Basic Stances
Stances are one of the fundamentals of all martial arts. Be meticulous
when practicing stances always try to improve the quality and the rest
of your techniques will also improve.
Ready Stance
This is the neutral starting
position for most movements in TaeKwon-Do. Ready stance is called
‘Jun-Bi’ in Korean. The feet are placed one shoulder width apart and are
pointing forward. Your body stands tall with your head up. Your hands
are in fists with the arms slightly bent and just in front of your belt
knot.
Bowing
Bowing is an ancient Asian
tradition. Bowing shows trust and respect. When some one bows to one
person the other person should always bow back. We also bow when
entering and exiting the Do-Jang.
Begin by
starting from the ‘Ready Stance’ position. Next move your left leg in
toward your right so your feet are together touching. This is called
‘Cha-ryot’ or attention. Place your hands flush to your sides. Bow by
bending at the waist. Do not bow too deeply.
Riding Stance
This stance looks like you are riding
a horse. In Korean it is called ‘Annun Sogi’. The feet are placed two
shoulder widths apart with the feet pointing straight forward. Your
knees bend so that you can not see your toes. Your upper body is
straight. Make sure you keep the stance deep.
Walking Stance
The walking stance is the most
common stance used in patterns. Begin by having the feet 1 shoulder
width apart. Step straight back with one leg about one large step or two
shoulder widths deep. Bend you front knee until you can not see your
toes. Keep your feet pointed forward and your back leg straight.
‘L’ Stance
This stance is also called a back
stance. The feet are positioned in the shape of the letter L. Begin by
placing your heels together and forming a small letter ‘L’. Next take
one medium step forward with your front leg to make a large ‘L’ shape.
Move your front heel outward about 15O (Your front big toe
and your rear heel line up). Have your front knee bent slightly and your
rear knee bent a lot. There should be about 70% of your weight on your
back leg. The back side of your body should line up with your hip, leg,
and foot.
