lowering your stance; let your knees work and save your back?

[Fungus]

As part of my overall personalization of techniques and stanced to adapt to my strenght and weakness (mainly back issues), I found when practiciting with the heavy bag that lowering my stance by bending my knees - just a little bit more than what intuitively feels comfortable - seem to allow me to make all the roundhouse kicks both with more control, balance and power(more effective mass, but less "snap") all requirering less back extension and less hip rotation (which is where i have problems) - so instead of just rotating the hips, I rotate the body.

I think what happens is that my knees handles the flexing during the kick execution instead of what would otherwise require more low back flexibility. And this is good for me I think.

Only issue is I loose a little bit off height, and as my head drops, it makes it easier for opponents to launch head kicks or even a knee jump. Perhaps it will also require more leg strength, as keeping your legs bent requires more energy than straight. Im not sure if it slows something down(it probably does?), or makes it more telegraphic though.

So playing with lowering my stance - not by making it only wider, but also bending my knees a tiny bit more is my latest take away form last training session.

I am curious if anyone else having thoughts, pros and more important any cons to this solution? or if anyone with similar back issues does the`same?

 

[gyoja]

As part of my overall personalization of techniques and stanced to adapt to my strenght and weakness (mainly back issues), I found when practiciting with the heavy bag that lowering my stance by bending my knees - just a little bit more than what intuitively feels comfortable - seem to allow me to make all the roundhouse kicks both with more control, balance and power(more effective mass, but less "snap") all requirering less back extension and less hip rotation (which is where i have problems) - so instead of just rotating the hips, I rotate the body.

I think what happens is that my knees handles the flexing during the kick execution instead of what would otherwise require more low back flexibility. And this is good for me I think.

Only issue is I loose a little bit off height, and as my head drops, it makes it easier for opponents to launch head kicks or even a knee jump. Perhaps it will also require more leg strength, as keeping your legs bent requires more energy than straight. Im not sure if it slows something down(it probably does?), or makes it more telegraphic though.

So playing with lowering my stance - not by making it only wider, but also bending my knees a tiny bit more is my latest take away form last training session.

I am curious if anyone else having thoughts, pros and more important any cons to this solution? or if anyone with similar back issues does the`same?

While this doesn’t relieve any back pain for me, I always try to have an appropriately lowered stance for the reasons that you mentioned above.

 

[Badhabits]

I've got lower back issues (had surgery for multiple ruptured discs, now have little to no cushion between lower discs) and have done the same you're doing for awhile now. Turning the whole body does help, but yeah less snap and more chop. Changes the timing some. Have you tried keeping your pelvis tilted forward slightly?

 

[Fungus]

Thanks for the comments!

but yeah less snap and more chop.

Yes, which kind of suits me anyway. As I am slightly heaver, so I can't compete with the light weight snappers, but I can compete with delivering heavy chops. It's slower though, so i am thinking about working more on faints, then i can get away with beeing slow.

Changes the timing some. Have you tried keeping your pelvis tilted forward slightly?

Yes. You mean what physioterapeuts normally call low back "bad posture"? IT comes naturally for me
My mistake a year ago was to "work on it", but it made things worse. No I embrace my "bad posture" and it improves things for me. I figure that what is good and depend depnds on the kind of back problems.

I will try to exaggerate these ideas on next fighting session and see if it works as I hope or if it drains my energy faster beeing lower for long.

 

[drop bear]

Yes, which kind of suits me anyway. As I am slightly heaver, so I can't compete with the light weight snappers, but I can compete with delivering heavy chops. It's slower though, so i am thinking about working more on faints, then i can get away with beeing slow.

Sane hand same kick. So if they parry or slip the punch they walk in to the head kick.