Teaching Footwork

Lord Edmund Patterson

Proper footwork is the basis for everything, and I make footwork fun!

1. Begin with the proper en garde stance:

• Stand with back straight.

• Point your dominant foot straight.

• Place your other foot at 90 degrees.

• Separate your legs so that they are at a comfortable distance, with a 135-degree bend at both knees.

• You should have your weight distributed 50/50 between both legs.

• Point your dominant arm forward with a 135-degree bend at the elbow, pointing your finger towards where your opponent's head would be. Hold your other arm forward at 135-degree angle with your palm forward (we can tweak this later).

• This is a basic stance, and may be adjusted to achieve a comfortable center of balance. You need to have a good center of balance to move, attack, and retreat without the chance of tripping and hurting yourself.



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2. Movement - Basic

• Your body should never bounce or hop when moving. It should always remain smooth and fluid - think of it as a dance.

• Always keep your back straight - it will be sore after practices because most people have lousy posture, including myself.

• The following drills should first be done from forward stance (i.e. dominant foot forward), then repeated in reverse stance.

• When the student is comfortable with the basic advance, retreat and side steps, these may be drilled by leading the student through brief sequences of steps while concentrating on maintaining proper balance and stance.

1. Advance (forward step)
   • Move your lead foot forward.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot.

   • Remember to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

2. Retreat (backward step)
   • Move your rear foot back.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot.

   • Remember to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

3. Stepping Right
   • Move your lead foot to the right.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot.

   • Remember to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

4. Stepping Left
   • Move your rear foot to the left.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot.

   • Remember to return to en garde stance when completing the step.



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3. Movement - Advanced

• So you want to advance or retreat quickly? The following drills should first be done from forward stance (i.e. dominant foot forward), then repeated in reverse stance.

• When the student is comfortable with the crossover advance and crossover retreat, these may be drilled by leading the student through brief sequences of advances, retreats and crossovers, while concentrating on maintaining proper balance and stance.

1. Crossover Advance
   • Step forward with your rear foot, moving it ahead of the lead foot.

   • Step forward with your lead foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

2. Crossover Retreat - Right Foot Dominant
   • Step back with your lead foot, moving it behind the rear foot.

   • Step back with your rear foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.



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4. Movement - Expert

• Not everything is neat forward, reverse, left, or right. Angled steps combined with the basics will help you move in all directions.

• When the student is comfortable with angled steps, try drilling all the steps together. Have the student perform a series different steps, with frequent changes to speed and direction, while concentrating on maintaining proper balance and stance.

1. Forward Right Step - Right Foot Dominant
   • Move your lead foot forward and right - between 1 and 2 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

2. Rear Left Step- Right Foot Dominant
   • Move you rear foot back and left - between 7 and 8 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

3. Forward Left Step - Right Foot Dominant
   • Move your rear foot forward and left - between 10 and 11 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

4. Rear Right Step - Right Foot Dominant
   • Move your lead foot back and right - between 4 and 5 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

5. Forward Right Step - Left Foot Dominant
   • Move your rear foot forward and right - between 1 and 2 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

6. Rear Left Step - Left Foot Dominant
   • Move you lead foot back and left - between 7 and 8 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

7. Forward Left Step - Left Foot Dominant
   • Move your lead foot forward and left - between 10 and 11 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your rear foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.

8. Rear Right Step - Left Foot Dominant
   • Move your rear foot back and right - between 4 and 5 O'clock.

   • Follow-up with your lead foot, being careful to return to en garde stance when completing the step.