Stance (martial arts)

In martial arts, stances are the distribution, foot orientation and body positions (particularly the legs and torso) adopted when attacking, defending, advancing, or retreating.

In general, stances may be described in a number of ways:[1] This refers to the lateral distance between the lead and rear foot.

However, open stances leave one vulnerable to groin attacks and expose a larger portion of the body to an opponent.

[2] Typically, martial arts do not teach fighting stances until students have developed other basic skills.

[2] It is very common in the martial arts to describe stances and the transitions between them in terms of triangles, squares and circles.