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should the kiba-dachi be low?


Bl4cKtH0rN

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Always work it as low as you can.

 

However it can be done high. As long as the knees are bent and the weight is balanced on the outsides of your feet.

(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

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Our Sensei tought us that the perfect stance is when your butt is on the same level as your knees and your thights are parallel to the floor. Your feet should be about douple shoulder width apart and toes pointing forward. (I wish I could do it half as well as I am describing it :wink: ).
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Get into a good Kiba Dachi and then drop down 2 or 3 more inches, your almost there. :o Get low and be sure to keep your back straight and your shoulders square. No leaning! :)

"If your hand goes forth withhold your temper"

"If your temper goes forth withold your hand"

-Gichin Funakoshi

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It depends on the style. Usually the Okinawan traditional styles use rather high style, high enough to be practical in a fight and in sparring. Many Japanese styles on the other hand have this "as low as possible" ideology, where you can't really fight from the stance but they believe it will strengthen your legs or whatever... (I'd rather squat with weights fro leg strength and train with the actual stances that I fight in, but that's just me) ;)

 

PS. Go see the new edition of Gichin Funakoshi's "Karate-jutsu" and see the photoes of him showing the stances and techniques. All this crap about going as down as possible came after him - and he even says in his autobiography that he no longer saw karate as he knew it, when he went to see karate demonstrations...

 

PPS. Here are couple of images of Gichin Funakoshi's own stance hights:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/4770026811/ref=lib_rd_ss_TFCV/103-7627120-8041411?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader&img=1#reader-link

 

There you see how high in traditional Okinawan karate the stances are, and there you see how high Gichin Funakoshi trained and taught them. All this "low as possible" stuff came after him.

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Shotokan teaches very low kiba-dachi. I have had problems with the cartilage in my knees and this caused me so many problems when training in shotokan.

 

Wado-ryu kiba-dachi is higher and thankfully I can just about do it as long as I don't have to stand for too long. The kness must be bent and feet parallel, but thankfully the knees do not have to be over the toes as I was taught in Shotokan.

 

As for the reasons behind kiba-dachi being better done very low, I'm not sure. Perhaps it is more solid, a better base etc? Is a higher kiba-dachi really any less effective? Love to hear some opinions :)

 

motoko

2nd Kyu Brown Belt, Wado Ryu Karate-do


"Daniel-san best karate still inside!" Mr Myagi

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Is a higher kiba-dachi really any less effective?

 

No it definitely isn't. Even some Shotokan instructors say that in the higher ranks the stance is taught higher. It is just for drill training that it is so low for the mudansha (below black belt).

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The higher stance is actually stornger than the low stance. The legs shoud be 45 deg to the floor this will ad strength to you stance. If you liken it to a squat; when squating you are at your weakest point at the bottom. If you push back up when your just halway down you will find you have alot more strength in your legs.

 

Back to the stance. Assume a low kiba/shiko dachi and get someone to push down on your shoulders, resist. Now try the same exercise with a higher stance and resist. The answer should now be obvious.

 

The thing I always hated about kiba dachi was turning the toes in. I found this to be most uncomfortable. Shiko dachi is much more natural.

I keep asking God what I'm for and he tells me........."gee I'm not sure!"

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