HKD Forward Stance

[TigerAn1]

We're being taught that the correct forward stance involves the guard hand being held out open, and away from the body about 12 -15". It seems that would give an opponent an advantage by being able to grab onto it, or being able to telegraph your movements better. A few books I read suggest keeping the guard closer to the body (Spear- Hapkido, The Integrated Fighting Art, Lee- Tao of Jeet June Do.) Lee is especially adamant about keeping the guard close in. I'm not comparing the Arts, just generalizing.

Any thoughts on this? I'm not going to question my Master on this, I know better. I'd just like opinions from here.

[BSR]

As far as I know there is no single fighting stance that is exclusive to Hapkido.

At our school, we are taught to have a fairly relaxed stance with most of our weight towards the back leg and with both fists closed and near the head, almost like a boxing stance.

What you're describing sounds like a more traditional fighting stance. I'm sure there are reasons for using it. Why not just ask your instructor about it? If you ask because you are genuinely interested and not trying to be critical, then he shouldn't take offense to your question.

[blessed_samurai]

Yeah, that sounds like a traditional front stance that I was taught, much like the back stance, but we don't ever practice those in our HKD school. Our main stance that we are in almost the entire time is our natural walking stance.

But during the test, since we get tested from first day what you learned to the present, he makes us demonstrate a front stance, but mainly what he wants to see is the weight of your body being forward, it's an exaggerated stance.

It's kinda like horse stance, we all know it in class, but we never spend time going back over it or standing in it. Although he will point out the certain techniques that we are doing that has similar body positioning like a front stance or horse stance or back stance or....etc

[nj_howard]

We're being taught that the correct forward stance involves the guard hand being held out open, and away from the body about 12 -15". It seems that would give an opponent an advantage by being able to grab onto it, or being able to telegraph your movements better.

that distance sounds about right... yes, your hand can be grabbed, but there are numerous traditional hapkido techniques to defend against both same-side guard grabs and cross-hand guard grabs. having the hand out to protect yourself against attacks seems to me to outweigh the risk of having it grabbed, particularly if you have practiced the techniques i referred to above. in a real situation, best to get one or both hands up, rather than stand with your hands at your sides.

[Hapkido]

We're being taught that the correct forward stance involves the guard hand being held out open, and away from the body about 12 -15". It seems that would give an opponent an advantage by being able to grab onto it, or being able to telegraph your movements better. A few books I read suggest keeping the guard closer to the body (Spear- Hapkido, The Integrated Fighting Art, Lee- Tao of Jeet June Do.) Lee is especially adamant about keeping the guard close in. I'm not comparing the Arts, just generalizing.

Any thoughts on this? I'm not going to question my Master on this, I know better. I'd just like opinions from here.
thats pretty much how we stand, and i like being in that position. for one, it looks very non-boxerish kinda so if someone sees you get into this stance they might either a) freak out and think your some kinda martial arts guy or b) underestimate your power. plus from this stance its very easy to do all the blocks, grapples, and your vision isnt obscured from your hands.