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This article was originally written in German by Jochen Wolfgramm of Bailung e.V. You can find the German version on as well as on . This is a slightly edited and translated version, which we wanted to feature for you.
Of course there is a wide array of approaches concerning correct stances and this is one of them. Gongbu 弓步 for example can be executed as a practice to enhance leg musculature, to improve the back posture or to stretch the pelvis area. There are also variations concerning foot positioning to relieve pressure on the knees or to make the stance more demanding for leg muscles. We want to encourace practicioners to question  the way they perform stances and to accept the fact that there is no single best way of excecuting a ‘correct’ stance.

Introduction

All Gong Fu styles have at least one thing in common: stances and the importance thereof. Some styles may have some stances more or less, but mostly they just distinguish themselves by their naming.

As a basic principle in any style, you have to work on your stances through extensive and scrupulous training. Therefore, in many styles you can find a set of stances, often called Ba Shi 八式 – eight stances. These sets help train the most important and basic stances for the style and to remember them correctly. The training is mostly static with long intervals of standing in each stance.

Furthermore the training of Bu Fa 步法 – stepping methods is used to train stances dynamically.

In the following part of this article we’ll go deeper into important criteria of stances and their training. Continue reading →