Horse stance
The horse stance is a common posture in Asian martial arts. It is called mǎbù in Chinese, in Japanese, and juchum seogi or annun seogi in Korean. This stance can not only be integrated into fighting but also during exercises and forms. It is most commonly used for practicing punches or to strengthen the legs and back. The modified form of horse stance, in which heels are raised, is a fighting stance in International Karate Tournaments. The Chinese form of horse stance is a fighting stance which changes into front stance while using hip rotation to develop punching force.
Chinese martial arts
In Kung Fu, the Ma Bu is often used as a base for throwing an opponent over your front leg.In contrast to the traditional interpretation, that the horse stance is used for rooting to generate punching power, or building muscles, a contrary theory exists, that this stance is used as a stable base to apply throwing techiques.
Sometimes you lift the opponent’s lead arm to slip underneath it, like in the right picture but more often you simply pull that arm straight down toward your hip. This binds the opponent to you. At the same time you step deep behind the opponent. Sometimes you just keep standing after you stepped behind the opponents front leg during the technique before.
Your front leg positioned as the pivot point. With your own lead arm, you guide, push, punch, elbow the opponents upper body over your extended front leg. Because the throw relies on breaking their structure backward and sideways, you must always stand very deep behind the opponent—otherwise the leverage is not enough and the throw becomes unstable.
So the kung fu "stance" ma bu is not a "stance" but a step to occupie the enemies front leg. Every Kung Fu posture works the same way.
In short:
- Pull their front arm to your hip to collapse their frame.
- Step far behind them while maintaining Ma Bu as your root.
- Use your own front arm to guide them over your leg.
- The deeper your position behind them, the cleaner and more effortless the throw.
Northern styles
The ideal horse stance in most northern Chinese martial arts has 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 Taizu and Bajiquan, will opt for the hips forward, with the buttocks "tucked in."In Northern Shaolin, the distance between the feet is approximately two shoulder widths apart.
Southern Shaolin
Southern Chinese martial arts usually pronounce horse stance by its Cantonese pronunciation of "Sei Ping Ma". In Southern Shaolin, a wide horse stance is assumed as if riding a horse. Such low postures strengthen the legs of the practitioner. 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.Southern Chinese styles are known for their deep and wide horse stance.
See also Wushu Stances for more information.
Japanese martial arts
In Japanese martial arts, the horse stance 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.The horse stance differs from the straddle stance, widely used in sumo, in which the feet point outward at 45 degrees rather than being parallel.