Footwork drills.

[Fire of Youth]

Not to necro this thread but I started working on very basic footwork with my 3 year old this week. He can do it if I count the steps but no concentration. His lack of discipline makes me question his dedication to his craft.

@Sinister - where do you find the patience, lol?

My kids are 7 and 9 now and we still love playing martial arts games. Even when they were so little that they had no understanding of what the movements meant, I played lots of tag and tickle type games (e.g. "smell my feet", "Nagasaki nose throw") with them. They learnt the footwork implicitly before they ever started training in a gym. But more importantly, they love it and I love it. We built on those games over the years but they are still playful. One of the kids will throw a random kick at me, we call this "ninjaing", and the game is on. I think it is these fun times that will stick in their heads as they get older and I hope that they reproduce those playful games with their own kids. I bet your youngling will keep coming back to you for more if you make it a game, especially a game they can win.

 

[panamaican]

My kids are 7 and 9 now and we still love playing martial arts games. Even when they were so little that they had no understanding of what the movements meant, I played lots of tag and tickle type games (e.g. "smell my feet", "Nagasaki nose throw") with them. They learnt the footwork implicitly before they ever started training in a gym. But more importantly, they love it and I love it. We built on those games over the years but they are still playful. One of the kids will throw a random kick at me, we call this "ninjaing", and the game is on. I think it is these fun times that will stick in their heads as they get older and I hope that they reproduce those playful games with their own kids. I bet your youngling will keep coming back to you for more if you make it a game, especially a game they can win.

Oh, he loves it and is always begging to punch, kick, and play the "you can't hit me" game where he has to dodge my slow motion punches and take my back.

You know how it is, they show some proficiency with one thing and you want to show them the next thing and then, right when I let my expectations exceed age appropriate levels, he does what kids do and that's whatever the hell he wants, lol.

 

[Sinister]

I don't tell my Son what to do all that much. Between ages 3-5, it's best to just let them play and look at it as fun. And then just casually remind them of stuff:



Notice how he looks at the other kid and does what he does.

And on this thing he's just playing, until the end:



Once they get the impression that it's NOT play and it's too serious, or if they hear too many words, they will get distracted.

 

[SinisterOne]

we mainly use ladders for footworks, sometimes with rubbers to restrict feet / legs too
something like this

seems to be the best training for footwork atleast for me.

 

[Sinister]

This is advanced because you already need to know the basic steps to do it, but to give you an idea what goes on in Countries where they win lots of medals and produce boxers people don't want to fight:

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

Any steps in there that are other than the usual forward-back, side-to-side and pivoting?

 

[shs101]

This is advanced because you already need to know the basic steps to do it, but to give you an idea what goes on in Countries where they win lots of medals and produce boxers people don't want to fight:

Very cool and different.

Can't be the only one to wonder but what is this actually used for?

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

Very cool and different.

Can't be the only one to wonder but what is this actually used for?

Practicing coming in, pivoting, and coming out at angles instead of straight in like a goof.


This reminds me of the circular pattern with angles in it that Spanish sword fighting "Destreza" was studied and based on. Spanish sword fighting was circular and posed a serious problem for Italian and French styles of linear sword fighting.

 

[shincheckin]

try pushing the bag and making it really swing, dance around it, move, side step, etc

 

[wilddeuces]

This is advanced because you already need to know the basic steps to do it, but to give you an idea what goes on in Countries where they win lots of medals and produce boxers people don't want to fight:

How far apart are those water bottles? About a foot and a half?

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

How far apart are those water bottles? About a foot and a half?

Appears to be just under 2' or just outside the guy's shoulderwidth-- the width of his own stance.

I've seen that bottle exercise before and sometimes its spaced out more than that. Maybe start wide and then compact the bottle distance in as you get better and more precise.

 

[wilddeuces]

Appears to be just under 2' or just outside the guy's shoulderwidth-- the width of his own stance.

I've seen that bottle exercise before and sometimes its spaced out more than that. Maybe start wide and then compact the bottle distance in as you get better and more precise.

I've done similar drills with masking tape but I feel the bottles falling over will keep me accountable for any mistakes I unknowingly make.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

I've done similar drills with masking tape but I feel the bottles falling over will keep me accountable for any mistakes I unknowingly make.

Both of those are great ideas. Yeah, the bottles let you know when you messed up. The tape, not as much.


If you're mindful of your mistakes and monitor your progress, I think the tape should work just as well in the long run, though.

 

[wilddeuces]

Both of those are great ideas. Yeah, the bottles let you know when you messed up. The tape, not as much.


If you're mindful of your mistakes and monitor your progress, I think the tape should work just as well in the long run, though.

Yeah, fair, especially when I use my phone and record how I'm doing. I think a part of me is looking for new ideas to keep the training from getting too complacent.

 

[Durr T Sanchez]

You can never train enough footwork. My teacher always told me, "Mobility, Mobility, Mobility." You can't hit what you can't reach.