Perfect Fighting Stance

[YouKnowWho]

IMO, there is no "perfect" fighting stance. If you have

- square stance (both legs parallel with your chest facing 90 degree to your opponent), your opponent can attack "double legs" (get both if you can).

- side stance (one leg forward one leg backward), your opponent can attack that "single leg" (if you can't get both, get 1 after another).

- forward leaning legs back parallel stance (also square stance like most wrestlers use), your opponent can drag your head down to the ground (if you want to lean forward, your opponent can help you to lean forward more than you want to).

- legs closer to each other, your opponent can sweep your leg from outsid in (to make your legs closer than you want to).

- legs apart from each other, your opponent can spring your leg from inside out (to make your legs to separate apart more than you want to).

- weight on your leading leg, your opponent can sweep your leading leg.

- weight on your back leg, your opponent can scoop your leading leg.

No matter how you may stand, your weakness is always the 90 degree angle through your chest. If you use

- square stance, your weakness is forward-backward.
- side stance, your weakness is sideway.

It's not how you stance but whether you know your weakness and how to "react from" it. If you know how to do that, you can stand in anyway that you want to.

What's your opinion on this?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Any stance you can use for what you need done is the perfect one.
I've seen people fight well from almost every possible stance the only common element is that this was the stance they naturally preferred.

[bawang]

this conversation is too deep for kung fu people. kung fu people only know wong fei hong movie horse stance. when you put your hands up to protect yourself, you are doing kickboxing.

[Lucas]

this is the perfect fighting stance.

[Neeros]

Sure you can stand in any way you want, but why? Why stand in any way you want when many generations of practitioners discovered, refined, and crystallized the ways to stand and move that give the most advantages while minimizing disadvantages?

[YouKnowWho]

Sure you can stand in any way you want, but why?

May be you want to use it as a bait? When you put weight on your leading leg, your opponent may sweep you. If you are good at bending your leg at your knee joint and sweep back at your opponent's sweeping leg, it will be to your advantage.

Sometime when you and your opponent both have strong stances with nothing exposed, neither party will want to make initial attack, the fight may drag for a long time. To open yourself up to invite your opponent to come in is a valid strategy "if you are ready for it".

[Lucas]

the way most fighters are comfortable standing will be based around their training, generally utilizing the generations of development into that particular styles 'ready stances'. of course with some personal variances thrown in usually for body type, technique and strategy preference.

[YouKnowWho]

Most people like to use 30-70, 40-60, or even 50-50 weight distributation stance. They may like to face their opponent in a 45 degree angle, not square, not side.

[-N-]

To open yourself up to invite your opponent to come in is a valid strategy "if you are ready for it".

Brendan Lai's teacher, Wong Hon Fan, liked to use a forward facing upright stance with a high low open guard - one hand very high, and one hand very low.

It pretty much was a trap.

Some of us liked to use that also, but opponents would not attack if they caught us smiling.

[Neeros]

May be you want to use it as a bait? When you put weight on your leading leg, your opponent may sweep you. If you are good at bending your leg at your knee joint and sweep back at your opponent's sweeping leg, it will be to your advantage.

Sometime when you and your opponent both have strong stances with nothing exposed, neither party will want to make initial attack, the fight may drag for a long time. To open yourself up to invite your opponent to come in is a valid strategy "if you are ready for it".

alright, I can see that. :-)

[MightyB]

the answer is pigeon toed.

[YouKnowWho]

this is the perfect fighting stance.

Back in the 70th, most TKD guys used this stance. They raised their leading leg to protect middle level kicks, hop and hop, and looking for chance for a head kick.

[lance]

IMO, there is no "perfect" fighting stance. If you have

- square stance (both legs parallel with your chest facing 90 degree to your opponent), your opponent can attack "double legs" (get both if you can).

- side stance (one leg forward one leg backward), your opponent can attack that "single leg" (if you can't get both, get 1 after another).

- forward leaning legs back parallel stance (also square stance like most wrestlers use), your opponent can drag your head down to the ground (if you want to lean forward, your opponent can help you to lean forward more than you want to).

- legs closer to each other, your opponent can sweep your leg from outsid in (to make your legs closer than you want to).

- legs apart from each other, your opponent can spring your leg from inside out (to make your legs to separate apart more than you want to).

- weight on your leading leg, your opponent can sweep your leading leg.

- weight on your back leg, your opponent can scoop your leading leg.

No matter how you may stand, your weakness is always the 90 degree angle through your chest. If you use

- square stance, your weakness is forward-backward.
- side stance, your weakness is sideway.

It's not how you stance but whether you know your weakness and how to "react from" it. If you know how to do that, you can stand in anyway that you want to.

What's your opinion on this?

YouKnowWho , to me you choose the stance that ' s right for you , because the opponent can be unpredictable , he can attack you in many different ways , so it ' s really up to you to be aware of those attacks the opponent can deliver to you . There is no perfect stance , your opponent is just going to attack you , and you just have to react to it , the best way you can .