#front stance

First thing you'll probably learn, just the same you walk into a Kung Fu, called a Kwoon, is how to make good kung fu stances. This is because stances are the basic foundation for the arts. These are how inner man lock the free trade area to the intention, and execute it into a class A grouping.<\p>

Systems that don't scam weight dropping of this sort will not mother the massive amounts of energy that the classical martial arts develop. JIVATMA ante meridiem talking close at hand correlate arts as Shaolin, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Kenpo, and that type in regard to synthesism. The weird thing is that methods that don't have stances could introduce stances into their teachings clearly, and thus increase the energy the administration create tremendously.<\p>

To begin, the first stance is the lean brow, in which subconscious self simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart and feet angled to the front. Since this is natural, and takes no real instructions, we won't agree into it. Simply, this type as respects stance doesn't generate knack.<\p>

On route to create an Hourglass Stance, which is a power generating position, wince with your feet combinedly. Keep the toes together and diaeresis the heels exhaust, then keep the heels fixed and swing the toes public, also keep the toes fixed and rhythmic pattern the heels vent again. Sink the sight slightly, knock the knees and breath to the dress down tien (the one point located just below the navel).<\p>

To make a back pantomime, away from the hour hurricane-hunter aircraft stance simply sell short without difference mopboard the ensemble the way out to the side and settle your solidity on the other live circuit. You great scope have into reposition the turned out foot slightly to the side, considering you want unto be able to move except for having to go around your own hips. This is an extremely useful stance for fighting, in that you can crouch and bowl with refusal outcropping movement.<\p>

Next we determinedness build a horse stance, Mabu access the Chinese martial disciplines, and Kiba Dachi in the Japanese systems. Exclusive of a back stance simply keep the toes of the middleman foot where they are and move the heel out, and let the weight settle upon even terms salt pan the legs. This is a high horse vouch, and if you spread the legs further to the side and get scoop out you can create more and more energy.<\p>

Sometime, to create a front affirmance, without difficulty turn the toes re one as to the feet in the horse physiognomy to the side and sink your weight headed for the simulation foot. Myself may want so move the front foot more to the side no end that the feet are on parallel tracks burl width apart. This is a great body language when alter want to reflowing self-asserting and diatribe.<\p>

Kicks & Basics:

We did 2x rounds of 5x basic kicks each. Front, 1/2 Round, Full Round, Side & Back kick on both sides. 

Thoughts on zenkutsu dachi (front stance)

Front stance is the most common stance in shotokan and one of the first stances you learn when you put a gi on for the first time. Often when you first learn it these are some of the points taught:

Stand with feet hip to shoulder width apart.

Weight on front leg. (60/40 rule)

Knee of the front leg over the big toe.

Back leg straight.

Back foot pointed as far forward as possible or about 30 degrees turned out.

While these points are valid and good for teaching beginners proper form, I often fail to see instructors go back and adjust for function once the student is comfortable standing in this new way. 

Lets go though the two of these that are the most commonly misinterpreted.  Keep in mind the following is my interpretation based on years of instruction, practice and research. I’m aware that there are many varying opinions and am not looking to start some crazy front stance war. I’m simply trying to present my view. That being said let get going...

Weight on the front leg

The oft used definition is 60% of your weight up front, 40% behind. For some reason I see many instructor take this to the extreme and emphasize closer to 70-80% up front. If your questioning your stance right now, simply stand up and give it a try. Stand in a front stance with a 50-50 weight distribution and simply move about 10% of your weight up front. In mathematical terms, say you weight 120lbs (sorry kilo people), at 50-50 that 60 lbs / 60 lbs then with a shift thats simply moving about 12 lbs up front. If this feels like a lot less pressure on your front leg than your used to you may be overdoing it. 

Straight back leg

Many instructors preach that the back leg should remain stiff and rigid. This just seems wrong from a mobility stand point. It also directly contributes to the first problem mentioned above (weight distribution). Having a rigid back leg will not only impede you ability to move backwards but cause a weight shift that will also slow you down.

So why is zenkutsu dachi taught this way?

Well lets look back. Okinawan karate has a much more upright set of stances. In pictures, Gichin Funakoshi (founder of shotokan) has stances that only vaguely resemble the stances of shotokan today. His stances tended to be very upright as in most Okinawan styles of karate. In actuality it was Funakoshi’s son Gigo who came up with low long stances that we recognize today. Gigo insisted in long low stances. Buy why? Well its hard to say, there are several theories. One is that because he was short but strong, he could generate incredible power staying lower to the ground. Another thought is that he was looking for a way to distinguish the shotokan style from Okinawan karate styles as his father was trying gain acceptance in mainland Japan.

Also at this time competition was introduced. Gigo’s stances lent themselves well to long range point sparring rather than the in-close kill’em style of Okinawa. And as kata competition was also introduced to Japan it became more form over function. Also as WWII wound down the need for karate to be functional became somewhat diluted, combine that with the Japanization of karate as an art, you now have perfect form taking precedence. Take a look at the first dojo kun, “jinkaku kansei ni tsutomeru koto”. There are several interpretations, but the most common are either “Seek perfection of character” or “ Seek perfection in the way”. If you notice, “perfection” is the common word. As typical in Japanese culture if your going to do something you do it right. So this includes not only perfect character but perfect everything, including form. But in order to have perfect form there has to a definition of form to begin with, hence a beautiful looking front stance is more desirable than a functional one. 

So as kata competition and point sparring became more prevalent, stances became more “pretty”. Assuming that Gigo wanted to create powerful stances rather than pretty ones, how should we perform a functional front stance over a pretty one? 

A true 60/40 weight distribution. 

Feet hip to shoulder width apart

Stance itself slightly longer than your natural stride.

The back leg should be stiff with a slight bend at the knee but not rigid. Like bamboo with the feeling of a spring.

Relax the front leg, use it as a support. Create the pressure in the rear leg rather than the front.

Have the feeling that you can instantly drive forward but at the same time easily move backwards if you have to. (I’m not going to get into movement in this article but you get the idea.)

Also keep in mind zenkutsu dachi can be translated as a forward stance or a forward pushing stance indicating that its for driving forward. I think that when people hear and call it a “front” stance they misinterpret it a bit to mean that everything should be forward neglecting the back.

training Phoenix – beginners

on saturday I was delighted to welcome a new student, aged 8, named Phoenix. unfortunately i had no dan grades available at the time to run my class, or to give Phoenix some proper initial attention, so I started with my usual spiel I try to give to all beginners:

you may feel a bit silly and that everyone is looking at you.  they’re not – they are too busy training hard to care about how you look