Hip trouble with my round kick and stretching?

[Ivan]

Hello, I have been having trouble with my hips especially when it comes to my roundhouse kick and the box splits. To make sure there is no confusion as to which kick I am referring to, I will post a video here.

Even after my warmup exercises I have extreme trouble when it comes to executing a round house kick (both sides). Everything seems to go fine up until after the chamber. When I have my knee with the leg ready to kick, I attempt to execute the kick. I cannot go above my belt height, and if I try to force it, I get a sharp pain just under my hip bone. I cannot tell whether it is muscular or my bones. Please don't spam the thread telling me to go to the doctor, because I am already booking an appointment.

Moreover, I sometimes get the pain not on the kicking leg, but the leg which is providing support for me as well; sometimes I get it on both. I can't recall to have had this sort of trouble with my sidekick! When we do our warm up, at one point we are told to sit down, and stretch our legs out as wide as possible, then proceed to touch our toes with our opposite legs. If I try to stretch my legs out above a 90-100 degree angle, I will get the same sort of pain on both sides. Keep in mind, that I don't think flexibility has anything to do with this, as I am 5 inches off of my side splits!

I am at my wits end as to what this could be; I have been told that it could be that my hips simply aren't made for this stuff and that I have the "wrong type" of hips, but I refuse to accept that at the age of 17, I have already managed to find something that will hinder me throughout my whole martial arts career . Please guys, if anyone has any idea as to what my problem is, I need help! One of my senseis has said that one of the only solutions to this could be to break my hips, and whilst, I'm ready to do that, I do not want arthritis or any sort of problems like that in my later life.

 

[skribs]

Hello, I have been having trouble with my hips especially when it comes to my roundhouse kick and the box splits. To make sure there is no confusion as to which kick I am referring to, I will post a video here.

Even after my warmup exercises I have extreme trouble when it comes to executing a round house kick (both sides). Everything seems to go fine up until after the chamber. When I have my knee with the leg ready to kick, I attempt to execute the kick. I cannot go above my belt height, and if I try to force it, I get a sharp pain just under my hip bone. I cannot tell whether it is muscular or my bones. Please don't spam the thread telling me to go to the doctor, because I am already booking an appointment.

Moreover, I sometimes get the pain not on the kicking leg, but the leg which is providing support for me as well; sometimes I get it on both. I can't recall to have had this sort of trouble with my sidekick! When we do our warm up, at one point we are told to sit down, and stretch our legs out as wide as possible, then proceed to touch our toes with our opposite legs. If I try to stretch my legs out above a 90-100 degree angle, I will get the same sort of pain on both sides. Keep in mind, that I don't think flexibility has anything to do with this, as I am 5 inches off of my side splits!

I am at my wits end as to what this could be; I have been told that it could be that my hips simply aren't made for this stuff and that I have the "wrong type" of hips, but I refuse to accept that at the age of 17, I have already managed to find something that will hinder me throughout my whole martial arts career . Please guys, if anyone has any idea as to what my problem is, I need help! One of my senseis has said that one of the only solutions to this could be to break my hips, and whilst, I'm ready to do that, I do not want arthritis or any sort of problems like that in my later life.

There's different types of flexibility, depending on the joints and muscles that are being stretched. There are some people than can do perfect side splits and can't even touch their toes. There's others who can grab their heels comfortably and bury their face in their knees, but can't go more than a right angle on their side splits.

Are you still growing? It could be that your leg bones are growing faster than your hip bones, and the socket will sort itself out when your pelvis catches up.

 

[skribs]

As an addendum to my previous post:

• Hip pain in the kick could be due to injury, inflexibility, or improper technique. Kick lower and slower until you're used to it. If you try to kick across your hips it will be more painful than if you turn your hips first.
• It sounds like you're just starting out. It takes time for some of these things to happen and you might not have a high kick until much later in your career. That doesn't mean you won't have one, it just means it will take a while for you to work into it.
• Your master should be able to help you in a way that's healthy for you. If he can help you slowly work on your flexibility and fix issues with your technique, that's good. If he was serious about breaking your hips, that's not good and you should find a new school. (I'm going to assume he was joking but if he wasn't, that's not where you want to be).

 

[Ivan]

There's different types of flexibility, depending on the joints and muscles that are being stretched. There are some people than can do perfect side splits and can't even touch their toes. There's others who can grab their heels comfortably and bury their face in their knees, but can't go more than a right angle on their side splits.

Are you still growing? It could be that your leg bones are growing faster than your hip bones, and the socket will sort itself out when your pelvis catches up.

I haven't really moved height wise, but I am 17 and I believe male development stops around the age of 25. Thanks.

 

[Ivan]

As an addendum to my previous post:

• Hip pain in the kick could be due to injury, inflexibility, or improper technique. Kick lower and slower until you're used to it. If you try to kick across your hips it will be more painful than if you turn your hips first.
• It sounds like you're just starting out. It takes time for some of these things to happen and you might not have a high kick until much later in your career. That doesn't mean you won't have one, it just means it will take a while for you to work into it.
• Your master should be able to help you in a way that's healthy for you. If he can help you slowly work on your flexibility and fix issues with your technique, that's good. If he was serious about breaking your hips, that's not good and you should find a new school. (I'm going to assume he was joking but if he wasn't, that's not where you want to be).

It wasn't my taekwondo master that told me this, she disagreed. It was my Shorinji Kenpo teacher, though I have been and will be unable to attend those classes for a while.

 

[Headhunter]

You can't be great at everything. I'm no doctor so I can't tell you anything the bodies anatomy but not everyone is a kicker. Nothing wrong with that its just not everyone's specialty. Maybe it isn't yours. Maybe your kicks will never be as good as another guys kicks but it doesn't matter you've just got to do the best you can do with them and see what happens

 

[Danny T]

How long have you been working specifically to do this kick?
How many kicks have you performed in practicing this kick?
Time put in actually practicing the kick will make a huge difference.

 

[Earl Weiss]

......Please don't spam the thread telling me to go to the doctor, because I am already booking an appointment.

.

Welll, until you get an answer from the doctor to the effect that there is no definitive anatomical issue limiting your range of motion anything else is just a guess.

 

[Punchy]

Post a video of yourself throwing the kick.
Not just fast, but also slow as if you were teaching it to us.
There may be a slight flaw in your form that someone picks up on.
And that's not a knock on your teacher, sometimes a second set of eyes are needed.

 

[paitingman]

Frog stretch is a great excersize you may already do.

You can do it with hips behind the knees, in line with the knees, hips in front of the knees. Work all the angles.

Just keep stretching and keep kicking. Take it slow. Slowly work up with height of kick as you continue training. You'll be kicking far above your current comfort height soon enough. You don't have to force it.

 

[jobo]

Hello, I have been having trouble with my hips especially when it comes to my roundhouse kick and the box splits. To make sure there is no confusion as to which kick I am referring to, I will post a video here.

Even after my warmup exercises I have extreme trouble when it comes to executing a round house kick (both sides). Everything seems to go fine up until after the chamber. When I have my knee with the leg ready to kick, I attempt to execute the kick. I cannot go above my belt height, and if I try to force it, I get a sharp pain just under my hip bone. I cannot tell whether it is muscular or my bones. Please don't spam the thread telling me to go to the doctor, because I am already booking an appointment.

Moreover, I sometimes get the pain not on the kicking leg, but the leg which is providing support for me as well; sometimes I get it on both. I can't recall to have had this sort of trouble with my sidekick! When we do our warm up, at one point we are told to sit down, and stretch our legs out as wide as possible, then proceed to touch our toes with our opposite legs. If I try to stretch my legs out above a 90-100 degree angle, I will get the same sort of pain on both sides. Keep in mind, that I don't think flexibility has anything to do with this, as I am 5 inches off of my side splits!

