I agree.
Personally, I think the footwork from Filipino styles integrates very well with Aikido footwork. Different but interestingly similar ways to get off-line and into the other player at an angle.
I do some similar footwork drills at home. I'll integrate some shadow techniques with it. It's a good workout. (Like jumping rope but more fun
). I'll swing a bokken or jo or knife too. I'll throw in some tenkans in the mix as well, and some more aikido-based triangles.
The kali style I'm learning is also a close-range-oriented style, like the Pekiti-tersia stuff shown in the video. Interestingly, I was told that one of the traits specific to our style was a tendency to lift the feet rather high when stepping, rather than doing the more typical slide/shuffle step. I was told that this was to deal with uncertain terrain/obstacles as well as the possibility of using the legs as "sectoring" tools for trapping/sweeping legs. Also use high-stepping for escapes from sectoring attempts.
=wl