How long can you hold a horse stance?

[Tigerwarrior]

Just curious what your records are at horse stance. I'm not that good yet my pr was 1minute 54 seconds. I haven't been able to break the 2min mark yet. I've heard stories from an old instructor "the monks used to do this in the hot sun for 2 hours" that shocked me and inspired me to add this challenge at the end of my workouts. I don't know how true those claims were but they must of been some tuff dudes to do this for 2 hrs. I do it for almost 2min and my legs are like jello after for a few minutes. This is the one exercise I think is universal in all martial arts, both strikers and grapplers can get benefit from it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

- My teacher told me his teacher could stay in horse stance and finished his dinner.
- My teacher could stay in horse stance and finished watching a Beijing opera.
- I can stay in horse stance and finish a can of beer.

IMO, the dynamic horse stance training is better than the static horse stance training.

I you can repeat the following drill 250 times non-stop; your horse stance ability is good (200 is possible. 250 is difficult).



If you can use "low stance walking" to cover 1 mile distance, your horse stance ability is also good.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Holding a horse stance, or any position, for an extended time build strength and will power which are good things to be sure and can lend some supportive benefit in combat. But a practical direct benefit, I think not. Stances and other positions are not held this way in actual fighting.

Positions are fluid, transitioning from one to another multiple times in combat. It is motion that gives technique its value. The only direct combat use of holding a position is to lure the opponent to attack a certain target for which you have a planned response. There may also be some psychological value in standing like a statue, trying the opponent's patience and goad him into an unwise move. But even these don't require more than 5-20 seconds to be effective, especially against a nervous opponent.

While holding a horse stance has some benefit, I would not spend too much time on it in favor of using the time practicing movement. But I am not a Chinese master so I may be missing something.

 

[frank raud]

I'm not a fan of horse stance training, I think there are better ways to strengthen your legs, such as squats, either bodyweight or weighted. Admittedly, in judo or the judo based jiu jitsu I've trained in, horse stance is not that common. What do you think will make your legs stronger, holding a static position for two minutes, or doing back squats with 315 lbs of weight for two minute intervals?

 

[drop bear]

Wim Hoff did three hours barefoot in the snow apparently

 

[Gyakuto]

Isn’t it horse riding stance? For a horse stance you need four legs, surely?

 

[MuayJitsu]

No idea but I do know I have better things to do with my time than standing in a pointless outdated stance

 

[O'Malley]

Depends on how I do it. If I'm just letting my bone structure carry my weight, I can stand until I get bored. If I engage the connective tissue, it's harder.

 

[Buka]

We didn’t do much Horse Stance training. But sometimes we’d do it for a leg and lower back workout and make it nasty.

We found you could stay in a horse stance a whole longer if you were throwing reverse punches to the instructor’s fast, aggressive count. A lot longer. We got the idea from the film Enter The Dragon. There was a scene at the beginning where Jim Kelly is about to head to the island to fight. The dojo instructor at his school (Steve Sanders) was doing that drill. We’d it off and on for the next thirty years.

Most of the students thought it was a lot of fun, it gave you that Karate feel. Soaked your gi with sweat and made your legs cry, though.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Agree with buka there. Am i holding a horse stance, or am I in a horse stance while blocking/punching? The amount of time i can hold it in each is hugely different.

Used to hold it for up to an hour, but every 5-10 minutes would pop out to stretch my knees for about two seconds, so not sure if that counts. Probably been in one 5 times over the last year.

 

[_Simon_]

Me: "Hey Chuck, how long can you hold horse stance for?"

Chuck: "Yes."

 

[Stuarto]

I can hold a horse stance for 5-10 minutes but that's max. In my dojo they are also aware that I have VA disability for my joints, so the Sensei tells me to lay off if I am pushing myself too hard.

 

[Gyakuto]

‘Isometric holds’ aren’t very effective exercises because they only strengthen the muscles at the angle they’re being held in, not through the whole range of motion. Also, they make you diastolic blood pressure increase (extra vascular compression of blood vessels) while it’s being held which can be dangerous. ‘Isotonic’ movements are much more effective.

 

[MuayJitsu]

I can hold a horse stance for 5-10 minutes but that's max. In my dojo they are also aware that I have VA disability for my joints, so the Sensei tells me to lay off if I am pushing myself too hard.

Genuine question why would you want to hold it for 5-10 minutes….especially in class like surely there’s something better you can be working on than just….standing there

 

[Gyakuto]

Genuine question why would you want to hold it for 5-10 minutes….especially in class like surely there’s something better you can be working on than just….standing there

You could say the same for any conditioning exercises. Do those in your own time, learn martial arts in classes!

 

[Badhabits]

Never timed it but early training involved a ton of punching and blocking in horse stance. As a kid my father would have me take horse stance facing the outside of our house ( brick ) and just punch away. Done at different ranges for control. Lack of control led to hitting the brick. Sparring partners still say I have very good control lol.

 

[Stuarto]

Genuine question why would you want to hold it for 5-10 minutes….especially in class like surely there’s something better you can be working on than just….standing there

We don't usually hold horse stances for extended periods, typically we go over forms or defense techs. I have practiced it in my own home which has helped strengthen legs.

 

[Hot Lunch]

Depends on the specifics. I can hold a shiko dachi longer than I can hold a kiba dachi.

 

[Krisxylove]

IMO, the dynamic horse stance training is better than the static horse stance training.

This is my perspective too. I do some short holds for warm up but I'm more focused on the transitioning between stances.

I you can repeat the following drill 250 times non-stop; your horse stance ability is good

I've never considered doing any drill that many times. Or even near that. But I can see how this would massively increase stamina. I'd like to try some high repetition drills though and see what happens. I have noticed though that sometimes when I push past that threshold of fatigue, my body stops fighting itself and I'll get some of my best performance.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Genuine question why would you want to hold it for 5-10 minutes….especially in class like surely there’s something better you can be working on than just….standing there

If you don’t know, then you don’t know.