In the martial arts, students are taught very specific stances, or body positions. These dachi are important for balance and mobility, and each one has a strict weight ratio that the student must settle their body weight into for the dachi to be most effective. 

    About half of the dachi are 50-50 weight distribution, meaning that the student’s weight is settled evenly on both legs. However, half of the stances are intentionally not even, because it is more difficult to move one’s body out of a 50-50 stance (one has to shift one’s weight before they can move either foot from a 50-50 dachi.)

    In different dachi, students are also taught where to point their toes, and how to either grip the floor with their toes (for power) or keep their toes lifted off the mats (for speed). Each student is responsible to know the dachi names, positions, and weight ratios.

                                                                                              Weight Ratio of Feet

     There are many other dachi used in different martial arts styles, however the above are the stances that are used in the classical Isshinryu kata, and students will learn only these stances in an Isshinryu class.

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