Shotokan's Secret

Where I learned shotokan, we had 2 sets of front stance (Zenkutsu dashi): one for basic techniques and one for sparring.

The basic (and kata) stance was lower, with the feet longer apart (approx twice shoulder width) whereas the sparring stance was slightly larger than shoulder width.

Watching some black and white footage of shotokan katas and training in dojos of other styles, I noticed their basic stance were similar to our sparring stance. In other schools, I have many times been corrected on my stance being too wide.


I remember reading (somewhere, I unfortunately cannot recall my source) that the deep lower stance was actually a secret training method that the original masters only showed their most trusted students. Along the way, the JKA decided to break the secret and have everyone train in low stances.


So the question is:
The deep, low stances: Shotoism to make stances look more impressive, or secret training technique?

Hi,
I think it must have been a secret training method, like NaiHanChi (Tekki), you practice low, to strengthen your leg muscles (isometrics), in usage (bunkai) you move effortlessly and fast in a more natural stance (higher, narrower).
Saludos

The comments above spark a couple of replies.

First, hard-style karate comes from Matsumura's discovery that body momentum could knock Chinese fighters out of their rooted stances. This let him use leg power to drive the body forward at high speed, generating the momentum. Suddenly leg muscles were vastly more important that chest muscles. Shuri fighters stopped lifting weights and started squatting. The "physical conditioning" explanation undoubtedly has merit under the circumstances.

Second, the "high" front stance and the "long-low" front stance are endpoints in a process. You start in the high position, "explode" forward in a front punch (or reverse punch), and end in a long-low stance. The long-low stance is like an expended cartridge --- it has nothing left. You don't start a fight in that stance; you end it in that stance. However, making beginners march around in that stance develops the muscles for the enormous acceleration needed to use the body-momentum weapon.

Reflect that Shotokan sensei have not needed linear power in a century. Of course their teachings have become unclear on the subject.