Hebīsutansu

The starting defensive stance for Taiho’s taijutsu style. It is best that he enter this stance before a combination or at the end of a combination. To enter this stance he will shift his body until it is facing his primary target before sliding his dominant foot back to stabilize his body and absorb any energy from any forceful attacks. He will then bend his knees slightly to ground himself before raising both arms, dominant behind passive in a guarding cross that rests a few inches above his chest. While in this stance any normal strike to the chest can be absorbed, through simply flowing with the strike, or redirected, by moving the arm used to block to the side causing the attack to be deflected. Actual taijutsu techniques will still get through the guard.