En Guarde!!!

[Beer-monster]

I've read alot of people rightfully dissing (can I pull that word off?) the traditional fighting guards and kamaes taught in karate, TKD and many martial arts (eg Hanmi Kamae).

 

So I thought I'd ask, whats your stance? In sparring or actual fights how do you make ready, do you even bother?

 

C'mon make this one a nice friendly, debate?

[monkeygirl]

I'm going to move this to Strategies & Tactics.

 

In a fight, my stance would be a very defensive one...feet close together, hands open and by my face. From far away, this looks very much like a "don't hurt me!" position. It's also perfect because my hands are ready to throw palm strikes, elbow strikes, grab my attacker's neck for a knee strike. It's also a good guard.

 

It's also good strategically, because it keeps ME from looking like the attacker. I'm a little girl, so I don't really have to worry about that aspect that much, but it's very useful for a bigger guy who does need to worry about lawsuits after the fact.

[Beer-monster]

Does anyone use Shizentai?

[Treebranch]

Shizen is just standing in somewhat natural position. This is the best place to start and if you are attacked in a real situation you will probably be in this position anyway. I think it's very important to teach techniques from Shizen. Once the fight starts your Kamae will alway save you. Your kamae can be super wide to very natural depending on what feels right to you. Do what works.

[telsun]

So I thought I'd ask, whats your stance? In sparring or actual fights how do you make ready, do you even bother?

My stance will vary depending upon whom I am fighting. It maybe a neko-ashi-dachi, or a very upright boxing style stance (cannot recall Japanese name ) My hands will also vary they are generally: back hand; in front of stomach, front hand; slightly extended, both hands open, but if I am feeling vunerable I will close my guard down and perhaps close my hands. I will happily have left or right leg forward.

 

Yet if someone I have fought read this they would probably disagree, as I might have used something completely different with them.

[battousai16]

i found a picture of bruce lee in a weird stance a long time ago, and i mimiced it and it's worked very well; i've been using it ever since, with some slight adjustments it's midway between offensive and defensive and it keeps everything covered, except occasionally my head will pop up and i get nailed the feet are far apart, but not much more than shoulder width, your shoulder is to them and, assuming your left leg is forward, you drop your elbow perpendicular to the floor with your hand up and in front of your chest, and you fill in that triangle shaped gap in the arm with your other fist. it sounds kind of like a typical boxing stance now that i read my explanaion, but it's not, really... uh... yeah.

[Beer-monster]

Ah the bai jong stance, I used thta for a period and sometimes still use it in light point sparring.

[ShirKhan]

I know I'll get flak with this one. My favorite fighting stance is hands formed like claws at my sides (at the belt line or just above it), stand naturally with knees a little bent, torso leaning forward a little, chin against my chest, and I rush right in, I want the top of my head under the opponent's chin. I use no defensive stances except in transition between techniques.

 

This is specific to the way I fight now with Black Tiger techniques, if someone had told me to fight this way when I only studied Kenpo I would have said it was crazy.

[StoneSkin]

I use the old style of boxing stance. I like it.

[WhiteBelt]

Stance?

 

I use the tool that gets the job done. Whatever works...