|
Stances & Postures
‘Stance’ refers to the positions of the legs, ‘posture’ to the position of the upper body in relation to stance. In Shao Lin neither Stance nor posture is a static thing, but each is constantly being modified according to the dictates of the situations in which these factors are being used. Stance and posture, especially when used in connection with the displacement of an exponent, are dynamic issues; they are intrinsic elements of Shao Lin. Each Shao Lin Pai has its own technical requirements for the use of stances and postures in training or combat, and thus the differences are many and very difficult to explain in a description as brief as this. In general, however, the exponents of northern types of Shao Lin Pai prefer stances that depend on a straightened or locked-out supporting rear leg. Their counterparts, exponents of Southern types of Shao Lin systems, prefer Stances in which the rear or supporting leg is curved or locked in a bent position.
An important characteristic of all Shao Lin systems, Northern or Southern, is that exponent’s step to the ground with the heel first on forward displacements; the opposite holds true for a foot used in retreat.
Level Horse Stance (Phing Ma)
The most fundamental stance and posture of Hood Khar Shao Lin is called Phing Ma (Mandarin) or Pieh Beh (Hokkien dialect). The Phing Ma is a level horse kind of stance.
- Execute the Shao Lin salutation.
- Shift your weight onto your right leg. At the same time separate your hands but keep them at chest level. Clench both fists.
- Step wide directly to your left side with your left leg (a distance the equivalent of two and one half to three times the width of your shoulders). Lower both fists thumb side up (knuckles at the bases of the fingers down), to your hips.
- As your left foot comes onto the ground, sink down by bending both knees.
- Position yourself in a low squatting posture; hold your upper body erect and face directly to the front. Keep your buttocks well under your upper body. Bring both fists to their respective hips in a knuckles-down position.
To bare and mind:
- Step to the final position of your left foot without sliding that foot or adjusting your right platform foot.
- Position your feet on the same live with your center of gravity, flat on the ground, toes pointing naturally outward.
- Sink down enough to make your thighs parallel to the ground. This characteristic is called Kuah.
- Keep y our shoulders down, but relax then.
- Fill your stomach with strength as you expand it.
- Sink your weight down evenly between your feet, but do not simply stand on the ground; hold strength downward as if to root yourself to the ground.
Triangle Horse Stance (San Jiao Ma)
Another very important basic stance used in the execution of Hood Khar Shao Lin technique is called San Jiao Ma (Mandarin); Hokkien exponents refer to it as Sa Kat Beh. To make it, follow the below instructions:
- Complete the Shao Lin salutation.
- Separate your hands and clench your fists, knuckles down, at chest level.
- To assume this stance on the right side, shift your weight onto your left leg and slightly bend that knee. Lower your fists, knuckles down, to your hips.
- Raise your right leg, bending it at the knee, so that the thigh is parallel to the ground, or raised at an even steeper angle.
- Take a long step forward to your right front corner with your right leg.
- As your right foot comes onto the ground, keep your upper body erect, but sink your weight well down so that your right thigh is parallel to the ground (Kuah). Hold your rear supporting left leg in a locked position, bent at the knee. Maintain your fists in a knuckles-down position at your hips.
- To assume a left triangle horse stance, return to the erect posture shown in Figure ? and apply the same instruction above to your left side.
These key-points pertain to the triangle horse stance:
- Step to the final position of your advanced foot without sliding that foot or adjusting your platform foot.
- The name of this stance cues the fact that you have advanced one foot diagonally forward so that an imaginary triangle is formed. The line between the toes of your advanced foot and the heel of your rear foot is the hypotenuse. The length of your rear foot is one leg of the triangle, and a line connecting the toes of your rear foot with the toes of your advanced foot is the other leg of the triangle. Both feet are flat on the ground; your rear foot is positioned at less than a right angle with your lead foot.
- Keep the thigh of your advanced leg parallel to the ground (Kuah) and lock your rear leg in a slightly bent position.
- Keep your shoulders down, but relax them.
- Fill your stomach with strength as you expand it.
- Sink your weight down so that 70 percent is over your advanced leg. Hold the remaining 30 percent over your support leg. Root yourself to the ground by holding strength downward.
- Look straight ahead, but twist your upper body into a half front-facing opsture in the direction of your rear support leg.
Independent Leg Stance (Ting Shi Ma)
In Mandarin Chinese this much-used stance is called Ting Shi Ma; Hokkien ShaoLin exponents refer to it as Ting Sik. All of these expressions connote the idea of a cold chicken since the exponent who assumes this stance stands like a chicken that has positioned itself on one leg and is shivering from the cold. However, throughout the remainder of this book this stance will be referred to as the independent leg stance. Assume this stance as follows:
- Execute the Shao Lin salutation.
- To assume this stance on the right side, separate your hands, bringing your right hand, palm open and facing down, forward at throat level. Bring your left hand, palm open and facing frontally downward, forward and down to solar-plexus level in front of you. Shift your weight onto your left leg, bending that knee slightly, and sink your weight well down. Keep your upper body erect.
- Keep your arms and hands in the same relative positions as you raise your right leg, bending it at the knee until that thgh is parallel to the ground.
- Lower your raised right leg a bit until the toes of that foot just lightly touch the ground; keep your heel raised off the ground. This procedure is referred to on the following pages as “floating the leg”.
The following key points should be observed in the practice of this stance:
- Rest 100 percent of your weight on your platform foot. Keep your upper body erect, buttocks held well in as your body sinks straight down over your bent platform leg. Keep your platform foot flat on the ground, toes pointing outward.
- Keep your shoulders down, but relax them.
- Fill your stomach with strength as you expand it.
- Look straight ahead and maintain your uypper body in a full front facing posture in the direction of your floating advanced leg.
- Keep both arms curved. Hold them with strength, but without stiffness. Concentrate your power in the knife-edge of your leading hand, and in the palm heel of your nearer hand.
|
|
