Mostly don’t Cross Your Feet

If you’ve done any striking arts, you’ve undoubtedly heard a coach say, “don’t cross your feet.” Most of the time, in most circumstances during sparring, this is the correct thing to do. If you want to move forward in your stance, you generally move the front foot first and then the back foot. Similarly, if you want to move backwards, you usually move the back foot first and then the front foot. The primary idea at work here is you want to maintain balance and the ability to move in any direction should the situation demand it.
That’s the basic, and as already stated, it’s how you should move most of the time.
If, however, your partner is trying to tackle you, it probably won’t be enough to step back in the “correct” way. Instead, one strategy is to switch stances – to step your front foot all the way back (cross your feet) and then bring your (new) front foot back so your in a good stance again. This will make it harder for your partner to reach you (you’re further away.) If you feel like reminding them not to try and take you down, you can add in an uppercut as you step back. Your hand that was in the back (and will become your lead) will swing up right as you complete your footwork. If you time it right, you’ll hit them right in the chin and they probably won’t try a take down again.
We worked this today in our Mo Duk Pai class – where we generally do striking but we also make sure we know basic defense against folks who would like to take us to the ground. Join us Tuesdays and Thursdays at Noon and/or Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm.