In this lesson, we begin to introduce two principles.
The Step Correct
The Floating Foot
Neither concept is introduced fully here but we will use what we learn here to introduce them later. Right now we are just building in some muscle memory.
In this lesson, while moving wider, we are doing something similar to the floating foot principle. The idea here is that we maintain the stance even while our foot is changing position. In other words, we do not take the weight from the foot before moving it. We just release the tension and let it move.
Sounds easy right?
We'll see!
While moving from wide to narrower we do something similar. We maintain the stance and we do not shift the weight before moving the foot. We spring the foot from the ground.
The floating foot principle allows us to make our hands as heavy as our feet. Applying all of our mass into our weapons. It's one of the hidden secrets and without a doubt, many will be a bit miffed that I'm teaching it publicly. Can't please everyone.
The step correct is a footwork that comes from the Shou' Shu' Mantis. It is amazingly fast and allows us to do many useful things. Such as adjusting fighting distance precisely. Also not well known as far as I can tell.
This is barely an introduction to these principles. It won't make much sense at this point why it is useful. That will be revealed in future lessons. But it will build the muscle memory necessary to learn them well when we get there.
About the Disciples Workshop
This is a course I decided to do to "teach the Magic". The underlying principles of martial arts. My Grand Master always "encouraged" me to teach the magic. One of the last things he said to me was "Phil, always teach the magic and never let anyone change what I have taught you". That was just prior to his passing and when he said it I knew he was pretty serious about what he was saying.
Because martial arts schools are so financially pressured it is nearly impossible to teach the finer details of martial arts. Yet these finer details are what make it work. Without them, your techniques have very little chance of saving you if needed. Without magic, they are worse than useless.
Put a little magic in your training.