Does anyone actually use the tradition stances when they fight?

Question

Kung Fu (maybe not Southern Mantis) , Wing Chun, Karate, etc all lose their stance and adopt a "Kick Boxers stance" whenever they fight. Whats the point of doing a punch from a horseback stance then? It builds muscle yeah but your never gonna use it to punch like that. So does anyone here who doesn't do a kickboxing based art (KB, Muay Thai, etc) actually keep their stance during sparring.

Sure your not gonna see an eagle claw practitioner actually get down on one leg and lift his arms up forming an eagle wing in a sparring match...

Answer 1

I would say that traditional martial artists are very likely to use their stances in a fight if they don't go into an adreneline overload...
The thing is, the stances would probably be fluid and only found at split second moments. They are not meant to be static.
Now, would the person adopt the best posture/stance suited to the moment? That is another question...

Answer 2

Good question...

You have heard those who say that the forms you practice have all the techniques you need to defend yourself. I am one of those people.

I say that because that is what all the Koryu Masters taught and did.

What you described is what sport-karate does.

In the practice of Koryu - Old School, the postures in the kata are performing a function of an application.

When you see a foot turn straight before it moves forward and then it moves in a circular motion, then twists out again... that is your kata telling you that something is going on there and you need to "analyse" (which is what the term "bunkai" means) it.

You have to see where each movement fits in the scheme of things. Once you discover the application, you practice it with your dojo brother and both learn from the experience.

That goes for arm, hand, leg, foot, posture, whether you rise or sink, or you turn or twist, etc.

A horse stance is not a deep stance. That's an American kah-rotty thing done in demonstrations.

A stance is not kept while there is no exchange of technique, except when you do stance practice.

A horse stance or forward stance etc, is the result of a technique that was executed on an unlucky attacker.

This is the Koryu Mind. Those stances are not used as you wait on your attacker to execute. They mean that your attacker is in a bad predicament.

This is all a misinterpretation.

A punch is not a punch. It could be... but it is also many other things. Think about how you move as you are executing a middle block, or an upper or lower.

This is Tuidijutsu, Kyushojutsu, Nagewaza, Atemi, etc. It's all there... you just have to analyse and find it. It's better to find someone who can help you find it... like me :)

Answer 3

In my experience and training, I'd have to answer your question with a "No".

In a way, you could say that a really good, experienced martial artist doesn't do any specific stances or attacks or blocks when they fight. The movements just come natural in response to what their opponent is doing. A way to look at it is like this: In a fight, a good fighter doesn't think "I'm going to do a side kick now." They simply see their opening and BAM, their foot strikes the opponent.

The stances work the same way. Maybe they might position themselves into a stance for a second here and there to maximize their power for a certain move or something, but it's not really a conscious thing and it doesn't happen that often. Stances like you see in classes are used for either 1.) Developing form so that it can eventually become second-nature. 2.) Strengthening the muscles in the legs. 3.) The stances look cool when performing a kata or demonstration. 4.) giving structure to the movements so that, when practicing a kick or punch, you have a set stance to stand in. There might be other reasons but you get the idea I hope.

Answer 4

I never use a formal stance when sparring because, as you said, it doesn't make sense. I've contemplated this same question myself and I've come to the conclusion that stuff like this is part of the "art" of the particular martial art.

Useful in fighting? No. Useful in teaching? Maybe. It is probably good to have more structure for the low belts in order to help them learn, but I don't see the usefulness for this at the higher belt levels.

Answer 5

Fook A, Hey its me again!!
i might not be any one's favorite person but i just cant read all this nonsense above.
Stances are there for a REASON!!! and they are used because they are USEFULL.
if people don't have enough knowledge to use them its their loss.
please at least don't advise those who don't know.
if you ask any qualified instructor 'stances are there just to look cool, for show and leg straight?- they would laugh at you.
try and spar standing straight, your body will keep changing positions.
So stances are the correct and usefull positions that are that in martial art schools.
i am also getting a bit tired of people who seem to train for 20-30 years and still give incorrect answers.
yes people do keep stances when sparring. there is hundreds of applications for each stance.
and usually by the time you learn eagle you know how to use stances.

good luck, addict!

Answer 6

Traditional stances are for show and building the leg muscles.The modified bow stance with the weight on the rear leg is the most stable,you must of course make temporary changes in placement of the weight in your footwork.

Answer 7

You, most likely, won't hear from many who have been in real fights that used traditional stances. The whole survival of the fittest tends to weed those guys out.

Answer 8

Of course they don't, stances have weaknesses...not the least of which is complete lack of mobility. Why do they still teach them? It looks pretty and they're afraid to let go of tradition for realistic fighting.

Answer 9

I fight out of an adjusted Sanchin (hourglass) stance, that s a little looser. But, I think the anwer is no. They're for training, and can be used in transition.