SaiFightsMS Posted May 30, 2002 Posted May 30, 2002 There are many ways to hide and disguise kicks. Cat stance is just one. For those who work with it the stance becomes a highly moblile one.
Bobby Posted May 30, 2002 Author Posted May 30, 2002 ok, what are your ideas on rooting in the front leg in front stance? Yeah!
SaiFightsMS Posted May 30, 2002 Posted May 30, 2002 Front leg doesn't root in cat stance. With the rear leg bent just right the the center of the body is almost totally over the rear foot. Impossible to root the front leg. The front leg gets used more like a "probe".
Bobby Posted May 30, 2002 Author Posted May 30, 2002 Yes, I realise that.... I meant front stance not cat stance Yeah!
SaiFightsMS Posted May 31, 2002 Posted May 31, 2002 Where do I feel rooted in front stance is an intriguing question. I have a totally different answer than I did during my earlier years of training. I don't think it is really my feet or legs that are grounded in front stance. I think that it is my hips that are grounded. Movement forward or backward is powered by the hips. Kicks are powered by the hips. I think my root is the hips and my feet and legs just connect me to the ground. That may generate some interesting replies what does everyone else think?
SeiDoRyu Posted May 31, 2002 Posted May 31, 2002 We are always taught to favour the back foot whenever possible as putting too much weight on your front foot leaves you vunerable to variety of legs sweeps. We are also taught to fight on the balls of your feet unless you want alot of power on a technique Nekoashi Dachi is great for defending. it was devise (so i been told) for use when are are backed up against a wall or something and can't move very far, you are protecting you groin with the front leg/knee, protecting against a sweep with the weight distribution, you can get your kicks in quicker and lever against the wall if you need to push them away to give yourself some space. I'm sure theres other reason/benefits to it but thats what i've been told Just my opinions, toast me if you want ------------Understanding what you do not understand is far more important than what you think you know.
Bobby Posted May 31, 2002 Author Posted May 31, 2002 Hmmmmm, ok but if your hips are rooted and not your legs - then that means that some of your weight is in your upperbody?!?!? Im not saying that this is wrong. However If you sink your weight down by sofening the chest and allowing it to go down in to you thighs (stance) then surely you are more rooted. Also if you do not root your legs then your stance may be unstable. If you think about it, every karate technique begins at the floor. So I would say that it is vital that your stance (legs / thighs) are rooted. Any comments? Yeah!
Bobby Posted May 31, 2002 Author Posted May 31, 2002 We are always taught to favour the back foot whenever possible as putting too much weight on your front foot leaves you vunerable to variety of legs sweeps. Well I agree with the sweeping bit - however if you do a front stance with the weight 50 / 50 the are you not doing a horse riding stance that looks like a front stance. Or if the weight is mainly on the back leg, are you not doing a back stance which looks like a front stance.? Comments? Yeah!
SeiDoRyu Posted May 31, 2002 Posted May 31, 2002 Bobby, before i start i should say that i'm not training in Shotokan, although we do use some shotokan our style is closer to wado ryu and that sort of style. I'm not sure what you all mean by front stance and back stance, i am assuming that front stance is Kameato (standard) and backstance is Kokutsu Dachi. In Kameato the centre line of the body is slightly(only slightly) closer to the back foot than the front and it is the staight rear leg than gives you the stability and power. When i used to fight with a 50/50 wieght distribution i kept getting swept and didn't have time to transfer the wieght backwards so i ended up on my face. If you favour the back foot it buys you a little extra time to change your wieght and you can actually turn the sweep into a sokuto to the ribs. If you want to gain ground (kick Shot) from kamaeto you push off with the back foot, it is the front foot that moves so you cannot use the front to push off. Kamaeto(front), Kokutsu(back), Nekoashi(Cat), and horse stance are completely different stance and should never look alike. Most of the weight distribution is determined by the stance, in Kokutsu Dachi it would be very difficult to put a lot of wieght on the front foot, it is the back foot that takes the wieght and the front that gives the stability. Horse stance (Kiba Dachi, Shiko Dachi or the other one ?? ) is a straight 50/50 distibution and that is probably why you get alot of power from it ? In horse stance the feet/legs are facing 90 degrees to your opponent and the body is twisted, in front stance (kamaeto) the legs and body are facing the opponent so it would be difficult to make them look the same. Basically no matter where you decide to concentrate you wieght the stance is still the same, kamaeto with the wieght on the back foot is still kamaeto. The idea of having a rigid wieght distribution (i.e always on the back or always on the front) is probably not helpful, you should be able to move it around as required, but if you get caught with most of your wieght on the front foot (sweep) you are screwed. I've only just (tues) passed my 1st Kyu so i am probably not the best person to answer this, but that's my opinion anyway. Cheers Just my opinions, toast me if you want ------------Understanding what you do not understand is far more important than what you think you know.
Bobby Posted May 31, 2002 Author Posted May 31, 2002 Basically no matter where you decide to concentrate you wieght the stance is still the same, Well I disagree with this quote, however I do not do Wado - so I'll leep my mouth shut as you know more about it than me! Well done on your 1st kyu by the way Yeah!
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