The Self-Defence Ready Stance

In most self-defence situations, the first priority is to avoid violence altogether. Good awareness, calm communication and de-escalation should always be your preferred options.

However, if a situation continues to deteriorate, it is important to adopt a posture that allows you to protect yourself while still appearing non-threatening. At London Kempo, we refer to this as the Self-Defence Ready Stance.

From this position, you are better prepared to defend yourself if necessary, while reducing the likelihood that your posture will unnecessarily escalate the situation.

Why Use This Stance?

The Self-Defence Ready Stance is designed to:

• Appear calm and non-threatening.
• Create a stable, balanced base.
• Protect vulnerable targets.
• Maintain a safe distance.
• Discourage an opponent from entering your personal space.
• Allow techniques to be delivered quickly and efficiently if required.

A good stance should allow you to move freely in any direction while remaining relaxed and alert.

The Position

Although there are small variations, the key features are:

• Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
• Place one foot slightly behind the other to create a stable, staggered stance.
• Bend your knees slightly and distribute your weight evenly so that you remain mobile.
• Angle your body towards the opponent at approximately 45 degrees. This presents a narrower target while keeping both hands available for defence.
• Keep your head upright, your posture relaxed, and your eyes on the opponent.

The Hands

The hands are perhaps the most important part of the stance.

Hold both hands open with relaxed fingers, signalling that you are not looking for a fight.

Extend the lead hand comfortably along your centre line to establish and protect your personal space. This naturally discourages an opponent from moving closer and provides an early point of contact should they suddenly attack.

Keep the rear hand relaxed but ready, close enough to protect the head and body while also being in a strong position to deliver an effective counter if absolutely necessary. Although prepared, it should not appear obviously “cocked” or aggressive.

Why It Works

One of the advantages of keeping your hands between yourself and your opponent is that any attack usually has to travel around, over or through them.

This provides valuable information. Rather than having to defend against attacks from every possible direction, your hands naturally narrow the paths by which an attack can reach you, making your opponent’s movements easier to recognise and react to.

Your lead hand also provides a useful reference point for judging distance and helps prevent an opponent from closing the gap unexpectedly.

Relaxed but Ready

The Self-Defence Ready Stance is not rigid.

Stay relaxed, breathe normally and avoid unnecessary tension. Your posture should communicate confidence and awareness rather than aggression.

Above all, remember that the purpose of the stance is to create time and options. If the situation can be resolved without violence, that is always the preferred outcome. If physical action becomes unavoidable, however, you are already in a balanced and well-prepared position from which to respond.

Practising the Ready Stance

Like any martial arts skill, the Self-Defence Ready Stance becomes more natural through regular practice.

Begin by practising stepping back into the stance from a relaxed, everyday posture. In a genuine confrontation, it is often better to create space while adopting a defensive position than to step forwards towards a potential attacker. Aim to move smoothly, naturally and without appearing confrontational. Whenever moving in the Self-Defence Ready Stance, avoid bringing your feet together. Maintain your stance width at all times to remain balanced, stable and ready to respond.

Once the stance feels comfortable, practise delivering simple techniques from it, such as palm heel strikes and front kicks to the groin. Focus on maintaining good balance and posture throughout, returning to the Ready Stance after each technique.

As your training progresses, practise with a partner. From the Ready Stance, work on responding to common attacks—such as a swinging punch—using the defensive movements and counter-attacks taught in class. You will discover that the stance naturally places you in a strong position to intercept attacks, control distance and deliver effective follow-up techniques, such as knee strikes, when appropriate.

Like all aspects of Kempo, the aim is not simply to adopt a position, but to develop the ability to move naturally into and out of it as situations change.

Summary

The Self-Defence Ready Stance is one of the simplest yet most important positions in Kempo. It reflects a central principle of practical self-defence: be prepared without appearing aggressive.

By creating a stable base, protecting your personal space, and placing your body in a strong defensive position, the Ready Stance allows you to remain calm, communicate confidently, and respond effectively only if necessary.

The best self-defence stance doesn’t invite a fight—it quietly prepares you for one while giving every opportunity to avoid it.