Many years ago masters would make their students hold stances for long periods at a time. This stance training would go on for at least a year with the student learning very little other than this. The masters would make the students hold stances so that they could discourage the students who were not worthy in learning from them. It also helped teach the values of patience, loyalty and discipline.

From the day that I started to the present I still remember hearing the voice of Sifu or Simu telling me to sit lower or to make my stances longer. Now almost 6 years later they are still stressing those same issues. When I first started , I would catch myself thinking, what is the purpose of sitting low and why does he make us hold each stance until our legs feel like they are on fire, burning and shaking uncontrollably. I would ask myself, does he do this just to merely see us in pain or is there a deeper meaning behind this. Then I finally realized that I had the answer. He wants us to have strong legs so that we can be able to withstand kicks and also be able to deliver powerful kicks. This is right , but not nearly the whole truth behind stance training.

At a beginner level this holds true. Stance training is normally stressed to the student so that one can develop strength in the legs but also develop proper posture and balance. At an intermediate level stance training starts to focus more on concentration, proper footwork and how to have a solid foundation. When the body is challenged physically and is in pain, the mind will begin take over. It slowly tells us to stop and rest then maybe try again later. This is when concentration comes into play. When one learns how to control this they can push themselves to a greater level. This will continue over into many of the different aspects within martial arts training.

A solid foundation simply means to be rooted the ground. This holds true to every stance including crane. You should not be easily moved by being bumped or pushed. Your body should become as solid as a mountain but at the same time being light in your feet so you can transition form one stance to another. When moving from stance to stance you should immediately become rooted again. Being rooted to the ground plays an important roll when it comes to striking with power. A practitioner generates their power through a rooted stance. The power comes from the ground up through the legs and to the waist where it eventually comes out through your strike or block. Normally through extensive stance training and proper breathing you begin to develop internal energy or chi. Chi is something that takes some time to develop. The development of chi will just begin to happen. It is one of those things that you begin to notice and feel the changes. When one learns how to control this energy and it spreads throughout their body, they will be able to reach higher levels within their martial art.

Remember, training in the martial arts becomes a way of life. Without endless hours of trying to obtain perfection, your goals will take much longer to achieve. Remember, Stay “diligent” in your training and maybe one day you will be writing articles for your students to read.