Source:

01-16-2009 12:41

Stances (steps or 步法) are structural postures employed in Chinese martial arts training. They represent the foundation and exaggerated form of a fighter's base.

Each style has different names and variations for each stance. Stances may be differentiated by foot position, weight distribution, body alignment, etc. Stance training can be practiced statically, the goal of which is to maintain the structure of the stance through a set time period, or dynamically, in which case a series of movements is performed repeatedly.

The horse riding stance (骑马步,马步 qí mǎ bù,mǎ bù) and the bow stance are examples of stances found in many styles of Chinese martial arts.

 

Editor:Yang Jie