Get A Move On!
In many private lessons and classes, I have taught over the years, I have noticed that poor footwork will often negate good stick technique.
Sub-optimal footwork has reared its head enough that new students are introduced to this topic on day one. I will go through some basic footwork and stance drills, often through the angles of attack, to ensure that good habits are established immediately. With good footwork established, good technique will follow.
I start with two very basic patterns/drills. The first is the one-step footwork, illustrated below.
As one can see, it’s done in a V-shaped pattern, stepping at a 45-degree angle either to the right or the left. Here’s the basic one-step footwork exercise:
The one-step footwork aims to drive home the need to angle off from an attack.
The second footwork pattern taught in Modern Arnis is the two-step.
The above sequence is somewhat akin to the Ginga of capoeira.
YouTube video here.
While there are substantial differences between the Modern Arnis two-step footwork and the capoeira Ginga, much having to do with the orientation of the feet and centerline and the rhythm/timing of the movement, the principle is similar in the sense of “stepping over the railroad tracks.”
When it comes to the two-step, most have trouble with the second step, as illustrated below.
A common mistake is to step with the right foot only and leave the back/left foot on the railroad tracks. You can see the problem with this position. Anytime I see this, I get on the student’s case about this. This is, by far, the most common mistake with the two-step footwork that I see. That said, this is merely a technical mistake.
These are the first two footwork patterns I teach in private lessons and in my classes. We incorporate other kinds of footwork, such as those associated with sweep strokes, body manipulation techniques, takedowns, and throws.
Once the one-step and two-step footwork patterns are learned and the technical mistakes rectified, the practitioner needs to go beyond robotic stepping and progress into being comfortable moving their feet around. This is crucial.
If the student remains stuck at the robotic stage, the execution of techniques will be robotic.
I have found that transitioning from robotic footwork to being light and agile on your feet takes considerable practice.
A student should be as comfortable with moving around and using their feet as they are picking up their eating utensils. Make no mistake; this takes time, patience, and repetition.
Let me repeat; it takes quite a while to transition from robotic footwork to being nimble, agile, and deceptive in your footwork.
If you do not move properly, you will not be able to defend. If you do not move properly, you will not be able to hit the other guy. It’s as simple as it gets.
If you have time at home, practice your footwork for a few minutes every day. You’ll notice that you will become less robotic and more natural in moving over time. With practice, you’ll have nimble feet like the guy below. 🙂
If you are not able to view this video, click here.
Additional Reading
[…] The footwork analyzed by the above video is similar to the “one step footwork” of Modern Arnis. Other FMAs would call this the “female triangle footwork.” I took the below photos for a past post. […]
[…] I’ve been heavily emphasizing this basic footwork pattern in class and am pondering different […]