Martial Arts Stances

Ok. Alot of martial arts use stances correct. Well they teach you all these "Stances" to use and all but heres something I have recently learned in my fights. You only get one chance to take a stance....and thats even if your opponent gives you that chance. In battle, stances mean nothing. Survival is what matters. When your exchanging blows, are you using any specific stance? No. You are more concerned with staying alive and not getting hit. So heres my question. What do you guys think of stances in fights (This applys to those who have been in fights were you weren't sparring, you were in one where the person was serious about making sure you didn't get up) Do you think them good, do you think them bad? Do you not use them, what do you think about stances?

 

To me, stances are just things to allow you to get a feel of what the style is and stuff like that. Once you get use to it and can use the style pretty damn well, hell with stances! If you try to use a stance in the middle of getting punched, you're may just get your butt kicked. But that's just me . I really don't like stances that much anyway. I took Tai Qwon Do (I hope I spelled that right :sweat: ) for seven years and I can tell you, if you don't do something when the other guy throws a punch or kick, you are going to get your butt kicked!

 

stances and poses are just DBZ crap.

true martial arts focus themselves around the useage of Kamae and Kata. They are not there for looking cool or even understanding the arts. They are there so that as you use them over and over again your body starts to assume the proper posture for the art you are practicing. Doing kata over and over again trains your limbs to react without thought at an instant. The practice of kata is not necessarily "learning techniques" but a way to build strength and endurance, and learn proper striking techniques.

 

Only if they are quick and can relativaly help you somehow. Your usually not in a fight where your opponent studies some form of sorwdsmanship or fighting style, where they are going to succesfully let you complete your stance then counter it. Unless it adds a speed or drive, it is recommendable NOT to use it in a real fight when someones seriously trying to put you out.

-ashika

 

I think that they would be important to help add extra power and balance to attacks. But if someone were really trying to take you out, they probably would not give you a chance to use it.

 

thats my whole point right there. trying to assume stances in a fight are just going to slow you down and hinder you.

The samurai walked a certain way so that no matter what happened, they were always balanced ready to draw their swords from any position.

just like "techniques" techniques work in a certain pattern, if interrupted and thats all you know, your screwed.

kata teach your body to react to movement and move freely without thought or hinderance. they give your body strength as well as muscle memory. BUT you cannot rely on them in battle because they were created within a certain type of attack or form. THUS they are useless in a battle where things happen in an instant

 

If you'll look, every kamae has a place. A stance isnt a position you stand in to fight, it's a transitional position as you move. If you watch weapon sparring with trained fighters, (especially larger weapons like naginata) you'll see stances for a split second. Here, take a look at these stances and then watch for them in this match. You'll see that while they are assumed while out of direct combat, the main purpose of most of them is a fleeting moment in the middle of an engagement.
http://home.deds.nl/~naginata/nl/kamae.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE8TN4Hsf9A&mode=related&search=