The Instructor stood in the Horse Stance for the whole lesson. The students listening, also in the straddle stance, were sweating and even dropping in pain. Sensei smiled with every student that dropped down to the mat.
Was he cruel? Nope. It was just good training, and a sensei that practiced what he preached.
Of course, I wanted to know the secret of how he was doing it. How could he stand in that stance that long, fresh as a breeze, not even thinking about the incredible pain that had to be shooting through his legs. I mean,the pain shot through my legs, why was he immune?
The Horse Stance is one of the basic stances of many martial arts. It is known as Mabu in the Chinese oriented Martial systems, and as Kiba Dachi in the Japanese fighting styles. There are many legends concerning where Horse Stance Training originated.
Some hold it was created for close combat while actually riding horses in battle. Others hold it was created for fighting sideways while standing in rice paddies. The truth is a bit removed from these romantic tales.
The truth is that the Horse Stance was created to help students to better grab the earth with their feet. This notion of grabbing the earth with your feet is called 'rooting.' In my martial arts system, which is a bit more scientific than others, we call this practice 'grounding.' Regardless of what you call this training method, grabbing the ground is critical to learning how to fight, and to the accomplishment of the true martial arts.
The body is nothing more than a machine, and a machine must be fastened to something to be effective. A motor must be attached to a surface, a car engine must have motor mounts, even a helicopter is 'fastened' to the air by the little 'side propellor' on the tail. In the martial arts the Horse Stance attaches the body to the earth.
Once the body is connected to the ground it is able to move further and faster, for it will have a surer launch. And, it will be better able to hold the ground, which will enable a person to better fend off attacks while not losing position. Ultimately, however, the real secret is that the body/motor, once fastened through the horse Stance, will create a pure energy, and that energy is what we call Chi Power, and the growth and use of this chi power is the secret of the martial arts.
Was he cruel? Nope. It was just good training, and a sensei that practiced what he preached.
Of course, I wanted to know the secret of how he was doing it. How could he stand in that stance that long, fresh as a breeze, not even thinking about the incredible pain that had to be shooting through his legs. I mean,the pain shot through my legs, why was he immune?
The Horse Stance is one of the basic stances of many martial arts. It is known as Mabu in the Chinese oriented Martial systems, and as Kiba Dachi in the Japanese fighting styles. There are many legends concerning where Horse Stance Training originated.
Some hold it was created for close combat while actually riding horses in battle. Others hold it was created for fighting sideways while standing in rice paddies. The truth is a bit removed from these romantic tales.
The truth is that the Horse Stance was created to help students to better grab the earth with their feet. This notion of grabbing the earth with your feet is called 'rooting.' In my martial arts system, which is a bit more scientific than others, we call this practice 'grounding.' Regardless of what you call this training method, grabbing the ground is critical to learning how to fight, and to the accomplishment of the true martial arts.
The body is nothing more than a machine, and a machine must be fastened to something to be effective. A motor must be attached to a surface, a car engine must have motor mounts, even a helicopter is 'fastened' to the air by the little 'side propellor' on the tail. In the martial arts the Horse Stance attaches the body to the earth.
Once the body is connected to the ground it is able to move further and faster, for it will have a surer launch. And, it will be better able to hold the ground, which will enable a person to better fend off attacks while not losing position. Ultimately, however, the real secret is that the body/motor, once fastened through the horse Stance, will create a pure energy, and that energy is what we call Chi Power, and the growth and use of this chi power is the secret of the martial arts.
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