How important is foot work and rooting?

[Yoshiyahu]

Okay my Sifu use to call this stance Lady Ma for short...YGKYM is the stance you call basic stance right?

We have always refered to this stance as basic stance or ready stance.

Si-Je question:

Is this "horse stance" what everyone uses when they train, spar, and fight? I thought that stance was for designed use with the dragon pole?
Basic stance is what helps against a grappling takedown, where you get your power, structure, and spring from.

Let make sure I understand you correctly?

Are you saying Basic Stance(YGKYM) is


And The Traditional Horse Stance(MaBu) is

​

 

[naneek]

thanks for the clarification yoshi, the pics you put up are useful to explain something that would be difficult to explain in writing. we also use this stance(hanging horse as you name it) but not much so far - sifu has not mentioned its name.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Well in reality you can call it one leg stance...

thanks for the clarification yoshi, the pics you put up are useful to explain something that would be difficult to explain in writing. we also use this stance(hanging horse as you name it) but not much so far - sifu has not mentioned its name.

Seasoned:Very interesting I enjoy hearing your comments...
What does the word Ryu mean?

 

[Si-Je]

I wish I knew how you put those pictures on! lol!
Yes basic is the "lady" stance as I'm thinking of it.
And horse is the other. Just wondering if most WC schools are teaching the horse stance as a fighting stance, we're seeing it in alot of video's online and WC/WT/VT fighter's getting in rings with a similar looking stance like this horse stance and getting taken to the ground right away.
(or the one leg forward stance, but that's for another discussion. )

Seasoned, what you speak of with GoJu Ryu at the black belt levels with the pushing "without pushing" drills reminds me of a WC video of Sifu Fungs. I believe this is why the transition from Okinawian Kempo to WC/WT was easier for Sifu than for me, (coming from a JJJ background) because of the similaraties at higher levels.

This is power of foundation of "basic stance"
Hope you like it

 

[Grunthos the Flatulent]

They loook like they are pooping. That's funny!

 

[mook jong man]

They loook like they are pooping. That's funny!

You know what is more funny ?

YOUR IGNORANCE .

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Report the problem posts folks. We'll take care of em. Thanks!

 

[Si-Je]

You know what is more funny ?

YOUR IGNORANCE .

I agree hon, but he knows not what he says. Sigh. I love that video, great demonstration of rooted stance. Another good one:

GRANDMASTER Jim Fung's Master does the same thing but while standing on a roll of quarters, I believe. Standing on said quarters with one foot no less. "hanging horse", while a young, strong man trys to push him off, and cannot. Check it out.

 

[seasoned]

Well in reality you can call it one leg stance...




Seasoned:Very interesting I enjoy hearing your comments...
What does the word Ryu mean?

GoJu Ryu means Hard/soft, way or path.
Go Ju Ryu

 

[mook jong man]

Is this "horse stance" what everyone uses when they train, spar, and fight? I thought that stance was for designed use with the dragon pole?
Basic stance is what helps against a grappling takedown, where you get your power, structure, and spring from.

You are correct the low horse stance should only be used with the pole , and it is also used in some parts of the knife form . The crouching position enables a lot of distance to be covered in one explosive movement , a must when weapons are involved as you are likely to only get one chance.

That is a damn good idea making the students move around in stance whilst in class , we had a similar thing , apart from the constant drilling into your head by instructors saying " SINK DOWN " and all the other stance exercises we did .

When ever you were being taught by the Master or senior instructors you were required to be in your stance with your hands pulled back , this served a couple of purposes .

It showed respect to who ever was teaching , instilled discipline into the school and also worked on your stance and the fists pulled back provided a stretch to the shoulders and chest which is condusive to fast striking .

It didn't matter if the instructor was just standing their talking for half an hour , you stayed in your stance . Same thing if you were in a grading you were in the stance the whole time ,which could go for two hours .

There were some people who thought this was a bit militaristic but they were dismissed as lefty pinko nancy boys who still wet the bed .

