Flat foot or bouncing what best in sparring?

Question

I have seen boxers taking up the flat footed or planted approach before striking, my school goes for the light on the toes bouncing around approach. Can be sure that I read Bruce Lee advices against to much uneccessary movement, so what approach is the best? T.I.A.

Right handed, my school goes for the attack first tactic

Answer 1

Both is best :)

Flat footed, or rooted allows you to chain kenetic energy from the ground through all the points connecting from the ground to the target and applies that force more efficiently - just like swinging a baseball bat.

Bouncing (provided it is very gentle and does not bring the feet off the ground) is excellent for keeping your weight in a dynamic state, ready to move instantly. Remaining on the balls of your feet with our heels off the ground means you remain perpetually in a transition stance. This allows you to move instantly without the need to move your weight first. Sitting on your heels locks you to the ground and requires you to shift your weight before moviing.

Thus, both are applied at different times, for different reasons. When you are in free sparring and not engaged in a contact, you should bounce very slightly to keep your legs warm, keep the blood flowing, and keep your weight light so you can move instantly. The moment you see an opportunity to strike though, you will want to root to the ground in order to apply the most force possible, then immediately return to bouncing.

Many people unfortunately bounce way too much and tire themselves out, or way to high and make targets of themselves in doing so. Bouncing is slight, and the balls of the feet NEVER leave the floor, thus you can kick or move the instant you need to.

Much may depend on your particular discipline, style, and personality also. That, at least is what I teach my students. I hope it offers you some ideas and points to consider.

Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 2

Hi there

I don't think this depends on the art but more on the individual and how much experience you have with movement. Both engage a different type of movement used for advancing or receiving. If you're flat footed and not aware of whats going on you will be too slow to react. If you're bouncing around all over the place like a Duracell bunny you will get knocked off your feet by someone with Superior knowledge.

Like Zen life has said it is indeed a compromise between the two. But whats more important is to be in fight or flight mode than to be in sparring mode. It's the feeling and the ability to engage your spine in a split second through your feet thats important. Keeping the balance all the time.

What would happen for example if you were fighting on an uneven surface and not in the ring? Bouncing wouldnt help you in this situation.

Hope this makes sense?

Best wishes

idai

Answer 3

Well i fought in aau point fighting for many years and most of the dojos there teach there kids to bounce for rythm and to throw the other person off . But i dont and never have bounced and nobody i trained with did this also. We always did real well agaisnt the bouncers.

Dont take this the wrong way because i have seen some very good bouncers . You can get good at anything if you practice it long enough.

My final suggestion though is not to bounce. In my opinion it throws off your focus and its much easier to see an opponent when your not bouncing . If you bounce up and down and try to focus on something for a mere mili second it will go from your vision and makes your reaction that much slower... try it.

Answer 4

Actually it depends on the fighter and his style of fighting and what is happening more than anything else. Boxers sometimes stand flat footed because they are punchers and want to trade and throw everything with power. By having their feet planted they can use their hips and legs and help generate more power in their punches as well as draw leverage up from the canvass-that's the reason for high top boxing shoes.

Some fighters are not punchers-they are boxers moving on their toes, always trying to better their position and capitalize on yours. When they get another fighter hurt they then come down a little off of their toes. They settle down on their punches, planting their feet a little more so that they can generate the power and get leverage into their punches more than when they are on their toes.

As for movement and to much think of a fighter that is always trying to dodge, slip, and avoid contact. They sometimes are spending more time doing that than fighting and so it becomes counterproductive in winning the fight. It wastes your energy, keeps you from attacking and capitalizing on your opponent and his weaknesses and position. Such a fighter is moving excessively in a defensive way and that makes it much harder for them to react and go offensive when openings and opportunities present themselves. On the other hand if you can settle down just a little and block, parry, or slip your opponent's attack and move forward and throw a punch or strike you will then be catching your opponent as he is attacking and exposing himself to you and your punches will have more power-especially since you are now moving forward and that is what Bruce Lee is trying to convey about this.

Answer 5

It really depend on the rule and if you are a attacker or a defending fighter. Defending fighter is always on flat foot and more from side to side to avoid being target. In most gym, you are teached to counter attack and never the attacker. Learning to attack is very hard. (attack to make a perfect hit)Jumping bouncing look good but you get very tired soon. If your feet are not on the ground, it mean you are flowing and if you are flowing, you could be push around by someone with very little force.

Answer 6

easy answer is you should never be flat footed all ways on the ball of your feet. Remember high school physics Force = speed times mass. The power of your punch is in the speed of delivery. of course you can add to the mass by putting upper body into the mass. Boxing is not the equivalent of a fight in martial arts just as the sparing match is not the equivalent of a street fight. Find a good instructor.

Answer 7

It just depends on what works for you. Bruce Lee said that, too. "Do what works for you." Saying that one persons style may not be right for anyone else. You have to find your style and do what you can to improve it. I'm an amateur MMA fighter. I'm 10-3. I still have a long way to go, till i feel comfortable going pro. But just remember one thing...Consistency. The more you work on each move, the better you'll get.
I, myself, do find it's good to stay light on my feet. But, i don't bounce around to much. If you stay too flat on your feet, it's easier to knock you over.
So the best way is to just mess around with it, and practice both. Find a balance between the two.

Answer 8

I've seen people bouncing alot in olympic competitions and I must admit: I don't get it...at all. I used to do this myself up to about maybe orange belt or so, then my confidence and skill level improved and I realized it was a waste of energy.

I try to move as little as possible, and ideally, I'll stand in one place and just off-line my body when someone strikes, and then counter. Aikido is good for this from what I've seen of it.

Regardless, I am never flat footed per se, instead, you maintain the majority of your weight on the balls of your feet in order to stay agile.

Answer 9

I was always tought that you need to have feet on the ground when you punch so you can get the most weight into it, if you bounce into a punch it wont have as much power

moveing around is important but jusmping up and down and bounceing, well, whats the point? you can be light on your feet and be quick without bounceing

Answer 10

The best Shobu Ippon fighters I have seen are very impassive. It really depends on what rules you are fighting to and whether you are a first or counter attacker.