Good day to all, please tolerate me for what I am going to ask or need clarification into because I am still a beginner yet I am willing to learn and to be corrected if needed so. so to start, I am a karate practitioner(just started for 3 months already), under a branch of Japan Karate Association, Shotokan Karate, So, as i have observed in our classes, in Kihon and Kata, we were taught to use those deep, long, rigid stances as with the ideal position as possible(zenkutsu dachi, kokutsu dachi and such) as expected in shotokan karate, but during our Kumite drills, we were taught on how to move in kumite and what bothers me is that, why are the stances use in kumite not as deep, long, rigid stances as in kihon or kata? for example why use a like a shorter and higher version of zenkutsu dachi with the back knee bent, or why use a much lower but shorter version of zenkutsu dachi as such the back knee almost touches the floor being bent, sometimes its like punching almost standing, is that still considered a correct form or shotokan karate? it confuses me, it like its far from the ideal stances being taught, can someone enlighten me with this? due to curiosity, I try to watch some videos of JKA kumite tournaments(I have observed that they use the modified stances as well yet still scores a point, thus considered a correct form?) and MMA(Lyoto Machida bouts, well known Shotokan JKA practitioner in UFC), and still I have observed just as the same as we are drilled in our kumite, its not as the ideal forms of the stances as use in kihon and kata, but a modified one so i came up with the question so can someone explain this to me why in kumite/real fights the stances are somehow modified compared to kihon/kata stances? Is that still considered to be a correct form of Shotokan Karate? and also how do I apply the stances I learned in Kihon and Kata to Kumite/real fight? How do I know even if its stance form is still considered/tolerable to called as "with proper form" stance? why the ideal deep, long, rigid stances in karate not use in kumite? As of now, I just do what my sensei teaches me do the proper form and stance in kihon and kata and do a somehow modified form of stances in kumite just the way he showed it to me, we'll since Im still a beginner I know nothing.... but I am aware of the Niju-kun "Formal stances are for beginners; later, one stands naturally." In my own understanding, I understand it as formal stances are taught in Kihon and Kata since the beginning for training, to establish muscle memory and to strengthen the muscles, joints and bones, neuromuscular connections so that as time and more training passes by it would be like a second nature of yours to move in such stances effectively thus "stands naturally" but why does in the professional kumite(JKA tournaments) they use a modified stance rather than the ideal/formal ones, taught in Kihon and Kata? also, if needed so I need to be corrected of my understanding, please correct me, politely if possible and maybe you can try to relate that niju kun for the reason of differences of stances in kata/kihon and kumite. whoever will teach me or correct me or answers my question in advance, I'd like to say Thank you in advance, and Good Day Again Pictures and videos in regards the topic is greatly appreciated
