they use different techniques like the shoot to double or single leg, or low single leg which it is better to hit the gym and do squats or Olympic lifting to train for - plus duck walk.
If you're playing tai chi wrestling, you're going to need to be able to hold low stances and move in them comfortably.
Up thread it was argued (as it is on every other thread that this trope gets repeatedly beaten to death on) that stance training wasn't a good means of increasing flexibility. A bit of a half truth.
When I was working towards the side splits the best way I found to warm up was holding horse stance for a minute or a little more. In and of itself horse stance does little to greatly increase range of motion in the hips but there was nothing I found that made the stretching itself easier.
I mentioned some other stances that are used for stretches, but actually the horse stance is a common stretch in itself. Instead of staying static, you put your elbows inside your knees and push the knees out, while shifting the weight some, from leg to leg, while getting a bit of hip rotation.
It's not about stretching, it's about your level of comfort to maintain a low stance. It's a pretty simple concept, stand low for long periods of time and it gets easier to stand low. Moving comfortably while standing low is something that TCMA does, if you don't like doing it, that's on you.
Frost- so if stance training has no use, then why the **** would anyone do yoga?
post some pics of you doing all your stances, bet your structure is not perfect.
there is much more to it than holding a stance for 5 minutes, you continually do them for proper structure and alignment, transitions, breathing, mental.
why would people do yoga?
Well...
Psalms 144:1
Praise be my Lord my Rock,
He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !
One thing I'll say though is that stance training seems to be pretty specific to a certain type of TCMA game and that's really pushing hands. It's a fun game that requires you to hold low stances. If that's your thing, or if low stances are required to facilitate the applications of your style, then you have to do stance training. Otherwise you probably don't have to do it unless you like doing it.
While I will admit that stance training in a low stance will give you more stability and endurance to hold a low stance, how is that going to help you develop the strength to throw an opponent? During horse stance you're still only supporting your own weight. If you're going to need to apply extra strength from a low position wouldn't it be better if you could do barbell squats with your bodyweight or more?
The more strength you can generate, the smaller percentage of effort it takes to move a finite weight. In other words, if I can squat 150 pounds, squatting 150 pounds will be hard. If I can squat 300 pounds, squatting 150 pounds will be easy.
How is holding a low stance for long periods of time going to make it easier to throw someone? Are you spending a lot of time in that low stance when you're sparring?
If you're only dropping your stance down for a moment to throw someone, I fail to see how stance training and the increased muscular endurance that comes from stance training would be more beneficial than a strength development exercise.
If you're spending a lot of time in a low stance, then yes, I see how stances training would be more effective.
"If you like metal you're my friend" -- Manowar
"I am the cosmic storms, I am the tiny worms" -- Dimmu Borgir
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard.