When we are sparring one of the most important things you need to have is good footwork. If you can move on your feet wisely and swiftly your techniques will take you the rest of the way. Now which martial art am I talking about here? Am I talking about boxing? Am I talking about Jiu Jitsu? Am I talking about Karate?
Well… Yes. All of the above.
The truth is, regardless of how many times you will hear footwork associated with a style of martial art, that footwork will be 95% the same as a different style’s footwork. We are more unified than we think! Sure every art has its own nuances and minor differences in sparring/fighting and how they move, but at the end of the day there are only so many different ways the human body can move and only so many of those movements are advantageous for sparring. Here are some consistent things you will see across all martial arts.
- Don’t cross your feet when moving Laterally.
Some martial arts will stress this more than others. This is because some sparring systems will have higher consequences than others when it comes to this error. There are two main reasons why crossing your feet when moving side to side is a bad idea.
- You will lose some of your weapons. Crossing your feet will restrict which techniques you are able to throw based on which limbs are available. By crossing your feet, you are not leaving all options open for you to attack or defend.
- You will expose your back. Now, this is more of concern in some martial arts than others based on the rules of sparring that they have. In some styles, you can be quickly punished by being taken down while in other styles, turning your back will not have any acute consequences. Remember this though: By turning your back, you effectively create a blind spot. You will lose some vision to a degree, and Without this vision, it will be harder to react to your opponent.
2. Keep your opponent between your feet.
This is true in both stand up martial arts and martial arts on the ground. When fighting on the ground this is well known as the guard position. The guard position is actually a very advantageous position to be in. You hold the high ground and can execute a plethora of locks or chokes. YOUR OPTIONS ARE OPEN. When sparring standing up, this keeps your partner or opponent in front of you at all times. In this situation it makes it easy for you to stay on the offensive.
3. Get Off The Train Tracks!
This is the exact opposite of #2. This is because now we are talking about defense. Just like how on offense your goal is to keep your opponent between your feet, on defense, your goal is to stay outside your partners feet or their “train tracks”. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed otherwise like a train is coming straight at you! When you look at the fighting philosophy of Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee very seldomly “blocked”. Instead, he simply moved his body to get out of the way. This is what made Floyd Mayweather such a prolific Boxer. He was so good at bobbing and weaving, and using his feet to get out of the way. Getting off the train tracks requires you to move laterally, not just forward and back.
It is easy to see some common themes here with good footwork. Good footwork allows you to move multi-dimensionally. It helps you keep all options open to you, and it keeps you out of danger. So I will challenge you. The next time you spar, focus diligently on your footwork. If you can move efficiently and effectively, your basic techniques will take you the rest of the way!
