Basic fighting stance?

[brazilusa]

What is your fighting stance? I learned to put both feet at a 45 degree angle. I started studying Shaolin Kempo from the United Studios of Self Defense and they say I need to put my front foot straight ahead?
Usually I associate the lead foot straght ahead into more Korean syles? Any opinions on this subject?

[Celtic_Crippler]

The neutral bow. It allows for both mobility and stability. It obscures vital target areas from your opponent.
Brief overview->
-weight distributed 50/50 between both legs
-both feet angled in and pointed in the same direction (similar to a horse stance)
-knees bent and angled out
-heel/toe alignment: The heel of your rear foot should be in line with the toes of your front foot (so that you are 'bladed' obscuring targets)
-knee heel relationship: if you drop your to your rear knee the distance between your knee and heel of the front foot should be approximately the distance from the end of your pinky to the end of your thumb holding your hand like the "hang loose" sign) This tells you that your stance is not to wide for mobility and not to thin for stability.
-Back straight
-Head erect (these last two help maintain proper posture and center of balance)
-Rear hand chambered, palm up and ready for action
-Front hand bent at 45 degrees, not to far out (don't want to be grabbed) and not to far in (don't want your own hand slammed into your face)

[kenpotex]

I tend to fight from what we refer to as a "Sprinter's Neutral bow." It differs from a regular NB in that the back heel is slightly off the ground (basically, it's about 1/2 way between a neutral-bow and a wide-kneel). This serves to give you a little more "spring." My stance also tends to be just slightly shorter than the classic "Knee-to-heel" depth of the NB just because I can move a little quicker this way. If I need more stability, it's easy to just settle into a NB.

just my $0.02

[0nslaught]

What is your fighting stance? I learned to put both feet at a 45 degree angle. I started studying Shaolin Kempo from the United Studios of Self Defense and they say I need to put my front foot straight ahead?
Usually I associate the lead foot straght ahead into more Korean syles? Any opinions on this subject?

for Shaolin Ken/mpo, it would be a half moon stance

[Celtic_Crippler]

I tend to fight from what we refer to as a "Sprinter's Neutral bow." It differs from a regular NB in that the back heel is slightly off the ground (basically, it's about 1/2 way between a neutral-bow and a wide-kneel). This serves to give you a little more "spring." My stance also tends to be just slightly shorter than the classic "Knee-to-heel" depth of the NB just because I can move a little quicker this way. If I need more stability, it's easy to just settle into a NB.

just my $0.02

Ah, we call that a lunge stance

Dear Celtic:
I'm with you on the basic fighting stance position. Did you also fight out of the 3/4 bow?
I would never face an opponent face on with one exception and alos would never face an opponent in a half bow stance where one would "walk a tightrope" due to weaknesses in stability.

One thing that I used to teach is an informal fighting stance that did not look confriontational yet was one step away from a "full blown" 3/4 fighting stance.

The stance would be done with the feet slightly more than shoulders width apart turned slightly to one side.. The hand would be placed in a natural "converstional" postion with the left or right arm at a 90 angle and the hand of the opposite arm under the elbow. One could then "gesture" with the hand or touch ones own face to seemingly contemplate a point that the potential opponent was meaking. At the appropriate movement one could then step out into a bow and use the front of back legs for a kick or sweep. The top hand was also in a postion to intercept a punch or bypass a possible knife attack by stepping either forward or backward.

The stance looked nonconfrontational but was ready for instant deployment should the need arise.

I've seen this covered before. You "appear" nonconfrontational yet you're positioned so that you've slightly bladed your body and have your arms positioned to limit targets on your body and also so that they can be utilized quicky to strike because they're already "chambered" or "cocked."

-good stuff

[DavidCC]

What is your fighting stance? I learned to put both feet at a 45 degree angle. I started studying Shaolin Kempo from the United Studios of Self Defense and they say I need to put my front foot straight ahead?
Usually I associate the lead foot straght ahead into more Korean syles? Any opinions on this subject?

The SK "half moon" stance is basically a horse stance with one foot moved toward 12 at a distance that gives you a heel-toe line at 3-9. This is more mobile and allows all 4 weapons to be applied more quickly than the bow stance, however it does have some very obvious drawbacks defensively (groin attacks, 12-6 stability).

I've found that for many of the techniques in SK you will move to a neutral bow, however they still will not call it that. They will call it something like "right half moon towards 1030" or something.

[Mike B]

This is almost a trick question since you don't really fight in a stance persay. you fight from a changnging postion your constantly moving around. With that out of the way. My starting postion is somewhere between a boxers stance and a neutral bow. I seem to be most comfortable and relaxed starting this way. Mike

[marvinmckenzie]

When I am in a nuetral bow, should most of my weight be on the balls of my feet?

[thesensei]

When I am in a nuetral bow, should most of my weight be on the balls of my feet?

Yes, mobility is key to the neutral bow. With your weight on the balls of your feet, you are ready to move in whatever direction is required.

[bujuts]

When I am in a nuetral bow, should most of my weight be on the balls of my feet?

Approximately 60% of the mass of the torso is in front of the spine, so a 60% / 50% front to back distribution is what we use. Too much on the heels and you enter a state of balance - and balance is a big no-no in kenpo.

As for other stance work, why would anyone use different stances in "fighting" vs. what they use in techniques?

Salute,

Steven Brown
UKF

[bujuts]

...a 60% / 50% front to back distribution is what we use....

And for my next amazing trick I'll botch subtraction of whole digits.

I meant 60/40.

Salute,

SB
UKF

[John Brewer]

And for my next amazing trick I'll botch subtraction of whole digits.

I meant 60/40.

Salute,

SB
UKF

I figured you just gave everything 110%