Ma Bu 馬步 (Horse Stance)

In most Chinese martial arts the first 3 or 4 months of practice consists of mostly horse stance training. This is especially true of Bajiquan 八極拳. Bajiquan's horse training may be the most cruel of all the arts but this also makes it the most beneficial.

After mastering the Baji "ma bu" it seems that other horse stances from various styles are quite easy to perform. The reason for this is that Baji's "ma bu" is quite narrow compared to others and the spine must be absolutely erect ... no leaning forward. It is also noteworthy to mention that we train the Baji horse for 2 minutes ... yes that is all.

The rule of thumb is if you can stay longer than 2 minutes then you are standing too high and if you cannot stay 2 minutes you are sitting too low. The optimal horse is - thighs level and back straight - as though you were sitting in an invisible chair. The arms are gently outstretched and the shoulders, elbows and wrists are sunken and relaxed. You will find that the more you relax the shoulders the more weight falls into your legs. The distance of the Baji "ma bu" can be measured 2 ways. First the old fashioned way ... drop one knee to the floor by rolling one foot to its inside edge then place one fist between your knee and the other foot ... now just roll your knee back up and you have the correct distance for your body. The other way is easier but you have to have a mirror ... place your palms flat together in front of your chest with your elbows pointing sideways then place your feet directly under your elbows by looking in the mirror.

No reputable kung fu master will tell you it is okay to skip "ma bu" training. If you come to Bajiquan from another style you will always have to begin again with the Baji horse. No matter what style you train in it will benefit you to train the Baji horse. And please don't be whiny ... we know it is hard.