Horse stance

[ChiDragon]

Maybe I'm imagining it, but the chi in my legs seems a little stronger.

 

Do you think it was innate or nurtured....???

[Seeker of Wisdom]

No idea, either way there seems to be more flowing so...

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I just broke the 2 minute barrier.

 

It hurt during it, but straight after I was refreshed, sharp, energised and clear-minded. My legs tingle and have a pleasant cool sensation. I also have warm and cool chi swirling gently around the dan tien and heart chakra.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Seeker of the Self

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Relaxation and focus seem important in horse stance. Avoid tensing.

 

Find a level of leg bend where your body just slots into position. It will feel like less of the work keeping you in place is down to your muscles - like the structure of your body is providing support. Automatically, you'll distribute your weight evenly so you aren't slanting, and your back will be straight.

 

It should feel like the ONLY effort used, is the willpower you're using to stay in the stance for however long it is.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Seeker of the Self

[CrunchyChocolate555]

Feet parallel or pointing outwards?

 

My school (NATST instructor) has us do them with feet parallel. I find I get more of a challenging workout with feet pointed outwards as I can go much lower...

 

Thoughts?

[ChiDragon]

Yes, there are three ways to do this.
1 .Feet in parallel,
2. Feet pointed outwards,
3. Feet pointed toward the center which the goat stance, good for resisting a pulling force. BTW That is what a goat does to resist a pull. It is known as the Wing Chun style.

[Protector]

what movie is that picture from?

 

Drunken Master

[joeblast]

Feet parallel or pointing outwards?

 

My school (NATST instructor) has us do them with feet parallel. I find I get more of a challenging workout with feet pointed outwards as I can go much lower...

 

Thoughts?

parallel is the preferred method. I do some deep squats feet out at part of xing shen xhuang but that is a rolling continuous motion - I dont think it would be healthy for your hip sockets to hold it for a long period of time at a 90 degree knee bend with the toes out. And toes in you will have to start contorting yourself when you try getting near 90. so for practicality's sake...

[mYTHmAKER]

guys how do you tuck your tailbone ?

i guess you need to do it for horse stance

you can imagine you have a tail like a kangaroo

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I prefer feet pointing outward. I guess it depends what your own hips are happier doing.

[joeblast]

perhaps, just be mindful of the energy-alignment issue. forward is forward for a reason

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Three minutes!

[ChiDragon]

Just keep trying and practice until you can do it. The purpose for horse stance is to correct this problem. However, if you can do it right away, then you do not need to practice the horse stance. I have been saying, all your body weights are taken by your ankles. It is the practice that will strengthen the ankles for you. I don't care what others had said.

Wait until your ankles are able to withstand the pressure of your body weight, then, you have accomplished the purpose of horse stance. Your ankles may be able to relax by then.

Edited April 4, 2013 by ChiDragon

[z00se]

I have only read the last post but i think that anything that can be gained by horse stance can be gained by tai chi. Keep your knees bent and strengthen your legs. Get the chi, blood and mind down to your legs and away from your head. Tai chi is the horse stance in movement.

[joeblast]

Anyone have basic instructions of the fundamentals of horse stance?

 

My feet tends to roll onto the sides. the ankles aren't relaxed enough How to fix it so my feet will lay flat on the floor and relaxed?

try and get your shins perpendicular to the ground, relax the ankles. sung, sung, sung. keep the lumbosacral junction straight, 'sink' without 'dropping.'

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Just keep trying and practice until you can do it. The purpose for horse stance is to correct this problem. However, if you can do it right away, then you do not need to practice the horse stance. I have been saying, all your body weights are taken by you ankles. It is the practice that will strengthen the ankles for you. I don't care what others had said.

 

Wait until your ankles are able to withstand the pressure of your body weight, then, you have accomplished the purpose of horse stance. Your ankles may be able to relax by then.

 

Would horse stance on the balls of the feet be beneficial to the ankles or detrimental?

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Would horse stance on the balls of the feet be beneficial to the ankles or detrimental?

 

I don't think it would be good, more pressure would be concentrated on the front of the ankles.

[joeblast]

 

Would horse stance on the balls of the feet be beneficial to the ankles or detrimental?

I lol'd

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

i've done it before, not as a holding the horse stance and keeping it there, but.... to pop my ankles


But since i've done it, and without perceived damage or pain, i would test the waters and try pushing it as far as i can without damaging myself... how else can i learn? Cant exactly take ever5yone's word for it if i havent met them in person and had the chance to VISUALLY SEE the testament of their life experience (i can "read" people, cant do that online 1/10 as well- but since i noticed i can see "post auras" and recognize people via discussion mannerisms... i wouldnt be surprised if i could tell a body builder from a yogi, without mention of their involvement in either... in person its easier than online at the very least )



I've read books about Yoga, Taijiquan, Qi Gong, Karate, Judo, and the like... cant remember them all

I've gently applied many things i've read and learned through examples, some intended others unaware that I noticed, and ultimately, i have found i am the only genuine teacher i can trust, second only to direct experience. Trust in a teacher is earned, not given. much like respect. and online... both trust and respect are 10 times harder to earn or to express. This is because in person, we have a visual cue to their character; everything we think, say, consume, do, and become is "written" into our very being. A soul cannot exist without expression of its acquired experience, and as such cannot be a person without expressing their every naked truth, etched into their bodies, written in their faces, projected from their eyes.

