horse stance training

[lonecoyote]

Not talking about just getting in a horse stance and punching, but the long haul chinese martial art horse stance exercise, that I've heard some people can do for hours. What is its purpose? I've heard everything from it being a way to test the sincerity of newbies to a very powerful Qigong exercise to just a way to strengthen the legs as a foundation for the rest of a system. Or is it maybe all three? Anybody train this way?

 

[clfsean]

All of the above...

At my school, part of the warm up normally consists of about 20 minutes of horse stance with the last 5 or so being table top level.

 

[Flatlander]

Man, that's a real long time.

 

[Littledragon]

Not talking about just getting in a horse stance and punching, but the long haul chinese martial art horse stance exercise, that I've heard some people can do for hours. What is its purpose? I've heard everything from it being a way to test the sincerity of newbies to a very powerful Qigong exercise to just a way to strengthen the legs as a foundation for the rest of a system. Or is it maybe all three? Anybody train this way?

The most important thing it does is strengthn's one's mind and mentality. If they are able to sit in that posistion for hours it tells you something about one's mental strength. Physcially it does strengthn your legs, imagine if you stand there for hours, it strengthen's the muscle's in your legs even if you have been doing it for a long time every day you could take those Muay Thai leg kicks.

 

[7starmantis]

We do horse stance training for a number of reasons. Physically, it strengthens the legs, increases flexability (we do all our horse stance low enough to have a staff placed across your knees), helps you become "centered", feel your bodies balance. Mentally it helps you learn to deal with pain (lots of it), stay focused in the midst of pain and such, and overcome your own bodies wanting to come up or become bored. Skillwise it helps you learn to move in and out of the stance effeciently and stay centered so you dont loose your balance, it also helps you stay "rooted" which helps when being swept or thrown.

7sm

 

[lonecoyote]

Thanks for the great information. Does anybody do special breathing with it? Comes from the pit of the stomach, I think its called the tan tien. Nobody specifically mentioned chikung building. I realize its a little esoteric, but I believe in chi and energy meridians. Yeah, that must be some intense class, that starts with a 20 minute horse. Is that Choy Li Fut?

 

[7starmantis]

We do breathing exercise with it, mainly to focus the mind off the pain and all. There are alot of chi gung exercises that use horse stance, but in class when we are holding horse stance, we aren't doing the chi gung exercises.

7sm

 

[Flatlander]

7*, in the process of developing this extreme horse stance skill, how much time does it generally take to go from, say, a 30 second maximum, and a 20 minute maximum?

 

[Littledragon]

We do horse stance training for a number of reasons. Physically, it strengthens the legs, increases flexability (we do all our horse stance low enough to have a staff placed across your knees), helps you become "centered", feel your bodies balance. Mentally it helps you learn to deal with pain (lots of it), stay focused in the midst of pain and such, and overcome your own bodies wanting to come up or become bored. Skillwise it helps you learn to move in and out of the stance effeciently and stay centered so you dont loose your balance, it also helps you stay "rooted" which helps when being swept or thrown.

7sm

I totally agree with you 100%. The good thing about practicing horse stance for along time is it strengthens you mentally and physically at once.

Tarek

 

[RHD]

Horse stance has many benefits. One of them is learning to sink the body and root. I know this has been mentioned already, but its so very important. No root=No power in strikes, locks, and throws.
Once stationary horse is understood, then on to the mobile horse...This is taking that root and putting it into your transitions and steps. Some friends I know call this "linking" or linking the upper body and lower body together. Most of you know that I'm a Hung Gar person, so the following statement may be percieved as sacrilige by my peers: I don't think one needs to hold a thighs paralell to the floor horse stance for long periods of time. I feel its better to hold a horse at a comfortable "personal" level, and a good stance time is 10 minutes. Once this is obtained, of course a practitioner could go longer and push harder, but its time at this point to focus on the mobile horse and put power into those steps and transitions.

P.s. FTD, I missed you at the Chicago tournament. Did you make it there?

P.p.s. Seven*, I met a real nice young 7* practitioner from Peoria, IL. Did a damn fine job of representing the style. You would have been proud.

Mike

 

[7starmantis]

7*, in the process of developing this extreme horse stance skill, how much time does it generally take to go from, say, a 30 second maximum, and a 20 minute maximum?

Well, it really depends on the person and the amount of horse stance training they are doing. There are different reasons people train in horse stance. Once you get your legs used to doing a few minutes its easier to add on time. I personally probably wouldn't try to add more than a minute to my maximum every three weeks or so maybe. I don't actively add right now, I guess when I get ready to test again (in about a year) I will start adding on. I'm just maintaining right now.

Most of you know that I'm a Hung Gar person, so the following statement may be percieved as sacrilige by my peers: I don't think one needs to hold a thighs paralell to the floor horse stance for long periods of time. I feel its better to hold a horse at a comfortable "personal" level, and a good stance time is 10 minutes.

That is very different for a hung gar person to say! Thats cool though, I can accpet that. Wish I could have seen that 7* guy.

7sm

 

[vincehardy3]

The horse stance training is good for all of the reasons listed in the previous posts. It is also good for qigong training. A practitioner can learn to link/connect the upper/middle/lower dan tiens. This can be done in various ways, and it can be coupled with horse stance training. But, a simple qigong exercise with the horse stance is to learn how to bring the qi from the soles of the feet (Bubbling Spring point on both soles), and circulate it through the meridians. This will improve the practitioner's root, plus it will teach a practitioner how to draw energy from the ground and focus it into your techniques. This is just a few things that you can do from the horse stance.



Vince

 

[Tony]

Sometimes while we are doing horse stances we will do shooting zen hand, where you tense your whole body up, and push your hands out as if you were pushing something heavy. Though its not the most enjoyable thing in Kung Fu its crucial and forms part of the foundation of the Martial Art.

 

[clfsean]

Man, that's a real long time.

Yeah it definately can be...

 

[clfsean]

Thanks for the great information. Does anybody do special breathing with it? Comes from the pit of the stomach, I think its called the tan tien. Nobody specifically mentioned chikung building. I realize its a little esoteric, but I believe in chi and energy meridians. Yeah, that must be some intense class, that starts with a 20 minute horse. Is that Choy Li Fut?

We just breath to the dan tian (deep, long & low). It eases the strain (kinda) with the overdose of O2 from the deep breathing... or at least that's what I tell myself to help get by... :uhyeah:

Yep... Choy Lay Fut.

 

[Jim Perkins]

Yes the horse stance is good for training in many ways sharpen the mind and the body will follow.

 

[Trent]

I think that the horse stance is outstanding for all the reasons listed above and more. Further, the longer the better. A the higher levels it can be a little rough when testing your limits. It will help greatly with inuring your legs to leg kicks strictly from a pain perspective and with providing good power to stomping and slicing type kicks when good times have been developed. You'll find implementing leg traps and knee strikes greatly improved, too.

We utilize the horse stance as a combative principle as well. "The table" is a principle in KunTao Silat where once your opponent has been unbalanced his skeletal frame is stretched across the top of your thighs in an awkward position, typically while torquing the spine, for follow-up percussions and joint manipulations. "The cage" is a restrictive area determined by your stance and your opponent's dynamic which utilizes your legs for positioning and leverage to control your opponent while delivering damage.