"Staking" Practice

[Johnlogic121]

There is a practice called "staking" that appears in certain Kung Fu styles and sometimes alos in certain Karate styles. The practice involves putting your body into a certain stance position and holding that posture for anywhere from three minutes to an hour. Usually there is a meditative component to this static posturing that varies with the instructor's guidelines. Sometimes, you meditate on the triple realms of Heaven, Man, and Earth that are perceived in Oriental metaphysics as you make your body a living "stake" that connects Heaven and Earth. At other times, you focus mentally on every detail of the posture's physical 'feeling' so that you can really, really learn the position. I had a Kung Fu teacher who would emphasize staying in certain stances for as long as forty-five minutes on certain class nights because after that experience your ability to enter that exact stance again with skill was really solid. I have heard that Tai Chi also has some of this practice for some of its harder positions, and that most of the world neglects the work with static postures, and the result is that the forms take twice as long to learn because you have to learn the stances dynamically. Has anybody else heard of the practice of "staking?" Can anybody add any observations about how it works and how it can be done? Thanks, -John

[yingampyang]

Yes i have heard of this "staking" , no i carnt add anything to what u have said you have pritty much explained it fully. I have heard of it but never tried it.

[bushido_man96]

I have never heard of it referred to as staking, but that name makes sense. I think that stance practice can be beneficial, but 45 minutes in one stance seems a bit overkill.

[yingampyang]

Yes too long in once stance does not do any good.

[DWx]

Not necessarily staking as such but in my Tai Chi class we can remain in one stance for anything up to 30mins. We are doing movements from the hips upwards but essentially the feet postions don't change and the legs barely move. I find its great for my leg strength and I see huge improvements in my stance control within TKD. I should really try to practice this more within TKD...

[yingampyang]

Yes 30 mins is fine but an hour and more isn't in my opinion.

[sangngak]

The standing postures were very much used in ancient times. I practiced with two teachers in the early 60's and we used only the standing. For 7 years, I did up to 2 hrs in a standing posture each night. I've not seen any public schools that know the real art of standing, so "Yes" it is a high quality art, "No" it is not usualy available in public schools.

Try I chuan schools they might still teach it the old way.

A friend of mine who used to go regularly to the Chen village for Chen Tai Chi instruction said the old timers there told him that all Tai Chi came from Standing positions. This is the same thing my teachers told me.

However I've never met but 2-3 students who could stand in a horse stance for 2 hours much less do the standing correctly.

The standing, done the old way, develops intense inner energy.

[DWx]

Actually my Tai Chi teacher was telling me of her own teacher in Taiwan who will be up early in the morning to go and meditate outside. She apparently stands there for hours on one leg holding whatever posture.

[yingampyang]

dammm thats pritty good, very mentally strong. But i dont see the benefits of that.

[DWx]

dammm thats pritty good, very mentally strong. But i dont see the benefits of that.

Primarily balance, leg strength, focus... she stands in one of the ready positions to kick so its not wasted.