A tendency of the student, when utilizing a forward-stance, is to lock the rear leg (knee). There are some styles that do that intentionally and they have their reasons. It’s all good. But our style maintains a slight bend in the rear leg. It helps with mobility and your ability to shift direction easily without unnecessary rigidity and awkwardness.
The forward stance is formed by placing your legs about shoulder width apart. Then, extend one leg forward about 1 ½ to 2 shoulder lengths in front of the body. If you look at your position, you can easily relate it to a welcoming door mat — a lengthwise rectangle. Visualize its rectangle shape (approx 20” by 30”). Place your feet on the 20” end, one in each corner. Then, take your left foot (or right) and move it up the side to the 30” corner. You now have one foot in the lower right corner while the other is in the upper left. This will give you an idea of the foot position and the stance’s shape.
The front leg should be well bent with most of your weight pushed into it. The rear leg acts as a diagonal brace and you won’t feel much of its support or power until you strike something. At the moment of impact (its resistance), you will feel it load up momentarily and then you will realize how important it is to your power’s support. The rear leg, as I mentioned, should be slightly bent to avoid rigidity and awkward movement.
If you relate the stance to pushing a car you will immediately understand what I’m teaching. When pushing a car, both legs are always bending. At no time do you actually lock the rear (pushing) leg. Try it. Each time you lock it, it will stop your momentum and undermine your power. The leg should reach a point of extension but always remain just off lock. When done properly, your movement and power, both, will retain continuity and smooth transitions while giving excellent support for your power.
*(the Forward Stance is also referred to as a Front Stance)
