Stance help

[karatekid1975]

Hiya all.

 

I've done Tang Soo Do. Now I do TKD. Besides the forms, the major difference between the two are the stances. Tang Soo Do has deep stances. TKD has more up-right stances. I still use my deep stances at times. I either get "told" about it ( for having my stances too deep), and others say it looks good in forms. With that said, I'm getting mixed signals. Should I use the more up-right stances for TKD or no? Comments?

[KickChick]

Your stances in TKD should not be too low, or too high .... they need to be "just right"!

 

The maximum power and mobility are used when the center of balance is as low as "practically" possible. If the center of balance is too high, the body is unstable and leg movement is limited, so power and mobility are reduced. If the center of balance is too low, it is difficult to use the inner thigh muscles for leg movement which limits both power and mobility... using a stance which is too low also inhibits quick movement.

 

Be sure that hips are positioned accurately so that proper weight distribution is maintained.

 

I preferably like the "low" stances in form ... but I tend to keep a mid -stance all other times.

[AStewart]

Dear Laurie,

 

Given the belt colour you have I am assuming you do ITF style TKD (ie: patterns Chon Gi etc...).

 

ITF is fairly stance orientated so I can't imagine why your instructor has trouble with your stances being too low. General Choi (TKD founder) used to spend hours telling people to be lower in their stances and his son is a prime example of low stances.

 

Should your instructor be more sparring oriented then he/she may favour higher points of mobility but low stances like those in TSD are equally beneficial although more in self defence then in a ring when used appropriately. Try and keep this in mind or alternatively ask you instructor to explain their issue with your stances being too low. What exactly is wrong with them?

 

Of course, having not seen what qualifies as 'too' low it is difficult to give you more definant advice but prompts me to ask the question why you aren't doing TSD still with the instructor that endorses them more if low stances are your preference?

 

Having had my ribs rearranged by a person with low stances from a chinese persuasion once I am not willing to discount them and nor should you. Great for building strength in the legs and useful in self defence. After all, mobility is a key to attacking or running away. When you need to defend yourself be as grounded as you can be.

 

Regards

 

AStewart

[karatekid1975]

Thanks Kickchick

 

Asteward:

 

I do WTF style TKD. It is actually a mix of TKD and kung fu (at later ranks) and Chin Na. We do WTF forms and sparring, Chin Na for self defense, and Shaolin forms and weapons at red belt and above (on top of WTF forms). To make a long story short, so far, I've only done the TKD part (and a little chin na so far).

 

Anyways, I loved TSD ALOT. But do to moving and not being to find a TSD dojang here, I went for TKD (closest style I could find to TSD).

[KickChick]

I knew that!

 

.... TKD and it's various orientations!

 

... true AStewart, (the ITF is very stance oriented)... but basically all traditional-style TKD schools are noted for this.

 

The WTF-style places much less emphasis on stances..... mobility is key (for the sport aspect ... sparring for competition) and what I have observed in tourneys is much higher stances. While you may be more mobile in a higher stance, what is lost in stability will often make this added mobility unworthy of the lack in strength/stability. The properly aligned stance is usually a good balance, providing both mobility and stability.

 

I should determine what is best for you as an individual in an ideal situation, as well as what might be best considering the variables involved i.e. sparring and forms. There are accepted variations. But there are some variations that may not be advisable or accepted.

 

I suggest further discussion with your instructor.

 

AStewart --- BTW... Stop on by Introductions and do tell us more about yourself! We do have quite a few ITF TKD -strlists here ... (esp. from "down under"

[karatekid1975]

Thanks again, Kickchick You always come through with good advice I guess I'll just find "happy medium" stances that are "stable", good for forms as well as sparring.

[John G]

Laurie,

 

A nic of karatekid1975 formally a 5th gup blue belt TSD, now a Green belt TKD that is a mixture of WTF and kung fu, now that's messing with my head.

 

WTF and ITF share the same ancestry (KTA), which was a grouping of people skilled at Korean/ Japanese karate and Chinese martial arts.

 

After the departure of General Choi (ITF) from the KTA, the South Korean government coerced many of the masters in the KTA to develop a truly Korean martial art, hence the formation of WTF.

 

Now, I don't know anything about WTF patterns/forms/tulls/poomes (sp?) but I'm sure that the originating masters who developed these patterns would have purpose and function built into these techniques. It's the discovery or re-discovery of these techniques that makes what you are doing part of the ART and not just a sport, hobby or self-defence activity.

 

Find out the correct stance height and stick to it, find out the reason why they are higher. There are three distinct types of stances I use; they are the ones used in patterns/forms, the ones used in sparing and the ones used in self-defence.

 

Laurie, if you could tell us what form you are practising, maybe one of the WTF practitioners could help.

 

It is indeed refreshing to see that you are a part of a WTF club that isn't totally sports orientated , the common image everyone has about WTF and TKD come to think of it. Could you tell us some of the Kung Fu forms are taught at your club?

 

(Off topic)

 

I actually asked Astewart, (Alan) to pop over and have a look at this forum specifically this post, as his knowledge of ITF technique and history (and other martial art matters) is vastly superior to that of mine.

 

Kickchick; You stated in your last post:

 

"I should determine what is best for you as an individual in an ideal situation"

 

Is this a typo?

 

Respectfully

[Pacificshore]

Hey Laurie:

 

If later in your training you start getting into the Kung-fu aspects of training, then I would think that your stances would start to get lower. I would think that staying in a lower stance would get your muscle memory started for your kung-fu training. But a happy medium sounds like the way to go as far as your TKD portion of training goes. In my personal opinion, I like the deeper stances when it comes to forms. Perhaps it's because of my former Shotokan training, and my current Kempo training which has a heavy Chinese influence.

[KickChick]

(Yes John a typo ... mean't to say "I think you should determine....

 

I'm not that big-headed ... am I?? )

 

Thanks for referring AStewart ...!

[karatekid1975]

John G wrote:

 

 

Yes, it did mess with my head at first LOL. I got confused a lot.

 

 

I'm doing Taeguk sam jang (3). Soon two weeks I'll be learning taeguk sa jang (4). The thing that throws me off is the walking stance then dropping into a front stance (I hate the walking stance .... for instance Taeguk ee jang). My front stance is so much lower than the walking stance. Can someone tell me the purpose for learning the "walking stance" please?

 

, the common image everyone has about WTF and TKD come to think of it. Could you tell us some of the Kung Fu forms are taught at your club?>

 

Well, it's not sport for the most part, but they do compete often. And we do learn self defense (I found out we learn more self defense in the advance class .... All the more reason to rush to get there ). And I know nothing about the Kung Fu forms. I'm no where near red belt (2nd and 1st gup/kyu). I asked before and I couldn't remember them (or spell them) long enough to post them LOL.

 

Pacific, I also perfer the lower stances (like I said before, I HATE the walking stance). My TSD training involved lower stances to train the legs. And I think they make forms look sharp