technique

How to Do the Running Man: The 2-Step Hip Hop & Shuffle Breakdown

Stop hopping. Master the authentic 2-count Running Man cadence with clean weight transfer: how to slide, lift, and land without losing balance.

Masa

• 5 min read
How to Do the Running Man: The 2-Step Hip Hop & Shuffle Breakdown

You must have heard of this step. Even Seen it. The long-running popularity of this step is one of the winner legacies from the 80s' along with moonwalk, windmill, and wave.

There are many movements that dance beginners can learn easily in hiphop.

Even at this site, we cover many steps from different genres, but running man is the first to be learned by those who are trying to learn hiphop.

This is relatively an easy step. You can practice at home, and even beginners should have fun learning this technique. At the same time, you can arrange it with many other steps.

Regardless of kids or adults, you can learn the step and the trick by the following method.

Quick Technique Triage • The 2-Count Running Man Cadence
Count 1
The Slide & Knee Drive: Slide your grounded front foot flat back while driving your opposite knee up to hip level. Never hop. One foot stays in continuous friction with the floor.
Count 2
The Split & Drop: Step the lifted foot down in front while extending the back foot onto the ball of the foot. Absorb weight 50/50 with both knees softly bent.
The Anti-Hopping Rule: If your head bobs violently up and down, you are jumping off both feet. Keep your chest height stable and let the hips absorb the slide.

Everyone Knows

When a certain dance move becomes a social phenomenon from its massive popularity, it is called fad dance.

Reason for the Long-Run Popularity

Running man is quite a famous one. It even has a Wikipedia page. According to the encyclopedia, it was first popularized by Janet Jackson in 1989, and later used by MC Hammer. Even as recent as 2016, running man challenge was popularized.

*Korean TV show Running Man, which dominates the Google search results as of 2017, has nothing to do with our Running Man.

Its long history of popularity has a reason. It is easy to practice, and anyone can do it from young to old. It could look quite comical too depending on how you do it.

Will Smith doing the Running Man dance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, side-on view of the exaggerated knee lift and slide-back footwork, loop animation gif

(Source: Giphy)

Party Trick

If you tell even 1 of your friends that you started dancing, it is guaranteed that he will surely tell people in public, that you are a dancer. It is a public call out to your improvised performance. It can be at a house party, open space bar, Christmas party, corporate social night, etc.

For that request, I usually get with simple wave and moonwalk. The key to make everyone happy is a trick that everyone knows. Running man will certainly uprise the atmosphere.

How

Practice Method

How to do running man is really simple. As the name goes, you should look like you are running. You run on the spot. Stand facing the front, lift up your right leg, and drop it to the front as you slide back the left leg. Repeat with the other leg. If you have played hopscotch in childhood, the rhythm of steps is similar, except you open your legs vertically instead of horizontally.

Hands can be natural like you are running. When practicing first, you do not need to think hard about it.

You should repeat this on the spot for 1 song.

hopscotch

Point Form Summary

  1. Lift up your right leg
  2. Drop it in front, as you slide left leg backward
  3. Repeat

Application: Play With Hands

Puller - front & back

The hands are positioned in the front and are pulled back, starting from the elbow. This is the most popular form of running man that you see on TV.

running_man_how_cast
(Source: Howcast)

Catcher - up & down

You put your hands high as if you are grabbing something in the air, and pull it downward. This is the rare style, and you will be able to stand out.

running_man_catcher_real_dancers

(Source: RealDancers)

Chicken Hands - side & down

Have you played the chicken dance? It is exactly like that. Your hands start from the bent position and are pushed straight downward.

running_man_chicken_hands_risingdanceschoolch

(Source: RisingDanceSchoolCh)

Ninja Pose (static)

This is the classic move. Simply hold one hand in the front and put the other behind. Only switch the hand when switching your leg.

running_man_ninja_buddha_stretch
(Source: DanceKizombaTV)

Tips: Stay in One Spot

If you drop down your leg straight from your body, you will slip backward gradually. That would look less powerful, and make incorporating running man into a more advanced technique like turning difficult.

It is better to visualize it as a step forward. If you are aiming for dynamic impression, step even further. Your body naturally falls low, and the up/down will be a good visual contrast.

Running Man is Versatile

Among the basic steps of hiphop, there are many techniques that use this 16 beat rhythm such as charleston and brooklyn, and there are many elements that you can learn from running man. It is simple and straightforward move to begin with too.

It can be said about dancing in general, but hiphop is fun. To move your body with music is exhilarating. We live in a stressful society. Everyone needs to relax somewhere. If you feel the need to go wild, this site is for you. Feel free to come and visit anytime.

Next Steps in Your Progression
Where to Take Your Footwork Next:
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