Footwork

Steps are used to feint motion, adjust balance, and execute combination of kicks. By taking preemptive steps, you may be able to block or disrupt your opponent's attack and gain the upper hand. Steps also create time for you to analyze your opponent's movements. Well-timed steps will help you carry out effective attacks and defense.

The 4 major steps are step in place, steps forward, steps to the side or steps back. These techniques offer full range of strategies to accommodate any kind of fighting style.

• Steps in place are steps in which the body does not move forward, to side or the the back. These steps may help you change your position from open to close stance, confuse the opponent, elicit response or step for a spin hook kick or back kick.In each case, bounding in place, switching feet or switching feet with scissor action are accomplished without changing position in the mat. 
• Steps forward  are steps where you move forward. These steps are considered attacking steps. There are six different forward steps such as forward shuffle step, rear leg skip step, fast kick step, one step forward, running step and 180-degree turn step. Each step is unique; some are subtle and others are more obvious. You can control distance, create visual confusion, or project a fake.
• Steps to the side are steps that are used as part of a counterattack when an opponent is moving forward with a fast kick, running step, or rear leg spin kick. Its a good way to fake the direction of your strike and to break rhythm of an opponents combination attack. The objective is to move 45 to 90 degree left or right in a direct sideways motion, slightly forward or slightly backward.
• Steps back are used mostly in counterattacks. first to avoid attack and then to create an opening for an attack. If your reaction is late in answer to an attack, you may want to use a backward step to gain that moment of timing for a counterattack.