Australian Army Drill - Moving without being seen to move

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WHILE ON PARADE

You are NOT allowed to move at all while you are standing at attention. At most, your eyeballs can look left or right, but your head will not move. Your arms will not move. Your feet will not move. Your body will not move not matter what is going on around you.

If two flies land on your eyeballs and begin dancing the Macarena, you will not move!

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WAYS TO MOVE

Standing at attention will exhaust you very quickly. Your feet will start falling asleep, and your body will want to start dozing off with such lack of movement.

This is why during parades the Company Sergeant Major (CSM) – or whoever is in charge of the parade ground – will have soldiers regularly switching between attention and at-ease. This is to keep soldiers' bodies stimulated enough that they don't collapse where they stand. Yes, there are other reasons why – such as showing respect to any officer coming and going to address the parade ground – but calling diggers to attention will snap them awake and give them the opportunity for some movement to get the blood flowing again.

While, though, a soldier is stuck at attention and suffering from the inability to move, there are ways to subtly keep the blood moving, which all soldiers do but no person watching notices.

What you can do is move your full body weight onto different parts of your feet, rather than spread across your whole foot.

WIGGLE YOUR TOES

The easiest form of movement that no one can see is you wiggling your toes. Keeping them moving will keep the circulation flowing as best as possible, which should prevent your feet falling asleep.

The soldier's boot has a bulbous design that no toe-wiggling can be seen whatsoever. If you're wearing normal shoes while practising or during military PT on the other hand, your toes will have to be far more subtle in their movement.

STAND ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – rock forward, placing your entire body weight onto the balls of your feet and your toes. Lift your heels from the souls using the small space inside your shoes without raising your boots from the ground. Those three to six millimetres you can raise your heels from your souls, putting all your weight on the balls of your feet, will give your heels a moment to breathe and allow the blood to circulate. It's small, but you'll feel relief instantly.

STAND ON YOUR HEELS

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – rock rearward, placing your entire body weight onto your heels. Lift your toes and balls of your feet up off the souls of your shoes using what little space you have inside without raising your boots from the ground. Every millimetre you can raise the front of your feet, putting all your weight onto your heels, will bring the circulation back to your toes.

STAND ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR FEET

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – rock your feet outward away from one another, placing your entire weight onto the outer edges of the souls of your feet without raising your boots from the ground. The inside edge of your feet will love you dearly.

STAND ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR FEET

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – rock your feet inward toward each other, placing your entire body weight on your big toe and inner edge of your heels, without raising your boots from the ground. The outer sides of your feet will find some relief.

STAND ON YOUR LEFT FOOT

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – raise your right foot from the soul of your shoe without raising your boot from the ground, putting your whole body weight on your left foot.

STAND ON YOUR RIGHT FOOT

Gently – millimetre by millimetre – raise your left foot from the soul of your shoe without raising your boot from the ground, putting your whole body weight on your right foot.

ALTERNATE FOR ROTATION

• Wiggle your toes

• Stand on the balls of your feet

• Stand on your heels

• Stand on your outer edge

• Stand on your inner edge

• Stand on your left foot

• Stand on your right foot

• Repeat

DO NOT LET YOUR BOOT RISE FROM THE PARADE GROUND.

Only use what space you have left inside your shoe to raise your foot from the soul.