AOKK Isshin-ryu Karate Stances:

It is now time to discuss the real nature of what we call stances. There are very few fixed stances or fighting stances. The various stances taught to karate students are simply transitional positions. They’re part of natural movement. As one walks forward, he/she begins with a single step forward. Once the lead foot lands this could be called a right or left foot forward stance. The truth is that it is only a position held for a moment in the act of moving forward. Karate stances appear to be stagnant, but in reality, they are flowing. Viewing a river at a great distance it appears static and unchanging, but upon closer inspection we see that it is flowing, and the surface is undulating. It is alive like our stances. Fixing the stance and holding it builds the body-mind connection, so when the self-defense technique calls for the feet to be in a certain position the mind knows what that position feels like. Pugilists fight from a balanced stance, so they can move quickly in any direction. No one in their right mind would fight from a long forward stance like Zenkutsu dachi, but when the final blow is delivered that is the position the body needs to be in to deliver maximum power at the end of a punch. Dropping your body weight and extending your stance focuses the power forward into the fist allowing the karateka to punch through his/her target. This long stance is the end and not the beginning of a transitional position. It is merely the culmination of shoulder and hip rotation with weight transfer from the back leg to the lead leg which is fundamental for the generation of power.

Stances are the foundation of karate, the stronger the foundation the longer the house stands. Build a house on a weak foundation and it will collapse. Stances are the foundation of karate. They’re our basic building blocks. If the karateka’s stance is out of balance, he will execute the move poorly, and the kata or technique’s stability will be compromised. If the karateka’s life is out of balance everything falls apart.

Every stance has its’ weakness, and that weakness must be exploited in combat. Mushashi, in his book the Go-Rin-No-Sho, writes about the master carpenter and the need to keep his/her tools sharp. This is a statement about training but take it a step further and we realize the master carpenter also knows his tools. He would not use a saw to drive a nail. No… he knows the strengths and weakness of every tool in his toolbox.  We too must know every strength and weakness in our stances.

The first thing we examine is which direction the stance is strongest. You need to know when pushed or pulled which direction the stance is weakest. To find the direction you need to push to unbalance a stance draw a straight line between the heels of the karateka in the stance. Next draw a line perpendicular to the middle of the line from the heels.  A push in the direction of the perpendicular line will cause the stance to be unbalanced. Stances should be changed as an attacker’s angles of attack vary.      

Points to consider each time you change to another stance:

• Are your hips square? In Japanese karate the hips are maintained on an angle, but Isshin-ryu karate keeps the hips forward. This forwards position allows all four weapons to be delivered without excessive body movement. Extra movement gives your adversary more time to defend the attack.
• Are your feet correctly positioned? Your toes should slightly grip the floor, but the foot should not arch because you break surface contact and weaken the foundation. In a cat-stance the ball of the front foot should touch the floor, so that you can use it to push backwards or quickly snap a kick forward. Remember you’re pulling someone off balance while in a Cat-stance. To prevent being thrown you need two solid points of contact with the floor.
• Are your knees in the proper position? In Seisan-dachi both knees are bent, and the trunk of the body is centered over the supporting legs. In the Cat-stances seventy percent of your weight is on the back leg and both knees are bent pointing forward.
• Is your back straight?
• Is your chin up? Yes this is contrary to the placement of the chin in kumite (fighting), but kata is situational self-defense and you do not want to alert your attacker to the fact that you’ve been trained in self-defense, so keep your chin up.
• Are your shoulders square? This is to better wield all four of your natural weapons. The leg or arm that is held back takes longer to reach its’ target, which means the opponent has more time to intercept or deflect the blow.
• Are your eyes focused straight ahead? You must learn to see the opponent. The entire opponent.
• Does your stance stop at the same time your strike or block terminates its’ delivery? This is the essence of hip rotation and delivery of power. A stance should slightly lead the technique, so all force can be delivered in a perfect ballet of motion. This weight transfer is vital to adequate delivery of power.

Note: Make these self-corrections each time you change stances until they become second nature. Basic training in stances is vital to the mastery of karate.