Which Way Should Your Toes Point When You Walk?
Dear Friend,
Today I am going to cover a question about the position
of your toes when you walk.
The other day I was talking to a friend about a fella who
once remarked, after attending one of my seminars, that
I am "all business" and share next to nothing "personal"
about myself.
Although I don't agree with the assessment, I replied by
saying, "What more does a person need to know after
being able to observe you in person for two or three days?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"What I mean is that being able to watch someone for an
extended time is very personal: Believe me, if I am able to
watch someone walk, talk and interact with other people for a
few days, I can tell you a lot about the person."
"How so?"
"How so??? Just pay attention. How does the person stand? Is he
slump shouldered or squared? Is he hunch back, sway back or
a little off center? Does his spine appear connected to the rest of
his body? What are his facial expressions like? Do his eyes glow
with happiness and excitement or do they look sad? How does he
shake hands? What is the quality of his voice? Does he genuinely
smile or just fake a smile? How does he use his hands when he
speaks? A little, a lot or not at all? What direction do his feet point
when he walks or stands? And so on."
"And what could you determine from observing all of these things?
she asked."
"A great deal of the person's past and a definite idea about where his
mind is at in the present moment," I replied.
"Okay, so what do you say about the person whose feet point outward
when he walks?" she asked.
"You mean what do I think about the way *you* walk?" I answered.
"Uh, yes," she said, a bit embarrassed.
"Well, I believe that if you practice walking across the room, you'll
have your answer. Stand up and walk about 20 feet with your toes
pointed outward. Now stop, turn around and walk 20 feet with your
toes pointed straight ahead. Do you notice anything different?" I said.
"I feel more focused when my feet are pointed forward" she said.
"Exactly. You know, one of my earliest gong fu teachers used to say
he could instantly tell how skilled someone was by observing the way
he walked. If he saw you walking with feet pointing outward he would say,
'This guy not well trained in gong fu.' Truth is that 'how to walk' is one
of the first things a good gong fu teacher will show you."
"Well, what about Hindu squats then? I find my toes pointing outward
when I do them."
"If your toes point out a bit when you do the squats that's nothing to
worry about. In fact, for some squats that I teach, esp. for women,
the toes are pointed outward for other reasons. You're working specific
muscles a certain way to strengthen a weak area - or you are in that
position because it helps you keep your spine straight. But when you
walk - that's different."
Most people are totally unconscious of how they walk and the signal it
sends. I'll cover more about this in the future.
Until then ..
Kick Butt - Take Names,
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