You may have heard the term mǎbù in the past which means Horse Stance in English. Not many realize that it has 2 aspects. First is Ma, which means Horse in Chinese and the second is Bu which means steps, which we can refer to as footwork.
Footwork is the most important part of Kung Fu training, yes even more important than hand skills. Unfortunately it is often over looked and trained upon for a short period of time during ones Kung Fu training. This lack of footwork leads to poor Kung Fu and can also lead to long term injury.
It is important for you to form a habit of executing your stances correctly in the beginning and not rush through your training. When a person starts learning Kung Fu, they want to progress very rapidly and when having this mind set, they don't want to take the time to learn each stance correctly and practice each stance daily. In order to form muscle memory you have to practice regularly. That doesn't mean once a week for an hour. That means at least a few minutes every day.
When you spend the time to learn your footwork correctly it will surely pay of in the long run. Your Kung Fu will be much better for it.
Good footwork allows martial artists to control their distance between themselves and their opponents. During defense, you can use your footwork to move further away from your opponent. During offense, good footwork allows you to get in closer to get a strike before your opponent has a chance to strike you. Understanding and having the ability to execute great footwork is what allows martial artists to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves during a sparring match or a real fight.
Be sure to work on your balance and flexibility when practicing your footwork. Both are important to your success.
So with all that said, make sure you take your time with each Kung Fu technique, because Kung Fu is not a race, it is a life time exercise.
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