AikiWeb Poll for the week of August 18, 2002:

On what part of your foot do you usually perform turning movements in aikido?

• I don't do aikido
• Toes
• Ball of foot
• Instep
• Heel
• It depends
  

Here are the current results.

why do people turn on the instep?

Ian

Hi Ian,

I don't know exactly if it is a turn on the instep, however my teacher taught me, at least with a tenshi movement, to try to feel the mat with the instep, and neither turn on the heel nor on the ball, but more in the middle.

Rachel :do:

on the middle?
 

hi Rachel,

I didn't understand what you meant by turning on the middle? actually the middle part of the foot doesn't carry much weight and isn't supposed to frimly touch the ground.

did you sensi mean 'as if you're turning from the middle'?

thanks

Anat