My question is: Why is the front foot turned in 45 degrees (or whatever value you prefer) in sanchin?
I asked what it was for when it was first shown to me, some of which I understood and others which I didn't really. The answers I got were things like turning the foot in presents the muscle of your calf as a target as opposed to your shin, that the stance is supposed to look somewhat "innocent" because of the historical place of uechi, because it somehow gives you more of the useful things, such as speed/power/stability and so on.
Yet when I've seen people spar they don't usually root themselves down in sanchin, or really maintain the foot positioning. I guess that's another aspect to my quest that, given the answer to #1, why does that not seem to apply to sparring situations?
I'm sure there's many perfectly good explanations, but for me (at my just beginning level) it seems like an awkward position, especially since you always have to pivot your foot back to parallel to perform a turn or a rear kick.
Looking forward to answers/advice (even if it's to go back to my sensei and ask what it's for again, until I get it through my thick skull)
P.S. (I've been reading the Sanchin 101 thread, and have found it enlightening in many respects, but I haven't seen anything particularly relevant to this question. Either it's too basic or I missed the threads where it was discussed)
[This message has been edited by morgoth (edited April 03, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by morgoth (edited April 03, 2000).]
Very Basic Stance Question
Moderator: Available
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Allen M.
Very Basic Stance Question
Morgoth,
Sanchin is mindset. If your stance is facing forward but are fighting with someone at an angle, then the bent-in forward foot makes sense.
The Kihon says 30 degrees. GEM says one heel-width (which is about 30 degrees.) Some start with an exagerrated 45 degrees to break the newbies in, then throttle back to follow in the "footsteps" of GEM.
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Allen, Home: http://www.ury2k.com/pulse/index.htm mirror: http://home.ici.net/~uechi/
Sanchin is mindset. If your stance is facing forward but are fighting with someone at an angle, then the bent-in forward foot makes sense.
The Kihon says 30 degrees. GEM says one heel-width (which is about 30 degrees.) Some start with an exagerrated 45 degrees to break the newbies in, then throttle back to follow in the "footsteps" of GEM.
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Allen, Home: http://www.ury2k.com/pulse/index.htm mirror: http://home.ici.net/~uechi/
