Ma Bu
馬步
Literally: horse step
Also known as: Horse Stance, Horse-Riding Stance, Qi Ma Bu
Ma bu (馬步) is a wushu horse stance with the feet slightly wider than the shoulders, the thighs parallel to the ground, and the weight split 50/50.
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Ma bu (馬步), known in English as horse stance or horse-riding stance (qi ma bu), is a horse stance of Chinese wushu. The feet are parallel, slightly wider than the shoulders and pointing forward, knees bent to 90°, thighs parallel to the ground. The weight is even on both legs, the sacrum arched forward, the tailbone tucked under the body. Ma bu serves both as a transitional stance and a conditioning exercise; a source says kung fu masters often require students to hold it for at least five minutes. It differs from gong bu in weight distribution, 50/50 instead of 70/30 in favor of the front leg. It is one of the five basic stances of contemporary sport wushu, set by the People's Republic of China. Contemporary sport wushu practitioners hold ma bu lower than practitioners of traditional kung fu.