Confusion..stance

[Torsion8]

Hi,

Just wanted to ask a question regarding stance. I am fortunate to live in London and went for my first class today at Bob Breens academy. I have a few years experience in another martial art but decided to take the foundation course to improve my basics.

Most of the first lesson was covering basic stance, however I am a little confused as it seems that a boxing style stance is being introduce, ie opposite of power hand. Is this typical, as I have read in several JKD books that power side is commonly used and it seems alien to me since being used to tradtional arts where the right side is used to lead?

Does anyone know if this will change as I progress into JKD/Kali programme?

I don't mind learning stance again but was wondering if anyone has encountered a similar situation?

Thanks

[chillaplata]

Others on this board can answer your question much more knowledgeably than I, but at my school we also usually trained traditional western boxing and Muay Thai stances (although we were on occasion encouraged to practice strong-side lead stances). I think that is generally the case at JKD Concepts schools because of Guro Dan's extensive background in MT and boxing. I've never trained at an Original JKD school, but I suspect you would be more likely to encounter strong-side lead stances there.

[Michael Wright]

As you rightly say, you are fortunate to be training at one of the best places there is. Therefore could I make the suggestion that you address your query about the program with the instructor(s) at the academy? Bearing in mind they are teaching you I would assume they will answer your question directly, as opposed to receving speculation from here. That would make the most sense to me.

[Torsion8]

Hi Michael, indeed I will definitely ask the instructors there, I just wanted opinions from anyone who may have also encountered this. Thanks

[ShawnJKD]

Jun Fan was originally taught with strong side forward, but over time and with the influence of different systems (thai boxing ect) many people have gone back to power side back. Guro Dan suggests that you should be comfortable in either lead - combat is fluid and your lead will change as you and your opponents move regardless.

When you get into Kali you will find power hand forwad becomes more common, but in general you will still be directed to work your off lead/hand.

I'm confident Bob Breen and his instructor's know what they are doing, so give it a little while and as suggested above talk to the instructors there.

[Joe Hubbard]

Hi Torsion8

Good question. Please remember, that you could have ten JKD schools and each place or even a variety of instructors within certain academies will all vary the way they teach. Bob uses a boxing “base” for the JKD he teaches. I have always thought this to be weird because when in close quarter, they would change emphasis to a right-side forward. You would find yourself boxing and then suddenly in the next class practicing trapping right hand forward; the same also applied when you hit the Kali class. To be honest no one ever answered that question for me. Interestingly, I have always fought, regardless of range, right side forward. This issue was cleared up for me by Mark Hatmaker, who explained that the reason I felt more in control when I was right side forward wasn’t because of the old “strong side” reasoning, but because this was my “coordinated side” regardless of range. If you are right handed, I recommend that you explore your right side as a default “go-to” when under stress. Similar advice if you are a lefty. You should then practice right side vs. right side and then also spend time practicing countering a left side fighter. Ultimately, you should be ambidextrous, but that is for the long haul. Developing the ambidexterity comes with double weapons study- try this exercise: Practice Sinawali 6-count with double sticks, then put one stick down and practice the same pattern, but high-five the empty hands together; do this with one stick in your right hand and then change and do this with one stick in your left hand- see you in six months!

Out

[Torsion8]

Thanks guys for your views on this. Ultimately ambidexterity is the key! I will however will be working on and trying to develop my boxing skills as a base to start with so I guess I will knuckle down on the power side back stance for now. Cheers

[Larsson]

you want your most powerful tools nearest to your target, you should learn to develop knockout power in both sides which will be essential when dealing with multiple attackers.

Being in southpaw also has its advantages over the normal power side back.