‘Feet to Core to Four led by the Head travelling on the Breath.’ - Part 1

Before I talk some more about the importance of our feet and footwork in Silat Fitrah, here’s a little riddle:

If the answer is ‘Approximately 800,000.’

- What’s the question?

(And no, Guru Eddie Quinn, the question is not ‘What is 799,999?’)

Right, we’ll get back to that later. Now I want to spend a few minutes talking about:

1. Weight transference across/through our feet.

2. Developing awareness and dexterity in our feet.

Last time I mentioned how our feet interact with the planet to create movement and momentum. It’s time now to develop this a little further. Whether we are performing our langkah (stepping forms) or our jurus (upper body striking forms), we are transferring weight across and through our feet. Depending on the movement we are doing this transference can be:

· From our heels to the balls of our feet.

· From the balls of our feet back towards our heels.

· From one side of our foot – the inside or the outside – to the other.

· The raising of our heel.

· The raising of the ball of the foot and the toes.

Each one of the above is worthy of detailed study and practice. Although I’ve identified them individually and in a list, that’s purely for writing purposes. These movements do not necessarily function in isolation, nor in that order. Rather, they are the ways our feet can interact with, and move us off and across, the planet.

Becoming increasingly aware of our feet and their – our - relationship with the Earth, improves not only our physical movements, but, perhaps even more importantly, shifts our awareness of ourself from what we refer to as our mind to aspects of our physical being that we might easily ignore. And, by extension, doing this can also change our relationship with our so-called mind.

More about footwork - and the answer to my riddle - in the next blog.