Cat Stance
What is the Cat Stance?
The Cat Stance, known as "Neko Ashi Dachi" in Japanese, is a fundamental stance used in various martial arts, including American Kenpo. It is characterized by its light, balanced posture, which allows for quick movement and agility. Here are the key elements of the Cat Stance:
- Weight Distribution: The majority of your weight, typically around 90%, is placed on the back leg, with the front foot lightly touching the ground. This allows for quick transitions and movements.
- Foot Position: The back foot is flat on the ground, pointing forward or slightly outward. The front foot touches the ground with the ball of the foot, and the heel is slightly raised.
- Knee Position: The back knee is bent to support the body's weight, while the front knee is slightly bent and positioned over the toes of the front foot.
- Body Alignment: The torso remains upright and balanced, with the hips and shoulders aligned. This helps maintain stability and readiness for movement.
- Hands and Guard: In many martial arts, the hands are 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 Cat Stance is useful for several reasons:
- Mobility: The lightness on the front foot allows for quick stepping, pivoting, and evasion.
- Balance: The stance provides a stable base while allowing for fluid movement.
- Preparation: It positions the body in a way that is ready to transition into other stances or execute techniques.
In American Kenpo, the Cat Stance is often used in combination with other movements and techniques to create a fluid and dynamic fighting style. It helps practitioners maintain balance and agility while preparing for offensive or defensive actions.
Related Article: American Kenpo: The Modern Martial Art with American Roots
The minute you don a black belt, the minute you step in front of a class to teach, you are seen as an expert on violence. It doesn’t matter if you have absorbed a complete philosophical system with your martial art. It doesn’t matter if the art gave you, for the first time, the confidence to view the world as a pacifist. It doesn’t matter if you studied as a window to another age and culture. It doesn’t matter that you have found enlightenment in kata or learned to blend in harmony with the force of your attacker. It doesn’t matter because you are about to teach a martial art, an art dedicated to Mars, the God of War. A MARtial art. Even if somewhere over the years you have lost sight of this, your students have not.
Rory Miller