Active Advancing and Retreating Steps (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum

This is the active version of advancing and retreating. Whereas in the passive version, you're learning to walk in stance, this is building off of what we learned with modified bounds. We're pushing off the back foot and landing with the front foot. You can think of it as a mini hop. This allows for quicker and more powerful movements. Rather than stepping with your front foot, think of it as placing your front foot. But if you land heel-toe, that's okay, too. What's important is to drive off your rear foot and catch your weight without your weight falling too far forward. You want to maintain your proper fighting stance and equilibrium, and not have your weight get ahead of your knee or foot.

Going backward is the same idea, push off your front foot and catch your weight with your rear. After you do this a few times, you'll understand why we worked on developing your calves first.

– Sam