Niunja Sogi
니은자서기
Literally: ㄴ-shaped (L) stance
Also known as: L-stance, Niunja Seogi
The L-stance in ITF taekwondo with 70 % of the weight on the rear leg; used mainly for defence, with the lightened front leg ready to kick.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Feet too close together, too little weight on the rear leg, both legs straight, toes turned outward, and the rear leg bent too much, which weakens forward blocks.
Katas containing this technique
About
Niunja sogi (니은자서기), the L-stance, takes its name from the Korean letter niun (ㄴ), whose shape the feet resemble. One foot moves forward or backward by roughly one and a half shoulder widths, the feet form nearly a right angle, and both toes turn inward by about fifteen degrees. The rear leg bends so that the kneecap sits vertically above the toes, and the front leg bends proportionately. About 70 % of the weight rests on the rear leg, and 30 % on the front. The stance is used mainly for defence but also in attack; after a small weight shift, the front leg can kick quickly. In the first tul, Chon-Ji, the practitioner takes it twice; in Dan-Gun, in six of its twenty-one movements, during blocks and ridge-hand strikes and during a double forearm block. In WT taekwondo, a similar stance is called dwit kubi.