by Rudy Rogers
October 1, 2002

Rating: 3.8 out of 5 | Votes: 5
This article has been viewed 1202 time(s).

The martial artist is nothing without footwork. The ability to use one's feet in order to evade or close the distance to attack can never be overlooked nor underestimated. Almost every martial art uses footwork of some kind to deal with an opponent. From Capoeira, which is constantly in motion, to Wing Chun that can be applied in a phone booth, there is some sort of footwork to aid the martial artist to achieve his/her goal.

The importance of footwork is not an exception when it comes to Kali. In fact, it may be the rule. I don't know about you, but when confronted with a weapon- wielding opponent, an overwhelming desire to get the $*@#%! out of the way takes over. It may be more instinct than training; but the point is, to not be where the opponent wanted to hit you. The ancient Filipinos knew this and developed their martial footwork to the high degree that we see today.

The Escala is the asterisk shaped diagram that one can find in most FMA training halls. The lines represent diagonal movement forward and backward as well as side- to- side. Straightforward and backward movement is not stressed as much. This is because the need to zone or move to "Zero Pressure", or out of reach of the opponent's weapon is paramount. Angling or zoning allows one to attack or defend without getting out of range for a counter attack.

In order to enhance one's nimbleness of foot, one should run. Running is a great way to increase the cardiovascular capacity to keep moving in a situation. Next, I can't stress this enough, jumping rope. I have seen people who walk as if sand bags were tied to their ankles, become dang near untouchable due to this simple but overlooked exercise. Fifteen minutes a day will help improve your weight-awareness and the confidence to get up on your toes as well as the ability to move on your toes once you are there. Try skipping rope on one foot then the other. This will improve the strength in your legs and improve your balance. Next "walking the triangles". Triangles seem to be everywhere in the FMA so get used to them. Two main triangles are the "Female", which points down, and the "Male" triangle, which points up. Below are the basic exercises in the FMA to improve your footwork.

Example Click BACK button to return	Example Click BACK button to return
Example Click BACK button to return	Example Click BACK button to return

A couple of important aspects to keep in mind when training footwork are:

• What sort of weapon am I using (Projectile, Long, short, sharp, flexible, etc)?
• What sort or weapon is my opponent using (Projectile, Long, short, sharp, flexible, etc)?
• What's my terrain like (Open, closed, cluttered, etc)?

The above examples are basics and are meant to be exercises. True combat is not fixed and is in constant flux. The warrior must understand the only thing constant is change. So train and be prepared for change.

Stay tuned for: Walking Triangles

Rudy has fought many times in the ring as a Thai fighter and professional boxer in Japan, Canada, and the United States and has trained many aspiring fighters to victory. He has worked as a doorman for many of Minneapolis' finest bars and nightclubs for over 10yrs.

Rudy's favorite martial art is all of them. But if he had to pick one it would be Kali and the Filipino Martial Arts.