I am at my wits end as to what this could be; I have been told that it could be that my hips simply aren't made for this stuff and that I have the "wrong type" of hips, but I refuse to accept that at the age of 17, I have already managed to find something that will hinder me throughout my whole martial arts career . Please guys, if anyone has any idea as to what my problem is, I need help! One of my senseis has said that one of the only solutions to this could be to break my hips, and whilst, I'm ready to do that, I do not want arthritis or any sort of problems like that in my later life.

well not every thing is easy, even for athletic 17 yo, in the wider population being able to kick at waist height is a faily uncommon ability, head high is extremely uncommon, most people would have to put months or even years into that, if they ever achieve it. getting flexibility tips of people who have always been flexible is pointless, they really dont understand a problem they have never had to deal with.

you could have a hip impingement, which means short of breaking you hip, you will never get there, more likely one or more of the myriad of muscle ligiments and tendons in and around your hip, up into your lower back and down your legs is short,tight or under developed, or just as likely it's a neurological issue, where your nervous system is refused to do a movement its decided is potential injurious. or both of these !

how do you progress it ? slowly, millimetres at a time, if you can increase your range of motion a millimetre a week, in a year it's two inches, you should be able to head kick by the time your 40. what you actual find, the the rate of progress picks up as you go, so a lot of time and effort to get the first couple of inches then a fast climb to what ever your limit is

 

[dvcochran]

Frog stretch is a great excersize you may already do.

You can do it with hips behind the knees, in line with the knees, hips in front of the knees. Work all the angles.

Just keep stretching and keep kicking. Take it slow. Slowly work up with height of kick as you continue training. You'll be kicking far above your current comfort height soon enough. You don't have to force it.

I would add a similar rail stretch when he gets to that level. Put your chambered knee on a waist level rail and use your own weight to lean into the wall stretching the hip in the correct kicking position and working on balance.

 

[dvcochran]

I can only guess to your actual MA experience. Yes, being 17 should be a huge advantage in regards to your athletics but that does not mean you should automatically be flexible. Not necessarily the specific belt level but I sometimes reference what I call the "green belt syndrome" . You should have been working out enough to have some skill but also long enough to realize you have a lot to learn and work on. It is a time when patience is really tested and too many people give up and quit. I hope this is not you. I remember when I was a green belt I had a terrible stretch. I decided if I could not improve my stretch in the next 6 months I would quit. I stayed late after nearly every class to work on my stretch. Wall/rail stretches and partner stretches helped me the most. In short, I needed the resistance, not just the static stretching. Painful, yes. Dangerous, hopefully not for you at 17. ***Note: I feel dangerous is a very strong word in this sense. Look up ballet and gymnast exercises on Youtube. You should see many of the rail and partner stretches I am talking about. Some of my favorites (with my made up names):

• Rail swings - both in a locked leg front kick motion and side swing motion. You should feel the hip "binding" on the side swing. Leave the body as straight up as possible.
• Roundhouse rail stretch - Put you knee on the rail in a chambered position. Grab the rail with BOTH hands to provide hip resistance in the kicking direction. Don't lean forward at the waist. Grabbing the rail forces you to keep the body up. You can also let go of the rail and use your body weight to also work on balance.
  
• Ballet rail stretches - Look on Youtube.
• Frog stretch - There is a post on this thread with a picture. If you can do them comfortably, have someone Gently push down on your hips.
• Splits - Lots of splits. There is a very, very big difference in what I think you are calling a side split and a straight on split. Side splits are very good for straight on kicks like front and crescents. They aid the standing leg on other kicks the most. If side splits are "easy", kip you hips inward; rolling your belt toward the ground. This will really load the hip flexor on the rear leg. If you want to stretch the quad, reach back and grab you back foot and pull it to the hip.
• Partner splits - Facing each other, have the partner grab your belt and put their feet a little below your knees. Let them work you into a good resistive split position. Lay back, on you back. Yes, it will hurt. Slowly work the arch out of your back. Using pain as your mentor, have your partner push your legs back.
• Partner splits - Have your partner get behind you. Keeping your back STRAIGHT so that the stretch is in the hips, have your partner push on you back just above the belt as you stretch to your left & right legs, and to the middle. As you progress, have your partner use their body to "lay" over your back doing the same stretches.
• Rail splits - Do straight on splits using the rail to pull yourself forward.

