Problems moving smoothly during katas !

[CharleePannee]

Okay so here's my problem.

Everytime I do katas, I can hear my own sweaty feet squeaking against the floor. This cause my feet to move to slowly, or I lose my balance.

It's really starting to bug me.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Toptomcat]

Is it that you can hear your feet squeak and that's throwing you off mentally, or are you having a too-much traction problem or are you having a too-little traction problem?

[bushido_man96]

I would not think that your feet sticking like that should be too much of a problem, but if it is, you might consider some chalk of some kind to powder them and free them up a bit. I wouldn't do it, but it might work for you.

[KarateGeorge]

Also, make sure you're not dragging your feet when stepping.

[DWx]

First off make sure you're lifting and moving your feet correctly. It may be a technical problem rather than surface problem. Aside from that, use talc for sticky floors, hairspray for slippery surfaces.

[Hecklerboy]

Try relaxing your stances a little. I have some students that try to get into very deep stances. When they do this it causes their katas to be slow and off balance.

Experiment with your stances so they are comfortable to be in and still look presentable.

Remember to relax and only tense up when you are striking or blocking. Relax when you move.

[BDPulver]

I had this problem when I first started. My sensei corrected me many times but I never understood what he was trying to tell me.

When you move your foot, its a balance form. You should be moving the ball of the foot not the whole foot on the ground. The squeaking you are getting is the whole foot skin folding underneath. Even though you dont feel it thats what it is doing.

What I found was to train in the grass to help with my stepping. If this is too easy go to loose gravel or asphalt. It will help get better control of your stepping and work your foot progression.

[mr_obvious]

Baby powder your feet, maybe.....

[GeoGiant]

I would like more details. How long have you been training? What type of floor material do you train on?

[joesteph]

. . . use talc for sticky floors, hairspray for slippery surfaces.

When the dojang I had trained in had a wooden floor, it was perfect for traction. Then a series of thin interconnected mats, placed wall-to-wall, covered the wood, cushioning any falls, even being more comfortable in the winter, but having a traction that made spinning a labor for me. Not others, I noticed, but for me.

In the new dojo I train in, there's that same matting. But when we spar, the gear I wear includes "kicks" (so I'm told the foot protectors are called) that have plastic at the bottom, including covering the ball of the foot. There's no traction problem for me when I wear them.

Danielle, does the talc/talcum powder leave a residue on the floor where you walk, or is it that it's rubbed in enough so that residue isn't a concern? It's so simple a solution!