Kempo Basics: Describe Your Systems' Default Stance

[delta1]

In American Kenpo, everything begins and ends in the neutral bow. Draw a line on the floor to your opponents center line. In a left foot forward stance (left neutral bow), the toes of the left foot would touch your left side of the line. The heel of the right foot would touch the right side of the line about a shinbones width back. Both feet are at 45', with 50/50 weight distribution. Knees are bent (@45', or a litle less) and slightly out. Coccyx (tailbone) is slightly tucked, spine stacked, head erect and chin slightly tucked. Left arm up so you look just over the hand, right covers the mid section.

 

This stance gives both stability and maneuverability. It also gives excellant structure. It minimizes targets while allowing all weapons to be brought into play quickly. We can get into the stance changes and foot maneuvers from this stance later, in this or another thread. But for now I'll keep it simple.

 

So, now, describe your stance. What are its' strengths? What was it designed to do? And, for you AK guys, I left a lot out in the design category. IKCA guys, can some of you comment on the fact that we are allowed to turn that lead foot out a little?

 

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. These descriptions will sound ridged and static. Let's all give each other the bennifit of the doubt and assume that we are all loose and don't stand around like a photo op in training! (Of course, if you do that, please tell us and explain the reasoning behind it !)

[kempocos]

sounds alot like my Kempo and Isshinryu stances

[Pacificshore]

Sounds like what you described is what we refer to as out "Kempo" stance. It does provide for manuverability forward, back, and side to side. The only slight difference, unless I missed it, is that our rear heel is off the ground, and the rear foot facing forward

[Shorinryu Sensei]

The stance we use depends on the situation and experience (and confidence) of the practioner.

 

Our front stance is similar. The length is generally a comfortqab;le distance apart..front footpointed at yoru opponent, back foot at 45 degree angle. Weight is around 50/50, depending on what you want to do. It can shift more to the back (25/75) easily enough to use front leg kicks or to move forward rapidly, but also allowing ease of leaping backwards also.

 

This is taught early on, but is difficult to master. Our "natural" stance is designed for self-defense applications, not sparring. Your feet are about shoulder width or less apart where you are facing squared to your opponent (just like you'd be standing talking to a friend), knees slightly bent withg hands outwards comfortably like you use them when you talk to someone.

 

It is a non-threatening stance, yet you are ready to defend yourself and can easily and quickly move in any direction if you need to. I call it my "Hey, I really don't want to fight you" stance, as it doesn't threaten like a front stance does, and gives the guy the option to attack you (which is OK with us), or to back off.

 

As always, it's easier to show than to describe.

[doubletwist]

Sounds like what you described is what we refer to as out "Kempo" stance. It does provide for manuverability forward, back, and side to side. The only slight difference, unless I missed it, is that our rear heel is off the ground, and the rear foot facing forward

 

We [AK] also use a stance with the rear-foot facing forward, with the exception that the heel is on the ground. This is our "forward bow", which is used for instance when throwing a reverse punch. The twist from the neutral bow [rear foot @ 45deg], to the forward bow [rear-foot pointing foward] gives us the added power to the punch, as well as bracing us against the floor. The stability difference between having your heel off the floor, and having it planted is quite significant.

 

Not slamming your style/stance, just describing ours. Personally, as pathetic as it sounds, my foot flexibility is still bad enough that it is difficult for me to be in that stance with my heel down, so I often find myself with my heel up anyway. I'm working on that though...

 

DT

[Red J]

Both feet are at 45', with 50/50 weight distribution. Knees are bent (@45', or a litle less) and slightly out. Coccyx (tailbone) is slightly tucked, spine stacked, head erect and chin slightly tucked. Left arm up so you look just over the hand, right covers the mid section.

 

We call this a "fighting" stance and everything is simular except that the front foot is less than 45 degrees, pointed more toward your opponent. The posture is identical and something that I constantly work on. I find that when tailbone and spine are correct, my techniques and self defense moves (we call them kempos) are much easier and more effective.

[Drunken Monkey]

"the toes of the left foot would touch your left side of the line. The heel of the right foot would touch the right side of the line "

 

ok.

 

let's see.

 

if i am facing someone with the intention of attacking and i am at a safe distance, i would be facing him square on with hands up in the wing chun guard hands position.

