Stances of Shotokan Karate


Horse
Kiba-dachi

Kiba-dachi, or "horse-riding stance" is one of the basic training stances of Shotokan. It's name is derived from the fact that the stance looks as if the practioner is riding a horse.

When in the stance, the feet are parallel to each other and about two shoulder widths apart. The knees are pushed out to the sides so that the legs are bowed. Grip the floor with your toes. You should feel pressure on the outer edges of your feet if your knees are pushing out properly. When looked at from the front, the stance should look as if the practioner is riding a horse.
Since the stance is quite wide, it is very strong from the side. However, because the stance is not very long, it is very weak from the front and back.

Front
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Back

Horse Stance

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