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).

KATA OPENING

OK, let's have a look. How are we taught the very first move of the KATA. Hold on! I am not talking about the defensive or offensive (depends how you see it) move with a certain technique everyone is (or at least should be) so focused on. I am talking about the move number Zero. The opening move or so called YOI position very often referred as Attention posture. In order to make it easier let's take HEIAN SHODAN for example and you will see later why the KATA doesn't really matter.

In MUSUBI DACHI (formal stance) perform REI (bow). MUSUBI DACHI is a stance were heels of the feet are touching each other and the feet are slightly out . That creates a triangle like foot-print and as we know triangle is the most stable geometrical figure. So, bowing forward should not be a problem. The problem comes immediately after and usually is overlooked by everyone as considered a non-KATA related movement.

So, how from MUSUBI DACHI one should transform into HACHIJI DACHI in order to start the KATA?

In many clubs, and I have been to many (!) one is instructed to step to the right and crossing hands in front of the body bring them into "ready" position shoulders wide and slightly forward. That's it. That's it?! Seriously.

I dug a bit dipper and found a possible (!) explanation in Tai Chi. By the way Tai Chi is the oldest of all known today martial arts. Karate is one of the youngest probably...

I leave the details until the actual movement.

1. Slowly and allow the entire body to float forward
2. Both elbows (currently on the hips after the bow) turn outward
3. The thumb and the index fingers still touch the hips on both sides of the body
4. The knees are slightly bent (bent is a wrong word - they are rather relaxed as well as the shoulders and the whole body in fact)
5. Shift your body weight to the left foot (pivot)
6. Slide the right foot (step out) to the side to the shoulders width whilst keeping you body straight and relaxed
7. Gradually move your weight to the right in order to balance the stance; pivoting inward on the right toe and allow right foot to turn outward slightly
8. Pivot on the left heel and bring left toe inward (heel stays out); the weight is on right side
9. Shift your weight to the left foot
10. Bring weight to balance on both feet and whilst doing all the steps above after step #2 rotate the arms inward and cross them in front of the body. At the step #9 when balancing the body open the hands returning them into "ready" position. Elbows bent, shoulders relaxed.

Of course the technique has many-many more details. But I decided to cut most of them in order to focus on the movement itself.

Let's discuss each step.

1. "Floating forward", is it to us, KARATEKA entirely foreign idea? Imagine you stand on the heels. How is your balance? Yes, one light pinch you are gone. Imagine you bring you body back... Same. SO, floating a bit forward whilst moving left/right is rather trying to keep that invisible triangle (left foot-right foot- natural gravity centre below belly button) in tact in order to keep balance. If you ever  tried to stand on your head you can imagine two hands acting as feet and forehead being a third point. Same idea.
2. Elbows rotating outward (wrapping inside). Rotating he arm from elbow to the wrist is a known KARATE sub-technique. Every punch or block involves rotation along the hand. This rotation is very important as its spinning momentum helps the technique. In this case it is a blocking technique that is touched in step #10. IN order to block a punch one rotates elbows outward and continues rotation of the forearm in order to create a deflection movement.
3. Until the block is actually happening the wrists are still at the hips maintaining the contact (energy) and pivot.
4. The knees are always in a slightly bent state acting as natural body springs and absorbers.
5. In order to move in any direction we, humans must shift the weight on one of the feet whilst moving another. It would be different if we had more contact points to the ground as animals do. Therefore before moving right leg out we need to free it from the weight we apply on it and thus shift to the left is a must. But be careful the shift shouldn't mean loss of the upright posture.
6. When I say slide I actually mean it. The foot should get right in a sneaky way practically being "invisible". See it as a fight for the territory. You take it with you feet first.
7. When the right foot has arrived to its new place pivot the foot in order to make your toes looking forward and not outside (not a "penguin stance").
8. Same on the other side now in order to reach balance and to ensure the feet are parallel meaning that the big toes are slightly forward by the way.
9. Once Left foot is turned balance the body.
10. All the steps above should be accompanied by the blocking movement that starts with elbows rotating outwards and forearms being spun along floating into the cross in front of the body and then returned to the sides.

This or similar sequence but with the same idea is applicable to any KATA. I have tried to slowly exaggerate and demo it in the video. In reality it is faster and smoother of course.

Maybe not the best video shot though. LOL!  Anyway try to do it this way when starting any KATA and you will feel the difference. I do.