While sparring, most students are concerned about which technique to use, but few consider the importance of footwork. Without proper footwork, you may never have an opportunity to use a technique (either offensive or defensive). Therefore, footwork is an integral part of every sparring technique. According to Newton's laws of motion, an object at rest tends to remain at rest and an object in motion tends to remain in motion. If you fight from a stationary stance, you must overcome inertia to attack or avoid. If you are already moving, you need only to redirect your inertia. The mobility furnished by footwork, give you an opportunity to attack and it helps you avoid an attack.

Footwork allows you to

• Get in, strike, and get out quickly; not just stay in range and pound it out with opponent until one retreats.

• Increase speed of offensive or defensive techniques.

• Adjust range.

• Close the gap.

• Attack from angles.

• Lure opponents into range.

• Avoid attacks without using arms, which free them to immediately counterattack.

Footwork components

• Awareness of your opponent's movements. Being able to flow with opponents movements so opponent never gets an advantage.

• Smooth, natural movements. Do not make jerky unnatural movements that draw attention to your movement.

• Range awareness. Always knowing the range of:

  • Your weapons

  • Opponent's weapons

  • Between you and your opponent

    • This range is constantly changing

    • Actual range is the distance between you and your opponent

    • Effective range varies according to:

      • Your reaction speed

      • Opponent's reaction speed

      • Your quickness of movement

      • Opponent's quickness of movement

• Stability. Always begin and end a movement from a stable position

All footwork is initiated from a guard position (fighting stance). There are many guard variations, choose one that is effective for you and that your are conformable using so you are not tense and may react instantly. The guard should have your strong side forward, hands up near cheek bones, with elbows tucked in. Lead shoulder slightly raised and chin tucked. Lead knee turned slightly inward to defend groin area. Both heels slightly raised for quick movement. Both knees bent as much as possible while still permitting smooth, quick movement. Bent knees permit quick jumping without have to telegraph a jump by first bending the knees.

Footwork does mean useless bouncing around just for the sake of movement. Footwork is used to advance, retreat, or circle. Every movement should be purposeful, either to

• Attack

• Position yourself for an attack

• Avoid an attack

• Move put of opponent's range of attack