Stances: karate, taekwondo, kung fu, kendo, boxing, fencing
A stance is where the feet go, how the knees bend and where the weight sits. Each diagram is seen from above: the gold foot is the right foot, the white foot the left, one grid square is about one shoulder width, and the bar shows the approximate weight split. Lengths are simplified to fit, and values are the ones given by the cited source or the usual teaching value; your school may differ.
1
Before the punch, before the kick, there are two feet on the ground.
2
Shift the weight forward and you can drive. Back, and you can wait. Low, and nobody moves you. Every art drew its own map of the floor.
3
Each diagram below shows the feet from above: light foot = left, gold foot = right, red = angles. Watch the weight bar.
Feet about shoulder width apart with the feet parallel and pointing straight ahead. In karate the outer edges are parallel; World Taekwondo asks for the inner edges one foot-length apart, toes forward and legs straight.
What it is for
Neutral starting and waiting position; a reference for checking foot width.
Common errors
Toes drifting outwards (it becomes hachiji-dachi); feet wider than the shoulders; weight on the heels.
Compare
Moa seogi (Taekwondo) and heisoku-dachi (karate): feet together instead of apart.
Zenkutsu-dachi: long stance, rear foot turned about 30°
How to stand
A long stance: front knee bent over the front foot, rear leg straight. The front foot points forward, the rear foot turns out about 30° with the heel on the floor. Most of the weight is on the front leg; the diagram uses the common teaching value of about 60/40.
What it is for
Driving forward with punches and blocks; one of the first stances learned in Shotokan and present in most kata.
Common errors
Turning the rear foot out to 90° (it feels natural to beginners but is wrong); lifting the rear heel; feet on one line, which makes the stance unstable sideways.
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Apkubi (Taekwondo) and gong bu (Chinese bow stance) follow the same idea with different numbers. Kōkutsu-dachi is its mirror image, with the weight at the back.
The reverse of zenkutsu-dachi: the rear knee is deeply bent and carries most of the weight; the rear foot is turned 90°; the body faces sideways while the head looks forward. The diagram uses the common value of about 30/70.
What it is for
Defending while moving back; the light front leg is free to kick or to shift forward.
Common errors
Rear knee not bent enough, so the weight slides forward; rear foot not turned; leaning the trunk back instead of keeping it upright.
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Dwitkubi in Taekwondo is the same idea (rear foot 90°, 30/70). Neko-ashi-dachi goes further and leaves almost all the weight behind.
Feet wide and parallel, knees bent, weight low and in the middle. Knees and feet press slightly inward. In Japanese karate the feet are always parallel.
What it is for
Strengthening the legs, practising punches without stepping, and side-facing techniques (as in the Tekki/Naihanchi kata).
Common errors
Toes turned out (that becomes shiko-dachi); knees collapsing inward past the feet; bottom sticking out or trunk leaning forward.
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The same family as ma bu (Chinese horse stance) and juchum seogi (Taekwondo). Shiko-dachi opens the toes to 45°.
Cat stance: almost all weight on the back leg, front foot on its ball
How to stand
The back leg is bent and carries almost all the weight; the rear foot turns out 20–30°. Only the ball of the front foot touches the floor. World Taekwondo gives 90% back and 10% front, with the front heel level with the toes of the back foot.
What it is for
The front leg is free to kick at once (front kick, knee) or to step; also used for close defence.
Common errors
Putting weight on the front foot; front heel flat on the floor; back knee too straight, so the stance becomes high and loose.
Compare
Xu bu (empty stance) in Chinese wushu follows the same principle. Kōkutsu-dachi is longer and leaves about 30% on the front foot.
Sanchin-dachi: toes turned in, rear toes level with front heel
How to stand
Start with the toes turned in (30–45°) at about shoulder width, then move one foot forward until the toes of the back foot are level with the heel of the front foot. Knees press inward and the body is held with tension.
What it is for
Base of the Sanchin kata and of Uechi-ryū; used to train breathing, rooting and a stable, compact body.
Common errors
Turning the toes in without the knees following them (twists the knee); a stance so long that it loses the inward pressure; holding the breath while tensing.
Compare
Hangetsu-dachi (Shotokan) is a longer version. The Wing Chun stance also turns the toes in, but with both feet side by side.
World Taekwondo values: 4 to 4½ foot-lengths long; inner edges of the feet one to two fists apart; front foot forward, rear foot at 30°; weight 70% front and 30% back. Looking down at the front foot you should see only the tip of the toes past the knee. (The diagram is shortened to fit.)
What it is for
Powerful forward techniques in poomsae, such as punches and blocks while advancing.
Common errors
Stance too short or too narrow; rear foot turned beyond 30°; front knee not bent enough (you see the whole front foot).
Compare
Close to zenkutsu-dachi in karate. Ap seogi (walking stance) is shorter, about 3 foot-lengths, with both legs straight.
