[Martial Arts] A Brief Discussion on the Four Stances

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Fecha: 25-8-2025 Lunes, 6:34 a.m.

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[Martial Arts] A Brief Discussion on the Four Stances
My Training Path and Insights
I have practiced for many years, starting from the earliest horse stance, to the three-body stance, then to the wuji stance, and finally entering the closed-eye golden rooster standing. These four stances may seem independent, but in fact, they form a clear training path, each with different effects and focuses, complementing and achieving each other. In my years of martial arts training, the four stances—horse stance, golden rooster standing, three-body stance, and wuji stance—have become the important foundation of my daily practice. Each stance has its unique charm and efficacy, like the changing seasons, each beautiful in its own way, yet mutually supportive. I have documented these insights in my original articles, such as "One Year of Horse Stance," "Horse Stance with Feet Floating," "Three Seconds of High Horse Stance, Crushing the Boxer," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for 10 Minutes," "Golden Rooster Standing for 23 Minutes," "Golden Rooster Standing for 37 Minutes!," "Structural Golden Rooster Standing for 40 Minutes," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for 32 Minutes," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for Thirty-Two Minutes," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for Forty Minutes - Left Foot Challenge," "Closed-Eye Standing, Qi and Blood Reconstruction," "Does Golden Rooster Standing Increase Skill?" etc., each based on real training records.
The horse stance is like the foundation of the earth, the first lesson of my foundation. When I first started practicing horse stance, my legs felt sore and swollen, my knees trembled, and I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes, with my hips completely unable to relax. But I knew very well that the horse stance is the foundation of all martial arts, so I persisted every day. With my feet firmly planted, knees bent, and hips sinking, I resembled someone riding a horse. It primarily trains leg strength and stability, serving as a required course for cultivating lower body power. Its difficulty may seem low, but maintaining a low posture for a long time is a great test for the quadriceps and core muscle groups. Gradually, leg strength accumulates bit by bit, breathing becomes deeper, and my entire lower body becomes increasingly stable, with sweating like rain becoming the norm. The significance of the horse stance is "stability"; it taught me how to truly sink my center of gravity and allow my body's structure to be naturally upright. Most importantly, the horse stance trains the mind—this kind of patience and will to stand quietly is the foundation for all subsequent advanced practices. When I stand in horse stance, I never guide my qi with intention; instead, I let my body respond naturally, often starting to feel warm and slightly sweaty within 3-5 minutes, even in temperatures of 6-9 degrees. I have documented these details in the articles "One Year of Horse Stance" and "Horse Stance with Feet Floating," fully recording my process of enhancing cold resistance, endurance, and the synchronized operation of qi.
When I entered the practice of Xingyi Quan, the three-body stance naturally became a required course. The three-body stance is the mother of Xingyi, with the front and back feet separated, like a bow ready to shoot. Compared to the horse stance, the three-body stance emphasizes structure and intention more. The front foot extends, the back foot supports the ground, and the hand gestures respond to each other, making the whole person like a taut bow. It primarily trains overall structure and the channels of force, serving as the foundation for "integrated strength" in internal martial arts. Its difficulty lies in coordinating the contradictory forces throughout the body: pushing forward with the front while pressing back with the rear, with a sunken chest and lifted back, needing to find a state of relaxed yet not slack, tight yet not stiff within stillness. The three-body stance allowed me to experience the transmission of "jin." After standing for a long time, the spine, shoulders, hips, and legs form a complete path of force, with breathing naturally sinking into the dantian. I never deliberately guide my qi with intention; instead, I let my body find its best state naturally. Even in low-temperature environments, after standing for 3-5 minutes, my whole body will start to feel warm and slightly sweaty, which is the result of the natural operation of internal qi and blood. These deep insights from practice are documented in articles like "Three Hours of Lingzi Step" and "Two Hours of Lingzi Technique Standing," for future reference.
After practicing horse stance and three-body stance for many years, I truly understood the significance of the wuji stance. The wuji stance returns to simplicity, with feet opened wide, the whole body relaxed, as if standing in the void of wuji. It appears to be the simplest, yet it is the most difficult—there is no form to rely on, no muscles to depend on. The wuji stance seems to be just standing casually, but it requires the entire body to be completely relaxed and breathing to flow naturally. At first, I found it very difficult to fully relax, always unconsciously tensing some part of my body, with stiff shoulders and neck, and uneven breathing. As my practice deepened, I learned to let my body relax layer by layer until even my heart became calm. I never use intention to guide my qi; instead, I let my body adjust naturally. After standing for 3-5 minutes, even in low temperatures of 6-9 degrees, my whole body will start to feel warm and slightly sweaty, which is a manifestation of the natural operation of internal energy. The beauty of the wuji stance lies in its ability to return the body to a natural state, allowing qi to flow freely without constraints. This deep stillness is the foundation for my later ability to achieve long-term stable balance in closed-eye golden rooster standing.
