Recently our school started a low horse stance challenge so kids can have fun and bring out their competitive nature to concentrate and push further. Although this was a fun little segment, the roots of this challenge actually is part of Traditional Internal Gong development and training. This training is used to be kept secret in Wudang Mountain. But as performances and demonstrations around the world spread, more and more people know about it. This is not to be confused with the Shaolin style horse stance.
Before going into the internal training, here is the challenge: 外八字四平開髖一字馬
Outside “Eight” Character “One” Low Horse Stance Challenge：
- Hold 1 second for 1 point, total is 100 seconds for 100 points
- Outside Eight: This is describing our feet placement is like the upside down Eight in Chinese 八, so our feet points outward. This is different than our regular horse stance where the two feet are parallel to each other
- Character One in Chinese is 一 just one straight horizontal line. So both thighs make ONE STRAIGHT LINE
If your thighs form an Up triangle like the letter “A”, it is wrong! Keep your thighs ONE STRAIGHT LINE
If your thighs form an Down triangle like the letter “V”, it is wrong! Keep your thighs ONE STRAIGHT LINE
Just look in the mirror, and draw ONE STRAIGHT LINE!
Many Shaolin/external style practitioners focus on a low horse stance to get strong legs and strong thighs. However, that is not the purpose of low horse stance when it comes to internal training. For internal Gong development, this exercise develops and opens the hip joints. This is the equivalent of our “Shovel Arms” for the upper body.
Traditional Grading
- 5 minutes is minimum
- 15 minutes is passing grade
- 30 minutes is excellent
- 90 seconds is BARE MINIMUM
No matter what age group, the BARE MINIMUM 90 seconds is a strongly recommended to maintain. At this level, it gaurantees the basic vitality of your lower extremeties.
For Gong development, we do not measure the total amount of time you stand. Instead, we measure the time of your involuntary shake. At the beginning, you may only hold the shake for 30 seconds. As you slowly increase the time of holding this critical point, your Gong improves. This is one of those secret exercises that can rapidly develop your Gong in a very short amount of time.
Say most people can hold this shake for 30 seconds. You rapidly rapidly increased your hold to 5 minutes over a 3 month period by training 5 minutes a day. You literally 10x the average person in this particular skill. This is why we say 功不過百日 Gong develops under 100 days.
Now you know the secrets. It’s simple. Again, simple is not easy. Now go do it.
