How to Perform The Horse Stance In Iron Palm Kung Fu

Kung Fu is a term which incorporates the myriad martial arts of China. It was developed over many hundreds of years as a means of self defense and military combat. According to legend the basis for Kung Fu was instituted by the godlike Yellow Emperor Chin Shi Huangdi who was known as a powerful general and wrote several treatises on the subject. When we think of Kung Fu we imagine very florid and elaborate moves requiring a great deal of gymnastics and contortions. But these are typically showy techniques made and used primarily for exhibition purposes. Kung Fu is based on combat techniques that work, regardless of whether or not they are pretty to watch. One particularly straightforward form of Kung Fu is called the iron palm. This is a toughening style which works to toughen the hands to such an extreme where they effectively become sledgehammers. Thankfully this style takes many years to master and is mainly practiced for breaking boards and bricks in exhibitions. You will often see Shaolin monks demonstrate this style, and practically no one else. I shudder to think what would happen if this technique were commonly used in competition matches and actual combat. This guide will explain how to perform and practice the Horse Stance in Iron Palm Kung Fu.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cinder Blocks
• 25-50 Pound Sandbag

Performing The Horse Stance

1. Use the cinder blocks to build a study platform to be roughly level with the thighs.

2. Lay the sandbag over the top of cinder blocks

3. Stand in front of the sandbag and widen your stance until your lower abdomen is level with the sandbag.

4. Raise your right hand straight out in front of you, open palm down, at about shoulder level. Slap your palm down into the center of the bag. Use only just enough force to speed the hand’s descent, don’t try to destroy the bag. Repeat this one hundred times.

5. Repeat step 4 using the left hand instead of the right.

6. Raise your right hand straight out in front of you, side down, at about shoulder level. Chop your hand down into the center of the bag. Repeat this one hundred times.

7. Repeat step 6 using the left hand instead of the right.

8. Ball your hands into fists and lean over the bag. Drive your right fist down into the bag followed by your left fist. Repeat this one hundred times.

9. Grasp your right fist in your left and press it against your chest. Bring your right elbow down hard into the bag so that the bone on the outside of the forearm lands flat into the center of the bag. Do this one hundred times.

10. Grasp your left fist in your right and press it against your chest. Bring your left elbow down hard into the bag so the bone on the outside of the forearm lands flat into the center of the bag. Do this one hundred times to complete the daily set. You should be exhausted by this point.

11. Repeat this regimen of exercises daily to strengthen the muscles and bones of your upper body. If you find this regimen results in bruises, skip a few days until the bruises have healed, then try not to strike the bag so hard next time.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a stance utilized while acclimatizing the hands to the impacts they will experience when striking solid objects to break them. It toughens the skin. It also creates many micro-fractures in the bones of the hands. They are not at all dangerous, debilitating, or painful. In fact, when these fractures heal they strengthen the bone to make it tougher than it was before the fractures were induced. It is by causing and healing micro fractures thousands of times that allow practitioners of Iron Palm Kung Fu to break and destroy dense objects like stone or wood without harming themselves.

Resources

• Video Instructions On Performing The Horse Stance

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