It is to sneak around quietly without having to tilt the control stick only halfway. (This is useful in Tubba Blubba's castle, for example, to sneak by the sleeping guards.)
My badge? ummmmmm you get a badge by buying from Rip Cheato a lot, I think it is the bump Attack badge, which allows you to instantly kill an enemy you wouldn't get exp from.
*My real signature went on strike, said something about "unfair working conditions". So, this is a temporary replacement sig, until I can work things out with the real sig.