The first part of footwork is stance ( If I was teaching I would have covered that already... Bahkdar's video's cover a good fighting stance fairly well so I will assume you know what a good stance is). What he doesn't cover is weak side and strong side... Weak side is the off side of someones body; I am right handed thus my weak side will almost always be my left side. for a sword and shield (s&b) fighter the weak side is the side with the shield and the strong side has the sword. In your stance the side that is present to your opponent is considered out.
There are three broad terms for footwork - Steps, Passes, and Traverse(s). Each of these types of steps can be further broken down into other types:
Steps: A step is when you move your feet but widen or close the distance between them in your stance to make slight distance adjustments between you and your opponent. All steps can be forward (towards your target closing), reverse (away from your opponent), or traverse (Diagonal or circling your opponent). Steps should be only used while traversing and to make slight adjustments out of range or moving out of range when an opponent is not advancing. A stepping opponent rarely changes from weak side or strong side out while moving.
Gated Step- A gated step is a step that widens and then closes. Usually the forward foot. That being the one closest to the direction you are moving steps out first in the step. It has some disadvantages: it tends to commit any action while in range. Literally you gate or horse stance out and then collect back into your stance. This is the major form of footwork for a self taught student. And a knowledgeable student of swordsmanship can take advantage of their opponents 'slow' footwork if they have a basic understanding of how this step flat-foots a fighter. Its major advantage is that it forces your to lower your maximum height in your stance as you do it, which may make you less of a target, save the leading outstretched leg.
Gathered Step- A gathered step is a step that closes and then widens for advancement. That being the foot farthest from the opponent moves towards that which is closer, then the one that is closer moves out back into a regular stance. Literally you gather the feet and then stretch back into a stance.
Their are other steps: Hop steps, gated slides, gathered slides, lunges & much more.
Passing - Passing is what your mother taught you when you learned how to walk, you put one foot in front of the other. The concept gets it's name since one foot passes the other. All passes can be forward (towards your opponent), reverse (away from your opponent or Traversing (diagonal or circling your opponent).
There are 2 main forms of passing:
Passing - This is where you move, if forward, the rear foot moves forward passing the front foot. The new forward foot assumes a mirrored position of the formerly forward foot as the new backwards foot assumes a mirrored position and orientation to that of the formerly rear foot. The hips, shoulders, and arms switch stances from weak side out to strong side out. This motion is usually used with a combination of feints and strikes but ends with a final blow at the last second as the foot lands to finish the pass. Some masters refer to such a strike as a full body strike. When traversing passing is somewhat difficult because the hips and shoulders begin to sway back and forth in a rhythm that is predictable and becomes taxing on the energy of the fighter executing the footwork.
Complete Passing - Complete passing generally involves 2 passes. Like passing complete passing, when moving forward, the rear foot moves forward passing the front foot. Unlike regular passing, the new forward foot does not assume a complete mirrored position of the formerly forward foot. The position can remain the same in fact as when the foot was backwards. Most fighters find a happy medium for the orientation of their feet in this motion. The formerly rear foot has a similar situation that being it can not rotate or rotate slightly as to what is comfortable to the fighter. The hips and shoulders of the fighter remain in their stance, meaning the side out does not change. Some fighters will sway a little towards changing the outward facing side, but this is just to remain comfortable in the awkward position they are in, or for defense purposes. The key to the complete pass is the fighter then passes from this position back into their original position before they began moving. The overall goal of complete passing is to remain in your stance but take 2 complete passes, thus it is named.
Traversing - The use of diagonal or circling motion. In all the other forms of footwork we mention traversing. This is because all the footwork that is forward or reverse is linear. Linear fighters tend to only do well when being forced to fight on a walkway. Traversing takes advantage of the left and right movement along with adjusting your distance. Sometimes when moving this way you are forced to pass because of the nature of your orientation, sometimes you are forced to step because of your orientation. Their are two major ways of traversing that all students should spend some time practicing; directional and circling. Their complexity would require too much writing and loose a lot of their meaning in each slight difference as a fighter moves. Here are 2 drills that can be used to teach and practice the two forms of traversing.
Circling - This drill can be done against any stationary target, preferably a standing pell. The student pics their target and positions them self just out of their range to hit the target. They then circle the opponent at that distance while they maintain that same distance. They should practice this both, strong side out and weak side out; and both clockwise and counterclockwise. They should note that depending on their direction and orientation what kind of footwork they are using and also focus on their height. After they become comfortable with their motion an instructor can indicate when they should advance in diagonally and strike their target. The student should advance in, strike, and then immediately return to out of range and continue circling.
Directional - To do this drill requires another person or a swinging pell. The idea is you want to get an object moving in a circular pattern. A tire pell hung from a rafter or tree branch swung in a circle will function perfectly. The tire is swung so it rotates in a circle. The student then follows the tire just in range at first. The key is to keep up with the tire but maintain the same direction cardinally; that being if the student started facing north they should remain facing north through the whole drill. The student should take note of what footwork they use when the they are in different stances and moving clockwise and counterclockwise as in the other circling drill. In directional traversing a different medley of passing and stepping is used.
Lastly an instructor can work with a student and order them to switch between directional and circling and clockwise and counter clockwise as well as instruct them when to close in to strike, as the instructor mirrors the students footwork. This allows the student to understand how the distance changes on a non-stationary target. The student might wish to also implore poor footwork so the student knows how to take advantage of poor footwork.
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I wrote this up in about 25 minutes, sorry about any spelling or grammar errors I am not a writer. It would be best if I made a video
I hate to say it but I see so many video's where a teacher has really bad footwork, even some of us. I hope this is clear enough and helps you on your path of swordsmanship. I am always improving this, it is one of my lessons when I teach the basics to a new student. Constructive criticism is welcome.
