{"id":8716,"date":"2018-11-21T07:00:31","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T07:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/?p=8716"},"modified":"2021-04-05T14:30:05","modified_gmt":"2021-04-05T14:30:05","slug":"a-stance-is-not-just-a-pose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/21\/a-stance-is-not-just-a-pose\/","title":{"rendered":"A Stance Is NOT Just A Pose"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What is GAP?<\/h4>\nAny discussion about stance worth its salt has<\/em> to use Good Athletic Position (or GAP) as the default starting point. For the uninitiated, GAP is the fundamentally good mechanical position that the body assumes when it is expected to perform optimally across a variety of stressors. These stressors can be a sudden vertical jump, a quick explosive lift, preparing to move in either direction laterally, transitioning to back-pedaling, et cetera. The key to GAP is that it is a foundation for variety\u2013 a starting point for options if you will.\n\n[dfads params='groups=292&limit=1&orderby=random']\n

Weight Distribution<\/h4>\nTask Specific Positions (or TSP) begin with the end in mind. In other words, the sprinter knows which direction the body must move, the batter knows the approximate plane he must swing into, the fighter setting up the spin kick knows how and where she must set her hips to facilitate a smooth pirouette. Still, even with TSP there are usually only minor adjustments from GAP and this close adherence is for good reason.\n\nGAP wisely adheres to an equal distribution of weight so that movement in any cardinal direction can be smoothly transitioned into. Too much weight over a given foot slows the transition into that direction. GAP's equal distribution of weight not only optimizes mobility, but it also increases access to power. Full body commitment is already realized by having both feet underneath the hips.\n\nGAP allows for quick power access to any given side by this same equal distribution of weight. If I am running a 70\/30 stance (70% of weight over the rear foot and 30% over the lead), I've got to make up that distribution when I go for lead side strikes. In my 50\/50 GAP position, a flex of the rear calf and a pelvic torque loads me for power.\n
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Stance Is Not An Isolated Element<\/h4>\nOK, I've rhapsodized GAP as the way to go with stance, but I want to stretch this idea further. There is a tendency in some combat disciplines to pay a lot of attention to stance as if it were an isolated element. This line of thinking says, \"OK, here is our stance, got it? Looks good. Now, here is some other stuff to learn.\" I'm pleading a case for not thinking of stance as a stock-still element but rather an athletic position that informs all of your movement. After all, what good is a stance if it no longer supports your offense or defense as soon as you take your first step? Fights happen on the move and MMA and street-encounters are not some adolescent Karate Kid crane stance fantasy.\n\nIn an ideal world, with every step you take, with every punch you throw, with every takedown you stuff, with every move you make, you should be analyzing it for GAP and making adjustments whenever and wherever possible to adhere as closely as you can manage to perfection. Always ask questions about GAP in your training. Are you falling into your punches rather than stepping into them? If so, I smell an easily countered fighter and\/or a lead leg weight-loaded rife for leg-kick punishment.\n\n[dfads params='groups=292&limit=1&orderby=random']\n\nIs your lateral movement overloaded when you move? A leg kick or Lyoto Machida style foot sweep will bring that foolishness to the mat. Is the lead foot light? Sounds like someone is inviting the takedown. Is the stance too high? Again, welcome to takedown city. Any deviation from GAP acts as either a situation to be countered or a telegraph of your intentions.\n

Final Thoughts<\/h4>\nStance, although similar to the word \"stand\", is not really about how you stand. Stance is an athletic starting point that travels with you wherever you go. Stance is every step you take. Stance is every punch you throw.\n

\n Click here for more fight training by Mark Hatmaker!<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is GAP? Any discussion about stance worth its salt has to use Good Athletic Position (or GAP) as the default starting point. For the uninitiated, GAP is the fundamentally good mechanical position that the body assumes when it is expected to perform optimally across a variety of stressors. These stressors can be a sudden Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,7],"tags":[137],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8716"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12871,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8716\/revisions\/12871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fightfastvideos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}