

It is very common in the martial arts to describe stances and the transitions between them in terms of triangles, squares and circles. right foot in front, left foot facing left or left foot in front, right foot facing rightĬonceptualising stances and footwork in the martial arts.Basic fighting stances English boxing, Thai boxing Typically, martial arts do not teach fighting stances until students have developed other basic skills. Most disciplines have one major stance that they regularly employ (generally from a standard guard position), and many variations of this standard stance which incorporate various combinations of open/closed, long/short, high/low or weighted/unweighted. Alternatively, backward-weighted stances are more defensive, allowing one to fall back more easily. Forward-weighted stances are more aggressive, allowing stronger punches and kicks because one's weight is already forward. Forward-weighted or backward-weighted stances place most of body weight on either the rear or the lead foot, respectively. Unweighted stances are those where half of one's bodyweight is on each foot. High stances are more mobile and allow one to reposition rapidly. Low stances are very powerful and assist delivery of power through the body to either the arms or the legs.

This refers to the bend in the knees and height relative to a normal standing position. Most stances are approximately as wide as the shoulders, though there is significant variation between styles. Long stances are very stable, but this is at the expense of agility. Short stances make the user very agile, but can be unstable. This refers to the distance from the lead foot to the rear foot. However, open stances leave one vulnerable to groin attacks and expose a larger portion of the body to an opponent. In general, open stances are more stable than closed stances. This refers to the lateral distance between the lead and rear foot. In general, stances may be described in a number of ways: Open or closed Stances vary greatly in their application and form. It provides for the delivery of force when attacking and stability when defending. This position is generally employed as it is a neutral and agile position from which both attacks and defences may be launched. In many Asian martial arts, the most widely used stance is a shallow standing squat. In martial arts, stances are the distribution, foot orientation and body positions (particularly the legs and torso) adopted when attacking, defending, advancing, or retreating. Pankratiast in fighting stance, Ancient Greek red-figure amphora, 440 BC.
