14
votes
Accepted
Name and meaning of stance where you stand with fists on hips?
Your intuition is correct. It is a very vulnerable position. That should give you a clue about its bunkai.
For those that don't know, Bunkai is the Okinawan karate term used to refer to the practice ...
- 18.9k
14
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Protecting yourself from bullying has more to do about confidence than about martial arts. Learning martial arts will raise your confidence, but coming across as unsure and uncertain, even if you're a ...
- 796
13
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Source: Black Belt in Ju Jitsu
First, I completely agree that learning to fight won't fix your problem; it'll probably just get you into trouble. However, learning a martial art is a great way to ...
- 229
13
votes
Why do people use the horse stance? Won't it expose you to groin shots?
The question asks why horse stances exist in martial arts in general.
The horse stance gets a lot of bad press. Lots of people just make fun of it, saying that it leaves people vulnerable to kicks to ...
- 18.9k
9
votes
Why do people use the horse stance? Won't it expose you to groin shots?
If you are doing the horse stance, doesn't it just expose you to groin kicks?
Yes.
So why do people use the horse stance if it is just going to leave them exposed for groin shots?
The purpose of ...
- 14.2k
8
votes
Shotokan Karate front stance - weight is over the front knee? Or centre?
Fair disclosure, I do not currently practice Shotokan, but I do practice Tae Kwon Do which has a front stance and requires 180 degree turns. There may be technical differences that I am unaware of.
...
- 3,907
8
votes
Accepted
Why do fencers point their back foot to the side in the en garde position?
Mainly for versatility and stability. In fencing your actions moving backwards are just as important as your actions moving forwards. A lot of people think of it as advancing on your opponent or ...
- 96
8
votes
Accepted
Is the differentiation between southpaw and orthodox stance useful?
Symmetric training is encouraged only at higher levels, and only by some coaches. The reason people mostly stick to their base stance in training is because "you need to learn to walk before you can ...
- 1,801
7
votes
Why do fencers point their back foot to the side in the en garde position?
It has been a while since I fenced, but my understanding of the foot position is to increase stability during a deep thrust like the one shown below. Look at the leg slightly above the "C" of the ...
7
votes
Accepted
Is it expected that all training stances/positions will have direct fighting applications?
In general you will do a lot of things in training that may not be directly applicable in a fight. This does not mean that they are not helpful.
For example: what is the likely practical fighting ...
- 2,949
6
votes
Is the following position realistic in any fight?
Freezing a movement and taking a still image of it is only useful if you can see the movement that came before it and the movement that comes after it. This image you've given us can be anything, ...
- 18.9k
6
votes
Which foot forward when breaking boards with hand/elbow?
A lot of the power in a board break comes from the rotation/torque of the hips and legs to drive through the target. When you start with the same side forward, you have already eliminated most (if not ...
- 4,649
6
votes
Using the move from the matrix as a fighting technique
You can dodge punches but doing so by leaning backwards is usually a really bad idea.
I believe I have seen some boxers do it when against the ropes, but only really to show off.
The issue is that you ...
- 3,272
5
votes
Why do fencers point their back foot to the side in the en garde position?
I still remember the start of my very first fencing lesson at school. We had no swords, the instructor just paired is up and gave us a game. We had to touch each other with our right thumbs and shout ...
- 217
5
votes
Accepted
Is the following position realistic in any fight?
It's not a starting position. It is a defence against a kick.
The rear arm has caught the opponent's leg and it is hooked over it, the front hand is pushing him over backwards. You would need to see ...
- 889
5
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Fighting will not solve your problem
Learning how to fight will not help. It will take too long, land you in trouble with the law/school, and even if you succeed at becoming a fighter, all you ...
5
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Wing Chun/Jeet Kun Do. It originated (according to legend) as a style for women and has a focus on efficiency rather than strength.
That answers the question, but the solution, I think .. is to gain ...
- 151
5
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Let's keep in mind that your goal is safety. Depending on what kind of danger you are facing, martial arts may, or may not help.
First, consider if there are any adults who you can turn to for help....
- 8,353
5
votes
Should eyesight factor into the boxing stance a fighter chooses?
I prefer to be left hand forward, if I am hit in the right eye (and it swells/vision blurred etc.) I feel able to carry on. If I lose some vision in my left eye, I struggle much more, I have to turn ...
- 2,949
5
votes
Accepted
Boxing: how to effectively fix too wide stance?
Don't use bands:
Whatever you do, I suggest you don't use any bands. If your body mechanics work a certain way, you need to consciously work on it if you want to change it. Artificially restricting ...
- 1,321
5
votes
How do mixed martial artists select their stance lead foot?
People who become MMA fighters usually start out learning one style first. As the sport has progressed over the years, teaching people how to mix different styles together has changed. Now, with more ...
- 692
4
votes
Is the following position realistic in any fight?
Is this a realistic start position in a fight?
No, not at all.
Instead you think of this as a finishing position.
That particular position could be anything, including but not limited to:
an arm ...
- 7,815
4
votes
Is it expected that all training stances/positions will have direct fighting applications?
Is it generally expected in martial arts systems that all training
stances/positions (horse stances, front stances, drop stances, etc.)
will have direct fighting applications?
Generally expected.....
- 889
4
votes
Shotokan Karate front stance - weight is over the front knee? Or centre?
It's a mistake to think of karate stances as static. They are not.
When fighting you will be in a stance for a fraction of a second. Therefore there is no correct static weight distribution.
Having ...
- 889
4
votes
Trouble keeping heel down during katas
You've already identified that you're bringing your heel up, which means that if you have access to a mirror in your dojo you can keep an eye out for it when you practice.
Other suggestions include:
...
- 155
4
votes
Accepted
What are basic kung fu stances?
Ma bu and gong bu are the most basic stances, and I'm sure every other martial art has them. Ma bu gets referred to as horse stance alot here. Gong bu is basically a standard attack stance. Pu bu is a ...
- 796
4
votes
Which will be the best style for kung fu for self defense for a weak person?
Frankly, you probably don't want to actually fight (you can encounter some pretty severe penalties in some areas, including much of the United States of America) and no martial art is going to quickly ...
- 11.9k
4
votes
What is the name of the postition with the leg retracted (in japanese)?
引き /hiki/ meaning "pulling; drawing back" might fit, though it doesn't begin with w.
- 8,132
4
votes
Should eyesight factor into the boxing stance a fighter chooses?
Now this is a very interesting question that I personally have experience with.
As I have a large cutting scar on my left eye, I can't open my left eye. The eye works, but I can't open the eyelid. I ...
- 442
4
votes
Accepted
Very high horse stance
I am unsure of what the problem might be.
It's almost always tight glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and hip flexors. Basically very few people these days have sufficient mobility anywhere in the hips ...
- 20.9k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible