[Martial Arts] Empty Foot Stance Horse Stance

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: 2025-6-30 Monday, 5:58 AM

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[Martial Arts] The Void in the Soles: The Horse Stance
The Void in the Soles of the Horse Stance: Another Path I Realized
When I first encountered the horse stance, like many others, I started with traditional methods—my teacher told me to "root" my feet, to "grasp the ground with my toes," and some even emphasized that all ten toes should hook and firmly hold the ground to stand steady. I diligently followed this for many years, using strength in my toes and tightening the soles of my feet, but no matter how long I stood, I always felt that the "stability" was maintained through effort, which made my body even more fatigued. Sometimes, the longer I stood, the more I wobbled, and the harder I tried to grip, the less stable I became.
It wasn't until I truly grasped the key of "structural sitting of the hips" that everything changed in an instant. I began to shift my focus from rooting through my feet to the structure of my hips and pelvis. When I allowed my hips to naturally settle, using my skeletal structure to bear the weight and letting my muscles relax, I felt as if my entire weight was securely supported by an invisible triangular support frame, with my center of gravity naturally sinking to the midsection of my body. This stability was not maintained through force but was a calmness arising from structural coherence.
At this point, when I looked back at my feet, I realized—actually, my feet did not need any gripping action. My toes were relaxed, the soles gently touching the ground without any tension, yet they felt more stable than ever before. Moreover, it was a feeling of "stability within relaxation" and "substance within emptiness." I practiced by the seaside in the cold wind, even standing with my eyes closed, and I remained as steady as a rock, with even less body movement. This state of the void in the soles is achieved based on the correct upper structure, no longer relying on the "effort" of the feet, but rather on the "wisdom" of the body's structure.
I do not deny the traditional methods of practicing the horse stance; they are still effective for many and have their value in generations of inheritance. However, from my personal understanding, "rooting through the soles" does not mean the feet must exert force, but rather the entire body must find its true "root"—that is the hips, the structure, the repositioning of the center of gravity. Once the "sitting of the hips" is truly in place, you will find that the feet can actually be "void," and the more void they are, the more stable they become, the more relaxed, the heavier they feel.
This is the process I refer to as the "Void in the Soles of the Horse Stance." It is not an intentional attempt to be different, but rather a natural result that emerged from years of practice. I simply wrote it down to share with others who are also exploring; perhaps this can provide you with a different path. There are no fixed methods in practice; only the path that suits you best is the right one.

Source: http://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696578