Tips

Do not let the feet come closer together in successive front stances. At middle of the motion of stepping into another front stance, the feet should maintain at least a hip width apart.
If you are in a front stance and someone pushes against you from either side or from the front or back, you should settle your mass down and into the force but you should not have to move your feet. If you have to move your feet it is because they were not initially positioned wide enough. When you are pushed, your feet instinctively move the proper position to brace against the force, so try to position your feet properly so there is no desire to move them when pushed. You should strive to let your body instinctively settle into this neutral, natural position without your having to think about it. If the stance performed properly, you should feel solid, stable, and in balance but you should be able to resist a force from any direction or move in any direction.

Criticisms of Taekwondo Front Stance

Legs too rigid

A straight or even slightly bent rear leg is too tense and hampers quick movement. To move, the leg must relax and tense again.

Legs too wide apart

"The way of moving the feet is none other than that of ordinary walking." -Miyamoto Musashi.

"Anyone who separates his feet too far will never become a good practitioner." -K. Sawai.

To move, the feet must be brought closer together or the body will be unstable. In classical karate, the feet were kept much closer together. Wide separation between the feet was introduced as a means of strengthening the lower part of the body.

Are these criticisms valid? Maybe; however, the front stance is not used in sparring; it is only used in patterns, where precision, raw power, and artistic expression are paramount. For sparring, we use a fighting stance that facilitates relaxed, quick movement and quick snapping techniques. Taekwondo practitioners are not stupid; they use the right tool for the job at hand.

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