Focus on Footwork

         It's funny how such a small change in how we move our feet can help or hinder the rest of a technique.  I've still been focusing on my transitions, but have been lately really paying attention to what my feet are doing.

        The last move of the butterfly swords has vexed me for a while.  I tend to either get off balance at the end because I'm too narrow, or I feel like I'm not getting enough hip engagement.  Playing around with it I noticed that when I unwound from the open x stance, that I was rotating purely off the ball of my foot, which was causing me to have too narrow of a stance and feeling off balance at the end.  Switching to moving off the heel has corrected that.  Plating around with some other techniques where there is an unwinding from an open x and its the same.  However, I did notice that in some instances, going off the ball of the foot versus the heel worked in my favour.  Again, just an interesting observation that such a small change can help or hinder a technique.  Seeing some forward progression here finally.

        Then working on the hip throw last night (which I definitely need work on), I was finding the importance of that foot position, especially when we made it more dynamic.  Small change in where you're stepping can make such a big difference, which is true of any technique.  Though I've been focusing more on just the step, but where the weight is under my feet and how things transfer and shift as well.  I also find it interesting in how letting things unfold "naturally" or "instinctually" isn't always the best way.  Usually when I start a new technique I break it down into the basic components, and once I have a feeling for that, I just let my body do whatever it wants to do.  After that I start to dissect what's going on and making changes to the point where I have a strong understanding and intent behind what I'm doing, tjhat I can jsut let my body take over again without much thought.