Footwork

[EARTH DRAGON]

What type of footwork do you find works best for you, or that you feel comfortable using to defeat you opponent or gain an advantage over them....

[Leonidas]

I like Tai Sabaki. it's not CMA but it works just as good. I been practicing it by myself but i gotta find a Traditional school to learn it fully and correct somethings

[grifter721]

I am not sure what you mean, you normally use the footwork in your system...but if I think what you mean is....Then, getting into a good middle stance you make yourself a smaller target and you can easily break out into any other stance from it. That is teh stance that I feel most comfortable in when sparring.

[Poison'dDragon]

I like using a narrower horse stance as much as I can ,but I fequently use Western Fencing footwork (my origional MA) when retreating or advancing quickly.

[EARTH DRAGON]

Well what I am getting is we have a variety of differnet foot work for different reasons, sliding, stepping, hopping , jumping as so on , so I was wondering what everyone felt the most comfortable using.... say to enter into their opponerts space , evade or move around..

[grifter721]

Well as I said, a middle stance is perfect for advancing, a simple hop back is good for for an overwhelming opponent, however you have to set up your next move nicely. But yeah a good middle stance is by far my favourite and most comfortable stance.

Since you started this topic what is your ED.

[EARTH DRAGON]

Well I have the most luck and feel most comfortable with
CHUANG BU –which is a long step in a 45 degree angle which allows maximum movement with minimal effort. It allows you do attack the side doors and back doors of your opponent with a simple step, it is our foot work that has gained so much respect and recongnition and allows us to move around our opponent with ease. Much more effecient than a lot of systems I have had the pleasure to experience.

[yu shan]

Earth Dragon

I appreciate this thread on footwork. The hidden obscurest footwork of Mantis Gong Fu is second to known! I have been taught to be constant and deceptive! My question to you friend, what are your hands doing? Peace!

Leonidas

Seal Quote was cool-word up!

Poison

Fencing footwork is great straight-line, you guys are fast! I agree on the narrow horse stance,characteristic of Northern Mantis. Do you notice how our southern friends tend to have sore knees w/those wide horse stances? Very easily swepted. Peace!

[flem]

yu shan

i agree with the ineffectiveness of wide low stances, but i do not think they were ever intended for fighting. i think they are meant to condition the body in various ways, not only for tendon/ligament strength and flexibility, but also for leg strength- as in to prepare for their inevitable weakening of the legs from body blows- the same purpose running serves for boxers. as far as knee problems, i think that has several causes, the main one is incorrect posture and this is most often caused by beginning MA to late in life. their are several postures in ballet that are impossible to achieve once the tendon/ligaments are set, and it is the same with MA. i believe that bruce lee's concept of footwork is best. his main stance was a stand up mantis stance. i also think he was correct in taking out crossing the feet, as in a lady horse stance. his reasoning is that it to easy to get knocked down, and i agree. if you haven't already, read tao of jeet kune do.

[EARTH DRAGON]

I would havve to say that he hands are waving........... as in good bye ......like when you make them dizzy by skating around them with ease...... LOL

[yu shan]

Flem

Well put, thank you.