Tips on footwork drills?

[JPR]

“the essences of fighting is the art of moving…” Bruce Lee

What methods do you use to drill footwork? What training methods do you use to go beyond just drilling the techniques (shuffle step, slide and step, etc.)?

JPR

 

[Gary Crawford]

Forcing myself to actually DO footwork drills is tough enough,but worth the effort

 

[Flatlander]

I do not specifically work on any "footwork drills", persay. I do, however, pay very close attention to the footwork that I do, and correct it when I see that I am putting myself into an unstable position.

One of the things that I have recently spent a lot of time paying attention to is my center of gravity. I have discovered that in clinch situations, I was remaining too high, and needed to get lower. I believe one of the reasons underlying that tendency was that I just did not spend enough time lower, and so was uncomfortable there. The other contributing factor was that I wasn't strong enough on my base when it was lowered, and was therefore not quite as mobile. Mobility, for me, is key to survival. I'm not a large bulky man, and need to be able to move and position in order to find success. I decided to work the problem, and see if I could generate any results.

What I've done is basically gotten down very low, in a right lead, and felt my center of gravity. I then slowly shift my center from one foot to the other, gradually speeding up the shifting, all the while conscious of my center, not letting it go. I get to the point where I feel as though I am "tossing" my center back and forth, from foot to foot, and simply carry on with this until I get bored, and then switch it up. I remain low in my stance, but begin to "shuffle" my feet around, whilst maintaining that "tossing" feeling, so that my center is always under control. This may not have translated very well into words, but, wotthehell.

That's my footwork story.

 

[loki09789]

In terms of athletic performance, martial arts footwork is the 'quickness and agility drills' skill component. Do it, do it, do it. If you watch the pre-game warm ups of most professional athletes they do 'footwork' every time. It might look different from MA footwork, but the idea of being able to make quick, balanced and coordinated transfer of energy and bodyshifts happen well can only happen with consistent practice.

There is no trick to it but work ethic.

 

[Gary Crawford]

The drill that helps me the most,speed and balance wise is the basic "rear foot replaces front foot shuffle" going forward and back being explosive as I can with it.If you center of gravity is too high,you tend to lean forward uncontrolably,so making center of gravity low is essencial.I like what Dan is doing,that should help one feel their center.

 

[achilles]

Most of the drills I use for footwork I got from the JFJKD textbook by Chris Kent and Tim Tacket and from my experience training with Jeff Westfall (whose tapes are sometimes for sale on ebay) who incidentally uses many of the same drills, but his take on them is well worth revisting seemingly familiar territory. Off the top of my head I like the mirror drill, shadow closing drill (these two look similar but are different in intent and effect), along with several progressions of these drills that include adding new variables. These different variables can exemplify different stratgies as well as different situations a JKD fighter might enounter.

You should also experiment with attacking while moving with the different footwork patterns and in different directions; however, you will quickly notice that some footworks are much better suited tactically and ergonomically (sp?) for particular tools (e.g. the step and slide is not as well suited for the lead punch as the push shuffle since it doesn't project the body and punching while simultaneously moving backwards is not prefered in JKD). Both Kali and Judo make use of being able to attack while moving in the basic eight directions, and it seems to follow that a good JKD mand should be able to do the same.
Another thing I think about is how to apply the 5 ways of attack to my footwork. Most people think about footwork in a single and direct way. However, footwork can also be used in combination, in a progressive and indirect manner, to draw the opponent and also to immobilize him. Boxing, wrestling and Fencing (as well as a host of other competetive arts) use these tactics, but it is within the 5 ways model that a clear, complete and cohesive strategy emerges. You can also use footwork proactively and reactively as a rather effective form of defense. I often use a move-stick-and-move strategy. Also important is the antithesis of this range fighting strategy, infighting, which makes the use of mostly upperbody evasion and perhaps circling depending on how you define it.

 

[kroh]

Make sure you check your balance when you try all these drills... All fun and games untill you loose your balance...

Walt %-}