空手　立ち方の基本　Basics of standing　

閉足立ち　Heisoku-dachi

直立の姿勢で、両足の踵もつま先もつけたまま足を閉じた形で立ちます。

Stand in an upright position with your feet closed, heels and toes touching.

結び立ち　Musubi-dachi

直立の姿勢で両足の踵はつけたままつま先を図のように開きます。ちょうど紐の結び目の様な形になることから、結び立ちと呼ばれています。
In karate, “musubi-dachi” is a basic standing stance. To assume musubi-dachi, stand up straight with your heels together. Then, open your toes so that they are about 30 degrees apart. This will create a stance that resembles a knotted string.

平行立ち　Heiko-dachi

両足を肩幅程度に開いて両足の外側が平行になるように立ちます。つま先は少し内側を向く形になるはずです。

Stand with both feet shoulder-width apart, ensuring that the outer edges of both feet are parallel. Your toes should be slightly pointing inward.

八字立ち　Hachiji-dachi

平行立ちの姿勢から、両足のつま先を外側に開き、前から見ると漢字の八の字になるように立ちます。

From the parallel stance, open your toes outward so that your feet form an “eight” shape from the front.

内八字立ち　Uchihachiji-dachi

ナイファンチ立ちとも呼ばれることもあります。

八字立ちの逆で、平行立ちの姿勢から踵側を外に開いて逆八の字になるように立ちます。

This is the opposite of 8-character standing, from a parallel standing position, stand with your heels facing outward in a reverse figure-eight formation.

自然立ち　Shizen-dachi

両足は肩幅程度に広げ、歩幅程度に左右の足を前後に広げます。下に目線を向けた時に前に出した足の親指が見えるか見えない程度に前足の膝を曲げて腰を軽く落とします。
Stand with both feet spread about shoulder-width apart and take a step’s distance between your left and right feet. Lower your body slightly by bending the knee of your front foot to a point where, when looking down, your front foot’s big toe is either slightly visible or not visible.

前屈立ち　Zenkutsu-dachi

自然立ちの姿勢から、さらに前後の足幅を大きくした姿勢です。視線を下に向けた時、前に出した足の膝先が親指の付け根部分に重なる程度に膝を曲げ、後ろの足は膝を伸ばし、つま先は外側を向く形になります。横幅の感覚については、前足の踵を後ろにまっすぐ下げた時に、後ろ足の踵と触れ合うくらいの幅が理想です。丹田   を意識し、どっしりと重心を落とします。
This is a posture where you widen your stance even further from a natural standing position. When looking down, the front foot’s knee should be bent to the point where the tip of the knee overlaps with the base of the thumb, and the back foot should be straight with the toes pointing outward. In terms of width, the ideal distance is when the heel of the front foot is lowered straight back and touches the heel of the back foot. Be conscious of your lower abdomen and lower your center of gravity firmly.

猫足立ち　Nekoashi-dachi

「結び立ち」の姿勢から、片方の足を前に出し、後ろ足に重心を乗せます。前に出した足は軽くつま先が地面に着く程度で踵は浮かせます。いつでも前に出した足で、蹴り技が繰り出せるようにバランスを保ちます。猫が前足で素早い攻撃を繰り出せる事からついた付けられた名前です。
From the “Musubi-dachi” position, move one foot forward and shift your weight onto the back foot. The forward foot lightly touches the ground with the toes while the heel remains raised, ensuring the balance is maintained for swift kicking maneuvers. The term “Neko” means cat, and “Ashi” means leg. It’s named so because of the similarity to a cat’s ability to swiftly attack using its front paws.

四股立ち　Shiko-dachi

両足を大きく横に開き（肩幅の1.5倍程度）、背筋は伸ばしたまま、膝を曲げ腰をどっしりと落とします。両足のつま先は45度程度広がる形です。お相撲さんの「四股踏み」と同じ形です。やはり丹田を意識して、丹田を真下に重心を落とす感覚です。慣れない内は長く姿勢を保つのが辛いですが、鍛錬により安定した姿勢が築けてきます。
Stand with your feet spread widely apart, approximately 1.5 times the width of your shoulders. Keep your back straight while bending your knees and lowering your hips firmly. Both toes should be pointed at around a 45-degree angle. This stance is similar to the basic “shiko-fumi” posture in sumo wrestling. It’s crucial to maintain awareness of your lower abdomen and focus your center of gravity directly beneath it. Although it might be challenging to sustain this posture initially, consistent practice will lead to a more stable stance.