# Need help approaching the mess that is my footwork.



## MoldyCookie (Jul 16, 2022)

My first contact sport was Olympic fencing. Did it for about a year. So my forward and backward movement is.. we'll say comfortable.

But now that I'm training boxing, I need to learn how to move side to side.

I still can never seem to get it right.

Even worse when I think about, not just moving side to side, but moving to the side while CIRCLING.

I understand the mechanics, move the leg closer to where you're going first. Fine. But I feel extremely clumsy and off balance and slow.

Then I consider having to duck and weave while circling and doing that "angles" black magic stuff. Then it all falls apart in my mind.

Where do I start with this? How do I even begin to tackle this problem? I'm just clueless.


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## JowGaWolf (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> My first contact sport was Olympic fencing. Did it for about a year. So my forward and backward movement is.. we'll say comfortable.
> 
> But now that I'm training boxing, I need to learn how to move side to side.
> 
> ...


You are thinking about too many things.  Just focus on your footwork.  Moving side to side is the same thing as circling.  First learn side to side and then learn circling.  You'll have one less thing to think about once your footwork is on auto pilot.  Only then would I try to add other stuff


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## Buka (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> My first contact sport was Olympic fencing. Did it for about a year. So my forward and backward movement is.. we'll say comfortable.
> 
> But now that I'm training boxing, I need to learn how to move side to side.
> 
> ...


Welcome to MartialTalk, MoldyCookie. Hope you enjoy it here. 

You're training boxing, your trainer will work that with you. What have you done so far?


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## MoldyCookie (Jul 16, 2022)

Buka said:


> Welcome to MartialTalk, MoldyCookie. Hope you enjoy it here.
> 
> You're training boxing, your trainer will work that with you. What have you done so far?



Not a whole lot. He taught me how to jab while getting off the center line and is always trying to get me to do more of that.

Aside from that, all of my circular footwork stuff has been from moving around the bags. Never have been able to translate that into sparring though.


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## Buka (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> Not a whole lot. He taught me how to jab while getting off the center line and is always trying to get me to do more of that.
> 
> Aside from that, all of my circular footwork stuff has been from moving around the bags. Never have been able to translate that into sparring though.


Sounds like he has you on the right track. The jab is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built. Don't let it bore you, work it until your arm falls off. 

Moving around the bags is good, get's you to move and not be in one spot. What I think you're going to find is - as you do these simple drills, they'll eventually flip that switch of the lightbulb over your had  and you'll go, "Aha!"

Have patience, work your butt off, keep your hands up and your chin down - and, brother, enjoy the heck out of the journey. It just gets better and better. No foolin'.


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## drop bear (Jul 16, 2022)

So you can actually move side to side. You just can't translate it to sparring?


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## MoldyCookie (Jul 16, 2022)

drop bear said:


> So you can actually move side to side. You just can't translate it to sparring?



That's the main issue. In actual truth, even as I'm standing here in my room practicing a little bit, it feels super foreign.


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## drop bear (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> That's the main issue. In actual truth, even as I'm standing here in my room practicing a little bit, it feels super foreign.



Alright try a slip rope.


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## MoldyCookie (Jul 16, 2022)

drop bear said:


> Alright try a slip rope.



Isn't this just more forwards and backwards movement?



Buka said:


> Sounds like he has you on the right track. The jab is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built. Don't let it bore you, work it until your arm falls off.
> 
> Moving around the bags is good, get's you to move and not be in one spot. What I think you're going to find is - as you do these simple drills, they'll eventually flip that switch of the lightbulb over your had  and you'll go, "Aha!"
> 
> Have patience, work your butt off, keep your hands up and your chin down - and, brother, enjoy the heck out of the journey. It just gets better and better. No foolin'.



So you're saying keep doing what I am doing and the two should come together eventually?


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> all of my circular footwork stuff has been from moving around the bags. Never have been able to translate that into sparring though.


I'll suggest the following 3 steps training.

Step 1 - 3 feet line up.

1. Line up your back foot with your opponent's both feet.
2. You move in and attack.





Step 2 - Conservative circle walking. You move your back foot 1 feet. You then move your leading foot 3 inch.





Step 3 - Aggressive circle walking. Always start with your back foot first, stay low, use big steps, move fast.


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## Buka (Jul 16, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> Isn't this just more forwards and backwards movement?
> 
> 
> 
> So you're saying keep doing what I am doing and the two should come together eventually?


They will come together eventually. But if you take it upon yourself to follow Drop Bear's suggestion about using a slip rope, they'll come together quicker AND better.

It's not the forward and back with the slip rope that's the main focus, it's the moving your head under the rope (a punch) coming up outside of that punch (rope) and countering or resetting.

In boxing, when you evade something, you want to do it by the inch, not by feet. The closer the better.
If you evade by several feet you just have to start over again in that particular sparring set.

The slip rope is a great drill to do at home, too.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jul 16, 2022)

Sounds like you're still pretty new. My recommendation would honestly be continue training and eventually it will come together. If you're 6 months in and still having issues, then take a look again. 

If you're impatient, and have free time, like others said the slip rope drill is a good one. If you've got someone to train with at home, they don't have to do all that much, buy some focus mitts and have them move around a learn a few focus mitts drill (if you aren't sure we can recommend drills for you). Important thing for that though would be to make sure that they're moving around constantly, and you're following them, so you're doing footwork the entire time and having to transition from just footwork to adding punches suddenly, when an 'opening' arises.

If you want to do something a bit novel, that might give you an edge because it's not traditional in boxing, learn some kali (or arnis/escrima). Obviously I'd recommend in person, but for this purpose even videos would help. A lot of kali is focused on footwork, and spending a lot of time training just cutting angles. It will take a bit to click how it works with punching, but once it does you'll see huge improvements in your footwork.


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## Rich Parsons (Jul 17, 2022)

MoldyCookie said:


> My first contact sport was Olympic fencing. Did it for about a year. So my forward and backward movement is.. we'll say comfortable.
> 
> But now that I'm training boxing, I need to learn how to move side to side.
> 
> ...




Many FMA will teach one to step 45 degrees in their circle. This puts many beginners a little too close for their mind. 
So instead of stepping side to side. (above Rope Slipping)
Or front and back (Fencing) 
Step at an angle, say about 30 degrees. 
* What the heck is rich talking about, 30 degrees to what? *
If you move forward or back that is the up and down line axis for the graph.
The side to is the other line for axis. So step about 30 degrees forward from straight side to side. 
Then square up. 
Then step again. And repeat. 
you will have a larger circle. 
..
Stepping 45 will get you a tighter circle. 
I recommend the 30 degree to begin with for comfort and the number of steps the student takes while learning is slightly more. 

No need to do anything with the hands other than keeping them up. 
Once you feel comfortable with the stepping, add in one combination step and repeat. 
Yes it will be more difficult than one might expect. 

Good Luck.


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## JowGaWolf (Jul 17, 2022)

Buka said:


> What I think you're going to find is - as you do these simple drills, they'll eventually flip that switch of the lightbulb over your had and you'll go, "Aha!


definitely this.  One day it will all make sense.


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## JowGaWolf (Jul 17, 2022)

Buka said:


> In boxing, when you evade something, you want to do it by the inch, not by feet. The closer the better.
> If you evade by several feet you just have to start over again in that particular sparring set.


This is pretty much with every striking system.  It's a pain to enter that striking range sometimes, so once we are in that range it's good to stay close to that range.  Moving outside that range just means we have to start over with that nightmare of trying to get back into range.  The good news is that it usually only takes a few inches of footwork to get out of the way of strikes.


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