34. There are no stances such as neko-ashi, zenkutsu or kokutsu in my karate. Neko-ashi is a form of “floating foot” which is considered very bad in bujutsu. If one receives a body strike, one will be thrown off balance. Zenkutsu and kokutsu are unnatural, and prevent free leg movement.
The stance in my karate, whether in kata of kumite, is like Naifaunchin, with the knees slightly bent, and the foot work is free. When defending or attacking, I tighten the knees and drop the hips, but I do not put my weight on either front or back foot, rather keeping it evenly distributed.
COLLECTION OF SAYINGS BY MOTOBU CHOKI By Nakata Mizuhiko, Overseen by Marukawa, 1978 Translation © 2001 by Joe Swift
