Praying Mantis Kung Fu Bow Stance

Series Summary

Kung Fu martial arts styles are powerful forms of self defense and fighting. There are many different styles of Kung Fu including Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu employs circular movements to parry an opponent's attack and create an opportunity for the defender to counterattack. Learn Praying Mantis Kung Fu stances in this free martial arts video series on Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu techniques featuring black belt Wesley Rhodes. Wesley will demonstrate Praying Mantis stances such as the Cat Stance, the Crane Stance, the Horse Stance, the Ape Stance, the Bow Stance, and the small bow stance.

Video Transcript

"My name is Wes Rhodes from the Chinese Kung Fu Academy and for Expert Village, and this is how to perform the bow stance. Now, the bow stance is called either the bow or the bow and arrow stance because the front knee is bent like a bow, back leg straight like the arrow. You want to make sure the feet stay flat on the ground and your front foot should turn in slightly. Too much is no good, too little is not good. So, you want to start with the foot straight, angle it in about 35 degrees. The knee should be bent 90 degrees and you want to make sure that the knee bends just so you can no longer see your front toe. Too much puts too much stress on the joint, so you want to make sure it's just like that. You can practice this stance doing it from side to side, full stance on the right, hands on the waist, back straight. Turn, bow stance on the left. One more time so you can see it, right foot, remember the foot should be slightly turned in, left foot. This is a forward stance so it's used to strike or block in a forward motion. Side to side it's not as stable. So you want to make sure, forward, forward. Very good. That's how you perform the bow and arrow stance of the bow stance in Northern Kung Fu."