The story: when Mike laoshi went to Taiwan and started to train under Grandmaster Wang, he got told to do the stances in front of a tree. At that time, Mike laoshi had already achieved a master/expert level in Kung Fu. Although he understood the importance of stance training, he wondered what he could pick up from the lesson if he was only doing the stances. Then for a long time, he did it, until one training grandmaster Wang suddenly came over and started doing the stances with Mike laoshi. Intrigued, wondered what differences the grandmaster will do, Mike laoshi observed closely. Then he realised that grandmaster Wang's stance were done in such grateful manner yet powerful due to the way he changed from one stance to the next one.
The secret of good stances training involved the right way of TRANSITION between the stances. While practising stances alone will give you great legs strengths, enhance body fitness, strengthen alertness and balance. It is the transition that gives you the deeper understanding of the relationship between the stances. And therefor plays an important part of developing the right body mechanics, mobility in fighting and movement in general.
The pictures I took from Mike laoshi is called the Bashi or 8 stances, this set is taken from the Long Fist stances and in comparison to the Praying Mantis set, the transitions are different. In my opinion, the transition in the set of the Long Fist are very clear for the beginner in experience the feel of body mechanics.
Remember when using these photos: spend equal focus into the transition between the stances, it will make your stances much lively, agile and mobile.
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