The horse step is the most basic stance step for practicing martial arts, so there is a saying that "to get started, you must stand on the stance for three years" and "to learn to fight, you must first stand on the horse". The horse stance has its feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and adopts a half-squatting posture. It is named because the posture is like riding a horse and is as stable as a stake. A good squat in the horse stance can strengthen the kidneys and waist, strengthen the muscles and replenish qi, and regulate the essence, energy, and spirit. The lower body is stable, has good balance, is not easily knocked down, and can also improve the body's reaction ability. Horse stance is one of the basic skills before practicing martial arts. The saying "if you practice boxing without practicing martial arts, you will be in vain" means that you will learn the moves in the boxing routine in vain without actually carrying out the gravity and endurance training of the whole body muscles. In the end, you will become useless. Embroider legs for flower fists.
Horse stance
Stand with your legs parallel and three soles apart, then squat down with your toes parallel and forward, without leaning outwards. Push your knees outward, your knees should not exceed your toes, and your thighs should be parallel to the ground. At the same time, draw your hips forward and inward, and do not protrude your buttocks. This can make the crotch into an arc shape, commonly known as a round crotch. Hold your chest and pull your back. Do not lift your chest. The chest should be flat and the back should be round. You can wrap your hands around your chest like a ball. The virtual spirit is pushing hard, and the head is pushed upward, as if the top of the head is suspended by a thread.
This is the basic requirement of Mabu. It is not easy to stand for a long time at first. Being able to stand for 5 minutes is already good. But persistence is important. Standing for half an hour is already considered an achievement.
Mabu generally does not need to focus on the Dantian. Over time, Qi will naturally gather in the Dantian. The one-legged horse stance is a Kung Fu stage that can be reached naturally after mastering the two-legged horse stance. It is the result of practice. On the other hand, if you don’t stand properly in the two-legged horse stance, you won’t be able to do the one-legged horse stance. This is the stage of zamabu, which is the level of kung fu.
The Horse Step Kung Fu I know has three stages: standing firm, standing firm, and standing empty. One-legged Horse Step is also the stage of standing empty. What this means is that the standard movement of standing upright is to stand up straight, without moving the body but shifting all the weight to one foot, and the other foot can be lifted freely.
So it’s better to keep your feet on the ground. It’s good if you can stand on both feet. Once you improve your skills, it will come naturally.