Why do Karate instructors stress kata stances?

[Prototype]

It is important to distinguish between stances in a combat sport such as boxing or wrestling, and stances as they are contained within the kata. As Wastelander, and I, have alluded to, and to reiterate: the stances facilitate techniques, they are part of a technique, not a free-fighting stance. If one looks at them from that perspective; you can witness them in combat-sports from Kick-Boxing to Judo.

I have used neko-ashi and kokutsu-dachi to shift my weight as a distance controlling movement in Kick-Boxing, and Shoot-fighting, to give examples from my own experience. In self-defence, I have used them to set up sweeps, when I worked as a doorman. Some very good Karate in MMA videos out there where you can also witness said stances being used.

What I would say though, is not all stance work is in fact practically minded. Many stances, in several disciplines, have been modified for aesthetic reasons, or other impractical considerations. Therefore, I adopted the Shorin-Ryu Kata over the Wado-Ryu kata, because the stances (and the Kata in general, broadly speaking) of Wado-Ryu had become removed from the way I was being shown to perform applications, and general Bunkai theory. In contrast the Shorin-Ryu kata are essentially performed in the manner one does the inferred application.

There is plenty of reasons to criticise stance work; but I would be wary of using one experience, and then to generalise it to a whole range of disciplines. Some karateka place little emphasis on stances, whereas others make a huge point of it. I try to stick to the middle; the stance must fit the individual, not be artificially deep or wide, and facilitate the application effectively against a resisting opponent. I do make people go slightly deeper than I believe they need to in the kata; but that is because I find people quite naturally find the right width for their stance, but will make the mistake of staying too up right.

Then you're my type of instructor.glad to hear not all Karate instructors are like that. Functionality should take presidence

[DaveB]

I don't know that it is inconsequential. Being able to advantageously shift your centre of gravity and weight distribution in an unconconscious manner doesnt come without practice.

Isnt it more important to stress things like the actual strikes, in particular from stances used in free fighting?

In a word, no.

The techniques are the stance and the stances are the techniques. What changes from the form to the fight is the way in which the stance manifests. The alignment of your body and distribution of weight and transfer of energy are ingrained by drilling the stances. When you've done it enough you can be in a stance with much less external form and you can move through them at will.

[DaveB]

What rubs me the wrong way is that it is explained in the context of self defence - the application of each stance, when everybody knows that instincts take over in such scenarios and the Karate stances, though stabile, are lacking when it come to mobility..In particular with regards to lateral movement.

You shouldn't listen to Everybody, that guy's an idiot.