Footwork and Movement

Martial D

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The moment that you move your leading leg, the moment that the distance between you and your opponent has changed.

When you move your back leg first, you don't have to take any risk. If your opponent's leg can't reach to your leading leg (and your body), when you move your back leg, his leg still can't reach to your leading leg (and your body). So when you advance your back leg, the distance between you and your opponent hasn't changed yet. You are still safe.

Before your back foot landing, if you also move your leading leg, you can combine 2 moves into 1 move. This footwork is just like the jumping kick. You can cover more distance, you can also reduce your risk.

View attachment 26735

Here is another example that you combine back leg move and leading leg move into one move - a hop.

Yes. The distance doesn't change. At least, you aren't changing the distance. But YOU are only 50% of the equation.

The other guy also moves. And once your feet are together you can be easily double legged, single legged, or hip tossed. In that moment you have no base.

Where as if you move first with your lead leg, and take your hips with you, you are in no danger of being swept.
 

Hanzou

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Interesting... Here is Tekki Shodan:

It shows up again in Goju Shi Ho Dai (at the 1 minute mark here):

If you allow for stances that have crossed legs... but are not direct cross over steps... Bassai Dai, Bassai Sho, Taikyoku Shodan...

They are there, even in the kata.

This shows you how divorced from reality some TMAs are. No one fights like that.
 

wab25

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This shows you how divorced from reality some TMAs are. No one fights like that.
Well, they are in good company then... because no one fights like this either:

Interesting note... see what happens at 2:12 when he starts the wall walk exercise.... is that a crossover step I see there? ;)

Also, I guess once this guy learns to really fight, he will stop doing this (1:48 and on)
 
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JowGaWolf

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Well, they are in good company then... because no one fights like this either:

Interesting note... see what happens at 2:12 when he starts the wall walk exercise.... is that a crossover step I see there? ;)

Also, I guess once this guy learns to really fight, he will stop doing this (1:48 and on)
I find it interesting that when BJJ started creating Solo drills, that it started to take on the shape of forms and kata. Had this guy been doing the same thing in Kung Fu clothes and the routine was given a name like 1000 Crawls Form, people would reply to it very negatively and say how useless it is.

This became very clear doing the Pandemic when BJJ practitioners were trying to develop Solo training and drills. They started to translate their applications into solo drills. My thought is that forms and kata probably have a little more respect and understanding now of the benefit. Have one drill flow into a 2nd drill and you'll have a form or kata.


 
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JowGaWolf

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His technique will not work without a cross stance. A cross stances allows the body to untwist. Source:

Cross step (stance) in BJJ
1621009625936.png


Cross step (stance) in Kung Fu
1621009744475.png
 
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wab25

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Had this guy been doing the same thing in Kung Fu clothes and the routine was given a name like 1000 Crawls Form, people would reply to it very negatively and say how useless it is.
This is a very correct statement...

However, the TMA guys could learn from the BJJ / MMA folks on this point as well. When BJJ does this type of solo work, it is as a warm up exercise. They exaggerate certain parts of the movement to develop power, balance, flexibility, transition work.... Then they string them together... even if you are just shrimping across the floor. This stuff can also be used to train when you are away from the mat and other folks to train with. Once they finish their warm up, conditioning work... they move onto training the combat applications and into sparring. In this way, they get to immediately see the connection between the drills and the way those skills are then applied in combat.

Too often is TMA, folks focus only on the warm up, conditioning drills and not enough on the combat application of the skills developed by those drills. This has gone on long enough, that there are many high ranking TMA folks that truly don't understand the connection between their drills and their fighting. I believe, that to correctly use kata / forms from TMA... it should be the students that use those to train at home, on their own, to develop the skills, power, balance, transition... and other skills... between training times at the dojo. When they show up at the dojo, they can be used to warm up or used to work on the particular skill being focused on for that class. But then, in class, the application of those skills needs to be studied, practiced and trained... along with live sparring. (sure, part of the class would need to go towards teaching the kata to the student so that they can practice at home... but in BJJ they take time to teach the students how to do the drills too...) When you focus too much on the warm up drills... you can turn a combat art into a performance art. But just because some people have done that, does not take away from the quality of the drills to develop skills used in combat.

The other part to remember is that in the TMA kata / forms... its more about developing the skills and transitions. Its not so much about the applications. The applications come after you can do the skill. And as shown here with the crossover step, there are many applications of that one skill depending on the circumstances and the intention of the martial artist.
 

JowGaWolf

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It was interesting to see the same thing as above without the person and how it starts to look like stances in other systems. Clearly it's a cross stance. (cross step)
 

JowGaWolf

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they move onto training the combat applications and into sparring. In this way, they get to immediately see the connection between the drills and the way those skills are then applied in combat.
The reality is that "Everyone" likes to wrestle. From a baby to an adult, it's one of the things you can do without causing a lot of injury and can be done just to fun. No on like to get punched or kicked in the face. That has never been fun lol
 
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Buka

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Well, they are in good company then... because no one fights like this either:

Interesting note... see what happens at 2:12 when he starts the wall walk exercise.... is that a crossover step I see there? ;)

Also, I guess once this guy learns to really fight, he will stop doing this (1:48 and on)

I think Lyoto Machida probably knows more about Martial Arts than all of us combined.
 

wab25

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I think Lyoto Machida probably knows more about Martial Arts than all of us combined.
I was hoping that my sarcasm flag was visible enough when I posted that video... I agree with you and figure that if he finds value in it, there might be something there.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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I believe this BJJ drill came from CMA. The difference is:

One still want to stay on the ground.


One wants to get back up.

Jackie-flip-up.gif
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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To move

- leading leg first, you can only obtain 1/2 step distance.
- back leg first, you can obtain 1 full step distance.

If you need forward momentum, to move your back leg first will give you more.

Lin_shoulder_strike.gif
 

JowGaWolf

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I believe this BJJ drill came from CMA. The difference is:

One still want to stay on the ground.


One wants to get back up.

View attachment 26750
Jow Ga has a technique like that where we stay on the ground. It's called “The Yellow Ox Rolling In The Mud” 黃 牛 捲 辦 (泥 辦). It's basically like an alligator roll. The feet and legs are like the jaws of an alligator. You violently turn which causes damage to your opponent's knees which is why you don't see these guys going full force with it.

 

Buka

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I was hoping that my sarcasm flag was visible enough when I posted that video... I agree with you and figure that if he finds value in it, there might be something there.
Oh, the flag waved brightly, my friend. As for Lyoto, wouldn't it be great to talk with him for hours? Growing up in TMA since childhood, having an amazing career in MMA at the very highest level.....damn, I'd sure like to hear his thoughts on all things Martial Arts.

I'd like to have the same talk and listen with George St Pierre, Joe Rogan and Dana White.
 

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