Why should martial artists stand? - From KaiMen

[Xue Sheng]

Why should martial artists stand?

Considering that Chinese martial arts has been used for fighting for over 2000 years, it has an unusual practice, one you would not immediately associate with combat and killing. In this practice we stand, motionless.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Why should martial artists stand?

In short, most martial arts stuff is so the teacher can micro-manage basics, which causes a whole slew of problems for the student, but other than the fact that it might be a good idea to solidify some basics before operating at full speed, there is no damn good reason to stand or use a counter-balance as a base.

 

[clfsean]

Why should martial artists stand?

I dunno... it's hard to fight & look cool if you're not???

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Why should martial artists stand?

You stand like this,

so you can do this.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I stood like this

and this

Until I started to think it was better to be able to move and maintain proper structure than to continually stand in it and become double weighted

Still, it is a good basic training, just not to be over done IMHO

 

[colemcm]

My Sifu once mentioned to me that standing practice was as much for the development of the student's leg strength and root as it was to give the teacher a chance to watch the quality and demeanor of his prospective student. Since instructors were held accountable for their student's actions, this gave them a good opportunity to see what kind of person the student was.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You stand like this.

so you can do this.

You stand like this,

so you can do this.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

This article from Ellis Amdur has some thoughts on the subject:

Why is standing still so valuable? If you move, you take the stress off the nervous system and the body, and simply continue to compensate in a way that you are used to. But if you practice “not-moving” long enough, the brain gets the information that it is going to have to deal with the fact that this body will stay in this position, like it or not. The result is that the brain begins to reorganize to make the posture less stressful, and hence begins to enervate the muscles differently to aid in maximum efficiency. Almost all so-called internal arts either practice include standing practice, or use simple repetitive movements, through which one achieves similar results, in essence achieving “immobility within motion.”

 

[blindsage]

You stand like this.

so you can do this.

You stand like this,

so you can do this.

Still having figured out peng, huh?

 

[Marnetmar]

In this practice we stand, motionless.

erm