Moving in Front Stance

-Lesson 3 -

Mr. Miyagi once said, "The best defense is not being there." This is the best advice anyone could give to another. It implicitly states, not to kick, punch or block an attack - simply don't be there to receive the blow. Since moving is imparative for defense and is difficult to master, it is important to learn it early so that its mastery comes later.

If you just learned front stance, perhaps by reading lesson 2, you probably think you perform it very well. Odds are, you don't. But, don't worry; you have the rest of your life to perfect it. And, to make it more interesting, we are going to add movement to it.

Before focusing on the correct way to move in front stance, let's explore the wrong to move in front stance. Or, in other words, let's examine all the wrong things we have learned. Let's create awareness for how people move in general. In fact, start by watching the people around you in malls, at home, in churches or at work. Watch everyone and pay particular attention to their movement. Notice their center of gravity. When they walk, can you see their heads rise as they straighten their legs prematurely in their stride or do they glide as if on skates? Are the toes turned inward or outward. Do the knees bow in; out? How about the spine? Is it straight, curved, leaning or twisting during movement? Do the shoulders move or are they locked in position? Do the arms hang naturally or are they forced? And, what about the head - Do they seem aware of where they are headed or are lumbering around nonchalantly seemingly without purpose?

[Anigif moving stance back]

Ok, let examine how we move. Get in front of a full size mirror and move from a neutral standing position to front stance and back. Do this several times paying close attention to all the points stated in the previous paragraph. Make a mental note of what you see. If you have a camera, make a video note of what, err, well, of what you don't see.

The movement covered in this article is from a front stance to a front stance with the only change being which leg is forward and which is back. However, halfway through this movement is a pseudo-stance. It is where both feet are side-by-side. This is the neutral standing position spoken of early but modified for smooth, powerful and well-protected movement.

[image of pseudo-stance]

Look at the picture and notice the pseudo-stance. Take note that the legs have not straightened, yet. The knees are together. Both feet point forward. The spine is straight and vertical. The shoulders are relaxed and the head points forward following the spine. Try to stand comfortably like this. Be sure to keep your legs bent. The height of your head in this 'stance' should be the same as when you are in a front stance. Be sure that your knees are together and point forward. If there is a gap, your inner thighs and groin will be an easy target for an attacker. The feet should point forward to promote proper alignment of the leg joints and prevent exposing target on the lower leg. Keeping the spine straight and vertical is very difficult. To actively straighten it, move your tail bone toward the earth and squeeze it into your belly-button. That should take the curve out of the lower back. To fix the upper back, pull your shoulder blades down. Never let them creep up the back. Holding the shoulder blades high is a natural occurrence in men. So, learning to keep them down is very difficult. It is also natural to lead with the head. Be sure to keep it back in-line with the spine so that it doesn't become a target. And finally, the arms - I didn't forget them but you should because they are not needed to learn movement. So, do whatever you want with your arms - preferably nothing.

[image compare stances]

Many styles move in front stance in a single linear motion without sweeping the legs near each other. While this is easier to learn and perform, it doesn't promote the power and protection of the sweeping action. Notice the photos. You can see that when the legs are swept together that there are fewer targets below the waist than when the legs are moved straight forward (not swept together). Further, the motion of pulling a leg to another and then away again is more powerful than moving a leg forward or back with the legs spread apart. It is this power and protection that makes the sweeping step desirable.

Moving forward with a sweeping step is very difficult and not easily mastered. Moving backwards is even more difficult. Therefore we will look at movement individually.

1. Start by shifting your weight forward allowing your front knee to move forward your center body gets the sensation of dropping downward. It does really get lower. It just feels like it because you will start using muscles that aren't typically used.

2. Just after initiating the forward motion, pull your legs together by squeezing with the inner thigh muscles until you reach the pseudo-stance. It is important that the inner thigh muscles facilitate this action and that it is done with intent. Don't swing the legs together, lazily. If you do, your movement will not have power and the attacker will knock you off your feet. Also, remember to keep both feet on the ground at all times. When moving, the ball of the foot should act like feelers constantly in contact with the surface.

3. We are now in the pseudo-stance but only for an instance. The rear leg continues forward in a smooth motion but the muscles use changes, now. From this point in the movement, thrust the once front leg back like you are kick starting a Harley or skating on inline skates. While thrusting, guide the opposite leg into a front stance while the ball of the foot glides across the ground.

4. From here, you can stay in front stance or continue moving by repeating the action at step 1.

1. Moving backward is difficult because visually it is exactly the opposite of moving forward but mechanically (muscles used) it has nothing in common. To get yourself started moving backwards, allow the rear knee to bend. Don't let the heel come off when you do this. The rear heel must remain down throughout the backwards movement.

2. Add to the backwards motion by pulling the legs together. Use the hamstring of the front leg and the quadriceps of the rear leg to power the legs into the pseudo-stance position. Let the rear knee to bend but don't let the heel come up. The front foot glides back across the ground on the ball. The head stays at the same level.

3. Continue moving the front leg back by gliding on the ball. Use the calf and quads of the front leg to power yourself back into front stance. At this point, your front quads are supporting most of your weight. You will feel like standing up to relieve stress on this muscle but don't give in. Keep the head at the same level.

4. An instant before completing this motion, you will find yourself in a front stance with the rear heel slightly off the ground. Thrust you heel down with your calf muscle (straightening the rear leg) while allowing the weight of your center body to drop down. This will create a shock wave that is used create massively powerful strikes.

5. From here, you can stay in front stance or continue moving by repeating the action at step 1.

Just like your stances, your movement between them should be kept low and level. A high stance makes a tipsy center of gravity. A low stance makes a low center of gravity and a solid connection the ground. An unintentional upward motion can break your connection with the ground and have you swept of your feet. Therefore, keep your body low. Always feel like you are connected to the ground. Always feel like your power comes from the ground.

Many fighting styles don't recognize targets below the belt except for the groin. Yet, some of the best targets are on the leg. Obviously, the knees are a critical area that can be destroyed easily by a side attack. But less obvious are the inner thighs (Li 9, Sp 11) or inner calves (San Yin Jiao). Even if you don't believe in attacking low, your attacker might. So, protect low.

Many fighting styles create power by leaping into the air. This isn't one of them. Power is created from rooting to the earth. Trees stop Buicks, not birds.