PHOTO FRAME STANCE

A couple of months ago I was teaching a regular class (FURIN KARATE DOJO), the Sunday mixed class where the age range between students is about 40 years. As I remember I was preaching about the stances and their importance in KIHON (基本, basics) and KATA (型, forms) practices. My intention was to provide instructions that would deliver the following message: 

"The back leg plays an extremely important role in ZENKUTSU DACHI (前屈立, extended frontal stance) as well as in any other stance". 

While I was going over and over again and the class was moving from one wall of the DOJO (道場, practice hall) to another suddenly a little girl (7 years old) broke the puffing silence of the class:

"It is simple! It is like a photo frame..."

I, who always inspire my students and myself to visualize technics in order to understand them, who draws pictures and uses simple examples, was struck with a genius of the student and simplicity of her explanation! Indeed the stability of any DACHI (stance) could be explained as simple as the stability of the photo frame! So, I have decided to write this short article. I hope there is at least one KARATEKA (空手家, karate practitioner) in the World who will find it useful.

The frontal part of the body with both hips turned forward, towards the attack, looks like a frame when the back leg serves as a support to it and... very important, delivers the explosive push initiating the chain reaction to entire body (back leg heel → pelvis → hips → trunk (core) → shoulders → hands → arms) that is well explained by the famous mechanical model of Isaak Newton, known as the Newton Cradle (I am going to write separately on this matter later). And actually, this function of the supporting leg is even more important than just supporting.

As a result, back leg functions are, but not limited to:

• Support to the body where the front leg serves as a pivot;
• Delivery of explosive power to any technic.

Since then I successfully use the same "photo frame" visualization example when I am teaching the transition from  ASHI MAE SHIZENTAI DACHI (front leg natural stance) to ZENKUTSU DACHI (extended frontal stance), back and forward. Dropping the center of gravity and bringing it up works well when the "frame" stays where it is (pivot of the front leg) whilst the back leg is either sliding back and forward. By doing so one can maintain dominating and intimidating pressure on the opponent (my favorite "offensive defense" tactics) while changing the stances and managing center of gravity in his favor (potential energy ↔ kinetic energy).