Instructions for the Bow Stance (Gong Bu) - Kung Fu & Wushu Stance

The Gong Bu stance can be translated as the "bow stance" or the "archer stance". The chinese name is 弓步 and the pinyin is gōng bù.

This is one of the five main stances (or steps) found in most of the chinese kung fu styles. There are some variations regarding the position of the feet or how deep the stance should be to be considered correct, but the principles are still the same.

Illustration of the Wushu Bow Stance (Gong Bu)

For a properly performed Gong Bu, you need to pay attention to a few things:

1. The front foot should point forward or just a little bit inward. Never let it point outward
2. The projection on the ground of the front knee must be inside of the footprint
3. The hip should face the front and not the side. For this you must turn the hip in the direction of the front foot
4. The back leg must be perfectly straight.
5. The rear foot must make a 45° angle with the front foot. Sometimes, because of lowering the stance too much, the practitioners tend to exceed the 45° angle and this is wrong. Also of much importance is the way the rear foot touches the ground. It should be flat on the ground, with the weight on the Yongquan point not on the inner side of the foot which is a common beginners mistake

References

1. Wudang Kung Fu Bucuresti, http://www.wdkf.ro | https://www.facebook.com/wdkf.ro, Added - 11/05/14