This training tips video is about the feet. The message is simple: get your feet in the right place and everything starts to work much better. It applies to pressure point fighting, self-defence and every striking art.

It is for any student who finds their techniques look right in the mirror but lack power, balance or reach when they use them on a partner.

Why The Feet Come First

Everything you do starts from the ground. Your feet decide your balance, your range, your angle and how much power you can put into a strike. If they are in the wrong place, your hands have to make up for it, and they cannot.

You can see this in almost every student who struggles. The strike is fine. The problem is that they are too far away, too square, or leaning to reach the target.

What Good Footwork Gives You

When the feet are right, several things improve at once:

  • Balance. You stay stable when you strike and when you are pushed.
  • Power. Force comes up from the ground through the legs and hips.
  • Range. You are close enough to land properly without reaching.
  • Angles. A small step off the line puts you where the other person cannot hit back easily.
  • Recovery. You are ready for the next move rather than off balance after the first.

Common Mistakes

The most common errors are standing too square, crossing the feet when moving, taking big steps that leave you stretched, and planting the feet so firmly that you cannot move. Another is ignoring the feet altogether and only training the hands.

How To Practise

Take any technique you know and pay attention only to your feet for a whole session. Where do they start? Where do they finish? Are you balanced at the end? Practise small steps, stepping off the line and finishing each strike balanced. Then add a partner who moves so you have to adjust. It feels slow at first, but the improvement shows up in everything else.

Take It Further

Good footwork, balance and angles run through every lesson of the Pressure Point Fighting Course. If you would like me to look at your footwork directly, see Private Mentoring or come to one of my Training Camps.