From memory doesn't the stance mean character -two - adduction stance or goat gripping stance , or something along those lines .

 

[Mystic Wolf]

From memory doesn't the stance mean character -two - adduction stance or goat gripping stance , or something along those lines .

Yes, we say gripping a basketball, because people in Amerca would not know those terms.

 

[mook jong man]

I agree hon, but he knows not what he says. Sigh. I love that video, great demonstration of rooted stance. Another good one:

GRANDMASTER Jim Fung's Master does the same thing but while standing on a roll of quarters, I believe. Standing on said quarters with one foot no less. "hanging horse", while a young, strong man trys to push him off, and cannot. Check it out.

The real freaky thing about that Si- Je is that he has done that demo standing on scales and as the dude starts to push on Sigung Tsui they look down at the scales and Sigungs weight starts to increase as he absorbs the guys force down into his stance .

 

[Si-Je]

Yes, we say gripping a basketball, because people in Amerca would not know those terms.

ROFL! I remember the first time Sifu Hubbie and I started teaching WC to Texans. lol!
He described the basic stance to the new students trying to get them to understand the position, and said, " put your knees in like your 'shearing a sheep'.
And the faces of the students was classic slap stick "duh?!"
So, I ran and got a volleyball (basketballs for some of the taller and larger guys) from the rec. center front counter, and made everyone hold the volleyball between their abduct area, the whole time they did Si Lum Tao, and learned chainpunching and deflections stationary.

Later with the kids class, I had "ball races" where the kids had to keep the ball between their legs while they raced eachother to from one wall to the next without dropping the ball or cheating. (believe me, the kids found alot of ways to cheat! lol! no hands, no 'carrying", if it drops you have to stop and reset, etc.) This was a great way to "trick" them into doing boring old stance work. lol! And a volleyball was too big for kiddos, had to buy some smaller balls at the dollar store. But it was their favorite game.
Then I had them play "Si-Je says" (like simon says) and that way I'd "trick" them into drilling deflections, chainpuches, kicks, steping, (picking your nose, lol!), etc. for long periods of time where they still had fun while training.
I have a couple of other games for the kids and "adults" too, but for a later thread. lol!

"Shearing the Sheep!"
Tell that to a Texan? But, that was what was sooooo cool about Sifu Fung, is that he could explain the chinese concepts and technique to any student. Reminds me of Shakespear. Great Master!

 

[mook jong man]

"Shakespear. GreatShearing the Sheep!"
Tell that to a Texan? But, that was what was sooooo cool about Sifu Fung, is that he could explain the chinese concepts and technique to any student. Reminds me of Master!

Don't you have sheep in Texas ?
You think thats funny , when Sigung come to visit us once he got up on the stage in the school with a Boomerang and a rubber ball and was trying to explain to us advanced Wing Chun theory in cantonese through an interpreter , to this day I still have no idea what he was going on about , as far as I could glean it was something about circles .

 

[geezer]

The real freaky thing about that Si- Je is that he has done that demo standing on scales and as the dude starts to push on Sigung Tsui they look down at the scales and Sigungs weight starts to increase as he absorbs the guys force down into his stance .

That was a cool demo! Amazing skill, yes. But it isn't "freaky". It's physics... and exactly what you would expect. If you redirect force, its got to go somewhere. In this case, the horizontal push is redirected downward (into the scale). It's easy to understand, but wow! damn near impossible to actually do. Thanks again for sharing this.

 

[mook jong man]

Yeah physics wasn't my strong point in high school , I was probably behind the bike sheds smoking most of the time.

 

[Si-Je]

Don't you have sheep in Texas ?
You think thats funny , when Sigung come to visit us once he got up on the stage in the school with a Boomerang and a rubber ball and was trying to explain to us advanced Wing Chun theory in cantonese through an interpreter , to this day I still have no idea what he was going on about , as far as I could glean it was something about circles .

Sure we have sheep in Texas. But let me explain...
We live in the city. and the city is like...
uh... 100 miles in circumrunce, before anyone sees a sheep.
so, we had to adapt it to where people would understand in our area. And that was basketballs and volleyballs.
I would love for master jim fungs teacher to come to texas, but no one here would know how to translate.
And we couldn't afford to give him a place to stay, escpecailly if we couldn't understand him when he speaks.
no disrespect. we just don't speak chinese.
I think they both are the most awesome wing chun masters EVER@!!!@
And that's why I put the link to their website, because I think people should be able to see this. Mastary of basic stance, mastery of wing chun, in a fashion that people don't ever get to see here in the United states.

Sifu hubbie had to study abroad. And he brings the knowledge he learned to the states, to Texas.
But, to describe the basic stance as "shearing sheep", believe it or not, Texans don't identify with that here in the city.
lol!
We don't ride horses to school or work everyday, we're not cowboys. We're not alot of things that people think we are. We're just regular city folks working a job in the city.
Hell, the metroplex is about 100 miles in circumference (yes, I know i misspelled it!) it's a city bigger than most states in the U.S.
I ment no disrespect. I just ment that the phrase "shearing sheep" wasn't working too well in the city of the metroplex of dallas/fort worth, so ... we call it "basic stance" and make folks hold "balls" basket or volleyball depending on their size, to teach them stance.

 

[Si-Je]

Yeah physics wasn't my strong point in high school , I was probably behind the bike sheds smoking most of the time.

Your funny, and naughty too! a combo I like in a friend! lol! SMOKER!
Me too, what a waste of time, NOT!
physics, smiciscys! it's all just like "looking away to the moon! Don't pay too much attention to the finger or you will miss all that HEAVELY GLORY!" lol! (Bruce lee)
"we need emotional content, not anger!" "feeeeeelll!"

 

[Yoshiyahu]

I don't think the Horse stance is used as the fighting stance..I could be wrong...I have not witness what you said...But the side stance is a little more fluid and gives your manueverabilty when fighting. Of course one should learn how to trasition quickly and smoothly between various stances...

I wish I knew how you put those pictures on! lol!
Yes basic is the "lady" stance as I'm thinking of it.

And horse is the other. Just wondering if most WC schools are teaching the horse stance as a fighting stance, we're seeing it in alot of video's online and WC/WT/VT fighter's getting in rings with a similar looking stance like this horse stance and getting taken to the ground right away.
(or the one leg forward stance, but that's for another discussion. )

Seasoned, what you speak of with GoJu Ryu at the black belt levels with the pushing "without pushing" drills reminds me of a WC video of Sifu Fungs. I believe this is why the transition from Okinawian Kempo to WC/WT was easier for Sifu than for me, (coming from a JJJ background) because of the similaraties at higher levels.

This is power of foundation of "basic stance"
Hope you like it

 

[Yoshiyahu]

You are correct Mook Jong Man...Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma does mean Goat Clamping Stance....

You are correct the low horse stance should only be used with the pole , and it is also used in some parts of the knife form . The crouching position enables a lot of distance to be covered in one explosive movement , a must when weapons are involved as you are likely to only get one chance.

That is a damn good idea making the students move around in stance whilst in class , we had a similar thing , apart from the constant drilling into your head by instructors saying " SINK DOWN " and all the other stance exercises we did .

When ever you were being taught by the Master or senior instructors you were required to be in your stance with your hands pulled back , this served a couple of purposes .

It showed respect to who ever was teaching , instilled discipline into the school and also worked on your stance and the fists pulled back provided a stretch to the shoulders and chest which is condusive to fast striking .

It didn't matter if the instructor was just standing their talking for half an hour , you stayed in your stance . Same thing if you were in a grading you were in the stance the whole time ,which could go for two hours .

There were some people who thought this was a bit militaristic but they were dismissed as lefty pinko nancy boys who still wet the bed .

From memory doesn't the stance mean character -two - adduction stance or goat gripping stance , or something along those lines .