If you haven’t done so already, please read Rick Tew’s Intro to Martial Art Stances by following the link below:
Martial Art Stances
Cat Stance
Designed for pivoting, night walking, returning to the rear, blocking and weapons fighting.
 Standing on the flat of the rear leg, bend the knee.
Slide lead leg forward onto the ball of the foot (about one foot) with 10% of the weight on the lead leg.
Lead knee is slightly bent.
Keep your majority of weight on the rear leg.
Bring arms up and cross in front of the chest, the lead arm being the same as the lead leg.
When in a cat stance, the front foot can easily be lifted to kick or block. Also used for stealth training.
Footwork
90% on the rear leg, 10% on lead, ball of foot, knee bent.
Arms & Hands
Crossed, with lead arm in front.
Keyword
"light foot"
Mobile Defensive
This is a retreating stance in combat and thus defensive. You step back into a cat stance. The arms are crossed for protection and the lead leg is ready for quick lifting. It is called light foot because only 10% of the weight should be on your lead leg. You are going to use it to lift the leg up either with the knee as a block or the foot as a jam. You will be very fast to react because so much of the weight is on the back foot. Make sure that the rear leg is bent or you may end up getting knocked back if you throw a lead leg kick.
Mobile Defensive two
Another defensive application for the Cat stance is the Cat stance pivot. This is used to avoid forward attacks like a front kick, or weapon thrust. Normally, you step back into a cat stance. But, for the Cat Stance Pivot, you simply turn and drop into cat stance.
Technique
The cat stance is also a stance used for practicing your stealth training. The reason for this is that there is very little weight on your lead leg and it makes it easy to tread lightly. Since this technique, along with others on stealth, is covered in the Body Control in later training, I won’ t go into it here. Just know the applications for your stances.
Who:
This Stance is for anyone who needs to go into a quick defensive mode - to pivot or needs to stealth.
What:
Designed for pivoting, night walking, returning to the rear, blocking and weapons fighting.
Where:
Use this at Night for stealthing - In a defensive situation - whenever needed to lift front leg quickly for kicking or jamming or coiling the knee for blocking. Wherever there are object on ground you do not want to step on or make noise doing so(use cat stance sweeping)
When:
Defensive situation - Whenever needed to lift front leg quickly for kicking or jamming or coiling the knee for blocking.
Why:
This is a great stance for stealthing and night walking - great for pivoting to the side while being attacked - for light quick kicks with the front leg - blocking attacks with arms as shielding.
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