stance training

[j-himself]

i was just wondering if anyone could give me an insight on this. ie, benefits, etc. it first came to my mind after seeing the shaolin monks standing in a deep horse stance (arms out) with big tea pots, or they might have been rice pots--placed on their palms and head.

that might be a little extreme for me, but is horse stance training something you should incorporate in your training regime? i usually just do squats, and deadlifts for my legs. is this sufficient enough or no? i figure doing squats and deadlifts will work my strenght (obviously), but what does standing to contribute? stamina and endurance? possibly, but i walk at least for and hour or two a day, so...

if you think its anything i should be doing, some instructions could be very helpful. id appriciate it.

[Ford Prefect]

I think there can be something said for isometric (stance) training if used in conjunction with other strength training methods. I usually work out in the morning, but I'll frequently do stance stuff as an extra workout and for recovery after work.

[Daredevil]

If you're training for 'regular' strength and for muscular growth, I suggest you forget about traditional stance training. There are better things for that, like the squats you mentioned.

If you're learning a system of power generation such as found in many CMA, you must learn the associated stance training. You'll learn the required relaxation, usage of proper structure and such from stance training. I like to think that whatever muscle growth comes from this kind of stance training only contributes to making the learning of the aforementioned possible/easier.

[Golden Arms]

Not to mention the tendon development that takes place from doing taht kind of training for years and years..my knees are like night and day from how they were before I started Hung Gar

[yu shan]

Seems like the southern styles put emphasis on stance training. It is smart to teach beginners stance training, leg strength and the general knowledge of stances is important. Try having a KF brother stand on your legs while in horse/hill climb stance! Loads of fun. Also another important factor is proper knee alignment...very important!!!

[Ming Yue]

I stance train about 3 times a week. Have been doing it for about 6 months now. I have noticed a marked improvement in leg strength, and I'm able to transition between stances much lower and faster when doing forms.

I wonder if some people benefit more from isometric-style training than others? Is it a short-twitch/long twitch thing?

[neigung]

The value of stance training:

pain tolerance
comfort in key positions
endurance in key positions
strength in key positions
proper body mechanics in key positions
mental focus
mental resilience

[count]

There are the obvious benefits to stance training already mentioned. Strength, endurance, power issuing. But there are also unforeseen benefits. Root and Peng. You'll be surprised at the ability to take a hit. Believe it or not, this is the result of stance training as well. Don't try to replace stance training with quicker strengthening exercise. There are things that take a while to figure out in traditional training.

[j-himself]

after reading your replies, it seems like it might be something worth a try. traditional training some to be neglect, or belittled by many (me included), but the importance of it, may have shined its light on my face. yes. I can finally see the light!!!

anyhoe,,

anyone got any suggestions on how to get started?
how often should it be done? for how long? can one combine it with weight lifting; ie, first do one, n then the other?

I'm thinking about doing the basic horse stance since that seems to be the simplest and most beneficial overall. would it be good to start out with say 5 minutes and do that for a couple of weeks and increase the time as i go along.

[count]

Train all the basic stances of your style. Stance might be a little misleading. Some might translate "ma bu" as horse stance. More accurately, this means horse step. Hold each stance for 8 breaths, with a horse stance in between changing from left side to right. As your endurance increases, so does the length of each breath. If you practice 8 basic stances, horse, bow and arrow, 60-40, 70-30, cat, single leg, twisted seated, and single leg stances it should take about half an hour. The most important thing is to maintain the same height between. If you stand up and get back down, you might as well start over. Focus on the transition between stances. Focus on relaxation and breath. Keep your back straight at all times. Be careful with your knees.

[neigung]

Ah, completely forgot to mention rooting.
If you're doing stances correctly, 1 min each (or sometimes less) should be more than enough to start with.
Count - what are 70-30 and 60-40 stances?

[count]

Originally posted by neigung
Count - what are 70-30 and 60-40 stances?
Fighting stances. 70 percent back 30 percent front or 60 percent back 40 percent front. Both are stances you fight in and are good for mobility and issuing power. Don't all Chinese styles use them? Maybe if I used Chinese names, they might be more recognizable. :confused: