Discovering and Testing Stances

As I continually look at a diagram created by Marc MacYoung I keep thinking of how I can use the information to better teach the importance of learning stances up front before learning basic waza and kata, etc.

First, I would commit to memory a few terms to use. Zone of Effectiveness, Angles of Attack, Integrity Zones, Stable Directions and Effective Force Directions.

Second, I would then teach all the stances used in the system/style/branch, in Isshinryu.

Third, once they are moving into and out of stances with fluidity, they understand proper fundamental principals of martial systems as applied to this narrow field of stances and they are comfortable then we would move to one person taking a stance then I would use the terms above and show them how to determine where those terms and principles within to find the effective directions, stable sides and where they are strong/weak for application and connection to basic waza and later kata waza.

I would make sure they understood all these principles thoroughly before moving into kata and later kumite, sparring and/or fighting - not self-defense yet.

I was just contemplating this and wanted to express the idea. It also blends with other material I wrote of in this and other blogs that everything is reliant on everything connecting most efficiently and productively.