Footwork - angles to think about.

Here are 2 diagrams to show footwork ideas on the dummy. These can be interpreted classically or Jeet Kune do style borrowing from Kali. Randy Williams' work on the dummy does use this type of approach from a classical view - ie body stance is upright in Moving on the 'V' or male triangle. A Kali approach angles the body away from center line however in addition.

The 'V' shape:

Here stood at point 1 a blow from the left hand side or even center can be avoided by stepping to point 2A. In Kali this is where the 'pressure' of the attack is evaded. Maximum attacking pressure is @ 1. Therefore we need to be away from point 1.

(Invert for a right handed attack ie- step from 1 to 2b).

You can experiment how tight you get to the dummy with the prefered range: in tight if you want for grappling finishes. At a distance if you have a stick / boxing / kick boxing range. In retreating you can slide back from 2A, 2B along the 'V' again. This type of retreat I notice Alan Gibson makes in his book on wing chun (vol 1). He uses garn sau hand shapes [a cutting parry - if you like but it doesnt matter (non wing chun people just think block / counter strike / cover) ] to in retreating from attack diagonally away. He likens it to zig-zagging away from a sniper bullet. The point is to avoid a step backwards in a straight line from a frontal attack. That allows pressure to build up against you in an escalating manner.

A more traditional way to see this 'V' shape is to step off to 2a and apply say bong sau / lap sau and a stamping kick to the leg of the dummy.

The 'male triangle':

Here is another method of stepping. The Yip Man form has this in the 116 movemnts and involves moving from 1a to 1b with the right leg and the left leg circles in to 1c. Once there it can sweep or kick back with the heel on the calf muscle - whatever. the point is it bisects the opponents stance by cutting in on the triangle.

Williams work on dummy drills shows another application of this triangle where hand shapes like tan sau and punch [tan da] are applied from standing square on the base line and the hand movements are applied as a leg plunges in to 1c. When I have done this I either step deep in to the base of the dummy or try to collide with the leg to impact with a clashing movement (ouch !).


Male triangle vs 'V':

The 'V' evades the attack in a counter-attacking way / the 'male triangle' is wither direct straight in (OR can be evasive but circles in too). The choice is based on (your) style and context of the conflict.

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