TKD Fighting Stance(s)

[equaninimus]

In my brief (3 year) foray into TKD, we mostly used a sort of shortened front stance, rather like we do in Shotokan. It was basically up to the individual to develop a sparring posture he or she felt comfy with. Being short, I tend to use a sort of modifed front stance/horse stance thingy. Perhaps its a "Robert stance?"

[MichiganTKD]

For basics and forms, we use the traditional stances to practice balance, stability, and develop our legs. In free fighting, we want to be able to move around, and that's awfully hard to do in a traditional stance. Most of the time, we use an upright 50-50 stance, almost like walking. However, we do shift our stances and angles depending on what we are setting up for or to draw our opponent in. For example, if I want to make offense, I will use a forward-based 50-50 stance because it is easier to make forward motion that way. If I want to set up for a back kick, I will (sometimes) use a side stance to get them to throw a roundhouse for a back side/roundhouse counter. Or I will use a side stance to set up a tornado kick. If you're really good, you can throw a back kick from a front or 45 degree stance, because it doesn't telegraph a back kick as much.

 

Our older black belts, the more original students, have been known to use some traditional stances to throw you off and see how you react to them.