Entering the golden rooster standing is a natural extension of my entire training system. The golden rooster standing is like a crane standing in a cold pond, one foot on the ground, the other foot lightly raised, with arms that can expand or contract. It primarily trains balance and focus, being the fine art of channeling the earth's power through a single leg to concentrate throughout the body. At first, I could only hold for one or two minutes, with my leg shaking and my center of gravity swaying. But by persisting in daily practice and adapting to the low-temperature environment by the sea, I gradually broke through to ten minutes, twenty minutes, until now I can stabilize for over forty minutes on one foot with my eyes closed. The articles I wrote, such as "Golden Rooster Standing for 23 Minutes," "Golden Rooster Standing for 37 Minutes!," "Structural Golden Rooster Standing for 40 Minutes," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for 32 Minutes," "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for Thirty-Two Minutes," and "Closed-Eye Golden Rooster Standing for Forty Minutes - Left Foot Challenge," fully document my journey from initial practice to breakthroughs, with the mindset, bodily sensations, and physical details changing throughout, all being the most authentic records of evidence.
The difficulty lies in the unity of mind and spirit; even a slight distraction can cause instability. The closed-eye golden rooster standing that I practice daily is the ultimate expression of this—removing visual compensation, relying entirely on proprioception and the vestibular system to maintain balance, which requires a high level of neural control ability. The greatest characteristic of golden rooster standing is the "unity of movement and stillness." On the surface, the body appears completely still, yet countless tiny adjustments are taking place, with the ankles, arches, and core making micro-adjustments to maintain overall balance. Breathing is steady and slow; I never use intention to guide my qi, but let it flow naturally. The only slight force maintaining support comes from the soles of my feet and around my ankles, while the rest of my body is completely relaxed. After standing for 3-5 minutes, even in low temperatures of 6-9 degrees, my whole body will start to feel warm and slightly sweaty, which is a manifestation of the natural operation of internal energy. At that moment, my body feels as if it is suspended in the air, with consciousness and breath merging into one. I have also provided a complete description of this feeling in "Closed-Eye Standing, Qi and Blood Reconstruction."
Compared to the four stances, the horse stance emphasizes "force," the golden rooster standing emphasizes "balance," the three-body stance emphasizes "momentum," and the wuji stance emphasizes "intention." In terms of difficulty, the horse stance is the easiest to start with, the three-body stance requires more understanding of structure, the wuji stance tests patience and depth of relaxation, while closed-eye golden rooster standing is a comprehensive test of overall coordination, core stability, breathing control, and qi operation. Closed-eye golden rooster standing is completely different from standing with eyes open. After closing my eyes, visual feedback disappears, and balance relies entirely on the vestibular system, proprioceptive sensations, and coordination of core strength. At first, when I closed my eyes, I could hardly last a minute, but as my practice accumulated, my balance ability was gradually reshaped. Now, standing on one foot with my eyes closed for over twenty minutes has become a daily state, and forty minutes is not the limit. In the low-temperature environment by the sea, breathing is natural, qi flows smoothly, the whole body is relaxed, and the core is stable. This state is not something I deliberately pursue, but rather a natural result of long-term accumulation.
These four stances do not exist in isolation; they form a complete path of cultivation. The horse stance taught me stability, the three-body stance helped me master structure and intention, the wuji stance taught me true relaxation, and the golden rooster standing allowed me to integrate all my accumulations into a state of "movement and stillness as one." If the horse stance is laying the foundation, the three-body stance is building the bridge, the wuji stance is digging the channel, then the golden rooster standing is allowing the water to flow smoothly, stably, and naturally. This integration is not only reflected in the techniques but also permeates into life: breathing is naturally deep and slow, the mindset is calm and stable, the body reacts quickly, and qi flows freely at all times. Practicing martial arts is no longer just a simple movement training, but a process of continuous dialogue between the body and nature.
A brief discussion of the four stances may seem like four stages, but in fact, it is a systematic growth path. From the initial exertion to the final non-action, from the tangible to the intangible, what is practiced is not the stances themselves, but the coordination and unity between the body, breath, intention, and nature. Closed-eye golden rooster standing is not the endpoint, but a manifestation of a state—solid foundation, smooth qi flow, and unity of body and mind. There are no shortcuts on this path; only patience, perseverance, and long-term accumulation can truly transform practice into nature. For me, closed-eye golden rooster standing has become a "barometer" for assessing my physical and mental state. It does not strain the muscles like horse stance, nor does it emphasize structure like three-body stance, and it is not as ethereal as wuji stance; rather, it points directly to the essence of balance in an extremely simple form—mobilizing the high-level coordination of nerves, muscles, breathing, and even intention in absolute stillness. Each 20-minute standing session is a deep dialogue with myself, a calm confrontation with aging. It allows me, at the age of 57, to still maintain the balance ability and physiological state of a 30-year-old, which may be the most precious gift bestowed upon me by the practice of the four stances.

Source: https://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=697320