Natural Stepping

NATURAL STEPPING

By Scott Ripke

There is a saying in traditional martial arts regarding the older generation of masters. When asked about technique the master might respond,” I do not teach technique. I teach stepping. “ This was not what most students learned in the general school population. Stepping was considered the most important part of all technique and the master would hold back these principles so as to maintain the upper hand when he was challenged by one of his students. Usually only the oldest and most trusted of students were given this information. Today one of the main weaknesses of martial practice is the lack of knowledge regarding the proper footwork and stepping. The following is a brief examination and explanation of the principles of stepping from a Chinese martial arts point of view.

The first place to start when discussing the principles of stepping is the study of the act of walking. We take it for granted because we already know how. We do it unconsciously. This is where we invariably miss an important opportunity. The way we walk dictates the foundation of any movement we perform and for this reason we are obligated to examine it.

In traditional Chinese martial arts the chi (the life force circulating through us) should reside in the lower dantain, (the area about three inches below the belly button). This includes the lower back area from the kidneys to the tailbone.

The pelvis is essentially the carriage of our body and we ideally should sit comfortably in it as if seated in a swing. Our spine and head should be upright and uplifted as if it were the chain from which the swing hangs. The lower back area needs to be heavy as is aligns to the pelvis and the pelvis itself should be conceptually the heaviest part of the body. When walking we should pay close attention to where the energy moves. For a majority of people the energy consolidates in the head and chest areas. One of the ways to check oneself in this regard is through balance. When the energy is high we generally use our eyes for balance. Visual equilibrium is connected to the inner ear. If we lose our sense of equilibrium through our sight and/or inner ear damage we can regain it by sinking the chi to the dantian. The energy that moves through our body needs to be generated from our root. The lower dantain establishes where the root center of our body is. This is the area from which the initial force of any movement must begin. The legs swing naturally from the pelvic area and the feet have weightiness to them. When the feet are heavy our bodies will naturally allow their weight to carry the momentum of the step. When the pelvis is heavy the equilibrium of the step can be stabilized. In Chinese martial arts we call this natural stepping. It is considered an important practice and a special secret of the old masters.