Flexibility.... how much

Manny

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I saw you are discusing felsixibility issues here and I just want to share something. There was a time went to one budo taijutsu class and was told by the sensei thay don't stretch becase they progresive do this inside the class or doing the class, in other words they warm up and stretch as the class progresed so they don't began class with warm up and stretching. This sensei also told me in the streets you don't have the time to say... Hey hold on for X time cause I need to strech or warm up.

I think one have top do some warm up and stretching but not over do this cause it's time consuming and you can finish the class with a few minutes doing stretching.

I am one adult person with average flexibility and yes I know if I do flexibility drills for 30 minutes or so my kicks can go a little higger but... don't have the time to do this, I don't rely on very high kicks (some times I think is just a waste of time) so basically I would rather do 15-20 minutes of a combo light warm up/light stretching to then have one fuill hour of TKD class.

Manny
 

Dirty Dog

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Real stretching should be done at home. It needs to be done after a good warmup, and it's a waste of class time. We do brief stretching late in class from time to time, but generally nothing is held long enough to have any real impact. It's just to teach some stretching techniques.
While it's true that you don't have time to warm up before a conflict, using this as a reason not to stretch is foolish.
The more flexible you are, the more flexible you are. Period.End of sentence. Warming up doesn't make you any more flexible, it just means that when you reach the limits of your flexibility you're less likely to strain muscles and spend the next day taking motrin and saying "ouch".
I am 6' 1". We have a student who is 6' 6". I can kick him in the head. If I'm warmed up, I can laugh at him about it the next day. If I'm not, he can laugh at me the next day when I'm hobbling around.
 
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Manny

Manny

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Real stretching should be done at home. It needs to be done after a good warmup, and it's a waste of class time. We do brief stretching late in class from time to time, but generally nothing is held long enough to have any real impact. It's just to teach some stretching techniques.
While it's true that you don't have time to warm up before a conflict, using this as a reason not to stretch is foolish.
The more flexible you are, the more flexible you are. Period.End of sentence. Warming up doesn't make you any more flexible, it just means that when you reach the limits of your flexibility you're less likely to strain muscles and spend the next day taking motrin and saying "ouch".
I am 6' 1". We have a student who is 6' 6". I can kick him in the head. If I'm warmed up, I can laugh at him about it the next day. If I'm not, he can laugh at me the next day when I'm hobbling around.

I am 6' tall and I could kick much more above this when young, these days no more unless I've done 30-40 minutes of good warm up and good stretching, however this does not make me sad because, as the class pass by my ability to kick high improves a little but the main thing about my TKD is not do fancy kicks ala Van Damme, my goal is to do a good exercise and practice what I can do to deal with a bad situation if need it.

I will never be a fancy kicker and this not take away my sleep.

Manny
 

Touch Of Death

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I am 6' tall and I could kick much more above this when young, these days no more unless I've done 30-40 minutes of good warm up and good stretching, however this does not make me sad because, as the class pass by my ability to kick high improves a little but the main thing about my TKD is not do fancy kicks ala Van Damme, my goal is to do a good exercise and practice what I can do to deal with a bad situation if need it.

I will never be a fancy kicker and this not take away my sleep.

Manny
Jean Claud Van Damme is fun to watch, and that is why he does what he does. Consider, however, that your life outside the martial arts consists of practical motion, that is not meant to entertain. If you think on it for a second, everything you do with your hands is just out in front of you and under your chin. That is where your opponent should be. If you have to bend over, lean back, or do anything that requires a great flexibility, do your self a favor and move in so that your targets are just out in front of you and under your chin. :)
 

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I cringe/shake my head at how I used to work out. Like many the first thing we did in class was stretch under the premis that we were warming up and stetching prevented you from pulling muscles.

Now, I don't even think about throwing kicks or punches with speed and power until I feel my body temperature has risen and my heart rate is elevated. I don't think about stretching until I'm literally sweating. I just read an article where they say stretching should be the last thing you do in a work out as strecthing during or before can make muscles slightly weaker during the work out.

Personally I think stretching is very important. Not because we should all strive to do a perfectly vertical side kick but becasue as a martial artist we should work to being the best we can be. If we only do things considered pratical and usable there would be many things we could cut out of training all together.
 

