Why horse stance

You can follow him at fightingdoc. In this spirit, we will be discussing why it can be beneficial to incorporate an age-old exercise into your modern combat sports conditioning training: The Horse Stance and as an extension, all Kung Fu stance training in general. The concept seems simple. You step your feet out a bit more than shoulder-width apart. Then you lower yourself downward until your thighs are parallel to the ground and your knees are flexed 90 degrees.

Keep your torso straight and up, looking straight in front of you. You can hold your arms statically by your sides, or you can throw alternating straight punches. All while remembering to control your breathing. You then proceed to hold this position for as long as your instructor tells you or when you fall over in pain, whichever comes first.

The horse stance is an isometric exercise, meaning it generates static contractions of the muscles involved without changing their lengths or the angles of the joints they cross. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to.

How to. Co-authors: Updated: April 16, Categories: Martial Arts. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. More reader stories Hide reader stories. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

About This Article Co-authors: Jim Lynch Jun 17, James Justice Apr 13, This is simple and builds confidence. Heart Oct 8, Share yours! Even just a few minutes a day spent on horse stance training will go a long way towards helping you obtain these benefits.

In the horse stance you weight is distributed evenly on both feet, you learn not to lean either to the left or right, forwards or backwards this is quite difficult to begin with. Over time this allows all the muscles of the upper body to balance out and relax. Shoulders will be less hunched up and the body will not slouch. People with better posture are considered to be more attractive and having a balanced posture will mean that muscles are less prone to the aches and pains that come from overuse.

Developing the strength of your legs in this low upright posture improves balance remarkably. This means you are less likely to fall over and hurt yourself, and for martial artists it is harder for someone else to knock you over. Improved posture and balance mean that you are able to transfer your weight more easily and quickly. You will be able to move your feet more quickly and with more grace. The tucked under position of the pelvis in the horse stance means that load is placed on the muscle of the pelvic floor, causing the muscles to contract and increase in tone and strength.

The most obvious is that Horse Stance builds physical strength. Strength comes in two types: raw power lifting and staying power holding. Horse Stance primarily builds holding strength, keeping your body steady and solid through the range of motion when fighting.

Horse Stance builds pain tolerance. By that I mean that it is a pain that only occurs when you are in the stance, and leaves no lasting damage. This is extremely useful in any situation in which you must fight for your life, allowing you to ignore a certain amount of pain while still being able to respond and protect yourself. Horse Stance destroys perceived limits. Take for example a 3 year old and a 30 year old, such as my daughter and I.