Martial Arts: Stance

LORD
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Martial Arts: Stance

Post by LORD »

Stances: Are the standing positions from which all of your techniques, be they defensive or offensive, are generated from. Stance is probably one of the most important elements to be considered for proper execution and application. One must take into account that all power is generated from leverage. Leverage is created through proper balance which, in turn, comes from proper stance.
A wider stance grants you greater balance with which to create leverage, thus giving you the platform for a powerful technique. One example is as follows: When throwing a front leg sidekick into a pad, heavy bag or opponent it is important to keep the bottom or base leg wider than ninety degrees for added balance and stability. This will give greater leverage to the kick. Couple that leverage with the natural power of the kick and you will see an increased effect. This may also be useful for a sidekick that has more defensive intent than offensive. The added leverage, balance and power will help to nullify the momentum of the onrushing attacker while allowing you to remain upright and hold your current position. Failure to do so may result in being knocked down, especially in the case of being attacked by a larger and heavier individual.

A wider stance also enables added stability when on the receiving end of a technique. As with offensive techniques, defensive blocking also relies on generating power through proper stance. The negative or disadvantageous aspect of a wide stance is that it hampers your mobility and maneuverability.

One should be cognizant of foot position in reference to incoming threats. For example: If an attacker is in an orthodox stance and throwing a back hand or right ridge-hand, it would be advised to adjust the stance so that the right foot moves to your right slightly to help negate the power of the ridge-hand. One can then generate the proper amount of power to effectively block and then counter.


The Bow is not really a stance although it can obviously been done from a standing position. The bow is used to demonstrate honor to your martial art, your opponent, teacher, fellow students, peers and other martial artists as a whole. It is an act of respect.


The Joon Bee Stance (Ready Stance) is performed by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and the knees straight. The toes should be curled upwards as a sign of respect while the arms are set out from the body at about waist level. The fists are held forward, signifying that there is no weapon to be used. The bow is almost always done after the Joon Bee stance.

The Orthodox & Southpaw stances are dictated by a couple of significant yet fairly simple factors. The orthodox stance or “right stance” is generally used by people who are recognized as being “right handed.” The right hand remains in the rear while the left hand is up front. The same is true for the positioning of the legs. The Southpaw stance is done in the complete opposite manner with the left hand in the rear and the right hand in the front. Again, the legs follow suit. For individuals using the stance that allows their more favored hand to remain in the rear, these people are what you call a “true southpaw” or “true orthodox.” The reasons for picking either stance varies from individual to individual and is generally based on preferences related to comfort and ability. For example: A right handed individual may subscribe to the thought that the lead hand, which is closest to the opponent, should be their right hand due it’s superior dexterity and strength from it’s everyday use. That same individual may also feel more comfortable throwing power kicks with longer range from their left leg which is held in the rear from that stance. Another fighter, who is also right handed, may feel more inclined to have their right hand in the rear for the same reasons the first fighter wanted it in the front. The cross, for example, from the orthodox stance is by nature of the technique, more powerful, so a right handed fighter in an orthodox stance may want all their power invested in the most powerful technique to do the most damage. There is no “correct” approach; it’s simply a matter of what works best for the individual fighter’s mind and body.


The Standard Fighting Stance in this system may vary depending on a person’s preference or whether or not they have any physical limitations. Ideally, the stance is done standing with the body to the side so as to limit the striking surface available for their attacker while also adding leverage to aid in remaining upright in the event of force absorption. The hands should be held up in fists while the front forearm stays close to the body protecting the ribs. The rear arm can be kept in a position which would help protect the abdomen while leaving that hand available for parries, blocks etc. The legs should be wider than shoulder width apart while the weight is evenly distributed, allowing the fighter the ability to throw any limb as an attack or defend with either hand. This stance is the basis for all defensive and offensive techniques you have at your disposal.

The Punching Fighting Stance is a fighting stance that lends itself to the execution of punches and other hand strikes with the only real difference being the rear foot positioning and the shifting of weight and balance. By raising the heel and placing the weight firmly on the ball of the foot one is able to have accessible leverage for optimum punching. This position also allows for small, adjustment steps to be made while maintaining readiness for hard punching. The disadvantage is that the way the weight is distributed a new shift will have to be made in order to have “ready” access to the front leg if it is your desire to kick. This seemingly small adjustment can be problematic if one is not prepared to create the necessary space and time required to adjust.

The Kicking Fighting Stance is a fighting stance that lends itself to the execution of kicks. The difference here is, again, with the way the weight is distributed. You want to put most of your weight onto your rear or back foot so as to make the front leg “lighter” and quicker to respond to situations where a kick is desired or required. The disadvantage to this stance is that it makes maneuverability difficult because it’s a “set” stance. That rear leg acts as an anchor; it’s your pillar or support beam. In this stance one is not really looking to retreat or side step but to hold ground and brace for the attack or while you mount your own.

Chon Gool Stance (Front Stance) is one of the traditional stances that are still taught and incorporated into the current system we use. This stance is essentially one that allows the cross to achieve its potential, providing the leverage and balance conducive to the path the cross travels. The stance is done with the front leg bent (in a lunge) at an approximately ninety degree angle, foot flat on the ground, while the rear leg is extended back with the rear foot up on the ball. The hips and torso should be squared towards the target. The difference in this stance is that it is performed while executing a specific technique while the aforementioned stances are done to facilitate several techniques, both offensive and defensive.


“Philly Shell” Stance is more about upper-body positioning and is derived from a Boxer’s stance or a Boxer’s guard. The positioning of the arms in this stance is almost that of the all-purpose block except that it’s almost the exact opposite. From this stance, shoulder rolls can be implemented in a fashion that bears some similarity to a parry from the lead hand. One of the advantages to using this stance is that it directly works with parrying from both sides of the guard and allows up-jabs and blind, counter-hooks to come into play easily and naturally. This stance also works well to allow the defender to slip, duck, “bob” and weave punches and hand strikes rather well while setting up counters to both the body and the head. The Philly Shell also covers and protects the body effectively as well.
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