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vegeta
07-09-2001, 10:50 PM
Hi ppl!!!

great forum!

ok i'l get to my point.
me and 3 of ma mates have been doin jkd private with this i know for about a year. 2 of them are doing very well. but 2 of us are good but we cant get to grips with the footwork!!!!!!!!!!
i would just like to know what is the best way for me to train my foot work also how can i have speed????

thankz!!!!

to have no limitation as a limitation (Bruce Lee)

Daedalus
07-09-2001, 11:30 PM
Dancing is a good way to improve your footwork and it causes you to be more relaxed also.

I train with my dog (female collie). She has a bad habit of wanting to jump up on people(my fault). I get her to try and jump up on me and I use my footwork to dodge her. Its alot of fun and quite a cardiovascular workout to boot.

Bruce Lee emphasized natural footwork.

As far as speed goes,..there is a good book out entitled "Warrior Speed". It is very informative and helpful.

shaolinboxer
07-10-2001, 04:41 PM
To get your foot work try visualizing a sparring partner and "react" to his attacks.

4 Ranges
07-10-2001, 05:27 PM
Here are some things I keep in mind when I train my footwork:

- focus on the basics. Don't start getting fancy like Hamed does, and start dancing around like MC Hammer. Preserve your form (structure)in movement. Don't break it, just because you feel like it. Be very disciplined with this. Most of all, stick with the proven basics of footwork: efficiency of movement, without disturbing the fighter's structure, or compromising his defense.

- focus on LIGHTNESS. Maintain a light, playful quality to your footwork. It's not a bodybuilding exercise, where you do footwork to failure. A previous post mentioned dancing as a good exercise to develop these attributes. I agree with that completely.

- focus on RHYTHM and BREAKING that rhythm. In fighting multiple opponents, you can't just go on an even, easy stride. You go from aerobic to anaerobic and back to aerobic in the space of 10 seconds. When you create a rhythm for yourself, your footwork is more aerobic (long easy strides). But when you BREAK that rhythm, and incorporate quick bursts of sharp pivots and lunges, then it becomes more anaerobic. Very beneficial, as the rhythm of a fight is never consistent.

- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I once read that Ted Wong said that Bruce Lee isolated his footwork training, and trained it for THOUSANDS OF HOURS. Heck, if Bruce Lee had to do that, imagine what we have to do? Speed in technique and footwork is accomplished by being so comfortable with their execution. So comfortable, that varying the pace of the execution (be it fast or hyper-fast), will not be a problem for your system. And this can only be accomplished through constant (and often tedious) practice. There is no other way, really.

Hope this helps.

Never confuse sparring with fighting. One is an exchange of skill; the other an exchange of blood.

vegeta
07-10-2001, 11:12 PM
thanks for your help everyone

what type of dancing should i do???

to have no limitation as a limitation (Bruce Lee)

BAI HE
07-11-2001, 01:14 AM
One of Bruce Lee's original books " B.L.'s Fighting Method" Vol. II "Basic Training" covers his techniques and drills with pretty good photo's.

I think it's an Ohara publication. :p

Losttrak
07-11-2001, 05:32 PM
Go to your standard meat market and get freaky. Dancing is also good to reduce some of your secondary motion illiteracy. If you notice that the only dance moves you do look like kung fu... then you have it. I will help make your moves more spontaneous and increase your coordination with unfamiliar movements. Just do your best to avoid looking like Jean Claude Van Damme in "Kickboxer."

"If you and I agree all the time, then one of us is unnecessary."

ELFdisciple
07-30-2001, 02:55 PM
Other than dancing are there any other ways to improve footwork? I have excercises for both my KF and Karate that help with footwork, but they don't seem to be getting the results I want. I have studied the footwork of many different types of fighters to get ideas for what is best. Fencing, boxing, MA, etc. I have even looked to sports for ideas, soccer players (for example) have some great footwork for ball control that can easily be converted to a MA application.

ELFdisciple

Lineage holder and direct disciple to the 37th Patriarch of Emperor's Long-Fist

Practitioner of:
Internal Iron Palm
Genki Ryu Do Karate
White Crane and Spirit Dragon SCA combat

martialdoulos
07-31-2001, 04:39 PM
Hi there.

If you need to seriously improve, I would recommend a Ted Wong Seminar. He is known for his footwork, and I have learned a great deal from him at his seminars. He tends to do them all over the place, so check it out for your area. Sorry to say I can't give you a website off hand...

Also, I completely agree with 4 Ranges -- he said pretty much what I would have...

Important points:
Consistent foot spacing during all movement
Consistent weight displacement during all movement

This is difficult to do -- look at your feet when you practice footwork. You can feel whether or not you are right ONLY after you are proficient. When trying to improve, look at your feet. Check spacing and weight displacement.

Hope this is helpful...

vegeta
08-03-2001, 12:42 AM
thanx i'll giv them a try

to have no limitation as a limitation (Bruce Lee)