THE HORSE STANCE The horse stance is an important posture in Asian martial arts and takes its name from the position assumed when riding a horse. It is called mǎbù (馬步) in Chinese, kiba-dachi (騎馬立 ち?) in Japanese, kekuda or kuda-kuda in Malay, asvavadivu in Malayalam, and juchum nogi or annun nogi (lit. sitting stance) in Korean. This stance can be integrated into fighting as well as during exercises and forms. It is most commonly used for practicing punches or to strengthen the legs and back.
Several Chinese training methods have students stand in mabu while performing the required tasks or exercises. Mabu is used for endurance training, as well as strengthening the back and leg muscles, tendon strength, and overall feeling and understanding of "feeling grounded". Northern styles The ideal horse stance in most northern Chinese martial arts (such as Mizongquan, My Jhong Law Horn and Jia Men/Chaquan) will have the feet pointed forward, thighs parallel to the floor, with the buttocks pushed out, and the back "arched up" to keep the upper body from leaning forward. The emphasis on this latter point will vary from school to school as some schools of Long Fist, such as Tai Tzu and Bajiquan, will opt for the hips forward, with the buttocks "tucked in." In Northern Shaolin, the distance between the feet is measured by placing a fist and the lower leg on the ground. A relatively narrow posture was assumed for the horse riding stance. Southern Shaolin In Southern Shaolin, a wide horse riding stance is assumed as if riding a horse. The wide posture was created for greater stability. The horse stance in southern Chinese systems is commonly done with the thighs parallel to the ground and the toes pointing forward or angled slightly out. While most southern Chinese styles (such as Hung Gar) are known for their deep and wide horse stance, other forms such as Wing Chun have a narrower, higher horse stance, with the feet almost pigeon toed. In Japanese martial arts, the horse stance (kiba-dachi) has many minor variations between individual schools, including the distance between the feet, and the height of the stance. One constant feature is that the feet must be parallel to each other. Note that the horse stance differs from the straddle stance (四股立ち shiko-dachi?), widely used in sumo, in which the feet point outward at 45 degrees rather than being parallel.
Kiba dachi Generally speaking, kiba dachi is found in the Shorin family of kata. The Naihanchi series make extensive use of it. In appearance, it looks much like a high squat position: legs straddled a bit wider than shoulder length, toes facing forward, knees bent, butt dropped behind the ankles as opposed to in front, torso erect, slight posterior pelvic rotation. The depth and length of the stance varies from group to group, but there’s no point in making it so low and wide that your lower back hyper-extends (the dreaded “shelf butt”), or your knees collapse inward. Some sources, such as Motobu Choki, advise that twisting the hips towards one leg or another in this kiba dachi forms the fundamental stance for free-engagements. Kiba dachi does work quite well for close range standing grappling encounters. For example, if you have moved behind an attacker and need to break his/her balance, dropping your body weight while pulling on the attacker’s neck or collar will automatically put you in this stance. By dropping your center of gravity, while pulling on an attacker’s weak line, you put him at a serious disadvantage while stabilizing yourself in preparation to either control him or dump him. If the objective is to control the attacker from a standing position, the knees are in a stable position for the purpose of pulling him back or rotating him to one side or the other; your position relative to the attacker may shift to 45 degrees. The position of the knees and feet also creates a stable platform for slamming the attacker downward onto the thigh to traumatize the neck and spine. Compared to the common explanations often given for the stance in the Naihanchi kata (“fighting on/against a wall,” “fighting on a boat”), the examples above suggest a more pragmatic context for the kata’s applications. One of the most popular, and most important, stances used in southern Shaolin Kungfu is the Horse-Riding Stance. It is the most demanding exercise in all kungfu. If you can persist in training the Horse-Riding Stance, you can do anything in kungfu or in life. Remaining correctly at the Horse-riding Stance for two minutes is quite an achievement. Most people cannot remain for half a minute. But you should aim at five minutes, which is the minimum requirement for a reasonable attainment in this stance training. You must progress gradually. It may take you many months, or even years, but the effort will be well spent. Improved internal strength (gathering chi in the Dan tian) is one of the rewards of my many years of stance training. Here is some advice which may make your hard work more pleasant. Indeed, initially most people find practising the Horse-Riding Stance “torture”. That said, there are benefits. Most important of all you must relax — physically and mentally. Asking how to relax is like asking how to speak or how to eat. You just relax, like you just speak or eat. If you can relax you will have removed the most significant obstacle preventing you from lengthening the time of your stance training. It is important to have your form correct and it must remain so throughout the exercise. See that your body is upright, your mouth slightly open, and your fists held firmly at your waist. Your eyes may be open or gently closed. Breathe naturally and gently. Place your mind at your abdominal dan tian (energy field) and count your breathing. Start gently. In the first training session, “sit” in your Horse-Riding Stance for 10 breaths. “Sit” for 10 breaths for the next two sessions. At the fourth session, i.e. after training for 3 sessions, increase 1 or 2 breaths. For the next 3 sessions “sit” on your stance for 11 or 12 breaths. Continue training in this manner, adding 1 or 2 breaths after 3 sessions. In this way, provided that your training is consistent and regular, you will be able to “sit” on your stance for about 5 minutes after a month. You will also find that your breathing has become deeper and longer.
