Does your horsestance "Grip?"

[cha kuen]

I've talked to a few friends from WC and CLF and they said the horsestance should feel a "suction" or "grip" to the ground, even on slippery surface. TCPM's William Fong has mentioned this as well. Does anyone's horsestance "grip?"

[BIU JI]

In YKM we grip the ground with our toes to help ground ourselves, it also activates Kidney 1 to draw energy up through the legs. Is that similar to what you are refering? ;) ¬

[iamaloser]

The sensation is similar when jogging, the first couple of miles is painful, then you begin to feel the right sensation that you're body has adjusted to the stress of this workout. Horse training is the same. The first half hour is a killer. After that there is that sensation that you are rooted and the energy is flowing. This is assuming you are standing correctly, and practicing the correct breathing technique.

[skuall]

what is the correct breathing technique?

[WuMan]

I never knew there was a proper breathing technique while in horse stance. amazing.

[nospam]

Just as with almost all sporting activities, a good grip or placement is vital to proper stance/power/balance and 'feeling' development.

All stances have a fundamental structure that provides for a proper feel or sense. Over a period of time, the structure can become modified (or less structured per se) as the sense remains. Although in my opinion, perfection should always be strived for. As a teacher, if one does not seek perfection, then there is a chance I teach more of my kinetic-movement vs that of the style's founding 'kinetic' principles.

[iamaloser]

To get the most benefit of horse stance training you should practice either Taoist or Buddhist breathing. This is part of qigong internal/external exercises. If done correctly, after an hour, you'll feel as if you've worked out twice as long. This can also be done using weights or not.

[8stepsifu]

When I saw this post I thought the "Grip" refered to pushing to the sides slightly to get more root. Its actually kind of a fake root. I sometimes push out to the sides to avoid being lifted without bending my legs. Otherwise breathing and posture are everything with horse stance. The more I learn about horse stance, the more I regognize the slight places where I am unalligned or not breathing correctly, or overtensing the legs. Stances are the first thing you learn, but with practice your always improving them

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

[iamaloser]

One of the main benefits of horse stance training is its the easiest exercise to develop your chi flow. The result, more energy, relief of stress, stronger legs, etc.

[WuMan]

what happens if you are not using the correct breathing technique?? The results aren't as good or???

[iamaloser]

Well at the least, without the proper breathing technique you won't achieve the full benefits of horse stance training. At the worst, and I haven't heard or seen any real evidence only been explained by my sifu, that you can injure yourself internally. Because if done correctly horse stance training develops chi flow, doing it wrong will develop the chi incorrectly. Good chi flow promotes vitality and rejuvenation. Bad chi flow influences fatigue and poor health. You may have to conduct more research on this because I am not an expert on all the intricacies of chi only the general principles as taught by my sifu. Hopefully this helps though.

[skuall]

can you explain a little about how is the correct breathing technique?
i just got a little worried about that...:)

[skuall]

anyone here trains at Tat Wong academy?

[iamaloser]

This depends on your style. I studied Shaolin Five Animal Style and each animal had a different breathing pattern and each sound was distinct and deep. In other words, full inhalation and exhalation. I currently study Eagle Claw and the breathing is natural, not deep. Again breathe techniques in one style may not be appropriate for another style so its best to ask your instructor.

[cha kuen]

How high your horse or how low does not matter. It's the alignment of your spine and stomach that matters. Anyone agree to this?

[cha kuen]

Biu Ji,

Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about! What style are you from? What's YKM?

[DreamLover]

Hehehe grip with toes with nike or reeboks see how you go hehehe

[BIU JI]

WL , sort of answer ezpected.∆

[Andrew]

I agree with the concept of the height of the horse stance not being as important as how you
grip. I've encountered the concept in both
SPM and chen style tai chi. In chen style tai chi, the standing post exercise, which is a form of horse stance. Where you carry your dan tien/ raise your hips which straightens your spine and you sit on your third leg i.e an imaginary point from the base of the spine to the ground. I find this causes you to lock your stance. In addition to this you are meant to spiral down/ drill into the floor. However this, is still beyond me.

With SPM, you use the same prinicpals to root yourself to the ground i.e carrying your dan tien.
But rather than using standing post training, you do it as a internal training exercise, its sort of like a dynamic tensioning exercise. Where by you grip the floor with your toes turning them inwards. Then tense your ankles going outwards and so on.

[lungyuil]

in Yau Kung Mun, we practice our horse stance 31/2 steps apart. when sitting in our horse stance, we tuck in our buttocks and grip the floor as Biu Ji has stated. we also curve our back (tiger back) & breath into our dan tien. tiger back is very important to our system for many purposes, which can be discussed at a later stage. :)

[DreamLover]

YKM - You're Kinda Moron
YKM - Yo Kick Me
YKM - Yellow Karate Midget
YKM - Yummy Kentucky Mix
YKM - .......

Hahaha so dimb

[DreamLover]

C'mon man u don't know dantien breathing its all chest work with pretentious focus.
man your dantien is probably on your back!
Anyway which Dantien hahahahaha

[lungyuil]

Wulinlegend,
it is good to see there is abit of comic relief around.
has anyone from YKM upset you. are you a lost soul? or maybe you should just get lost. Oh i get it, you need to prove to people that you know what you are talking about. Not confident ah, anyway it will pass with alittle more practice.
anyway nice to talk to you :)

[DreamLover]

No offence just an urge of stupidity, I luv u guys :)

[lungyuil]

we luv you too. just want to share a little knowledge thats all:D :p

[BIU JI]

It's a good thing you hide Wulin .Ë

[DreamLover]

Hide ??
Where do u live exactly **** it!!!

[DreamLover]

Ah ! now who is hiding ?

[nowhesings]

I agree. As for example the Wing Tsun horse stance which is kind of high and narrow, but still has got (or should have) that "root" and stability to it.

[cha kuen]

I figured out some of the horsestance. The important part of the horse is the alignment of the spine. It has to be straight. If your butt sticks out then your spine curves outward toward the bottom. If you tuck in your butt too much then it's still not straight. You want your spine straight so that the energy can flow to the bottom and, in time, produce the gripping sensation. That's the idea behind all of the stomping in mantis and other styles as well. It's drawing energy from the ground.

[Andrew]

I agree that the most important thing is keeping your spine straight and this is required not only to root yourself, but also to generate shock/whip power.

That you can use the stance to suck up the earth energies through your feet. The stamping also serves another purpose. Reactionary force. The first law of motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. By stamping the flower you generate a downward force, consquently an upward force/a reactionary force is also generated. Consquently you can increase the force of your strike + plus you root yourself as you body falls to deliver the strike.

This is what I've found at the moment and no doubt as I practise, the knowledge will have to be revised.