Hi, I recently started practicing and am uncertain about the proper way to do a horse stance. For reference, the horse stance used in the first two forms of Hung Gar.

In watching folks do it at the school, there is a good variation of how low they get. Some, who have been practicing for a few years, don't do much more than slightly bent knees. I've seen one person who almost gets his thighs parallel to the floor.

I'm not questioning their work ethics, ability, etc, but rather am trying to get an idea of where I should be striving to be.

I've asked my Sifu, but he sort of shrugs off the question. I suppose that in the traditional model of teaching, there is a "need to know" approach from the SIFU. I think he just wants me to work on my strength now, and then later improve the stance. I think this is it, but I'm not sure. I don't want to question him. My attitude is that I'm in his hands, just as I bet he was in his Sifu's hands in the old country.

It may be that in every school, there are folks that try to perfect, and there are folks that don't strive that way. I don't know, but I'm just asking if there is a model way to do the stance. My inclination is that the horse stance in these forms should be deep.

If you could, take a look at the following clip. The monk in gray, who I presume is the Master, does what it appears to me to be the "perfect" stance. Thighs are parallel to the ground, back side is even lower and back is straight. But for comparison, the two gentlemen in the yellow robes who come into the clip after the first minute have some angle between thigh and ground. The taller one has the most angle.

So are these all correct? Maybe. But is the Master's perfect - what I should picture in my mind to be striving for when doing the form work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKa53AJslkg

Thanks.