Pivot, Diagonal, Pendulum and Passing Steps
Other than the step-and-slide tecnhique, there are other kinds of footwork. Here is a short list of the more common moves.
PIVOT
This is how to turn yourself 90 degrees to the left without really going anywhere. Keep your left foot in the same position. Push your right foot off from the ground and move it straight forward so that it passes beside the left foot. Let your body twist and your left foot to turn while on the ground (stand on the balls of your feet, always!) Put down your right foot and you should now have ended up in your starting stance. Only you have now turned your entire self 45 degrees to the left. Turning 45 degrees to the right: Keep your left foot in the same position (sic!). Push your right foot off from the ground and move it straight backwards so that it passes behind the left foot. Let your body twist and your left foot to turn while on the ground. Put down your right foot and you should now have ended up in your starting stance. Only you have now turned your entire self 45 degrees to the right.
DIAGONAL
To move 45 degrees to the left use pretty much the same technique as above. Push with your right foot/leg and move your left foot 45 degrees left-forward. Let your right foot follow immediately. To learn how to move 45 degrees to the right, you should maybe first read about the “Passing step” below. In stance. Push your right foot off from the ground, make it pass beside your left foot and place it 30cm in front of your left foot and more to the right. This will make you have to slide your left foot 45 degrees right-forward a bit, ending up in a perfect right foot lead stance. You should let your right foot move in a circular movement, almost touching your left foot when it passes. Moving diagonally 45 degrees right-back equals pushing with your left foot, lifting your right foot and moving it right-back and putting it down there. Immediately slide your left foot in the same direction, ending up in a perfect stance. Moving diagonally 45 degrees left-back equals pushing your left foot off the ground, making it pass besides your right foot and putting it down there. Immediately slide your right foot 45 degrees left-back a bit, ending up in perfect right foot lead stance.
ALTERNATIVE DIAGONAL
Instead of making the above passing step to move forward-right, you may do like this: (Assuming a left foot lead stance for a start) Push with your left foot Lift your right (rear) foot and move it 45 degrees forward-right. Slide your left foot 45 degrees forward-right. You should now end up in a perfect balanced stance leading with your left foot. To move diagonally back-left you would just reverse the above technique: Push with your right (rear) foot Lift your left fott and move it 45 degrees back-left. Slide your right foot 45 degree back-left. You should now end up in a perfect balanced stance leading with your left foot.
For some reason this technique is often tought as a more advanced way of movement (in other martial arts i.e.), but to me it seems as easy as any other step-and-slide. And the great benefit of not having to end up in a right foot lead is well worth the practice.
PENDULUM
To make your feet move like a pendulum, instead of making a “step and slide” you will want to make a “slide and step”. This means you start (in stance) by sliding your back foot forward and make it collide with your left foot. To exaggerate this movement you could try to kick your left foot away (with your right foot), and then let your left foot move forward until you put it down in the right position (ending up in a perfect stance). Pendulum backwards would make you slide your left (front) foot backwards kicking your right foot backwards.
This way you can move further and faster. I would say a pendulum equals about 1 ½ step and slide. I don’t use this very much though, since I don’t feel that I am in total control/balance doing this. It also seems to me like I will have to put my entire body weight on my left foot to lift my right foot which makes it very hard for me to change direction, if needed. Play with it and see what you can do with it.
PASSING
To make a passing step means that you will let your hindmost foot pass beside your front foot and end up being your front foot. Very much like your everyday walking. You need to keep balance and end up in perfect position, still.
Moving forward: In stance. Push your right foot off the ground and make it pass beside your left foot. Keep going for about 30cm and put it down. Let your left foot turn from pointing 30 degrees right to end up pointing 45 degrees to the left. Make sure you end up where you want to.
Moving backward: In stance. Push your left foot off the ground and make it pass beside your right foot. Keep going for about 30cm and put it down. Let your right foot turn and end up pointing 25-30 degrees to the left. Your left foot should point 45 degrees outwards. *VID ALL KINDS OF STEPS, IN ORDER*