Bow Stance: GUNG JEON BO
By Phil on Feb. 23, 2009.
Introduction by Ilchi Lee: In Gung-jeon-bo, or Bow Stance, your front leg is curved like a bow and your back leg is straight like an arrow. The point of this stance is to feel the contrastive pressure on the pelvis and to correctly align the angle of the hip joints. It straightens the lower back, adjusts the spine and pelvis, and develops the strength of the back part of the thigh, spreading energy to the whole body.
Set: The front leg should be held so that the shin is perpendicular to the ground and the back leg should be held with the knee extended straight and the heel touching the ground. The body is held erect and the lower back kept straight like an arrow notched in a taut bow string. The front leg supports the upper body and keeps it from leaning; the back leg presses firmly into the ground for support.
If the left foot is in front, this stance is called Jwa-gung-bo (Left Bow Stance); if the right foot is in front, it is called U-gung-bo (Right Bow Stance).
1. Move your hands in front of your chest and position them as if holding a ball.
2. Take one step forward with your left foot and use your hips to press down lightly on the sole of your foot.
3. Bend your left leg so that your shin is perpendicular to the floor and straighten your right leg, locking your knee and pressing downward into the floor with the heel of your foot.
4. With both hands positioned at the center of your body and your elbows slightly bent, extend your right hand and bring your left hand below your right elbow. Your hands and feet are positioned opposite to each other at this time.
5. Now, repeat the same motion on the other side.
Category: Ilchi Lee