In short, there is no shortcuts that I am aware of. Your frustration is quite normal so don't let it discourage you too much. Use it as motivation. Do some benchmarking and measure where you are. In 6 months do it again and measure your improvement. Stretching is a lot like investing money. You will see almost no improvement if you measure it every day. Some days you may even seem to regress. That is OK. Just keep grinding.

 

[Ivan]

I can only guess to your actual MA experience. Yes, being 17 should be a huge advantage in regards to your athletics but that does not mean you should automatically be flexible. Not necessarily the specific belt level but I sometimes reference what I call the "green belt syndrome" . You should have been working out enough to have some skill but also long enough to realize you have a lot to learn and work on. It is a time when patience is really tested and too many people give up and quit. I hope this is not you. I remember when I was a green belt I had a terrible stretch. I decided if I could not improve my stretch in the next 6 months I would quit. I stayed late after nearly every class to work on my stretch. Wall/rail stretches and partner stretches helped me the most. In short, I needed the resistance, not just the static stretching. Painful, yes. Dangerous, hopefully not for you at 17. ***Note: I feel dangerous is a very strong word in this sense. Look up ballet and gymnast exercises on Youtube. You should see many of the rail and partner stretches I am talking about. Some of my favorites (with my made up names):

• Rail swings - both in a locked leg front kick motion and side swing motion. You should feel the hip "binding" on the side swing. Leave the body as straight up as possible.
• Roundhouse rail stretch - Put you knee on the rail in a chambered position. Grab the rail with BOTH hands to provide hip resistance in the kicking direction. Don't lean forward at the waist. Grabbing the rail forces you to keep the body up. You can also let go of the rail and use your body weight to also work on balance.
  
• Ballet rail stretches - Look on Youtube.
• Frog stretch - There is a post on this thread with a picture. If you can do them comfortably, have someone Gently push down on your hips.
• Splits - Lots of splits. There is a very, very big difference in what I think you are calling a side split and a straight on split. Side splits are very good for straight on kicks like front and crescents. They aid the standing leg on other kicks the most. If side splits are "easy", kip you hips inward; rolling your belt toward the ground. This will really load the hip flexor on the rear leg. If you want to stretch the quad, reach back and grab you back foot and pull it to the hip.
• Partner splits - Facing each other, have the partner grab your belt and put their feet a little below your knees. Let them work you into a good resistive split position. Lay back, on you back. Yes, it will hurt. Slowly work the arch out of your back. Using pain as your mentor, have your partner push your legs back.
• Partner splits - Have your partner get behind you. Keeping your back STRAIGHT so that the stretch is in the hips, have your partner push on you back just above the belt as you stretch to your left & right legs, and to the middle. As you progress, have your partner use their body to "lay" over your back doing the same stretches.
• Rail splits - Do straight on splits using the rail to pull yourself forward.

In short, there is no shortcuts that I am aware of. Your frustration is quite normal so don't let it discourage you too much. Use it as motivation. Do some benchmarking and measure where you are. In 6 months do it again and measure your improvement. Stretching is a lot like investing money. You will see almost no improvement if you measure it every day. Some days you may even seem to regress. That is OK. Just keep grinding.

No one on this forum has to worry about me quitting; martial arts are my passion, and I aim to teach them when I am older. Thanks to everyone here, I am extremely grateful for your words of wisdom.

 

[_Simon_]

Some great advice already given, definitely see if stretching helps (but progress slowly and safely, not forcing your body aggressively into positions it isn't used to), but it very well may be a bone growth or anatomical progression thing.

