stances, kamaes, feets, legs, angles

Been working out with a buddy who does traditional japanese jujutsu. Noticed something interesting. My buddy's JJ system has kamaes - stances - that are equivalent to many of the stances found in CMA. With one major difference - they align their feet differently in their stances. For example, their equivalent of a horse stance doesn't line up the feet parallel, toes forward, but instead allows the feet splay out just a little, supposed to take the tension out of the ankles. Also, in their analog of the bow-and-arrow stance, their toes point straight ahead and the knees also point straight ahead, again, to take tension out of the leg joints, and their rear leg was a little wider out. Different from the way we do it in CMA. Not that it's right or wrong - whatever the reason for it, it works well enough for everything he does in his art. Anybody have similar experiences?

well in kung fu we do the bow and arrow stance with the legs forward and fairly wide apart (enough so that a good push wont send you over) same in muay thai, except we stand up a little more.

The bow and arrow stance in many external Kung Fu styles is long and narrow cause it's the strongest alignment mainly for foward offense.

The wider like bow arrow stance in your friend's Jujitsu is probably designed to get the most out of the throws and locks.

Every style have their reasons. The styles are designed the way they are to get the maximum effectiveness out of it's techniques.

good point. judo's tai otoshi kinda comes to mind there, since he mentioned the bow and arrow stance.

Some CMA styles have the toes pointed outward on the horse stance.


I don't use a bow and arrow in thai boxing - why do you? unless you're referring to the position your body is in when you throw a straight right, cross, etc. but that's not the same stance...

ummm.... did I say we used a bow and arrow stance in muay thai? I said it was the same basic stance but we stand higher.

the word basic wasn't in there. you said it was the same stance, except you stand higher, which prompted my response, as they are not the same stance.

well i would guess that most traditional styles would have similar basic stances. the change in stance is what makes my kendo training the most difficult. i feel as if i am standing to0 straight, no sturdiness. do to the "irregular gate" of my hips, i may have to switch to kenjutsu later because of the more comfy, less parrallel deeper stances. for now i am just toughing it, maybe my hip will get used to it.