Base Move
Sumo or Riding Stance
Say it: “stable”
Stand in place with feet parallel and your knees slightly bent (as if riding a horse). Keep your feet, ankles, knees and hip joints relaxed and spring-loaded. To sustain upright balance, slip into the posture of holding the reins of a horse. Sense your head moving up and away from the torso with the spine relaxed.
When practicing Sumo Stance, sense the inner and outer arches of your feet connected to the earth. Play with moving at different speeds and moving through the three planes: high, middle and low. Use your core and upper extremities to support you in moving down and up and vice versa. As you lower, point your tailbone backwards, generating the movement from the balls of your hip joints. As you rise, press your feet into the ground. Read More→ |
Base Move
“A” Stance
Say it: “stick”
Standing in place, align your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with both feet parallel. Keep your feet, ankles, knees and hip joints relaxed and spring-loaded. To sustain upright balance, slip into the posture of at-ease and ready, sensing your posture as if falling up towards the sky.
When practicing “A” Stance, sense the inner and outer arches of your feet connected to the earth; this will help you to avoid collapsing inward or falling outwards. Play with moving at different speeds and sinking and rising through the three planes: high, middle and low. Use your core and upper extremities to support you in moving down and up and vice versa. As you lower, point your tailbone backwards, generating the movement from the balls of your hip joints. As you rise, press your feet into the ground. |
Base Move
Open Stance
Say it: “align”
Standing in place, align your feet in the parallel position, hip-width apart. Keep your feet, ankles, knees and hip joints relaxed and spring-loaded. To sustain upright balance, slip into the posture of at-ease and ready, sensing your posture as if falling up towards the sky. When practicing Open Stance, sense the inner and outer arches of your feet connected to the earth; this will help you to avoid collapsing inward or falling outward. Use your core and upper extremities to support you in moving down and up and vice versa. As you lower, point your tailbone backwards, generating the movement from the balls of your hip joints. As you rise, press your feet into the ground. Read More→ |
Standing in place, align your feet with the big toes touching and the heels slightly apart and the outer edges of your feet running parallel to each other. Keep your feet, ankles, knees and hip joints relaxed and spring-loaded. To sustain upright balance, slip into the position of at-ease and ready, sensing your posture as if falling up towards the sky.
When practicing Closed Stance, play with moving at different speeds while sinking and rising through the three planes: high, middle and low. Use your core and upper extremities to support you in moving down and up and vice versa. As you lower, point your tailbone backwards, generating the movement from the balls of your hip joints. As you rise, press your feet into the ground.