Growing Roots: Importance of Martial Arts Stances
Most styles of traditional martial arts begin by teaching the practitioner basic stances. The most commonly known is the horse stance, and is used in almost all stand up forms of martial arts practice. Many people join martial arts expecting to learn the artful kicks and strikes performed by the professionals, but fail to see the importance of the basics in order to reach this level.
When beginning stance training, the legs will begin to shake after a short amount of time and breathing becomes irregular. This pain must be endured and overcome in order to become sufficient in any standing form of martial art. After years of practicing these poses, the legs become immune to the discomfort and the various movements and level changes used during combat can be performed effortlessly.
Holding basic stances for long periods of time builds a solid base for combat while strengthening the legs. Ancient masters referred to this process as “growing roots,” which implies that the legs and ground eventually become one.
Stances are key to mastering all other aspects of any standing combat art. Proper stances enable strikes to be thrown with balance and precision. Not only are stances extremely important for balance, but power is also generated through their mastery. Generating maximum power throughout the entire body requires the feet to be well grounded and in balance with the rest of the body.
Stances are also performed in conjunction with footwork and movement. Movement during martial arts requires the legs to be bent for a majority of the time. This can be exhausting if basic stances have not been practiced on a regular basis.
It must be realized that the perfection of any martial art requires the practitioner to master the basics. Practicing basic stances as a part of your daily martial arts regimen will develop the body and make the more advanced techniques more achievable.
Author: Jason Gandy
Published: June 4, 2013
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