Kung Fu Bow Stance

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Dan Schmidt from the Chinese Martial Arts Center and today we're going to be showing you the Proper Bow Stance. Okay, so when you start the Bow Stance, you want to turn your right foot out, so your heels are together. Step straight forward about about one and a half time shoulder width, okay, and sink the hips down. Okay, for a detailed explanation. Okay, if you notice, you want to keep the shoulders straight, don't turn the shoulders side to side. Okay, you want to keep the head up, looking straight forward. Now, the back leg is straight and the front leg is bent. You want to bend the front leg until the thigh is completely parallel to the floor. And the front foot, you don't want your toes forward. Okay, this creates an action that you're going to be slipping. Okay, so you want to turn the toes in slightly, so if I tug or pull, he doesn't really go anywhere. Okay, it's very important that the back leg is straight, because if the leg is bent, it's very easy to rock side to side or to fall. Okay, and if you look at both the feet, okay, if you imagine a line, each foot is on either side of an imaginary line. Okay, and you want to keep the buttocks tucked in, the back straight. You don't want to stick the butt out and you don't want to hunch forward. So everything is completely straight this way and straight across from the hips. Now that's the proper way to perform the Bow Stance."