, and pick and choose ones to teach for structural and progressive purposes, but it's another to misrepresent the origins. Sin The did not say he took forms he knew and simplified them. He said he created forms, based upon legends, from whole cloth.
Now, he created the forms from his own knowledge and understanding of what he learned in Indonesia. And the forms do provide steady and progressive training of fundamental techniques that build upon one another and effectively train a beginner in martial arts. They have practical and effective applications behind them. I cannot fault the efficacy of the form and have to give some respect to Sin The as a martial artist and a teacher for creating these forms. But I cannot condone lying about its origins to protect what is a business investment.