This is definitely my favourite, and probably one of the best, leg exercises you can do for Kuk Sool Won training. Done this way, it trains strength and flexibility in the deepest ranges of motion that most leg exercises never come close to.
The Cossack Squat
This is an ever-present exercise in my training. I most often do it during stretching sessions and our circuit classes as this variation doesn’t require too much freshness in the legs and doesn’t leave me fatigued for days. It is more about learning to control your body position in the deepest ranges of motion and never sacrificing technique. Done right, it builds strong legs and mobility specifically for forms, since it mimics the position of so many of our stances.
Same Exercise, Different Hip Positions
The cossack squat done with the two foot positions below is so powerful because it is training our hip in straight leg abduction, then has an active external hip rotation when turning the toes up — the toes up position increases the hamstring stretch and works the shorter adductor muscles more. All this while unilaterally squatting on the other leg, working the glute and quad strength in their deepest stretches. On top of that, your deep hip stabilisers have to work extra hard to keep you balanced with the knee tracking out over your toes.
You don’t need to know or think about any of that though — just know that training it this way takes your hip through a variety of positions, not just one.
How to Do It
- Find your stance. Start with your feet around 2 to 3 times shoulder width apart.
- Squat down to one side, keeping the other leg straight. Keep your back neutral and upright — think like you’re holding a stance in a form — and keep pushing your bent knee out in line with your toes, not letting it cave inwards. If either breaks down, you’re past your limit; train within the range you can stay strict in.
- Watch your weight. A common mistake is sitting back into your heels, which pulls your hips back and your chest forward. Keep some pressure through the ball of your foot to stay more upright.
- Turn your toes up. Once you’ve hit your lowest point with feet flat, turn the toes of your outstretched leg up and sink even lower — same two rules apply. This is what gets you the extra hamstring stretch and a deeper squat.
- Transition, don’t stand up. Instead of pushing back to standing, slide through a low horse stance and do the same on the other side. Both sides = one rep.
Train it at least once a week, aiming for 3 sets of 6–10 reps to start. You can do all three sets in one workout or spread them out.
I’m not naturally flexible — a year ago a full sit-down cossack squat felt way out of reach. Training it this way, consistently, for about a year, is what’s made the difference for me. Don’t expect drastic changes quickly, just stay strict and you’ll gradually build your range of motion with good mechanics.
Biasing Strength or Flexibility
If you want to train for strength: hold some extra weight. A kettlebell works well. Just note that holding a weight in front of you will actually make it easier to go deeper and give a false sense of flexibility. This can be useful if you are very stiff but don’t rely on it as it will then encourage you to lean forward when doing them unweighted. We want to be able to hold our posture fairly upright, without weight, to be able to use these positions in our hyung (forms training).
Training for flexibility? Focus on depth with good technique, and spend more time sitting at the bottom of each rep rather than rushing through it. 1-3 secs at your deepest range will suffice. Weight can also be useful here, but think about it as pulling you deeper into the stretch. It doesn’t need to be heavy.
Why It Matters for Kuk Sool Won Specifically
This isn’t just a general leg exercise I picked because it looks good on camera. The hip mobility and lateral control you build here carry directly into your forms. If you’ve ever felt tight or unstable dropping into a deep stance, time spent here is time well spent.
How low can you go? Drop a comment on the reel and let me know — I’ve already had some of you send me clips of your Cossack Squat to look at, which has been great to see. Keep them coming!