ma bu training

[Chief Fox]

ma bu trainning is a good way to strengthen your legs and hips. But I believe the real benefit from holding a stance for a long time is mental not physical. It helps you to focus, the longer you hold a horse stance the tougher mentaly you will be. Just my opinion. Any thoughts?

[Ironwind]

Valid observation Chief, but in the end it still only helps you as a non-combatant way of training. Now in all you may know or have learned can you truly say that you were in a ma bu for most of a confrontation. I see the fundamental posistion of it all and wanting to be mentally tough, but what you want to be is mentally sharp so you can cut to the chase. I believe that if you are in this horse stance it'll be hard for your opponent to lose track of you.

[Doug]

I believe that yes, the ma bu trainning can help,but if you get accustomed to being in that low postition (espcially for taller artist like myself) you will become slower in your offense. Though it does shape your glutes, strengthen your joints, and give you a sense of being lighter. You are not going to engage in battle holding a horse stance, therefore if you are going to train in the horse stance I believe the horse should move. When I started training in the Ma bu my instructor/cousin changed the horse into a crab, then into a dolphin. You have to move in the stance for it to worth anything in battle instead of just a workout or exercise.

I disagree. Training while in low stances and stretching every day will allow you to move at any level--low, middle, or high range--very quickly. The horse stance is very versatile if you make it so. This is the case, at least, with me. I am also tall, so I can relate to the difficulty in this case.

Doug M

[denali]

Maybe you shouldn't do pushups because you won't fight from the pushup position.
Maybe you shouldn't train qigong, unless it's mobile qigong.. because you won't fight like that.
Maybe you shouldn't train forms because you won't fight like that either.

Now that I think about it, running and sparring are the only practical training according to the above logic.

There sometimes is a necessary difference between training and fighting, dangit!

[blooming lotus]

Originally posted by Chief Fox
But I believe the real benefit from holding a stance for a long time is mental not physical. It helps you to focus, the longer you hold a horse stance the tougher mentaly you will be. .

that goes for most dedicated training. Once you reach a level where it becomes endurance and strength, and you get right into your body it's all mental conditioning...zoning out the pain or removing the feeling mind, and putting jus a lil more in in increasing increments...at least thats how I get the best out of my self...that way if you're always aiming for a lil more and you'll never stagnate...which is probably why 75 straight pushups just aint so impressive....

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by denali
Maybe you shouldn't do pushups because you won't fight from the pushup position.
Maybe you shouldn't train qigong, unless it's mobile qigong.. because you won't fight like that.
Maybe you shouldn't train forms because you won't fight like that either.

Now that I think about it, running and sparring are the only practical training according to the above logic.

There sometimes is a necessary difference between training and fighting, dangit!

nothing wrong with doing if it's for the right reason. leg strength isn't the right reason. sparring in low stances isn't the right reason. That can indeed build bad habits.

[Shaolinlueb]

someone mentioned the 8 stance training drill? horse, bow, cat, crane, open, sitting, cross, and sneeking stances? then just turn around and go back the other way? I have been doing this a lot. it lets you switch you stances and keeps it more solid when doing forms.

[DeathTouch]

Ma Bu , Shamu ha
My stance work outdoes all the stance drills you guys mentioned i sit in my moo goo gai pan for 20 minutes then step into a egg foo young for 15 minutes which shall then rotate into a ha gao for another 20 minutes. now that is stance training.

[blooming lotus]

I do a good eggfuyong ( spelling difference must change with province) myself but I did a great lengthy mabu today and I really don't recommend the eggfuyong until 1-2 hrs after that