A stance is a body position that is designed to achieve certain goals such as creating greater stability or improving movement.
"Stance" is a term used for certain codified body positions used in the martial arts that may involve body orientation, weight distribution, and hand positioning. They range from "neutral" positioning such as the traditional western boxing stance or the relaxed bent-knee position of a martial artist preparing to move without apparently preparing for a fight, to more extreme positions such as the "cat stance" will all weight on one leg, or the "hourglass stance" where the martial artist is standing sideways with the knees angled inwards to prepare for an explosive kick.
