Trouble With Flexibility!!!!!

[Raewyn]

Hi, im a newbie to this Forum kinda of thing. Having trouble with flexibility. Ive been doing Tae Kwon Do for a year now, and am a green tip. Still finding it very hard to kick high. Everybody seems to have improved except for me, so it seems. Especially in the side splits, it hurts so bad especially in the knee area. Our trainer tells us to push ourselves to our limit and beyond, but Im scared of injuring myself. Can you go overboard, what other ideas are out there in regards to stretching at home to improve flexibility?????

[djfabush]

i have dis-located my knees sevral times and i also had troube with side splits, what i did was just go home at night go as far as i could doing the splits then have my hands on my bed. i would hold this as long as i could then stand up and streach then do it again as long and as low as i could, within a month i added 6-8 inches to my splits and to my high kicks

hope that helps

[TigerWoman]

I wasn't very flexible when I started TKD at 47 but now can go into near splits. It also hurt my knees to press it too much and the stretching machine was worse on my knees. What helped me most was to hold sidekicks while holding on to something for balance and do double sidekicks --one low and one highest then holding for a few seconds out --alot. Also to do front splits on both legs, one leg out at a time and then go back into the split. You should do splits after workouts, not when the muscles are cold, otherwise you could do more damage than its worth. Isometric stretches are good. You stretch, then tense the inner thigh muscle for a count of ten seconds and then release, do at least three sets. Don't overdo, its taken me 8 years to get this far and my breakthrough was the last year to actually go nearly down and now I'm 54. Keeping working on it. You will make it. :) TW

[Raewyn]

Thanks for that, Im only 33 years old, so I havent lost hope yet. Its just disheartening to see other people half my age just doing so well.

[loki09789]

slow and steady wins the race...

I know that the oriental/TKD mentallity about stretching is to push through the pain and such, but in reality the SAFEST practice is to stretch to that point of resistence that still allows you to maintain PROPER FORM! Stretch a little everyday, usually as I watch my evening TV or right after my son goes to bed is a good time. You will notice improvement in spurts and plateaus, just like you will in anything physical (strength, endurance, power) so just go steady. Stretching intensely once MAYBE twice a week isn't bad as long as you rest/recover like you would after strength training by taking the next day off or at least going VERY mildly the next day. I notice that cardio/endurance training helped too - Proprioceptive/Neural Facilitation or something like that I think. In simple terms, your muscles get neural signals that tell it when to tense up. Fit, endurance healthy muscles tend to be more relaxed and efficient/easier to 'train' to a greater range of motion. Also, some of your 'conscious fear of injury' is translating to 'unconscious resistance/tension' that is prohibiting range of motion increase. Relax consciously and seek small improvements over the long haul instead of "right now" results.

Remember that the TKD model of martial arts comes from a philosophical foundation intended for training military troops. Pushing and striving and training as if maximum results have to happen immediately are part of that. As a civilian, out of the profile of a military troopy type of student, TEMPER your pace by listening to your body. Even the most fantatical instructor will respect good judgement, striving for proper form and balancing the momentary goals with the long term goal of injury avoidance.

If this is really a concern, I would say do some research into flexibility training from sports/athletic trainers who study the body from a scientific perspective to see flexibility training from a different training philosophy.

Stretching is suppose to be supplemental training to help with the overall performance of kicking and reduce injury risk, don't get too worked up over it. It doesn't have to happen right away, it will happen when it is suppose to happen. As long as you have a decent kick that is technically proper and powerful appropriate to your training level/fitness AND you are improving, let the stretch training happen naturally and steadily. Right now you are experiencing a great learning opportunity because one of the great lessons of martial arts training is patience and accepting the 'now.' Take advantage of this chance to learn how to work with your nature instead of resisting it. Change is inevitable, so just enjoy the ride and celebrate every improvement.

Sometimes injuries happen because we don't listen to our bodies, aren't patient with our bodies, and aren't aware of the research that will help us understand our bodies.

Best of luck.

[Zepp]

When you stretch and when you do which stretches is as important as how you stretch. If you're interested in gaining flexibility, the best times to do your deep, slow, static stretching is after a workout, or at least after you're already warmed up.

