Improving footwork
 

I started kickboxing pretty recently, and my footwork overall isn't great. The form is okay (I've gotten help from my coaches), but I'm heavy on my feet. I was wondering if there's a way to get lighter on my feet. Practice in kickboxing, of course (I go about 4 times a week). But are there other exercises I can do?

Jump rope is a good one.

Various plyo drills.

Shadow box

Consciously train on your footwork.

Alright, thanks. I did get a jumprope the other day, so I'll start using it.

Make sure you are always on the balls of your feet.

Dance. Be it Tap, Hip-Hop, Samba, or Ballroom dancing, you'll get a hell of a cardio workout and you'll exercise the dynamic sense of balance you need while fighting.

On the side note, you may meet a hottie as a result.

I've tried a couple of different routes.

For me, what has worked best is shadowboxing/heavy bag work with a conscious focus on footwork, with resistance. Resistance can be really anything from being up to the waist in water, all the way to weighed anklets(this one can be dangerous to the knee's however but has the most significant results).

when i was a kid starting in my first boxing gym i received a god send. i dont even know what they were called, but it was 5 dots on the floor. in this pattern:

_.___ .
___.
_.___ .

and we'd work drills on these dots. sounds easy but it got hardcore and still today is how i relate to footwork.

jump rope, when youre working the heavy bag move in and out of range etc.

That's a very simple and effective training aid. I'd ever seen it before, and got some duct tape and made one up and was rather surprised with how effectively it helps with footwork.

I'm a firm believer in keep it simple, keep it smart, and this is a damn good example of that!

jump rope and shadow boxing with concentration on my footwork, thats how i do it!

can you elaborate a little more? Like what exactly you did?