GrandmasterP Posted February 28, 2013 (edited) I thought it was QiGong could as easily be Gong Fu though. It does the job whatever it is. Super cultivation. Read a book a while back by a karateka an English guy who went to live and train in Japan oldish book forget the title. He says that the Shotokan which was pretty new and just getting going when he was there used horse stance but super speeded up as one of their moves. Edited February 28, 2013 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted February 28, 2013 what does horse stance genuinely fall under, or is it entirely independent? Qi Gong? Taijiquan? Yoga? IMO and as far as I know, Horse Stance is entirely independent. However, it is hidden in Tai Chi Quan without one was realized. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Protector Posted March 1, 2013 Experiment with mudras you would use when meditating in a full lotus. I heard that horse stance can slowly transform into the full lotus but to do that you need to learn how to fly eh, sounds like a fairy tale anyway You should intend your tailbone to touch the ground, imagine it's red and you are sitting on it. Your back should be straight, to do that turn your pelvis forward so your lower back straightens out. Tuck your chin in and imagine that your head is being held by a string above your temple. That spot from which your hair goes into every direction. Thing about mudras is, whichever one you do, it will influence the part/level your hands are on. So if you want to work on your heart, lift them up to your chest. Clap your hands very hard and rub them, do that a bunch of times until they hurt. Make it so they hurt so much that you can't really tell where your hands are and move them apart and keep rubbing them, trick yourself into feeling pain from rubbing as your hands don't touch anymore. Now imagine you are holding a heavy golden ball and it's very slippery, make it as big as you want but focus your attention and energy on it. Keep making it heavier and hotter, like you're holding the sun. When you're done, return it into your dan tien exactly like this http://youtu.be/ajaonqHRwLQ?t=2m20s Left side of your body is the inside so look left, breath in and breath out as you push it in, hands are a little apart at the later part Basic qi ball thing, will give you something to do 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flolfolil Posted March 1, 2013 I'll need to check out some horse stance instruction. There was a time that I thought zhan zhaung and horse stance were the same thing, but clearly not. There's a ton of online info on standing properly. Similar resources for not hurting myself (really actually hurting myself) in horse stance? This ^. i would like this info too, particularly on proper footing and what to do with the knees. Also what parts of my foot should i strive for them to be connecting with the ground the most? i am like a newborn child, teach me how to stand correctly 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreytoWhite Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) Go bug the Tang Shou Tao guys, they'll give you a horse stance that's legit. It doesn't really burn until Sifu pushes you that extra centimeter over. http://www.natsta.org/?page_id=510 Edited March 1, 2013 by MithShrike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreytoWhite Posted March 1, 2013 Oh and Kelley Graham is pretty legit. He's one of the admins over at Rum Soaked Fist. http://ucbprogram.com/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astral Monk Posted March 1, 2013 Do you suppose one could get the same benefits of horse stance from actually riding a horse? Bareback, not with a saddle holding you up. I would imagine the stimulation of the tailbone area from riding might be beneficial. Has anyone practiced the horse form where the knees are drawn inwards? In the Korean sword art Haedong Kumdo they practice such a stance (kima-se) as part of basics. It's interesting that Japanese martial arts seem to use a higher horse stance (kiba-dachi). 8) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Protector Posted March 1, 2013 No, riding a horse would be different. You would get similar benefits from running or jogging, you can also get runner's high from horse stance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seeker of Wisdom Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) I've tried a few hand positions, and I think I'll stick with basic fists at sides for now. http://www.shaolin.org/general-2/horse-stance.html#gbaozzm says: The basic stance focuses energy at the dan tien as well as builds energy at the body, arms and legs. Sounds good, and will fit nicely with my other practices. Edited March 2, 2013 by Seeker of the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nine tailed fox Posted March 3, 2013 guys how do you tuck your tailbone ? i guess you need to do it for horse stance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seeker of Wisdom Posted March 3, 2013 Just shift your pelvis, and see when the position feels right and your back is straight and upright. Not sure how to explain better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemstone Posted March 3, 2013 Imagine that you have a tail and pull it in between you leg. Find a position where the lower back "sinks" and