stance?

[Gus]

Hi guys first time posting here,

 

I was hoping that someone could give me a good description of any balance exercise they use for improving their stance in Kickboxing?

 

And, how do you train for stance, i.e how much weight is on each foot, the position of the feet?

 

Thanks for any replies

[Guy_Mendiola]

in TKD in training, you would have to switch fighting stance and punch or kick with your opposite hand or what's called a reversal punch and a reversal kick.

[Justfulwardog]

I used to use just my boxing stance, until I found that I could not check kicks in it. I still use it, but only when in punching range. The boxing stance I am refering to was sixty percent weight on the lead leg, and forty percent on the rear leg. With both toes pointed towards my opponent.

 

When I am in kicking range, I use a muay tai stance. It is the opposite wieght ratio. With forty on the lead and sixty on the rear. In the muay tai stance I turn my rear foot to a fortyfive degree angle, instead of forward.

 

In old style boxing, they used to have there rear leg facing to the side and flat footed. They woud drag there rear foot behind them. They got a lot off power in there right cross that way. I think the modern way was adopted, because It is a lot faster.

 

I try to keep both my heels slightly off the ground in both stances. Start with just your rear heel though. It was hard for me at first to bring both heels up.

 

I also used to square up a lot. That is until my teacher kept sticking me with front thrust kicks to the point where I could not defend myself, from fatigue. I was very reluctant to change. Although eventually I had to point my left shoulder forward. So that his front kicks, when they do get through, they slide off. Instead me having to take the force of them.

 

Ok, I'll shut up now. I run on at the mouth sometimes.

[soul fighter]

My stance got lower from Wrestling

 

I stand with left foot out, feet shoulder-width apart(or wider), Abs curled, shoulders slightly shrugged up (not too high, or you'll get tired), elbows in, chin down, and hands up 6-7 inches away from my face

[Natural]

Well, the key to stance is make sure your feet are really flat, make sure by looking at the feet, when kicking put weight on your surpporting leg and stay balanced as possible.

[White Warlock]

Gus, on a personal level, i find the most effective means to work on balance, is to bring down my center of balance.

 

When i practice 'alone,' i focus on very low stances and on walking around in circles like a friggin' waddling duck. It helps me to stay grounded and helps me to remember not to stay on my toes 'too much.' In competition, staying on your toes is excellent, but it is not necessarily the same for real confrontations, where being grounded is far more important.

 

The reason staying on your toes in competition is important is primarily due to the fact that you are 'exchanging' strikes, as opposed to simply 'taking care of business' and attempting to finish off your adversary in the most efficient and brutal fashion. Essentially, you are dancing with your opponent.

 

However, practicing 'too much' for competition can turn you into a ballerina. I.e., you become far more a dancer than a fighter, and your strikes suffer because of it. Your power comes from the ground up, not from mid-air. 'Too much' competition practice causes you to spend 'too much' time being airborne.

 

Ali said it best when he said, 'fly like butterfly, and sting like a bee.'

 

Essentially you need to be airborne, then grounded at the point of impact. The means to do this is to learn to 'switch' from standing on your toes, down to a low-stance (horse stance or otherwise) when striking and then back up onto your toes at the speed of light.

[SevenStar]

I used to use just my boxing stance, until I found that I could not check kicks in it. I still use it, but only when in punching range. The boxing stance I am refering to was sixty percent weight on the lead leg, and forty percent on the rear leg. With both toes pointed towards my opponent.

 

When I am in kicking range, I use a muay tai stance. It is the opposite wieght ratio. With forty on the lead and sixty on the rear. In the muay tai stance I turn my rear foot to a fortyfive degree angle, instead of forward.

 

muay thai uses both of those stances. The latter one you mentioned is a defensive stance, also called a kick stance.

 

In old style boxing, they used to have there rear leg facing to the side and flat footed. They woud drag there rear foot behind them. They got a lot off power in there right cross that way. I think the modern way was adopted, because It is a lot faster.

 

That's the way I was originally taught to throw a cross. "sitting down" into the strike is alot faster than dragging the rear foot though. I still use both methods.

 

I try to keep both my heels slightly off the ground in both stances. Start with just your rear heel though. It was hard for me at first to bring both heels up.

 

I also used to square up a lot. That is until my teacher kept sticking me with front thrust kicks to the point where I could not defend myself, from fatigue. I was very reluctant to change. Although eventually I had to point my left shoulder forward. So that his front kicks, when they do get through, they slide off. Instead me having to take the force of them.

 

good points.

 

Ok, I'll shut up now. I run on at the mouth sometimes.

 

Please do, you're boring us to death.

[SevenStar]

Well, the key to stance is make sure your feet are really flat, make sure by looking at the feet, when kicking put weight on your surpporting leg and stay balanced as possible.

 

DON'T have your feet flat...

[chrish]

Damn straight. If your heel is flat you will become immobile. I did this and got hit a lot.

 

You will find if your opponent comes forward he will hit you, because you cannot pivot/move

 

your head out of the way. Also i find that with the heel flat it takes an initial movement to load your rear hand.

 

Also having the feet flat really cuts down your ability to move, which translates to how much you get hit.

 

Chris