Footwork is the essential ingredient in hand-to-hand combat, fighting, self-defense, martial arts, however you want to refer to it. If our footwork is bad, our fighting is bad. Like a home we live in, if the foundation is bad, the house falls down. Our ability to remain effective in fighting, or sparring is built upon the foundation of our footwork. The better our footwork, and movement, the higher the likelihood of success with our striking, blocking, and takedown defense.