Touch Of Death

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I cringe/shake my head at how I used to work out. Like many the first thing we did in class was stretch under the premis that we were warming up and stetching prevented you from pulling muscles.

Now, I don't even think about throwing kicks or punches with speed and power until I feel my body temperature has risen and my heart rate is elevated. I don't think about stretching until I'm literally sweating. I just read an article where they say stretching should be the last thing you do in a work out as strecthing during or before can make muscles slightly weaker during the work out.

Personally I think stretching is very important. Not because we should all strive to do a perfectly vertical side kick but becasue as a martial artist we should work to being the best we can be. If we only do things considered pratical and usable there would be many things we could cut out of training all together.
It may be worth considering. :)
 

Transk53

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Personally I think stretching is very important. Not because we should all strive to do a perfectly vertical side kick but becasue as a martial artist we should work to being the best we can be. If we only do things considered pratical and usable there would be many things we could cut out of training all together.

Assuming here that when you stretch for kicks like the one you highlight, do stretch for that on the floor, or hang the leg off a window sill, or chair or something. Just wondering if one way is to be perceived as dangerous if you will. Not oblivious like losing your balance and falling over, but if more stress is placed on the muscles. Random one I know?
 

drop bear

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It is probably better to be flexible than inflexible. And probably better to be able to throw head kicks than not.
 

drop bear

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Assuming here that when you stretch for kicks like the one you highlight, do stretch for that on the floor, or hang the leg off a window sill, or chair or something. Just wondering if one way is to be perceived as dangerous if you will. Not oblivious like losing your balance and falling over, but if more stress is placed on the muscles. Random one I know?

you get sore afterwards. But you get sore when you build muscle as well.

i only do static stretches pretty much.
 

Transk53

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you get sore afterwards. But you get sore when you build muscle as well.

i only do static stretches pretty much.

Sore, I am always unmentionably sore it seems these days :D. Alright just imagine that I stick my right peg on the window sill, which in terms of angle is pretty much hip height. Now potentially would I perhaps be liable to more muscle strain doing it that way?
 

KydeX

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This sensei also told me in the streets you don't have the time to say... Hey hold on for X time cause I need to strech or warm up.
I think you might have misunderstood this a little bit. I train in the Bujinkan myself, I we sometimes use this phrase. It does not mean that stretching is not beneficial. It means that on the streets you should use techniques that doesn't require you to warm up first.
 

Thousand Kicks

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Sore, I am always unmentionably sore it seems these days :D. Alright just imagine that I stick my right peg on the window sill, which in terms of angle is pretty much hip height. Now potentially would I perhaps be liable to more muscle strain doing it that way?

As long as you are holding the kick with your body in proper position and you are not trying to push yourself way beyond your limit, you shouldn't be at risk of straining a muscle.

You have to figure out what your main problem is. Since we're talking about side kicks. Properly warm yourself up. Get into side kick position, keep your leg straight and just swing it up as high as you can (not too hard or fast). Let's say you can get it to chest height. That's the limit of your range. If you want to kick head height you need to stretch to gain more range of motion.

Now, get in the same position and very slowly raise your leg as high as you can. This basically shows you the point at which your muscles can't support your leg anymore (it is usually lower than your maximum range). To improve this you have to stengthen your legs, hips, core, and glutes.

We can all access our full range kinetically. i.e. I can throw a proper kick above my head, but I can't hold my leg statically above my head. It's a personal thing, I don't think being able to hold a head height kick for 2 minutes means your a better kicker than somebody who can't.
 

Transk53

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Now that is what is what I call a killer reply. Thanks, that had quantified things for me. I agree on the latter. Yeah, don't really do finesse myself.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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There are more than just to stretch your leg for high kicks.

kung_fu_stretch.jpg


You will need to stretch your body so your body parts can move in wider range. For example,

Can you use your foot to kick your own hip?


Can you touch your hand on the bottom of your foot?

[/QUOTE]
 
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drop bear

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Sore, I am always unmentionably sore it seems these days :D. Alright just imagine that I stick my right peg on the window sill, which in terms of angle is pretty much hip height. Now potentially would I perhaps be liable to more muscle strain doing it that way?

only because you are throwing your leg up there. I think you get more control on the floor.
 

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