The Different Taichi Stances Explained

Taichi is a powerful and embodying form of martial arts, one that originated and was first popular only in the East but which quickly spread to the Western world as well. It is now practiced popularly throughout the world, and the most important aspect of all of Taichi involves the different stances that are used in the practice of it.

Taichi Stances Explained

It is very important to have the Taichi stances explained to you before you attempt to learn the exercise, because this is the only way that you are really going to be able to have any success. There are, after all, so many different Taichi stances that you have to learn about and it takes some people a lot of time and practice to really get a grip on them.

There are a variety of different Taichi stances, with the horse, forward, heel, crane, cat and cross stances being the most common. Getting used to them makes it makes it a lot easier to concentrate on all the other components of a move as you learn the new form. What’s more is that it is good to do on their own because they are exercises that help to stretch and strengthen the leg muscles.

The High Horse stance is one of the most common of all, and it is used for the Beginning move. It is a relaxed stance where the legs are parallel, slightly wider than the shoulders and with the knees slightly bent. You want to make sure that your center of gravity is directly down the middle of your body and that your back is kept straight the entire time.

The Low Horse stance is very similar to this but with a few major differences. For it you will need to have your legs spread slightly wider apart, and your body sunk down much lower. This is one of the best Taichi stances for strengthening your legs and improving your overall balance.

The Forward stance is one which is a bit more tricky but essential to the Taichi art. You want to start with your foot forward, with the knee bent on this leg so that the lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. The other leg should be outstretched at the back but without locking the knee, and your front foot should be kept straight forward, with the back one out at about a 45 degree angle.

Remember to keep your back straight and your weight evenly divided between both legs so that one is not receiving more pressure than the other. You should remain in this stance for a couple of minutes or so, breathing deeply as you hold it and you should feel your calf muscles stretching as you do so.

Once you have an idea on the basic stances, then you can move on to the more advanced ones. Just remember that it will take you some time and lots of practice, but all the time and effort you put in here will be well worth it in the end.