Drills for foot work

[Scott Richards]

Does anyone have a routine for drilling on foot work independent of actual sparring? I know foot work is the key to true mastery and would like to work it into my regular physical workout, but don't know what techniques or moves would be best to practice on a regular basis. Does anyone have a suggestion, routine, or just favorite moves they'd like to suggest?

Thanks,
Scott

[Jaron Bernstein]

I like to put on my headphones, go to the basketball court and just do footwork (simple step, passing step, gathering step, triangle step, rapier type steps from Capo Ferro, etc.) around the court for a while. You can also set a timer (egg timer, wristwatch or whatever) for 5 minutes at a time and jump rope. Do this on a padded surface if you value yer knees.

[Matthew_Anderson]

One very simple but effective footwork drill is to lay your sword on the floor next to you, point forward. Now, without looking down at it, simply move around the sword. Use stepping and passing footwork, and change the direction, go clockwise for a while, then switch. Step over the sword with diagonal steps, you'll be going backwards and forwards as you go around. As you do this, keep your head up, your arms in a natural "ready" position. As you get better at it, do it faster and with more intensity, you'll find it quite challenging. And don't look down at the sword, just be aware of it with your peripheral vision.

[Bill Tsafa]

Some one suggested to me that I should take some fencing classes. Particularly Italian Saber. They said the foot work is similar and it will also improve distance/timming. I prefer longsword fighting but it is often hard to find experiance people to drill with.

[Douglas L. Meek]

I just got medieval sword and shield and i was playing around with to foot work in it. What i do is have my little brother practice his foot work, while i practice mine. We pretend we are fighting without moveing our arms.


But alot of times he does not want to do this he says it looks "goofy" so i just practice pointing at a lone fence post.

(in medieval sword and shield they said that all steps should be pointing at the enemy, the fence post and my little brother are both the enemy <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[jeremy pace]

We use the follow me method. where you lock weapons like you are in the bind and one of you be the leader and basically move whatever feels natural. the other must follow and do his best to keep that distance. it is very amazing to watch two people skilled at it whirl around eachother........ for some extra spice sometimes i will put my leather glove in betwixt both weapons (basically at the center of the bind propped up by each weapon) and tell them not to let the glove fall.

If you are going to do fencing then keep in mind it is a sport and should not be taken literally as a martial art. There are good things to learn from it, and timing and distance are some of them, but many bad habits too. For instance, they close very aggressively with no real natural respect for the weapons they are using. This is not realistic timing. Also, leading predominantly with one foot will prohibit stance change and you cant get the necessary cutting power from the hips...... good for thrusting/bad on cutting.

[Douglas L. Meek]

I hear learning to dance is very helpfull

[Scott Richards]

Jeremy,

Thanks for the tip. You are very right about fencing. I love it as a sport and it is what actually launched me into this field of interest, but it is very contrived. Timing and speed are effected in a positive way, but the foot work is too staid to translate well into real sword play. If nothing else, only being able to fight on a 40 foot long 3 foot wide piste, without shifting sides to gain the advantage, is too false for our work.

Thanks,
Scott

[Bill Welch]

Jeremy Pace wrote
"If you are going to do fencing then keep in mind it is a sport and should not be taken literally as a martial art."

Really, I always looked at it as a martial art most everything you learn with a longsword can go directly to useing most any weapon, such as a cane or walking stick.

That and any time you learn how to pretty much dismember another human being I take that as a martial art. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Rod-Thornton]

"Does anyone have a routine for drilling on foot work independent of actual sparring?"

Hmmm...let's see. All elevator floor choices now resemble a thrust from Phlug. All surf casts for stripers now look remarbly like a zornhau (yeah, you get another 20 yards with proper footwork). A smack to derrier of a soapsuds laden wifey at the kitchen sink now resemble a spring cut with the resulting recovery (especially the tranverse voiding back out of range). Reaching for just about everything involves either a gathered step or a passing step now. <grin>

Actually, Matt's drill of laying the sword down and moving around it is done by our study group somewhat regularly, and it works really well. Notwithstanding the comic relief above of "movements through life", doing the flourishes and the 8 cut drills 3 times a night will get your footwork moving good. For really screwing yourself up, try doing it from the left hand 1 or 2x with proper footwork.

[Stacy Clifford]

I hear learning to dance is very helpfull

To quote our own JC, "Fencing is just like dancing, except there's no music and you're trying to kill each other."

[jeremy pace]

everything you learn with a longsword can go directly to useing most any weapon, such as a cane or walking stick.

On that i agree completely. Whether its pushing a broom, swinging a hammer, fencing, fighting in the sca, using a pell, or duelling with the longsword against a likeminded opponent i feel you can always learn something and should endeavor to try. My concern here is with learning bad habits that will hinder your technique. Its kind of like the right and wrong way to work out. Can you still build muscle and endurance working out the wrong way? Sure, but you face greater risk of hurting yourself for comparatively little gain. If you want to learn linear footwork designed with no voids or triangle steps that relys on a faulty set of "rules of engagement" then go for it. Just beware of the pitfalls. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sport fencing is not considered a martial art because it is not martial. The equipment and techniques it employes are not meant for true physical combat to the death. If you want to look for that with a rapier then pick up historical fencing that uses historically acurate weapons and technique. This topic has been discussed thoroughly on this forum in other posts and i believe we have a few essays on it as well. I am not saying at all that there is nothing to be learned from it. I am a silver level saber sport fencer myself and i know there are many others on here that practice the sport, but its important to acknowledge the reality of that type of engagement.

[jeremy pace]

My wife is a dance teacher and she would probably disagree with the killing eachother part....... or maybe that just applys to me <img src="/forum/images/icons/smirk.gif" alt="" /> But yes, very good muscular control can be learned.... just dont try to pull a plie or sache on me or you may find a waster welt on the side of your face!

[Bill Welch]

I completely agree that sport fencing, SCA, and other non-combatative forms of "sword play" are just that non-combatative forms, and one should be careful when tring to interject these other forms into the more combative form, that ARMA teaches. <img src="/forum/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" />

ROD-THORNTON put it great on one of the other threads on this forum
He wrote
"Others may correct me, however I believe that classical fencing is also somewhat different then historical fencing, which I interpret to mean what we do under the "ARMA method." To that point, historical fencing as reconstructed in the ARMA method, is, as I understand it, simply a combative discipline to fight well with martially-sound actions using a variety of western edged and non-edged non-projectile weapons. I do not think prize-playing or free-play events serve any competitive sporting purpose, but rather only to demonstrate efficacy of the three T's....namely "technique, training, and talent" as a pragmatic fighter."

I think his post is right on the money. Great explaination Rod.
<img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Jake_Norwood]

I'll second the importance of taking formal dance lessons. Learning to "lead" or even to follow does wonders for your martial skills. Really. Remember that the "old" formal dances were the past time of...knights and fighting men.

The best footwork exercise for me, though, is flouryshing without a sword. Bouncing about, dodging, weaving, lunging, advancing, retreating, killing, etc. It's quick, it's exhausting.

The second--and most important--step is to then focus on moving like that when you fight. Train as you intend to fight.

Jake