Lower Providence Aikido

This article is true for Karate, Taekwondo, Kenpo, or whatever art that has the traditional kind of stances from traditional martial arts. You see, certain items are true about stances, and there are items that are lies. This bit of writing will give you the hard core physics so you can make up your mind how you want to do your training.

First, the real reason people do stances is to connect themselves to the planet. This means to make unable to be moved or shoved around, as in an immoveable object. Or to connect oneself if one is getting ready to propel the body through space.

That said, should you go fanatic on having low stances? Low stances build muscles, but that is a side fact. The most important thing to remember here is that the lower you go, the more energy you have to create, and that is a good thing.

However, let's say a guy is getting long in the tooth,, or has a bad leg, or something. He can't get deep in his kata, so does that mean his art is not good? The answer is going to be a big and loud no, but that is only if one knows one important thing.

The purpose behind stances is to fix a person to the earth. That means to aim a beam of energy downwards, to build awareness of your connection with the surface you are standing on. So yit is possible to have high stances, build your awareness, thrust an energy beam down your leg, and have a quite superior martial art.

Now, which particular arts can prove what I have just said to be true? Well, there is good Kung Fu, good Kenpo, good Tai Chi...good just about any art you can think of. Please understand that I am being very particular when I say 'good.'

Bad arts don't understand this factor, nor demonstrate it through their students. But a student who is trained to hold his footwork, to keep his position in space under attack, is practicing a good art. Workability, that defines 'good.'

In conclusion, the student must know the purpose behind his stances. And, while low is very important, true martial arts don't just build muscle, they rely on intelligence and awareness. Understand these points, and your karate stances, or kenpo stances or taekwondo stances, or whatever art you stand in, will be of high quality.