Stance in real life situations

[karateka_101]

Anyone here who's been in a real fight (not including sport), have you ever used a proper stance?
When I get attacked at school and fight back, I don't seem to use a proper stance. I think it is important, as I was once pushed onto the ground. If I had used a stance, I might of stayed standing. Does anyone know how I can get myself to do this?
I'm interested in other peoples' opinions on the subject.

thanx

[lssanjose]

you should find a resource on tim tackett's use of the natural pose. It provides a non threatening look while having one ready to deliver a blow

[Cadden]

Often it is unecessary and threatening if you take an imposing stance. I used to fall into a sort of non stance and that affected my relaxation and efficiency. The stance I fall into is my feet shoulder width apart, my feet in a left or right pivot with my hips and body facing directly towards the attacker, or the guy threatening me. However in Ving Tsun the hand placement is imposing, so we are taught alternate ways to hold ones hand if a fight may be avoided but a proper stance is still necessary, for options. Have both hands infront of you, for instance, like you are submitting. Have your arms laying ontop of each other, like your have your arms cross (but don't cross them).

I understand how ones stance can go to the shitter when a real fight occurs, but try and keep relaxed and aware and fall into a good, steady, mobile stance. The one I use works wonders.

[BB Wolf]

t the Krav Maga school I train at, we practice many techniques from a "passive" stance. because, if you are attacked, there is a good chance you are not in your fighting stance. Once the attack is initiated, you end up in fighting stance, but that would kinda happen naturally, no matter what you train in.

[Thai Bri]

No offense but, unless you like being pushed around, I'd veer away from the Karate and get into something else.

[karateka_101]

Originally posted by Thai Bri
No offense but, unless you like being pushed around, I'd veer away from the Karate and get into something else.

What do you mean when you say "like being pushed around"?

No matter what I'm not quitting Karate, I love it too much! If anything, I could take up a second martial art. Any suggestions?

thanx

[BadgerFu57]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling. They would get you used to being pushed down and beat up, and dishing it back out. Try Boxing or Wrestling since they are sports and you could probably even do wrestling at school instead of some boring class. Wrestlers have great takedown defense, and good takedowns. If you add in some of your strikes, you would have a well balanced system, and you get out of class!

[karateka_101]

Wrestling isn't done at my school. How can you tell a good wrestling school?

[Half-Asleep]

u might wanna take up kick boxing if u are getting in fights or maybe jiu jitsu

[BadgerFu57]

Your location is Syndey, so I assume Australia. Take up Aussie rules football ;-)

[highgrindr]

i know what you are talking about, ive been in a few fights, and what ive seen to work best is just stand with your feet pointin to the person, about shoulder lengths apart, and relax..... keep your cool and the trick is, is to keep your hands in front of you, and speak with your hands. speaking with your hands is just a reason to keep your hands up and in front of you, theyll just think you always talk like that.. that way if they decide to throw anything, it is VERY easy to step back and use your hands that are already in FRONT of you to block and counterattack..... it does work....

[grubbogoppoly]

I don't think that ANYONE needs to have more than one martial art(Well that is if it contains both hard and soft styles.). The shaolin monks are friggin bad azzs. It is all about how much you make your training realistic and how good of a teacher you have. If your teacher teaches proper technique but does not teach concepts then you will fail and vice versa. If you do not make your training realistic it won't work either. When I say make it realistic I mean the attacker when you are practicing has to AT LEAST have intent. I have to tell people even in my dojang to PUNCH ME or GRAB ME or whatever. A lot of times they will throw a punch at an inch to the side of my ear! You learn improper angles and distance when they do this. You also have to make sure when sparring or doing techniques that IF you don't make contact you were in a position to make contact. Don't ever pull any technique. If you have to to show control throw the technique past them. This will ensure that you know your proper distance. Also, you have to practice your shadow boxing. Don't make it linear. If you only do your techniques from one position you will only be good from that position. So practice from on one foot. If you are punching, practice while applying defending and or while kicking. The more variables you add in the more likely you will be to react in a real situation.
I also agree with what the others were saying about a "neutral"stance. You should ask your instructor about drills to work a proper base as well. Your base is the key in all martial arts.

[huey]

i agree with many of the ideas presented above these people obviously know a little something about the subject. i would just like to point out a few things that helped me a few times (50 or so).
1.practising katas which force you to get into the stances you are talking about.
when you were begining to walk your body had to first feel the stance in which you needed it to feel. the muscles had to build up a memory of how they were to operate. the ligaments had to feel tension in order to correct balance issues. once that was accomplished you could stand. then came the walking process.
your body remembers how to do things a lot of which you don't have to think about anymore like walking. the more practice you have the easier it is for you to do those things.
2.another poster said that by making your workouts more realistic would help. this is true. if you practice with an opponent throwing hard punches and you have to block or get hit, you will be forced to block or wake up in twenty minutes.
hope this helps.

[wael k]

good friend in a fight never wait until ur pushed or kicked or whatever always strike first...........this way no stance is needed

[huey]

so if you strike first you don't give any thought to anything other than the strike you want to land? and in which position would your body be in at that moment of impact? if you throw a punch from a feet together position wouldn't that be a stance? if your feet are twelve or eleven inches apart and your toes are pointed to the left and right wouldn't this also be a stance?
what if you threw a kick forward to twelve o'clock, one leg is slightly bent with your foot on the ground, while the other speeds toward your target whether face, groin, or whatever, isn't this a stance? and how would you learn which of these positionsis the best for different strikes?
just like walking you have to train your body to perform. repetition worked when you learned to walk just like it did for everyone else who has learned how to do it, it will work the same way in this situation.