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All stances may be oriented in either a closed or an open position. This is an important concept as it pertains to how a stance is used while sparring.

Competitors use a variety of stances while sparring but the most common stance used is the basic fighting stance. Of the basic Taekwondo stances, the back stance offers the best fighting position, but it is forced stance, meaning that you must consciously force your body stay in the back stance position. To change the back stance into a more effective fighting stance start in a classic back stance and then relax and stop forcing the stance letting the body shift into a natural, more relaxed version of the back stance by:

• Letting the front foot naturally angle inward (about 45 degrees) to help protect the groin.

• Letting the back foot naturally angle inward (about 45 degrees).

• Letting the upper body naturally angle inward to protect the centerline.

• Slightly bending both knees and keeping them bent. If you straighten the knees, you lose mobility and power.

• Keeping the arms up in your favorite guard position, keeping the elbows inward to protect the midsection.

• Letting the shoulders relax and drop

• Lowering and tucking the chin to protect it.

Try to relax the entire body. Instead of holding the body upright by tension, pretend you are a marionette being held up by strings; without the strings, you would collapse. A relaxed body can move and react instantly, When the body is under tension, to move, it must relax the tension, complete the movement, and then apply the tension again. This tension-relax-tension cycle uses a lot of energy.

Once in the fighting stance, then one has to decide as to whether to make it closed or open.

• Closed. This most common positioning of a stance. In a closed position, both opponents have same foot forward. This means the front of one opponent’s body will be facing toward the left while the other opponent’s body will be facing right. The closed position is common when both opponents are right-handed, or when both are left-handed.

• Open. In a open position, each opponent has the opposite foot forward. This means the front of both opponents’ bodies will be facing in the same direction. The open position is common when one opponent is right-handed and the other is left-handed.

No matter which stance is used while sparring, whether it is used in an open or in a closed position plays an important part in a competitor’s sparring strategy. The following strategies assume the sparring rules:

• Permit attracts to the head.

• Do not permit attacks below the belt.

• Do not permit attacks to the back.

From a closed position. While in the more commonly used closed position, the available attacks include:

• Using leading side (side closest to opponent):

  • Linear attacks to leading side of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, such as a front kick, side kick, or back kick.

    • Punches, such as jab, overhand, or uppercut.

  • Angular attacks to front of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, such as the twist kick or inside snap-crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as inverted back fist.

  • Angular attacks to back of opponent’s head using:

    • Kicks, such as the twist kick or snap outside crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as back fist or hammer fist

  • Circular attacks to front side of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, such as the round kick or straight leg inside crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as hook.

  • Circular attacks to back of opponent’s head using:

    • Kicks, such as hook kick or straight leg inside crescent kick.

• Using trailing side (side furthest from opponent):

  • Linear attacks to leading side of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, such as front kick, side kick, back kick, spin side kick, or jump spin side kick.

    • Punches, such as reverse punch or upset punch.

  • Angular attacks to front of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, as the twist kick and inside snap crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as overhand punch.

  • Angular attacks to back of opponent’s head using:

    • Kicks, such as snap inside crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as inverted back fist or hammer fist.

  • Circular attacks to front side of opponent’s body and to head using:

    • Kicks, such as the hook kick, straight leg outside crescent kick, spin hook, or jump spin hook.

    • Punches, such as spin back fist or spin hammer fist.

  • Circular attacks to back of opponent’s head using:

    • Kicks, such as round kick or straight leg inside crescent kick.

    • Punches, such as hook.

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