Know Your Foot

力由足起

Strength rises from the feet.

足太陽之筋，起於足小趾，上結于踝

The fascias of the Foot Uttermost Masculin, starts from the little toe, linking up to the ankle...*

In internal practices, working on the feet means first posture then motion. Still, before even exploring those, it may be opportune to describe exactly what has to be trained as far as the feet are concerned. For such purpose, the foot is divided into five parts.
To the traditional division into three parts, the hindfoot (1), the midfoot (2) and the forefoot (3), are added the inside (I) and the outside (0).

Before describing each part main contribution, it seems necessary to reaffirm that internal practices follow trends. Hence, a main contribution is not exclusive of others. Therefore, if a part main contribution is power for example, it does not mean that such part does not also help balance.




Hindfoot

For internal practices, the heel will be grounding and power. Training revolves around how to push with or pull the heel, or both, and how to keep it centred. 

As far as fascia lines are concerned, the heels and the ankles are considered as a breaking point. In other words, a wrong alignment could hinder the connection between the feet and the rest of the body. Furthermore, different alignments are also a way to tense certain fascia lines when needed. 


Midfoot

The midfoot, since most of it does not rest on the ground, is apparently a less active part of the foot. Nevertheless, as the middle part, it is considered to be there for balance (see Happy Foot for the difference between grounding and balance).

As far as fascia lines are concerned, it is the place from which the foot stretch originates and, then, extends to the legs and the rest of the body. 

Training revolves around how to keep it centred and how to generate its stretch by relaxing and extending its muscles.


Forefoot

The forefoot is all about motion. It initiates movement, but can also work as a brake. Training revolves around how to push with or pull the toes and how to maintain all the toes in contact with the ground.

As far as fascia lines are concerned, the toes are more or less the end of six of them. Training the toes has, then, a deep impact on those lines. Part of the training is, therefore, made to improve their grip.


Inside

Inside actually refers to the heel and the hallux metatarsal phalangeal joint. Those two work together to generate power. In a way, the ninety degrees or so opened feet posture of some schools is meant to use such parts of the back foot.

Training revolves around keeping those two parts on the ground and connected to each other.


Outside

Outside works on the lateral part of the feet and is meant as a brake. Therefore, some school may have a ninety degrees or so closed posture, the front foot used as a brake.

Training revolves around having this part peg into the ground.

As always with old practices, this is very general and is hard to apply to modern leisurely training since it is quite time consuming to separately train each and every part. Still, it can open new avenues for those looking for more than just exercise. Furthermore, mentioning five parts, a link has to be made with the five elements. 
The next post will show how, through posture, it is possible to emphasise more specifically on some parts of the foot.

*Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, fascia channels, 黃帝內經, 經筋