HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

 by Phillip Starr

It's said that if you really want to conceal something, you should hide it in plain sight. And so it seems with one of the most fundamental things taught to martial arts novices, the horse-riding stance. Known simply as “ma-bu” in Chinese (“Ma-bu” literally means. “horse stance.” The full name is actually “qi ma-bu”, which translates as “horse-riding stance.” In Japanese it is referred to as “kiba-dachi.”), this basic posture places the feet apart as if one is riding a horse. The knees are bent and the back is held straight. It sounds easy enough to do but if you look closely at how most martial arts enthusiasts perform it, it's often incorrect.

The weight should be equal on both feet, with the weight held directly over the “yangquan” points on the soles of the feet. The forelegs should be perfectly vertical so that the body's weight falls directly onto these points. Many, if not most, martial arts practitioners fail to do this and their forelegs are angled. Because the feet are too far apart and the forelegs are cast out at angles, the muscles of the upper legs, hips, lower back, and lower abdomen must constantly struggle to keep the body upright. The result is a weak posture and considerable pain as the supporting muscles struggle to endure the strain of standing incorrectly.

Keeping the lower legs perfectly vertical also determines exactly how far apart the feet should be spread. Obviously, if the feet are placed too far apart the lower legs cannot be held vertically.

This is the real secret to holding the horse-riding stance for any length of time.; simply learn to stand correctly. Remember that gravity pulls STRAIGHT down, not angularly. If you stand properly, gravity will settle your body's weight directly over the centers of the soles of your feet.

Over the six-plus decades that I have practiced and taught the martial ways, I've seen many senior practitioners and teachers (some of whom were world famous bit I'm not going to mention any names here) demonstrate various techniques from a horse-riding stance. To say that the stance was way off-kilter would be a very serious understatement.

This is equally true for many practitioners of contemporary wushu (a Chinese discipline that combines martial arts with gymnastics and traditional Chinese opera); the ma-bu that they demonstrate often looks like someone trying to use a “squatter” in an undeveloped country! Such a “squat” places excessive strain on the knees and although it may look good, it has no real value in so far as martial application is concerned. You simply can't move with much speed if you begin from such a low position. The depth of the stance varies from style to style but regardless of what style one practices, the buttocks should be held HIGHER than the knees.

The back should be held straight, but not stiff. The buttocks should not protrude; rather, the coccyx should be SLIGHTLY tucked and the anal sphincter SLIGHTLY contracted. This assists in maintain alignment of the lumbar vertebrae with the thoracic vertebrae. The ears are pushed up away from the shoulders to align the cervical vertebrae with the rest of the spine.

I am in agreement with those traditionalists who insist that one simply cannot acquire real skill until this stance is thoroughly mastered. Many traditional martial arts teachers encourage their pupils to stand in this stance for varying lengths of time, This strengthens and toughens the muscles of the legs, hips, and lower back. A dear friend of mine(and the world's foremost authority on Fut-Ga kung-fu), Mr. Arthur Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii, insisted that real kung-fu simply could not be learned until this stance was mastered.

Unknown to many practitioners, the regular practice of holding this stance also has a very beneficial effect on the breathing. Ancient texts tell us that practicing this exercise will cause the qi (vital energy) to gather in the dantien (an area within the lower abdomen). This fosters the development of the so-called “foothold” (the ability to firmly root oneself to the ground), which enables one to generate tremendous striking power. Without a solid root, this is simply not possible.

Moreover, the (correct) horse-riding posture has a beneficial effect over the entire body, which includes not only the larger muscle groups but the internal functions as well. In times long since past, kung-fu teachers would recommend “holding the horse-riding stance” as a form of health maintenance and for students suffering from various ailments.

Because this exercise is more than a little boring and uncomfortable, many contemporary instructors simply gloss over it. They fear that they'll lose students if they urge students to practice such routines. And they're probably right. But then, martial arts isn't for everyone and a teacher who is true to his art will not compromise it for the sake of a few bucks.

So, there you have it. The lowly horse-riding stance is probably the most frequently employed posture in the martial arts but within its practice lies many of the real secrets of martial skill. Most practitioners never really notice it because it's been so well hidden...in plain sight.