The Cat Stance (aka Empty Cat Stance, Empty Stance, or even Toe Stance) is a rear-weighted stance. You may be familiar with it in the White Crane posture in Yang.
Full weight is placed on the rear leg with the front foot lightly touching. The front foot resembles a cat’s paw just prior to pouncing. This stance is often called Empty Stance because the front leg/foot is empty, with the back leg bearing the body’s weight, just like a “cautious cat”. In the Chinese Martial arts of Kung Fu, this is considered a flexible stance mainly used in defensive movements. The front leg is “free to perform fast kicks”. However, in Tai Chi, the Cat Stance (aka Xu Bu) is not only used for a front kick, it is considered a protective guard, and as a mobile transitional stance.
The Cat Stance is characterized by the forward leg (with either the toe or heel on the floor) bearing 10 percent of weight distribution. However, some disciplines say 100 percent of the weight should be in the rear. Naturally, the back leg (which is bent at the knee) maintains the majority (whether 100% or 90%) of the weight. The back leg prepares the practitioner to spring forward “cat-like”, while the front leg is soft and light in order to deliver a “quick kick”.
The Cat Stance is excellent for improving your balance! You can check to see if your stance is correctly aligned by slightly lifting the front foot off the ground. If you need to shift your entire body to do this, you have too much weight on the front foot. A word of caution: practitioners must also be careful not to over extend their joints and not strain their muscles.
Important points about the Cat Stance (from several sources):
The back foot is turned out 30 to 45 degrees, with the knee of the back leg is aligned with the foot.
The toes of the front foot (some say heel) rest lightly on the ground. The alignment of the front of the shin and the top of the foot is straight and vertical.
Note: You may prefer to have either your front foot toe or heel down - but NOT both!
The front leg is relaxed but not totally straight.
Concentration/focus is placed on the Bubbling Well of the front foot.
Knees are fairly close to each other but bent.
Some say the distance between your front “heel and rear toe is 1/2 of one of your foot lengths” and if the front heel is pulled back, it will just graze the rear heel.
In Yang, the rear Kua is indented and either closed or slightly open.
The body is upright, vertebrae is straight, tailbone slightly tucked, with the hips relaxed and buttocks low (not raised).
Chin is pulled in slightly to align your head with your vertebrae and chest faces forward.
As with all stances, including the Cat Stance, (discipline advice aside), the height and distance of the feet should be determined by the skill and capability of the practitioner. This ensures the ability to maintain strength and balance while transitioning from one posture to another in a slow and controlled manner, while allowing Qi to flow smoothly.
The Cat stance is also known as the “Qigong Empty Stance” and according to ChiKung Unlimited, is said to relieve chronic back pain and “other back problems” if practiced regularly! With regular practice, this stance is also believed to help realign the vertebrae, thereby relieving back symptoms.
Besides Tai Chi, Qigong and Kung Fu, other disciplines also use the Cat Stance, although it is usually called something different.
The empty stance is called Neko Ashi Dachi and is considered one of the most versatile of Budo stances! Because there is little to no weight on the front foot, it can be easily moved to avoid a sweep, or if not moved, very little damage can be done.
The empty stance is considered one the hardest in Karate!
Called beom-sogi in Taekwondo, the practitioner must have “rock solid balance and agility” to maintain the line of gravity. The practitioner must also be able to change the position of the body efficiently by using “balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, and endurance.”
There are good reasons why Classic or ancient Chinese texts, including the IChing, mention cats often. If you have a cat (or spend time around other people’s cats), do take the time to observe how they walk and move. We instructors wish our students would emulate this!
Take f a few moments to watch how cats prepare to pounce on an “opponent”, even if it is a toy or a ball of yarn. You may learn something, and will probably be amused at the same time!
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