Legs Start The Action

I feel that when we make a typically long Shotokan style forward stance, for most students it’s virtually impossible to drive off the back leg to propel the hips and torso forward. The power starts from the legs just like in Boxing. The Shotokan long stance is OK for the young to get their legs strong but after all these years I see it has no other real advantage. There’s been too much talk and emphasis on twisting/turning/snapping the hips and no mention of the fact that the legs are the initial driving force. If you drive off the back leg the hips will turn/twist ‘naturally’. Shizentai is simply a training posture, nobody throws a punch from that position in reality. It’s for training only. A shorter stance is far more practical and realistic, you figure that out when you get older!

Editor