I stopped reading martial arts magazine, ones like Black Belt many years ago. The reason? Too much bashing of traditional arts, done without the knowledge of why things are done in a certain way. One of the best example are stances. So many times I have heard martial artists say, and seen it written that stances don't work. Well, they don't work when you don't understand how they are used.I recall one martial art master saying in a magazine that in a real fight I would never jump into a forward stance for any reason. Guess what, he is clueless.
First we must understand when dealing with the foundation of any martial art there are only 2 states to be considered. The first is mobility, and the second is stability. Stances are stable positions. That does not mean you stay there for any extended period of time.
Now from a Kyusho standpoint all stance also represent elements. Each stance causes an increase in a certain element in the body. Below is a breakdown of the stances and their corresponding elements.
- Forward Bo - Fire
- Neutral Bo - Fire
- 45 Degree Cat - Metal
- Horse Stance toes forward - Earth
- Horse Stance toes out - Wood
- Cross Over or X - Water
An example would be if I was going to attack Large Intestine 10 on the arm, which is a metal point, I would use a forward or neutral bo stance because they are both FIRE stances and fire melts metal. The effect on the arm is seen immediately.
The understanding of stances in your art will revolutionize all your techniques as well as the meaning of your kata. If you would like more information on using stances consider taking our Online Novice Kyusho Jitsu Course. The first 7 days are FREE!