When I was 17 I was pretty much one of the shortest people in my whole year level at school. It wasn't till well after high school (uni years) that I really shot up and now I'm much taller than then. May just be a catching up thing that needs to happen so that the hip joint has more freedom of movement around it, but can't be of more help sorry.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Hello, I have been having trouble with my hips especially when it comes to my roundhouse kick and the box splits. To make sure there is no confusion as to which kick I am referring to, I will post a video here.

Even after my warmup exercises I have extreme trouble when it comes to executing a round house kick (both sides). Everything seems to go fine up until after the chamber. When I have my knee with the leg ready to kick, I attempt to execute the kick. I cannot go above my belt height, and if I try to force it, I get a sharp pain just under my hip bone. I cannot tell whether it is muscular or my bones. Please don't spam the thread telling me to go to the doctor, because I am already booking an appointment.

Moreover, I sometimes get the pain not on the kicking leg, but the leg which is providing support for me as well; sometimes I get it on both. I can't recall to have had this sort of trouble with my sidekick! When we do our warm up, at one point we are told to sit down, and stretch our legs out as wide as possible, then proceed to touch our toes with our opposite legs. If I try to stretch my legs out above a 90-100 degree angle, I will get the same sort of pain on both sides. Keep in mind, that I don't think flexibility has anything to do with this, as I am 5 inches off of my side splits!

I am at my wits end as to what this could be; I have been told that it could be that my hips simply aren't made for this stuff and that I have the "wrong type" of hips, but I refuse to accept that at the age of 17, I have already managed to find something that will hinder me throughout my whole martial arts career . Please guys, if anyone has any idea as to what my problem is, I need help! One of my senseis has said that one of the only solutions to this could be to break my hips, and whilst, I'm ready to do that, I do not want arthritis or any sort of problems like that in my later life.

It's just as well you have an appointment booked, so now we can get down to some serious speculation without real knowledge.

My first thought was this sounds like something I experienced in my right hip a while back, which was diagnosed as bursitis (inflammation of the bursa). If that's what it is, it needs rest and probably anti-inflammatory treatment. Have you tried taking an NSAID, and does it help at all? It is possible this is related to hip structure. The Hobbit has osteoma (abnormal bone growths, I think is the layman's term) in both hips and has pain when she tries to kick high on a round kick. This can be unrelated to age.

Most likely, a specialist will be able to provide a definitive answer. A GP is probably going to default to my first thought (bursitis) or something similar, as it's fairly routine to treat and should be ruled out first, before incurring the cost of a specialist.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

There's different types of flexibility, depending on the joints and muscles that are being stretched. There are some people than can do perfect side splits and can't even touch their toes. There's others who can grab their heels comfortably and bury their face in their knees, but can't go more than a right angle on their side splits.

Are you still growing? It could be that your leg bones are growing faster than your hip bones, and the socket will sort itself out when your pelvis catches up.

Good point. I can neither do side splits, nor touch my toes, but I can kick head-height with my right leg on both round and front kicks, and nearly so with my left.

 

[WaterGal]

If you could post a video, it would help us rule out any problems with your technique. There are a number of problems that beginner/intermediate students often have. I.e. Not pivoting the supporting leg enough, or not turning the hips enough.

Also, I guess, if you could let us know when and where you have the pain? I know you said it was under your hip, but that can describe a few locations. I'm guessing you mean the pain is in the front of your body, right above the outer edges of your groin, is that correct?

 

[Ivan]

If you could post a video, it would help us rule out any problems with your technique. There are a number of problems that beginner/intermediate students often have. I.e. Not pivoting the supporting leg enough, or not turning the hips enough.

Also, I guess, if you could let us know when and where you have the pain? I know you said it was under your hip, but that can describe a few locations. I'm guessing you mean the pain is in the front of your body, right above the outer edges of your groin, is that correct?

I'll see about the video, but the pain is underneath the hip bones in a straight line, both legs. if you put your index finger on your hip bone and slide it down in a straight line, that's it.

 

[jobo]

I'll see about the video, but the pain is underneath the hip bones in a straight line, both legs. if you put your index finger on your hip bone and slide it down in a straight line, that's it.

on the out side of your leg or 5he inside?