| Arguably one of the most influential and well-known | | | | or a retreat. |
| martial artists of our time, Bruce Lee once said "good | | | | The second 'shuffle step' technique is more |
| footwork can beat any attack". And not surprisingly, he | | | | aggressive, and allows you to put your bodyweight |
| founded Jeet Kune Do on the principles of staying | | | | behind a technique. The force should come from the |
| fluidly mobile. | | | | ball of your front foot, propelling your forward as a |
| What do you mean by footwork? Well, fancy | | | | pulling movement rather than a stepping movement. |
| footwork doesn't have to mean bouncing around the | | | | Retreating away from your opponent allows you to |
| ring like Muhammad Ali. The key to effective footwork | | | | reduce your chances of being hit, which is just as |
| in martial arts (and in particular, Jeet Kune Do) is to be | | | | important as your attack, using Jeet Kune Do principles. |
| purposeful in your approach. Without exception, | | | | After all, why choose to get hit by your opponent |
| footwork should be used to deliver a hit, place you into | | | | when you can avoid it by employing proper footwork? |
| position to deliver a hit, or to move out of range of | | | | The 'pendulum step' is the common movement in this |
| being hit. Watch Bruce Lee in action and you'll notice | | | | case, which is more or less the reverse of the 'step |
| how controlled and deliberate his actions are. No | | | | and slide' technique. By stepping back, you can then |
| intricate foot patterns. No movement without an | | | | position your lead leg to become an offensive weapon |
| immediate offensive or defensive reaction. Simplicity at | | | | and return your opponent's attack. |
| its best. | | | | Lastly, side-stepping can be extremely useful, since it |
| And keeping with simplicity, there are really only 3 kinds | | | | serves three purposes: |
| of footwork (with varying names): advancing, | | | | 1- used to foil an opponent's attack after he's |
| retreating, and side-stepping. | | | | positioned himself |
| Advancing towards your opponent puts you in a | | | | 2- used to create an opening for a counter-attack |
| better position to strike, and can be used in two ways. | | | | 3- used to evade a punch, kick, or offensive attack |
| The first is the 'step and slide' technique, whereby your | | | | By incorporating more effective footwork into your |
| steps generally don't exceed six inches, and after | | | | martial arts, you'll learn to react to situations rather than |
| taking a step forward, your rear foot slides up to | | | | trying to plan for them. Shadowboxing on your own, or |
| where your front foot was. Weight distribution should | | | | sparring with a partner is the best method of practice |
| be 50-50 on both feet, in order to anticipate an attack | | | | to refine your skills. |