Pivoting

Jdokan

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Having done the ball pivot most of my career & now pivoting on the heel I find no detriment to the heel pivot conversely the ball pivot does put increased pressure on the knee. I believe that had I been pivoting on the heel rather than the ball my knees would not be as bad....
 

FeralKenpo

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I pivot near the center of the foot, but closer to the ball. I feel I have more responsiveness(spring) this way. Pivoting on the heel creates an off-balance feel. There are probably ways to pivot on the heel correctly and not be off-balance, but I don't know those ways.
 
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MJS

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can you clarify what you mean a bit here?

Sure. :) It may have just been me, but I got the impression from some of the earlier posts, that people were talking about throwing punches from a static stance, such as a horse stance, or any stance, in which the person is not moving.

When I mentioned moving, I was talking more along the lines of throwing punches while you're sparring or working SD techniques.
 

seasoned

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If you were to shift your weight to the heels, wouldn't you say that the same result would happen?

This is a video of Masanobu Shinjo, one of the greatest modern day masters of Okinawan GoJu, may he RIP.
As you watch his opening moves from the ready stance you will see him pivot on both the heel and the ball of his feet. Also, all through his awesome kata you will see a combination of both, again. Regardless of how we pivot whether on the ball or heel, it is our relationship with regard to the ground and rooting that is important. This is why my first post mentioned standing in the ready stance immobile at first, to gain a better understanding of rooting before moving and pivoting accrues. :asian: I do hope I have made my point clear.
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DavidCC

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The original question was not so much about pivoting as footwork for moving or changing direction as it was about throwing a rear-hand straight punch.

I believe that pivoting on the heel during that punch prevents me from engaging the muscles of my lower leg/ankle. Also it forces me into a narrower stance and my hips don;t open up properly when turning into the punch.
 

DavidCC

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This is a video of Masanobu Shinjo, one of the greatest modern day masters of Okinawan GoJu, may he RIP.
As you watch his opening moves from the ready stance you will see him pivot on both the heel and the ball of his feet. Also, all through his awesome kata you will see a combination of both, again. Regardless of how we pivot whether on the ball or heel, it is our relationship with regard to the ground and rooting that is important. This is why my first post mentioned standing in the ready stance immobile at first, to gain a better understanding of rooting before moving and pivoting accrues. :asian: I do hope I have made my point clear.
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I'm sorry, I watched it 3 times and nowhere did I see him move his toes while his heel remained in the same place. There were 2 moments where he was settling into a stance and adjusting his feet at both ends but that was not in any way "pivoting" with a punch or as a footwork maneuver. At what time signatures do you see him pivot on the heel?
 
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Xinglu

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The original question was not so much about pivoting as footwork for moving or changing direction as it was about throwing a rear-hand straight punch.

I believe that pivoting on the heel during that punch prevents me from engaging the muscles of my lower leg/ankle. Also it forces me into a narrower stance and my hips don;t open up properly when turning into the punch.

so long as yongquan maintains contact with the ground during your pivot, you shouldn't have the problem of engaging your muscles. Also, there is a time and place for each kind of pivot, and each one should either narrow or expand your stance appropriately for the strategy and tactic used. It is not always appropriate to widen your stance, just like it is not always appropriate to narrow your stance.
 
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