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My Sensei told me I should work more on my footwork and he showed me a couple of ways to do it but Im starting to get a bit discouraged...anybody have any footwork drills or anything that could give me some extra practice on top of my other drills?

someone else told me footwork is one of the most important things to focus on so, id like to focus on that more.

I did some things when I was working on my footwork that you may find helpful. In Wing Chun when we are in a front stance faceing forward there is a little space between our legs some people have truble with this the legs start to go in and before they know it there feet are in line with each other. To practice the footwork we had a place in our class where there was tape on the floor we used this as a training aid if you were doing it right both feet would be on opposite sides of the tape we had a mirror in front of us so we could see if we steped on the tape. I did this at home with a rope you could also use chalk to mark out a line.

If you have ever seen Jackie Chan's movie Snake in the Eagles Shadow his master draws foot prints where he should step sort of like some dance schools this could help. You can use rope as a way to make your self step right if you stake out a plase and put rope around the stakes you would have a way to force your self to use good footwork. Figure out a set patern stake it out and tie rope around just high enough for you to know if you step wrong you will tuch a rope. Using obstacles can help your footwork you will know for shure if you do it wrong this will help you to pick up your feet as well as geting in to a proper position.

It depends on your style. For fencing, we practice advancing from one side of the gym to the other, then retreating back. Then we usually do an excersize where we play a kind of simon says with the instructor.

When the instructor retreats, we advance. When the instructor advances, we retreat. When he guards, we extend. When he extrends, we guard. When he drops his guard, or advances without extending, we lunge.

It gets frusterating and tiresome, but it's a great way to practice footwork.

try doing shuffling drills, with your footwork, switching your footing, things like that. Then when you get bored when you're standing in a line or something, put yourself into a fighting position to get yourself used to the stance, so when you practice, it feels natural.

There are many ways to practice footwork. Try:

1. Runs stairs- if you have stairs in your house....run them up and down as fast as you can.

2. Sprint Side to Side

3. Take a ladder and practice running frontwards, backwards, and side to side. (Try not to fall...it hurts) or if you don't have a ladder.....take some chalk and draw yourself out one.

4. Picture a imaginary opponent. Imagine they're attacking you and counter their movements.

Hope these exercises are useful.

ok! biggrin
btw guys thanks ive been working on my footwork for awhile now and im really starting to see a big difference. when my footwork improved everything i did whether it was self defence, kumite and even drills! Im really glad!!! biggrin THANX