Truly, this connection is inhibited on the internet, but not truly absent.

[ChiDragon]

I have only read the last post but i think that anything that can be gained by horse stance can be gained by tai chi. Keep your knees bent and strengthen your legs. Get the chi, blood and mind down to your legs and away from your head. Tai chi is the horse stance in movement.

 

Yes, you know the basic concept about Tai Ji. That is what I have been saying all along.

 

BTW For those who do not wish to practice Tai Ji, horse stance is the best way to go.

[ChiDragon]

 

Would horse stance on the balls of the feet be beneficial to the ankles or detrimental?

 

Let me put it this way...!!! The balls of the feet only help you to make contact with the ground. By Nature, the ankles are transfer all the body weight to the balls of the feet. The ankles are the weakest point in the body. They are designed to hold the upper body in place by Nature. How can it be detrimental....??? The ankle joints only can be damaged by over stress. What you want to do is to strengthen them to withstand greater stress to prevent from damage. To strengthen them is by practicing the horse stance. That is why all martial artists do that all the time. Besides strengthen the ankles, it also strengthen the legs muscles as well. Horse stance also know as Zhan Zhuang.

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2013 by ChiDragon

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

So what is the real difference between heel horse stance and "toe" horse stance (cuz ball-of-feet horse stance is too wordy) other than the distribution of weight on the area of the feet?


Is there an added benefit, or an alternative "use" for horse stance on the different parts of the feet?




In a tangent, on the topic of ankles, is ful lotus beneficial or detrimental to the ankles? Hurts mine... maybe need more horse stance before full lotus

[joeblast]

 

Let me put it this way...!!! The balls of the feet only help you to make contact with the ground. By Nature, the ankles are transfer all the body weight to the balls of the feet. The ankles are the weakest point in the body. They are designed to hold the upper body in place by Nature. How can it be detrimental....??? The ankle joints only can be damaged by over stress. What you want to do is to strengthen them to withstand greater stress to prevent from damage. To strengthen them is by practicing the horse stance. That is why all martial artists do that all the time. Besides strengthen the ankles, it also strengthen the legs muscles as well. Horse stance also know as Zhan Zhuang.

 

 

 

literally worded translation aside, is anyone else around here asserting that the terms zz & horse stance can be used interchangeably?

 

So what is the real difference between heel horse stance and "toe" horse stance (cuz ball-of-feet horse stance is too wordy) other than the distribution of weight on the area of the feet?

 

 

Is there an added benefit, or an alternative "use" for horse stance on the different parts of the feet?

 

 

 

 

In a tangent, on the topic of ankles, is ful lotus beneficial or detrimental to the ankles? Hurts mine... maybe need more horse stance before full lotus

conflating terms & topics aside, I'd like to see someone stand on the balls of their feet while doing 90 degree horse stance.

 

if lotus is hurting your ankles...usually points back to the hips. if they are not open enough then the ankles dont wind up being high enough, and if you dont have the tarsal bones up on the quads then its either gonna be your knees or ankles that get it.

[ChiDragon]

1. So what is the real difference between heel horse stance and "toe" horse stance (cuz ball-of-feet horse stance is too wordy) other than the distribution of weight on the area of the feet?

 

 

2. Is there an added benefit, or an alternative "use" for horse stance on the different parts of the feet?

 

3. In a tangent, on the topic of ankles, is ful lotus beneficial or detrimental to the ankles? Hurts mine... maybe need more horse stance before full lotus

 

1. "Horse stance" is just a name given for the standing position of Zhan Zhuang. Most of the time, it was referred to the standing position with the legs bent to be a complete horse stance. Actually, at that position, you are considered to be doing Zhan Zhuang at the time.

 

2. People are putting to much emphasis on the feet instead of the leg muscles. The feet are only the rooting for the whole body to balance yourself on the ground.

 

3. That is the proper state of the mind and a good approach. Go for it.....

Edited April 4, 2013 by ChiDragon

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

preaching to the choir doesnt answer my specific question:
Are there benefits and/or detriments to the various placements of the feet, in correlation to the benefits of the stance itself?



... and more specifically, what is the proper usage of each bodily arrangement; be it placement of the feet, arc of the back, or peak of the head... In the specifics of Horse Stance itself: what good comes of standing on the balls of the feet as opposed to the heels; what good comes of distributing weight evenly across the feet, as opposed to standing on the balls of the feet?

Edited April 4, 2013 by Northern Avid Judo Ant