In Sanda, and any other style of kickboxing, footwork is everything. Today we are going to talk about the most important fundamental stepping pattern, the push step. The push step is a great way for you to cover a lot of ground while still maintaining your fighting stance. Let’s break it down!
The main goal of the push step is to cover ground while maintaining a stable, rooted stance. This means the space between your feet cannot change as you move. You don’t want your stance to become too narrow or too wide, as it will compromise your balance and striking ability. An imperfect stance also leaves you open to takedowns and sweeps. Therefore, the focus needs to be on maintaining your stance as you move and engage your opponent!
When stepping forward, slightly lift your front foot while simultaneously pushing off your back foot to take a small step forward. Follow with your back foot so it plants in your original stance. That’s it! To move backwards, simply reverse the pattern. It’s very simple, but you must build the habit of landing in your original fighting stance, for the reasons listed above.
Start by taking one step forward, then one step backward, all while focusing on maintaining your fighting stance after each step. Once you feel comfortable and are consistently landing in your fighting stance, try to add a few more steps in each direction. Notice how much ground you can cover without compromising your ability to strike! The push step is a great way to close the distance between you and your opponent quickly. Practice this movement as often as possible. The push step is the foundation for all future movements!
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