Stances

Stances are positions adopted by a person that relate to the body, technique, or viewpoint. In physical disciplines, a stance is a deliberate arrangement of feet, legs, and torso designed to maximize balance, stability, and the ability to transmit force. Base width, knee bend, weight distribution, and spinal alignment are defining features. Common examples include the horse stance, a wide, grounded posture; the front or bow stance, which places more weight forward; and the back stance, which shifts weight toward the rear. Stances are usually taught as foundational postures for efficient movement, striking, blocking, or transitions, and incorrect form can reduce effectiveness or raise injury risk. In martial arts and performance, stances enable power generation, defense, and mobility, and practitioners often switch between stances during technique sequences.

Beyond the body, stance also denotes a position or attitude toward a subject. In rhetoric, philosophy, and everyday language, to take a stance means to adopt a particular viewpoint or stance toward an issue. Some fields distinguish stance-taking as a discourse feature—encoding certainty, commitment, doubt, or assessment through language. Across senses, stances share the idea of a defined, deliberate orientation—physical, tactical, or conceptual.