Backpedal

[HawkeyeCubP]

You always want to 1) look athletic and 2) "move with a purpose" - backpeddling (unless you're a football defensive back) accomplishes neither. To the trained eye it just looks absolutely silly/horrible.

Then there's the whole "You'll do it until your first tumble" argument, which is what personally worked for me back in intramurals in college.