Cat Stance

Red dot indicates center of mass

Characteristics

• Stance Width. Heels aligned.
• Stance Depth. 1/2 shoulder width.
• Front Foot Position. Foot pointed straight ahead, foot rests on ball of foot.
• Back Foot Position. Foot pointed toward outside.
• Front Leg Position. Knee bent, shin vertical.
• Back Leg Position. Knee bent.
• Shoulder Position. Angled 45° toward outside.
• Hip Position. Parallel with shoulders.
• Weight Distribution. 10% front foot; 90% back foot.
• Center of Mass. Centered over back foot.
  

Details

The cat stance, also known as a "rear-foot stance," is similar to the back stance except 90% of the weight is shifted to the back foot and the front foot heel is raised so only the ball of the foot rests on the floor. The stance permits quick lead leg kicks.

• When the left leg is forward, the stance a left cat stance. When the right leg is forward, it is a right cat stance.
• Stand with feet parallel, 1 shoulder width apart. Step left foot forward 1/2 shoulder width deep into a cat stance standing on ball of foot with the heel aligned with rear foot's heel. Imagine an "L" shape drawn on the floor. The right foot will align with the bottom of the "L" with the heel at the corner and the front foot will align along the long side of the "L." 
• The shoulders angle 45 degrees toward the right. Keep hips parallel with the shoulders so upper body is angled toward the right.
• Front foot is pointed toward the opponent.
• Bend the front leg at the knee, with the shin vertical. Front foot merely touches the floor.
• Insure the front knee does not lean inward and avoid bowing it outward so the groin is exposed.
• Rear leg is bent so 90 % of the weight is on the back foot and 10 percent of the weight is on the front foot.
• The center of mass is centered over the rear foot. The weight is settled over the rear leg.
• Stand erect. Do not hunch the shoulders or stick the butt out.
• Similar to back stance except that base is shorter.
• Unlike the back stance, the hips are turned more toward the front, so both arms may be used for defense/attack. This helps distinguish a long cat stance from a short back stance.
• Offers only very limited movement so only use for a quick instant as you respond to an opponent.
• With its very unbalanced weight distribution, it is not able to resist attacks. It not only has a narrow base, it also contains little sidestep and that makes it very unstable in the lateral direction but it should be stable following a step if your feet never cross the stance center line, bring the trailing and leading heels into one line to achieve correct width.
  

Tips

• Think of a cat tiptoeing while stalking prey.
• When performing successive cat stances, keep the heels in alignment so the "L" shape is maintained.
• Use to withdraw a short distance along the diagonal from the line of attack. Always keep your centerline facing the opponent so you can use both arms quickly and effectively.
• To move forward in successive cat stances, the lead foot pivots and the back foot merely swings around. Do not step the rear foot forward or too much weight will be transferred to the front foot and a rearward weight shift will have to be made.
• Keep the front side of the body loose and free so all leading techniques will be quick and powerful.