There are no stances in karate.

[Dana Sheets]

This is a premise put forward during the seminar last weekend.

Ashi sabaki - footwork
tai sabaki - body movement

Ashi sabaki can augment tai sabaki.

A "stance" is a template (teaching tool) that represents a principle or a couple of principles. But at a certain point, if training works, your body will have gained the skills and awareness needed and you'll flow into and out of the "stance." Meaning that your body movement and footwork will combine to place you in the needed position of advantage and fluidly adjust from one moment to the next.

[2Green]

" you'll flow into and out of the "stance." "

I think this is the truth.
"Stance" applications are slices of time where the strong foundation does its work, but they are static examples.
These applications might exist for split seconds in a real encounter.

I try to be comfortable in my stance, and right now I feel pretty well covered being there.
For me, moments of transition from one stance to another are my areas of weakness -- I am trying to preserve my solidity through these transitions.

The other aspect I've found is that "stance supports technique."
I have seen examples where the upper body "technique" fails to work because there is no stance supporting or empowering it.
The Wauke is a prime example.

NM

[JimHawkins]

flow into and out of the "stance."

For WC I would say it...

'Flow from one stance to another.'

All the 'stances' are different expressions of the 'horse' which grounds, aligns the body and creates a mechanic and timing for managing energy or force, which may be generated, absorbed and stored or redirected beginning with changes or conversions between stances, or as we say, the horse.

[jorvik]

I don't do Karate, but I consider that Uechi has a lot of internal stuff in it .that being the case I would have to disagree If you take CIMA movements a lot are based on a body position, which is then used to occupy space...i.e. your enemy's space, and this is how you derive power.........it's a little the same in WC ( although very,very subtle).less so in Yi-Quan etc which is not subtle at all ......if you look at Southern styles genereally they tend towards a "protective" stance....much like western boxing, although not the same...I would say that Uechi goes a bit deeper than that, and that there are a lot of internal principles expressed in Uechi, and especially in Sanchin.it really is very,very deep

[Griffin]

When practicing kata, bunkai, kumite, etc. a person is practicing his transitions from stance to stance, stepping, "blocks and strikes" all at the same time. Through years of practice these transitions become more fluid and gracefull, much like a skilled dancer spinning his partner across the floor. I have found that many times when least expecting it, moving in and out of stances when it is needed. Did I think about them before I got there? NO. Not long ago I found myself in a sort of Sanchin stance while sliding on ice in my driveway. I was merely walking when I started sliding, and to evade falling my instincts fluidly moved my body into the stance that was needed. Is ther A stance? Yes, but your instincts will eventually pick the stance needed, thus to your conscious mind, there is no stance. You will find yourself in one stance or another from time to time, but I think the phrase, "there is no stance" refers more to what you are actively thinking at the moment more than the position of your feet.

[Tokezu]

Hmmmmm.

This is a tough one. I just wrote an article for our Dojo newspaper that expounded on the importance of exploring stances and the movements to and from them in kata.

I've always thought of stance as the root from which I hang my leaves and brances (kicks, blocks, and punches).

Lately, however, I am starting to feel that, at one level or perhaps BEYOND a certain level, there are no punches or kicks or blocks. They are all the same thing. Giving them a name just lables the perspective from which the namer is viewing.

Does that make sense???

So stances... I think there are stances in martial arts. But they are merely instances in time, just like movements to and from them are instances. I guess I am talking about something like a Derivative in Calculus (as opposed to an Integration), something that shows the rate of change of a calculation at any SPECIFIC time.

Which brings up another conundrum- Is there really any TIME?

I can see the perspective where one could correctly state that there are no stances. I can agree that there ARE indeed stances.

Sounds like Zen.... Or does it?

confused as usual,
DLF