The 5 Basic Wushu Stances

This instruction was renewed and split into 5 sub-categories:
Wushu Horse Stance (ma bu)
Wushu Bow Stance (gong bu)
Wushu Cat Stance (xu bu)
Wushu Flat Stance (pu bu)
Wushu Rest Stance (xie bu)
In this lesson you will learn how to execute the 5 basic wushu stances. The 5 stances are the first things beginners should learn. This is how the 5 stances are done in modern wushu. In traditional styles, the stances may be performed slightly different. Modern wushu = competitive wushu = modern longfist, broadsword, staff, straightsword, spear.

Wushu Bow Stance (gong bu)

Position of feet and calves:
The front foot stands firm on the ground and points straight forward. Right angle between calf and floor.
Knee of the front leg:
Angle between thigh and calf: 90 degrees. Since there is also right angle between front calf and floor, the front thigh is parallel to the floor.
Position of hip:
Wrong positioning of the hip is one of the most common mistakes of a bow stance.
The hip has to be "closed" => "must not be diagonal to front and back leg". If the hip is not in a right angle to the legs, the stance can be shortened to press the two sides of the hip against each other.
Knee, back leg:
The knee of the back is straight.
Back foot:
The entire back foot stands firm on the ground is twisted about 45 degrees outwards.
See top view.
Lower back:
Lower back is empty. See siide view in the illutration: How back-leg-heel, back-leg-knee, hip, lower back, upper back and head are aligned
Bow stance top view:
Illustration of hip, leg and feet position. (top view)
Chest and shoulders:
Chest: upright.
Shoulders: independent of arm and leg position relaxed.
Head and eyes:
Head position: Vertical
View: Horizontal

Wushu Horse Stance (ma bu)

Position of feet and calves:
Align your feet parallel to each other (see top view). The angle between calves an ground is nearly 90°.
Size of the stance:
The space between your feet has to be about 3 shoe sizes.
Upper body:
Keep your upper body straight and lean few degrees forward, but not too much. Your belly should not rest on your thighs.
Head and eyes:
Head: Straight
View: Horizontal

Wushu Empty Stance (xu bu)

Standing leg (right leg in the illustration):
The standing leg (right one in the illustration) is the leg which carries the entire body weigh. Twist the standing foot about 45 outwards and keep the heel firm on the ground Angle between calf and ground: 45 degrees. (This requires a good level of achilles flexibility)
Empty leg (left leg in the illustration):
The empty leg (front leg - left one in the illustration) is the leg which does not carry any weight. No more than the inner-tip-edge of the shoe touches the ground. The big toe is the closest to the floor. - never the heel.
Standing leg - knee angle:
The knee of the standing leg is bent no less than 90 degrees.
To stay below this 90°, to maintain the 45° and to keep the heel down, requires good flexibility. That's one reason why beginners cannot perform some stances very good.
Hip:
About 45 degrees. Compare the leg-foot position to the hip in the top view.
Empty leg - knee angle:
The knee of the empty leg is not straightened (see illustration) and tents a bit to the knee of the standing leg.
Upper body:
The upper body is straight, sits relaxed on the hips and its slant position forms a balanced empty stance.
Shoulders:
The shoulder position depends on the arm position.
In principle: The shoulders must not be cramped because of the leg position.
In the illustration: Left Hand, the two shoulder joints and the right hand are lined up and parallel to the line (Hip - knee of the empty leg)
Head and eyes:
Head: vertical
View: horizontal

Wushu Flat Stance (pu bu)

Position of feet and calves:
Align your feet parallel to each other. (see top view)
Size of the stance:
The space between your feet has to be about 3 shoe sizes.
Position of hip:
The position of the hip results from the firm parallel position of the feet.
If you perform a good flat stance, the hip should be at a lower level than the knee of the back leg => requires good flexibility.
Knee of the front leg:
The front leg has to be totally straight.
Knee of the back leg:
The front back leg has to be bend so that the hip can reach a level as low as possible.
But this has to happen without leaving the parallel foot position or enlarging the stance too much.
Upper body:
The perfect straight upper body has to move into a position, where the flat stance is as stable as possible. Also an upright position is aspired.
Shoulders:
The shoulder position depends on the arm position.
In principle: The shoulders must not be cramped because of the leg position.
In the illustration: Left Hand, the two shoulder joints and the right hand are lined up and point about an inch over the front leg. (see illustration)
Head and view:
Head: Vertical
View: Horizontal

Wushu Rest Stance (xie bu)

Foot of the back leg:
The back leg is the leg which gets overlapped by the other one (left one in the illustration). The heel of the back leg does not touch the ground, only the toes. The back foot of the back leg sits behind the foot of the front leg. (see illustration - top view)
Foot position of the front leg:
The foot of the front leg sits firm on the floor.
(see illustration)
Knee of the front leg:
The knee of the front leg should align so that the stance gets as comfortable as possible.
Hip:
The hip stands in a right angle to the thigh of the front leg and is the base for a straight, upright, relaxed upper body position.
Upper body and shoulders:
The upper body is as straight and upright as possible.
The shoulders are relaxed and parallel to the hip.
Upper body and shoulders:
The upper body is as straight and upright as possible.
The shoulders are relaxed.