THE SCIENCE OF FOOTWORK :

The JKD key to defeating any attack

By: Ted Wong

  "The essence of fighting is the art of moving."- Bruce Lee             

   Before I begin this article on the significance and proper bio-mechanics of footwork, let me state that this is by no means a thorough exposition of all of the various types of footwork available to the students of JFJKD. There simply isn't sufficient space in an article to cover all aspects of footwork, and so this will serve, hopefully, as a primer on footwork. Hopefully, it will cause you to research this too-often-neglected aspect of combat.

   Of the many things my late Sifu Bruce Lee impressed upon me, the most important was the need to be fluidly mobile. Probably the most important component in JFJKD is footwork. Ironically, most of the martial artists I see practicing today- and this is by no means addressed only to amateurs or beginners- are neglecting their footwork which is unfortunate, owing to the fact that footwork is quite simply, the science of motion. To me, the more I learn about JFJKD, the more I see the scope of just how important footwork truly is. Please don't think I'm overstating things when I say that footwork is, in a word, "everything" in JFJKD.

   Take another look at the quote of Bruce Lee's that I opened this article with- I mean really think about it. "The essence of fighting is the art of moving," and moving is footwork. The principles of movement form the very heart of combat. Footwork means mobility, and being mobile is strongly emphasized in Bruce Lee's art. The two chief things that proper footwork provides for the martial artist is a means of finding a target and a means to avoid being a target. It will beat any punch or kick and get you to where you want to go; whether in for a strike or the hell out of harm's way. Bruce Lee once said that the four components of footwork consisted of:

     1. The sensitivity of your opponent's aura,

     2. Aliveness and naturalness,

     3. Instinctive pacing (distance),

     4. A balanced position at the start and finish.

   It should be obvious that you cannot use your hands or legs effectively until your feet have put you into position in which you can do so- if you are slow on your feet, you will be slow with your punches and kicks. Good footwork allows you to hit from any angle and also to follow up your initial attack with more powerful finishing blows. Footwork, in short, "gets you there and gets you out."

   Another important tool in JFJKD is learning how to correctly judge distance, which Bruce Lee referred to as "the fighting measure," which is simply another way of saying, "distance." It's very important to know to judge distance because distance is the relationship between you and your opponent. It all depends on the length on the distance you need to bridge or close between you and your opponent and also your opponent's reaction speed.

   Bruce's main emphasis was always footwork. He told me that "Good footwork can beat any attack." And he used to have me drill constantly on footwork, in an effort to get me to improve my balance. He wanted me to be able to glide in and out, throwing techniques from all angles after coming into various ranges through footwork. And, of course, he emphasized the avoiding of attacks through footwork. Without footwork, you cannot complete the task of fighting with any degree of efficiency.

(Continued on page 9)

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