Oh, and if you didn't know, exhaling while you stretch will allow you to push yourself just that little bit farther.

As far the knees go, you should probably learn some knee strengthening exercises. You can find dozens of them by running a Google or Yahoo search, but if you want a more professional approach, a decent physical therapist could teach you some.

[chee]

Hi, im a newbie to this Forum kinda of thing. Having trouble with flexibility. Ive been doing Tae Kwon Do for a year now, and am a green tip. Still finding it very hard to kick high. Everybody seems to have improved except for me, so it seems. Especially in the side splits, it hurts so bad especially in the knee area. Our trainer tells us to push ourselves to our limit and beyond, but Im scared of injuring myself. Can you go overboard, what other ideas are out there in regards to stretching at home to improve flexibility?????There are very good posts here regarding stretching and when to stretch so I could not add much more to what has already been said. My personal favorite stretch for the straddle splits is to let gravaty do the stretch for your legs - lie down on your back on the floor, your butt all the way up against a solid flat wall and with your legs in the straddle position, relax and let your leg slowly take in the stretch. You can watch TV (upside down) in this position for as long as you can. When you are done, take care to bring your legs together again very s-l-o-w-ly, and swing it off the wall. For the side stretch, if you are very far off from the floor where using your hands to hold yourself off the floor is still hurting you the try bracing yourself with two chairs (the folding ones are closer to the ground) - hands or your arms on the seat of each the chair for support that is placed along side of you. This gives you support on both sides while you do the side split between the two chairs.

I am almost 50 (on my coming birthday) and can do the side splits all the way straight onto the floor (both sides) but my straddle needs improvement which is a lifetime struggle. My hip flexers have never been very flexible and doing the wall stretch is the best thing for me. While I may look like I am naturally flexible, I am not. I do struggle at keeping my flexability. If you are like me (not naturally flexible) , you should never stop stretching. If you stop, you loose it and will take you that much longer to get it back. Patience is the key and you must do it daily, don't force and slowly exhale while you ease into position. If you are injured due to pushing it too hard, it would take you even longer to get back to your normal the older you are. If your knees hurt then there must not be enough support (with your hands) so try using the two folding chairs for higher supoort.

[kenpo tiger]

Hi Raisin! Welcome to you - and Chee.

My tkd instructor used to have us do some yoga postures in order to stretch and warm up for kicking drills. Nothing major - just the basic isometrics I think Paul referred to above. Some of what we did: runner's lunge, which is your lead leg bent at the knee aligned with your foot directly below it, hands on that knee, rear leg stretched out first on the ball of your foot for a ten count initially, then rotate the rear leg so that your instep is parallel to the floor, hold for a ten count, and then switch legs. Also, sitting with your back tall and the soles of your feet together in front of you (butterfly position), placing your hands on your ankles or holding your toes. Be very careful with this one. Try touching your knees to the floor, gently stretching to do it while pulling your ankles close to your body as you can. Don't bounce your legs to get them lower. That's what does the damage.

One other comment. We all fall into the same trap - don't compare yourself to those younger than you. You can do what you can do - and you're great. KT:) :asian:

[Zujitsuka]

When you stretch and when you do which stretches is as important as how you stretch. If you're interested in gaining flexibility, the best times to do your deep, slow, static stretching is after a workout, or at least after you're already warmed up.

Oh, and if you didn't know, exhaling while you stretch will allow you to push yourself just that little bit farther.

As far the knees go, you should probably learn some knee strengthening exercises. You can find dozens of them by running a Google or Yahoo search, but if you want a more professional approach, a decent physical therapist could teach you some.

Zepp is on the money. People should do relaxed stretches after their workout.

A lot of people do not know how and when to stretch (i.e. which TYPE of stretching to use and when to engage in such stretching). I learned a lot from Thomas Kurz's book entitled STRETCHING SCIENTIFICALLY. I strongly encourage you guys to go to your local library and borrow it, or see if you and and few of your dojo buddies can pick up a copy and share it. Or if you're not cheap like me, just buy your own copy.