relaxes. This must be done over and over in the beginning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSnake Posted March 5, 2013 Thanks for the posts everyone I am very interested in the benefits of Horse Stance. I think perhaps when i start exercising again i will start practicing 5 minutes of Horse Stance after my morning Hatha Yoga routine. It will definitely add some intensity to my workout and make my Tai Chi practice a lot funner and difficult. Also i am sure it will help strengthen my posture and body. My 2 cents, Peace 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeblast Posted March 5, 2013 guys how do you tuck your tailbone ? i guess you need to do it for horse stance and for most any standing. it is basically straightening out the lumbosacral junction so that if you ran your hand up the sacrum and on to the lumbar spine it is all straight in line together. the tailbone tuck brings that angle into proper alignment Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adept Posted March 5, 2013 i will start practicing 5 minutes of Horse Stance Good luck with that ! If you've never done it before 20 seconds in the correct posture will be excruciating. Take your time. Get your posture correct, work up in small increments. I'm still not at 5 minutes and have been at it for months. It's a killer. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted March 5, 2013 Good luck with that ! If you've never done it before 20 seconds in the correct posture will be excruciating. Take your time. Get your posture correct, work up in small increments. I'm still not at 5 minutes and have been at it for months. It's a killer. Yes, please don't forget about the decrement of the angle between the upper and lower legs. From the Wu Ji position(180 degrees), perhaps, do it at a decrement of 5 to 10 degree at a time and do it progressively. Do it without having the knees pass the toes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seeker of Wisdom Posted March 5, 2013 Adept: Agreed. I just did 80s, long enough to be pushing through resistance while being sensible. That brief time gave a really powerful sense of rising force. Five minutes must be for people quite experienced with horse stance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSnake Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Good luck with that ! If you've never done it before 20 seconds in the correct posture will be excruciating. Take your time. Get your posture correct, work up in small increments. I'm still not at 5 minutes and have been at it for months. It's a killer. Edited March 5, 2013 by OldGreen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ragamor Posted March 5, 2013 The horsestance are a bit to hard for me, only manage 10s However I made myself a simple training exercise to increase to amount of horsy seconds I manage to do. Split the legs far apart and raise the knees up high, while pushing the feets downwards and apart. Kinda looks like a woman giving birth. If you have a chair that you can push the back downwards, then on your rest your legs on the arm rest (great stuff). The lenght of the exercise is about how far you push yourself, if you find a "nice" spot you can with ease hold it 15 min and let your body adapt to the body position. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
taijistudent Posted March 5, 2013 what does horse stance genuinely fall under, or is it entirely independent? Qi Gong? Taijiquan? Yoga? I would say that they are ancient Chinese health exercises that have been adopted into many types of formalized training systems. Drawings can be found in ancient texts and evolved over time to suit different ideas and principles. Yoga has its own form of standing exercises to bring rooting and balance. My guess is that any health tradition will have similar ideas since it is fundamental. There are hundreds and probably even thousands of derivative health, exercise, and martial arts traditions that have evolved from ancient practices. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
No Cause Posted March 7, 2013 Horse stand is the basic training in any kind of serious qigong/neigong/martial art practice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiverSnake Posted March 14, 2013 Just started my Horse stance practice today. I was wondering if I were to post some pics could anyone knowledgeable give me feedback on my posture, stance....etc????? My 2 cents, Peace Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astral Monk Posted March 14, 2013 Go for it! Try it with a spike under your butt, ahahaha! Hey maybe we could have a horse stance video competition...post a video of how long you can do your stance. Bonus points if you have someone whipping you with a thin reed while you're doing it 8) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChiDragon Posted March 14, 2013 Just started my Horse stance practice today. I was wondering if I were to post some pics could anyone knowledgeable give me feedback on my posture, stance....etc????? My 2 cents, Peace Yes, somebody will. Someone did ask me to post it and I did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seeker of Wisdom Posted March 15, 2013 Maybe I'm imagining it, but the chi in my legs seems a little stronger. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
