Footwork & Transitions System: A Drill Book for Moving Between Stances at One Height

Mat Manual companion guide to "How to Move Between Stances Without Standing Up." Print it. The article explains why the rise happens and what a level transition is. This book turns that into training: stance cards, transition maps, step sequences, timing ladders, fault fixes, and logs you use on the floor.

Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Current grade: ______________ Instructor's stance figures (note any variation): ______________________________

SAFETY, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE ☐ Depth stays inside a pain-free range. Knee, hip, or ankle pain during stance work means reduce depth, note it, and tell the instructor. Depth is never forced through pain. ☐ Knee tracking rule: the front knee tracks over the toes line, never collapsing inward. Any drill that cannot hold tracking at the current depth is done shallower until it can. ☐ Partner pressure checks are gentle and agreed. No partner pushes a stance to failure, and any student can stop any check with one word. ☐ Floor rule: clear travel lines, no bags, bottles, or gear in the stepping path. Check the line before every drill block. ☐ Students with joint replacements, recent leg injuries, or balance conditions clear low stance travel with the instructor and, where needed, a clinician first.

Part 1: The Stance Cards

Record your instructor's figures. The common teaching figures are starting points only.