If you read my previous article entitled, “Self-Defense Fighting Techniques: Sucker Punches, Off-Setting, and Roundhouse Kicks” you will recall that I executed a rather simple piece of footwork in order to avoid a sucker punch, and also to allow me the room to execute my Roundhouse Kick to the head. If you haven’t read that article yet, stop reading this one and search through my articles wherever you are reading this and read that article first. It will make this one a whole lot clearer and easier to understand.
Okay, if you have continued reading then you have hopefully already read the previous article I mentioned above. This particular piece of footwork is called a Step-Over & Across. It is very easy to execute and is a piece of footwork that can be used in many different situations and prior to almost any technique that you want to use as a counter. This encompasses techniques ranging from simple hand techniques to kicking, grappling, joint techniques, etc. So without further ado, let’s get started.
What you are going to do is start out in a normal standing position with your feet approximately shoulder width apart and parallel with each other. You are going to be facing away from your opponent with your back exposed to him. Now in the beginning I want you to look at the ground and at your feet. However, I only want you to do this for the first few dozen times until you get the hang of it, then there should be absolutely no more looking down at the ground while executing this move.
With your right foot, STEP forward and to your left at approximately a 45-degree angle one normal step OVER and ACROSS your left foot. Pivoting on the balls of your feet, turn to your left approximately 180-degrees until you are facing in the opposite direction. You should now be facing toward your opponent, although you should be at a slight angle to your opponents left. You should also be an additional step away from your opponent. Look at the crude diagram I have constructed below to get a visual idea of this move. Now I know that this is a really crude representation, but I can only submit text for these articles. So please bear with me. Here are the explanations for each particular piece of text used to illustrate this footwork.
Y-R = your right foot
Y-L = your left foot
-X- = your head
A-L = your attacker’s left foot
A-R = your attacker’s right foot
-O- = your attacker’s head
Y-R (2)
…..-X-
………….Y-L –X- Y-R (1)
………….A-L –O- A-R (1)
Now as you can see in position number one, your attacker is right behind you with your back facing directly towards him. I think it is fairly safe to say that this is not the most desirable of positions for you to be in. Now if your attacker pulls the classic “tap on the shoulder” sucker punch, he is going to tap you on your right shoulder (if he is right handed) with his left hand. If you turn around in the direction of his shoulder tap, you are going to move right into his right hand as he swings from sometime last week to connect with your head, which just so happens to be moving towards him. Greatly increasing the effectiveness of his punch.
However, if you take your right foot and move it as I have described above, you will end up in position number two, where you are now farther away from your opponent and facing him at a slight angle to his left. See how this has not only increased the distance between you and your attacker, but it also gives you more time to see what is transpiring and whether or not you need to counter the attack or make like Jesse Owens and run out of there.
In the best case scenario, it ends up being a friend or a cute girl that just tapped you on the shoulder. In this case, you just greet them and everything is fine. However, if it does end up being an attacker, you have just removed yourself from the line of attack while giving yourself more time to assess the situation and the required response.
I highly recommend that you practice this piece of footwork independently of any counterattack until you can execute this move smoothly and without losing your balance. Once you can accomplish this, I would then start adding numerous assorted counterattacks to the completion of this move. They can literally be any technique that you would normal execute on an opponent that is standing and facing directly in front of you. Eventually the footwork and your counterattack should be executed on one smooth and continuous motion with no discernable breaks or pauses in between.
One final thought, you should also practice executing this particular piece of footwork followed immediately with a handshake and/or a hug. Just in case it is a friend, or that cute girl you’ve been wanting to talk to.
Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com
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