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Thread: 50/50 Stance or 60/40

  1. #1

    50/50 Stance or 60/40

    Hello all, sorry to ask such a newbie question but wondered what ration most people distribute weight across their stance ? I hear arguments for both 50/50 and 60/40 but am confused which (if any is better)
    Thank you

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by shaolin10H8 View Post
    Hello all, sorry to ask such a newbie question but wondered what ration most people distribute weight across their stance ? I hear arguments for both 50/50 and 60/40 but am confused which (if any is better)
    Thank you
    Your basic weight distribution in the turned-stance and the one-foot-forward advancing stance will vary depending on your lineage. In sparring you may find that the weight ratio also varies as you encounter various pressures. So for what you should be training, ask your sifu first.
    "No contaban con mi astucia!" --el Chapulin Colorado

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  3. #3

    Smile

    What's your personal stance weight distribution or does it continually shift ?
    Thanks for the reply

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    Quote Originally Posted by shaolin10H8 View Post
    What's your personal stance weight distribution or does it continually shift ?
    Thanks for the reply
    My lineage favors a back weighted stance when advancing and shifts weight (and vertical line) laterally when turning. My old Chinese sifu preached 100% weight on one leg 0% weight, just "pressure" on the other. I still strongly weight one side or the other, but not to this extent.
    "No contaban con mi astucia!" --el Chapulin Colorado

    http://www.vingtsunaz.com/
    www.nationalvt.com/

  5. #5
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    Do not be caught in this "wight distribution" thing , it is theoretical and it can be restraining . You shift your weight according to the situation .

  6. #6
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    60/ 40

    i was taught 60/40 but, i really like the 50/50 weight distribution, been playing with it for a long time now. i do still end up 60/40 depending on the situation. i am reminded of the Sifu that got me thinking of my horse being dynamic, my fathers good friend Sifu Miguel Hernandez. he demonstrated for me his footwork, he said" you have to be constantly changing and dynamic like a tennis player" he moved around the floor like a ballroom dancer. i have found there is a fine line between moving like that and also keeping your rooting, work it slowly at first, try not to rise up. It's the same thing in the tai chi form i'm learning, no up and down, stay level.
    good luck.
    sincerly, eddie

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by deejaye72 View Post
    i have found there is a fine line between moving like that and also keeping your rooting, work it slowly at first, try not to rise up. It's the same thing in the tai chi form i'm learning, no up and down, stay level.
    good luck.
    In my VT, we keep 50/50 and make quick, shuffle-like steps to "glide" across the ground and avoid a bouncing or swaying COG as well as maintain power lines from foot to fist during movement. This allows a very smooth mobility in all directions and means knockout power at any time. It's been described as air hockey puck footwork. We use the large quadricep muscles to drive our bodyweight in motion, which is really a contributing factor to the knockout power combined with body methods.

    Some people keep a rear-weighted stance and step with the lead leg then drag the rear leg up, so as not to break the line, but they aren't actually driving from the powerful quads. I think it also restricts your mobility to weight your stance and step like that. Also we keep a neutral stance and don't commit a lead leg until we have an entry and know which side to attack from, but that's another topic on fighting tactics. This sort of footwork though is very mobile and powerful. Any other weight distribution would restrict it or cause swaying. Of course it's dynamic and the scale will slightly tip to either side as we move about, but it should be roughly balanced with our COG and vertical axis centered.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by LFJ View Post
    In my VT, we keep 50/50 and make quick, shuffle-like steps to "glide" across the ground and avoid a bouncing or swaying COG as well as maintain power lines from foot to fist during movement. This allows a very smooth mobility in all directions and means knockout power at any time. It's been described as air hockey puck footwork. We use the large quadricep muscles to drive our bodyweight in motion, which is really a contributing factor to the knockout power combined with body methods.

    Some people keep a rear-weighted stance and step with the lead leg then drag the rear leg up, so as not to break the line, but they aren't actually driving from the powerful quads. I think it also restricts your mobility to weight your stance and step like that. Also we keep a neutral stance and don't commit a lead leg until we have an entry and know which side to attack from, but that's another topic on fighting tactics. This sort of footwork though is very mobile and powerful. Any other weight distribution would restrict it or cause swaying. Of course it's dynamic and the scale will slightly tip to either side as we move about, but it should be roughly balanced with our COG and vertical axis centered.

    I agree with all of that, you need to lift the toes with the glide though or you could trip, as i've found training on uneven ground lol

  9. #9
    I think ive scratched only the surface with this one ! its certainly not straightforward but I am a lot more informed than I was , thank you all for your kind input

  10. #10
    An easy answer would be (generally) equal weight distribution (form work, as general rule in sparring and drilling).

    The more specific answer would be that weight is in a constant state of dynamic change, (during the exchange between you and your opponent). It all depends on context, which for example, may involve (open kinetic chain movement such as sparring, (or closed kinetic), during chi sao and/or transitions into clinch.

    The main role of legs would be to find and maintain - balance. Whatever maintains balance when you are being pulled, pushed, turned, is absolutely correct for that particular point in your exchange.

    Suki
    "From a psychological point of view, demons represent the universal equivalents of the dark, cruel, animal depths of the mind. When we as martial artists are preparing ourselves to overcome our fear of domination at the hands of an opponent, we must go deep within our inner being and allow the darkest parts of ourselves to be revealed. In order to battle the monsters in an abyss, we must sometimes unleash the demon within" http://darkwingchun.wordpress.com/

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by shaolin10H8 View Post
    Hello all, sorry to ask such a newbie question but wondered what ration most people distribute weight across their stance ? I hear arguments for both 50/50 and 60/40 but am confused which (if any is better)
    Thank you
    Well let me see as a human when I stand balanced I have a 50/50 weight distribution. When I run at a full pace I have a 100 / 0 weight distribution. Which one of these is better? I don't know, I guess I would say it depends on whether I'm waiting in line for a movie ticket or running from the cops.

    I would also say if you are studying a martial art like wing chun with a teacher that tries to force a whole lot of unnatural contrived movement focusing on weight distribution you're probably going to be walking around looking pretty funny in both everyday life and in fighting scenarios.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfaring View Post
    Which one of these is better? I don't know, I guess I would say it depends on whether I'm waiting in line for a movie ticket or running from the cops.
    I never have equal weight distribution when standing in line. I'm always weighted to one side, then shift to the other for a while. I think we run from the cops the same way though.
    Quote Originally Posted by YouKnowWho View Post
    This is 100% TCMA principle. It may be used in non-TCMA also. Since I did learn it from TCMA, I have to say it's TCMA principle.
    Quote Originally Posted by YouKnowWho View Post
    We should not use "TCMA is more than combat" as excuse for not "evolving".

    You can have Kung Fu in cooking, it really has nothing to do with fighting!

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