Hanzou
Grandmaster
Just a basic horse stance seems to keep me from being on the ground most of the times. I say most of the times because there are times where it takes less energy to roll someone over than to try to remain standing. Staying off the ground for my school is more of a recommendation than a solid rule. I do kung fu and some of the forms have techniques that require the student to be on the ground in order to pull it off. The only solid rule, for us, about being on the ground is to not be on the ground for long.
Becareful, there's a lot of takedowns that begin when your opponent is in horse stance.