Entry and Foot Placement: A Complete Guide

Quick Intro

Entry and Foot Placement is a Martial Arts Drills exercise performed by drilling the deep entry step and correct foot placement between a partner’s legs for the inner thigh throw, without loading the hip or carrying the motion through to a completed throw. Stepping deep enough that the hip lands inside the partner’s stance is what leaves room to load the throw later.

Equipment Needed

No equipment is required, just a cooperative partner to step in against.

Why It Matters

Placing the foot precisely between a partner’s legs on a single step asks for balance and spatial control more than force. The inner thigh muscles (adductors) guide the leg into the deep stance, and a hip muscle on the outer side of the pelvis (gluteus medius) stabilizes the hip through the entry. The front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) drives the stepping leg, a muscle at the front of the hip (hip flexors, iliopsoas) lifts the leg into the deep step and the lower back muscles (erector spinae) keep the spine upright through the motion.

When to Do It

Entry and Foot Placement fits well early in a throw-focused session, before the hip load and the full inner thigh throw are added. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace for building the entry this throw depends on.

Anyone with a current hip or groin issue should get individual guidance before adding this drill, since the deep step loads both even without loading the throw.

Getting Ready

Stepping in halfway, without fully committing the hip, checks the depth and the direction this drill depends on. A couple of slower, partial entries preview the full step before a complete rep is attempted.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Square up. Face the partner from a balanced standing position, close enough that one step reaches between their feet.
2. Step deep. Drive the stepping foot between the partner’s legs, landing on the ball of the foot with the knee bent.
3. Insert the hip. Bring the hip inside the partner’s stance on the same step. The motion stops here, with no load on the hip and no lift.
4. Return to base. Step back out and reset to a balanced stance before the next entry.

How Many, How Often

Entry and Foot Placement is dosed by reps, with each full entry step counting as one.

Stepping deep enough to get the hip inside the stance matters more here than how quickly the step happens, since a shallow entry leaves no room to load the throw later however fast the step was.

Modifications and Variations

As a harder version, Inner Thigh Throw Drill adds the hip drive and the lift to this entry. Inner Thigh Throw — Full Speed runs the throw at speed against resistance. The entry step is the starting point for both, and stepping in halfway is the way to scale it down.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Stepping shallow. Placing the foot only partway between the partner’s legs leaves the hip outside the stance and no room to load a throw later. The step reaches full depth on each rep.

Losing balance on the entry. Rushing the step without first settling weight evenly tips the body off balance at the moment of entry. The step has a stable base underneath it before any speed is added.

Hesitating halfway through the step. Stopping or slowing mid-entry, with the motion broken into separate pieces, gives a partner room to adjust and close the gap. The entry happens in one continuous step.

After Your Set

A few slow circles of the hip on the side that entered repeatedly unwind it once the set ends. A wide-legged stance with a gentle shift from side to side eases the inner thighs after the repeated deep steps.

Going Deeper

A deep, balanced entry creates the room the hip drive and the lift need once they are added. The step tends to land shallow once fatigue sets in late in a set. Slowing the pace and checking the depth of each step fixes this faster than repeating fast entries that keep coming up short.

Someone new to this drill generally manages a consistent, moderate-depth entry within the first few sessions, then works toward a fully committed deep step over the following couple of weeks.

How to Know You’re Improving

1. An entry step that reaches full depth on every rep
2. A hip that lands inside the partner’s stance consistently
3. A balanced base that holds through the whole step
4. An entry that stays deep as a partner starts to resist it

Full depth on the entry matters more than how fast the step happens.

Muscles Worked

• Adductors (the inner thigh muscles, guiding the leg into the deep stance)
• Gluteus Medius (a hip muscle on the outer side of the pelvis, stabilizing the hip through the entry)
• Rectus Femoris (one of the quadriceps at the front of the thigh, driving the stepping leg)
• Iliopsoas (a muscle at the front of the hip, lifting the leg into the deep step)
• Erector Spinae (the lower back muscles, keeping the spine upright through the motion)

FAQ

Why does the depth of the step matter so much here? A shallow step leaves the hip outside the partner’s stance with no room to load the throw, while a deep step that gets the hip inside is what creates the base the throw depends on.

Is this easier than the full Inner Thigh Throw Drill? Yes, removing the hip drive and the lift leaves the entry step, the first part of the full throw.

Is some hip or groin fatigue after this drill normal? Yes, a worked feeling through the hip and the groin after a full set of entries is expected. Groin pain that sharpens or lingers past the session is worth a visit to a doctor or physical therapist.

When is the hip drive added to this entry? Once the step consistently reaches full depth with the hip landing inside the stance, Inner Thigh Throw Drill adds the hip drive and the lift to the same entry.

How often should the entry step be drilled? Two to three times a week suits most people building toward the full throw.

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Related to Inner Thigh Throw Drill as the harder version adding the hip drive and the lift.