One of the main things that I learned was to work out in this sequence: warm-up; rope skipping; dynamic stretching; martial arts class; cool-down; isometric stretches (sometimes); relaxed stretches; and rope skipping.

I have above average flexibility and I am less prone to injuries than I used to be and I'm 34.

Oh, Tom Kurz's website is www.stretching.info.

[Raewyn]

How good is isometric stretching?????

[chee]

How good is isometric stretching?????I think it's very effective.

An example is of using a partner to provide resistance would be having a partner hold your leg up high (and keep it there) you standing with your back against a wall while you attempt to force your leg back down to the ground.

Everytime I do it, I can go higher the next time. The more leg strength you try to force it down with, the higher you can go on the next try

In case you have not seen this excellent article on STRETCHING AND FLEXIBILITY already by Brad Appleton, here's a link to it:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~masrjb/Stretch/stretching_toc.html#SEC28
I think it's the best one on the subject out there.

[TigerWoman]

It is really good. Its done after warming up, after workout. It starts out as static stretching in a split position. The muscles to be stretched are the protagonists and the opposing muscles the antagonists. Contracting the inner thigh for 20 sec. tense, then release. Do these for at least 3 or 4 times. I also do slow side kicks, holding them out for 5 sec. in position and that helps the protagonists and stops the muscle spindle activating and preventing a deeper stretch. I go until discomfort but not to pain. Eventually you get there, but this is a turtle race, slow and sure. TW

[Zujitsuka]

...In case you have not seen this excellent article on STRETCHING AND FLEXIBILITY already by Brad Appleton, here's a link to it:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~masrjb/Stretch/stretching_toc.html#SEC28
I think it's the best one on the subject out there.

Great site! Thanks for sharing.

[Nightingale]

It sounds to me like what your teacher is asking you to do is unsafe and potentially injurous. Please, don't hurt yourself. Personally, I'd be looking for either a new teacher that will adjust the art to you at your level of flexibility (and adjust things later on if you gain flexibility), rather than trying to mold you to the art, because not everyone can fit in the same physical mold, or a new art that doesn't require you to do things that your body physically can't do.

I've seen schools where instructors would physically force a student down to the floor in side splits. I'd walked in curious about lessons. I walked out the second I saw that. Forcing a stretch, whether its your instructor doing it to you or you doing it to yourself, is a darn good way to hurt yourself.

oh... always make sure your muscles are WARM before stretching. do some cardio first to get the blood moving. Stretching cold muscles doesn't do any good, and you have a good chance of tearing something.

[dearnis.com]

Tom Kurz (mentioned above) provides some really good information. Also check out Pavel Tsatsoline's books on stretching; I have found them really worthwhile.

[Sarah]

Hello, Im actually Raison's training partner, we have tried most the mentioned stretchs, including the gravity stretch which I found difficult because after 5 min's my legs feel asleep.

We stretch in class for about 5-10 min twice a week and we also have a 1/2 hour stretch class on Fridays were we do a lot of partner stretching.

We have both improved in our static stretching in the last 6 months but I still have trouble getting my kicks high (especially my Side Kicks/Hook Kicks), I can only kick waist height but in a static stretch with a partner I can get my leg head height in a side raising position.

Any ideas??http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_12_10.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001)

[TigerWoman]

Sarah, if you have the flexibility doing static stretching, then you need the strength. That why I do alot of double sidekicks. But at your stage, you just need to do the singles. Hold on to something and at first do 100 sidekicks per leg. Then when that is easy, after doing it multiple times spread out over weeks-2 or 3 times a week, start holding the leg extended out, foot pointed down, for a few seconds. Make sure your supporting leg's foot is pointing away from the kick for good balance and support. Do thirty of these to start and build back up to 100 over a month at least. These will help in your forms later when you have sidekicks too. Works the same with axe or hooks, the more you practice the stronger you get the next time. TW

[Zepp]

Sarah, 6 months isn't a very long time in terms of stretching. If you can kick waist high right now, you're doing ok. Keep stretching and exercising those muscles (I like the one's Tigerwoman has mentioned) and you'll be able to kick at your head height soon enough.