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Back Stance

What is Back Stance?

The Back Stance, also known as "Kokutsu Dachi" in Japanese, is a fundamental stance used in various martial arts, including American Kenpo. It is characterized by its defensive posture, which provides stability and readiness for counterattacks. Here are the key elements of the Back Stance:

  1. Weight Distribution: The majority of your weight, typically around 70-80%, is placed on the back leg, with the remaining weight on the front leg. This allows for quick retreats and counterattacks.
  2. Foot Position: The back foot points outward at a 45-degree angle, while the front foot points straight ahead or slightly inward. The feet are positioned about shoulder-width apart, with a length that allows for stability and comfort.
  3. Knee Position: The back knee is bent deeply to support the body's weight, while the front knee is slightly bent and positioned over the toes of the front foot.
  4. Body Alignment: The torso remains upright, with the hips and shoulders aligned. The body faces the same direction as the front foot, maintaining good posture and balance.
  5. Hands and Guard: The hands are typically held in a guard position, ready to block or strike. The specific position of the hands can vary depending on the style and the situation.

The Back Stance is useful for several reasons:

  • Defensive Posture: The stance provides a strong, stable base for defensive movements, making it easier to evade attacks and prepare for counterattacks.
  • Mobility: The weight distribution allows for quick retreats and lateral movements, enhancing agility and responsiveness.
  • Balance: The stance provides excellent stability, making it difficult to be unbalanced by an opponent.
  • Technique Execution: It allows for effective execution of defensive techniques, such as blocks and parries, as well as powerful counterattacks.

In American Kenpo, the Back Stance is often used in forms (katas), drills, and self-defense techniques. It helps practitioners maintain balance and readiness while executing defensive and counteroffensive movements. This stance is fundamental in many martial arts, providing a solid foundation for defensive strategies and quick transitions into offensive actions.

Related Article: American Kenpo: The Modern Martial Art with American Roots

The empty-mindedness of chi sao applies to all activities we may perform, such as dancing. If the dancer has any idea at all of displaying his art well, he ceases to be a good dancer, for his mind stops with every movement he goes through. In all things, it is important to forget your mind and become one with the work at hand. When the mind is tied up, it feels inhibited in every move it makes, and nothing will be accomplished with any sense of spontaneity. The wheel revolves when it is not too tightly attached to the axle. When it is too tight, it will never move on. As the Zen saying goes: 'Into a soul absolutely free from thoughts and emotion, even the tiger finds no room to insert its fierce claws.' In chi sao, the mind is devoid of all fear, inferiority complexes, vicious feelings, etc., and is free from all forms of attachment. It is master of itself; it knows no hindrances, no inhibitions, no stoppages, no clogging, no stickiness. It then follows its own course like water; it is like the wind that blows where it lists.
Bruce Lee

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Back Stance
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