Basic Stances Shaolin Long fist Kung Fu

Basic Stances Shaolin Long fist Kung Fu 

Basic Stances Shaolin Long fist Kung Fu

Basic Stances Shaolin Long fist Kung Fu 

Shaolin's Long fist' Kung Fu and Wu Shu, all motion, offensive or defensive, towards or far away from opponents, involves certain key stances. These are the foundations of all Changchun ('Long fist') martial movements and 4 basic essential examples, requiring students' initial attention are analyzed below. Two key principles apply to their design and usage.

Stability

Lower an object's center of gravity and it becomes harder to displace or overturn. Deep stances, thus, endow Students with stability. Bending the knees and keeping the rear straight aligns the torso with the body's natural center of gravity and balance at the Dan Tien (an inch-and-a-half below the navel) and further enhances this.

Deep stances, obtained by regular practice, enable students to maneuver more swiftly, smoothly, and efficiently.

Safety

High Longfist stances, exposing more of the body, including its vital parts have inbuilt safety features to attenuate risk being usually transitional in nature and held only briefly to facilitate counter-attack or escape. Low stances conceal and protect these vital areas, making them easier to defend.

Ma Bu: Horse-riding Stance

Sometimes abbreviated to 'Horse Stance' in Ma Bu the feet, toes turned slightly inwards, each bearing 50% of the body weight, are positioned approximately twice shoulder-width apart. The knees are bent to lower the torso, which remains upright.

A load-bearing stance enhancing balance and stability, Ma Bu exposes minimum body area to attackers (via the side-on 'silhouette' it presents). Backward and forward movement or solid immobility are all equally possible from Ma Bu, as are powerful side-kick attacks.

Horse stance practice has many benefits for beginners. This develops leg strength, kicking abilities, balance, and even willpower. Many Kung Fu Schools have their own 'Secret' methods which may be remarkably effective. Long fist Ma Bu Training includes routines almost 1500 years old, introduced into Shaolin Temple Monk Training within the 6th Century CE that's still in use there today.

Deng Shan Bu aka Gung Bu: hiking or Bow Stance

The front foot turned 20% inwards protects the groin because the leg bends forward until the knee is directly over the toe. the rear leg is kept straight with the foot turned inwards 20%. The rear and front foot are offset and never in line (this causes instability--advancing from this position you'll trip yourself up).

An attacking Forward Stance is ideal for Lunge and Reverse Punching. Requiring 70% of body weight on the front foot and 30% on the rear, it's sometimes also called the 70/30 Stance. In Gung Bu (Bow Stance) the arched lead leg is the bow and therefore the straight rear leg is an arrow that may be fired forwards from this position.

Xuan Ji Bu: The False or Tricky Stance

All the body weight is on the rear foot, which is placed at right angles to the front, with heels approximately 18" apart. The front foot's toe rests lightly on the bottom and is turned 20% inwards (protecting the groin). Sometimes also referred to as the 't' stance, in Xuan Gi Bu the rear leg is usually slightly bent.

This defensive and counter-attacking Back Stance catches the unwary all of sudden. The rear foot location of body weight, removing the top from danger, gives time to anticipate threats and deliver surprise front-kick counters from the 'False'/weightless front leg, ideally positioned for this 'trick'.

This stance encapsulates many of the essential principles of back-foot fighting which is refined into fine art in Shaolin Kung Fu.

Jin Gi Du Li: Golden Rooster Stands on Its hind limb 

From the False Stance, straighten the rear supporting leg. Standing on this draw the front foot backward, inwards, and upwards until adjacent to and covering (but not touching) its knee, toe pointing downwards and knee above waist height.

This protects the knee, groin, and supporting leg, enabling quick 'chambered' kicking. In a high transitional stance, jin Gi Du Li is merely held briefly for kicking purposes as a counter-attack, or as a prelude to withdrawal or escape.

Overall

The protective, risk-reducing features of those four basic 'Longfist' stances allow their safe use for attack, counter-attack, and defense. Pre-arranged practice sequences or 'sets' of continuous transitions between various stances help to spotlight their dynamic inter-relation. Beginners may find stance practice initially irksome but may even relish it after a time.

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