Front Stance

Zenkutsu Dachi (front stance) is the foundational stance of karate kata. Long and deep, it roots the practitioner to the ground and enables the hip rotation that generates power in punches and blocks. In Shotokan, the stance is longer and lower than its Taekwondo equivalent (Apkubi Seogi); in Goju-ryu and Okinawan styles it tends to be somewhat shorter. The front stance appears in virtually every basic kata from Heian Shodan through Bassai Dai and beyond.