Triangle Footwork

[trevor]

Question about triangle footwork: the female and male triangles make sense to me and I can see how they would function. I've also seen a "full female triangle" and "full male triangle" (for lack of knowing the correct terms), whereby the whole triangle sort of gets traced, and I am wondering about applications for these footwork patterns?

[James McRae]

We use triangle footwork in Battlefield Kali and JKDU.  Though it is initially taught as standard male/female equilateral triangles, in actual application, the motion is a very narrow isosceles triangle: you zone just slightly to the outside to get offline and setup the ideal angle for your counter-attack.

The "full triangle" you describe sounds a bit like the diamond that Burton teaches for entering the clinch off a roof block.  Against a right handed opponent throwing a forehand strike to the head, you would step forward and to the right with your right foot as you roof block (the female triangle), followed by a step forward and to the left with your left foot as you overwrap your opponent's weapon-arm (a male triangle, which completes the "diamond" shape).

[trevor]

Thanks Jim - I know the diamond, but its not the triangle I meant. I didn't describe it too well. This should be clearer - a "full female".



Sifu Burton shows this pattern on the old curriculum videos, and I've seen Ron Balicki teach it on his Filipino Boxing series also.

[Burton]

I just went over these last night while shooting Sifu Hartsell's curriculum DVDs. The full triangles are more for coordination and mobility training. They keep you light on your feet and allow you to move well. In combat, you use just a portion of the triangle.

[trevor]

great, thanks!