 

(place hands in a 'prayer' position in front of you, palms together, extend one hand until the forward elbow is at the rear wrist...... kinda..... it's down to your personal preference).

 

we call this a neutral stance.

 

this allows you to sidestep properly to cut in at an angle when we are at 'engage' distance.

 

i.e when you step (commit to a direction), i can cut.

 

again, like all things wing chun, this is down to personal preference and the situation.

 

all other times a forward stance is taken.

 

this is like the one you describe except

 

the ankles, knees, groin, wrists and elbows all lie on the central plane

 

(the plane between yours and the other guys centreline)

 

feet, as i've been taught are ideally 45 degrees but when moving,

 

generally,

 

the position/direction of the knee is more important.

 

hip is tucked in slightly,

 

back is straight,

 

head is up.

 

best described as imagining you have a skewer stuck in at the top of your head and coming out of your fudge tunnel.....

 

variation of this is the side stance,

 

which is the same except your feet are parallel to your shoulders.

 

very much like the neutral stance except you are commited to a direction.

[Sridhar]

our system's default stance is sikodachi

 

straddle legs and sitting in air weight on the hip

 

body straight knees must be inside

[delta1]

Hey, innebriated primate! Sorry it took a while to answer. But I didn't want to just hit it quick so I waited until I had a little time.

if i am facing someone with the intention of attacking and i am at a safe distance, i would be facing him square on with hands up in the wing chun guard hands position.

 

(place hands in a 'prayer' position in front of you, palms together, extend one hand until the forward elbow is at the rear wrist...... kinda..... it's down to your personal preference).

 

we call this a neutral stance.

 

This is one of the differences in AK and WC. We might move into a similar stance, but would almost never start from this type stance.

this allows you to sidestep properly to cut in at an angle when we are at 'engage' distance.

 

i.e when you step (commit to a direction), i can cut.

 

Ak works angles as well, and an understanding of WC's centerline theory helps immensely in AK. As I,ve said before, our demensional controll theory is a natural extension of WC centerline theory (though a lot of AK people don't know this). We also cut, and the best at this are WC/AK combined practitioners. Jerks are deadly in sparing!

all other times a forward stance is taken.

 

this is like the one you describe except

 

the ankles, knees, groin, wrists and elbows all lie on the central plane

 

(the plane between yours and the other guys centreline)

 

feet, as i've been taught are ideally 45 degrees but when moving,

 

generally,

 

the position/direction of the knee is more important.

 

hip is tucked in slightly,

 

back is straight,

 

head is up.

 

best described as imagining you have a skewer stuck in at the top of your head and coming out of your fudge tunnel.....

 

A lot of similarity there, except it sounds like you are more side on to your opponent. Our neutral bow has us facing him at 45'. We can quickly move to more steraight on with a number of stance changes, depending on what we want to accomplish. But the default is the neutral bow.

 

Back to the natural stance. You guys are also good at bridging from this stance. Ak also bridges, though we don't call it that. But when we do, we either look for or try to create an open ended triangle into which we can attack. For example, a front snap kick. WC would make contact with the leg and move in, keeping contact with forward pressure and establishing contact with the upper body weapons to control (and frustrate!) the opponent as you destroy him. Whatever you use to make that initial contact (leg check, parry, etc.) you'd probably place his leg to a position to open him up and off ballance him.

 

AK does this, but we look at it as an "open ended triangle', or in this case several. Obviousely, the legs are one, as they are spread and vulnerable. The apex is the groin, and the legs are a natural guide there. But also, you can attack the sides of the legs at vulnerable spots, or just taket them out with a kick, sweep, buckle, etc. Another open ended triangle occurs in his guard. When he plants even a little off ballance, ad turns even a little, he is vulnerable inside his guard with the elbows an open base and the hands the apex, guiding you right up some devastating targets. Another open ended triangle in his guard is the near arm, elbow the apex and fist and shoulder the base. In this case the base is up, and the open targets are in the vicinity of the base. Youhave another triangle formed by the back side of his arm and his body. In this case, it is primarily that leg of the triangle formed by his body that is open (though you can attack through the open base).

 

Hope that was clear, and gives you an unnderstanding of the concept. How does WC address this? Or, how do you visualize doing this?

[longarm25]

we like to use a "natural" stance to start and shift body weight based on the opponents attack