Shifting Your Feet

When it comes to discussions, one of the more popular (some say, it's been discussed to death) items is whether it's correct to shift your stance on the center of your feet, the balls of your feet or on the heels.

WT advocates the shifting on the center of your feet. WT also advocates shifting one foot at a time.

Other styles, recommend shifting both feet at the same time and/or either on the heels or the balls of your feet.

Much heated debate has come from such a topic, can you believe it? Insults, derogatory comments and pure anger have spewed on from this.

Who cares? it is your teacher that should guide you. What is important is whether it's functional or not. For myself, I was taught to shift from the center of my feet and that is how I would teach it. I am able to deliver strikes, step forward, shift weight etc etc with this foundation.

That said, once you get to a certain skill level, you can perform moves, maintain structure, etc on locked legs and on your heels and it'll still work! It all comes down to whether it's functional.

Sometimes to make it functional, you have deviate from what you know. Shift on your heels then. Shift on the balls of your feet then. Fine, it's ok! Of course, assuming you have the proper foundation down. That foundation is defined by your system, but your instructor. But hopefully, we all get to the same end product.

Until then.