World Taekwondo values: 3 foot-lengths long; front foot straight ahead, rear foot at 90° (an L); weight 30% front and 70% back; shoulder, hip, knee and ankle of the back leg aligned.
What it is for
Blocks such as the knife-hand guard, and preparing a kick with the light front leg.
Common errors
Back knee falling inward out of line with the foot; weight even instead of mostly at the back; rear foot not at 90°.
Ma bu: feet parallel, a little wider than the shoulders, 50/50
How to stand
In modern wushu: feet parallel and a little wider than the shoulders, knees bent to about 90° so the thighs are near parallel to the floor, weight 50/50, tailbone tucked. Width varies by tradition: about two shoulder widths in northern Shaolin, deep and wide in southern styles such as Hung Gar.
What it is for
One of the five basic wushu stances; trained for long holds to build leg strength and for practising punches.
Common errors
Knees collapsing inward or drifting past the toes; arching the lower back; feet turning out.
Compare
Kiba-dachi (karate) and juchum seogi (Taekwondo) are the same family.
Gong bu: front foot straight, rear foot 45°, 70% front
How to stand
Front foot straight ahead with the knee bent to about 90°; rear foot turned 45° with the heels roughly in line; rear leg usually straight; weight about 70% front and 30% back.
What it is for
One of the five basic wushu stances; used for forward strikes, and the bent front leg partly covers the groin.
Common errors
Rear heel lifting; front knee passing far beyond the toes; hips not turned to the front.
Compare
Zenkutsu-dachi (karate, rear foot 30°) and apkubi (Taekwondo, 70/30) are close relatives.
Wing Chun stance: toes turned in, heels out, weight centred
How to stand
The name means roughly “character-two goat-clamping stance”. Feet about shoulder width with the toes turned in and the heels further apart, knees bent and in line with the feet, hips tucked, a fairly high and narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body. The angle varies by lineage.
What it is for
The whole of Siu Nim Tau is performed in it and it underlies all three Wing Chun empty-hand forms; it trains structure and the centre line.
Common errors
Knees pointing in a different direction from the toes (twists the knee); sticking the bottom out instead of tucking the hips; sinking too low.
Compare
Sanchin-dachi (Okinawan karate) also turns the toes in, but with one foot ahead of the other.
Kendo chūdan: right foot ahead, left heel slightly raised
How to stand
Right foot slightly ahead of the left, both feet pointing forward and parallel, left heel slightly raised. Hips face forward, spine upright, centre of gravity between the feet. Hands around navel height, sword tip pointing at the opponent’s throat.
What it is for
The most basic of the five kendo guards, balancing attack and defence; beginners learn the one-step striking distance (issoku-ittō-no-maai) from it.
Common errors
Left foot turned out (the push from the back foot is lost); left heel flat or raised too high; hips turned sideways.
Compare
Unlike fencing and boxing, the hips face the opponent and both feet point forward. The other kendo guards are jōdan, gedan, hassō and waki.
Fencing en garde: front foot forward, rear foot at 90°, heels in line
How to stand
For a right-handed fencer: right foot points at the opponent, left foot at a right angle to it, heels on one line, about one step apart. Both knees equally bent, weight centred, torso turned sideways, rear arm raised.
What it is for
Base position from which fencers advance, retreat and lunge; the sideways torso makes a smaller target.
Common errors
Leaning forward or back; legs too straight; feet too close or too far apart.
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Like kōkutsu-dachi it uses an L-shaped base, but the weight stays centred. The kendo guard keeps both feet pointing forward instead.
Feet a little wider than the shoulders, left foot ahead (orthodox) and the rear foot offset to the side, not directly behind. Both feet turned about 45°, knees slightly flexed, rear heel slightly raised, weight evenly spread over the balls of the feet.
What it is for
Balance to punch, defend and move in any direction. A southpaw (right foot ahead) uses the mirror image.
Common errors
Feet too wide or too narrow; rear heel flat; standing too square; flat-footed; crossing the feet when moving.
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The Muay Thai guard keeps the hips square to the opponent because it must also kick, knee and check kicks.
Muay Thai stance: hips square, feet out about 45°, weight even
How to stand
Feet about shoulder width or slightly wider, left foot ahead (orthodox), feet turned out about 45°, knees soft, hips facing the opponent’s hips, hands high with thumbs at eyebrow height, weight starting at about 50/50.
What it is for
Lets either leg kick, knee or lift to check a kick; the weight then shifts with each technique (back for the teep, forward for the straight punch).
Common errors
Standing side-on like a boxer; leaning forward (open to low kicks, slow to check); sitting on the back leg (weak punches); elbows flared; bouncing on the toes like a boxer.
Compare
Squarer than the boxing stance, which turns the body more side-on.
