How do I make my Legs more flexible?/ What do I need? (Muay Thai "beginner")

dvcochran

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@ZockerSWAT , I take it you are in some kind of workout program? Doing some kind of MA or gym workout? If so grab a partner before/after class and work on static stretches. Then use you dynamic stretching as a gauge to measure improvement.
 

jobo

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So are high kicks out of the question then for me? xc
I allways liked the hook kick and spinning hook kick.
It looks kinda of difficult, but that was kind of my goal,
to be able to do the spinning hook kick.
I like to set goals, and that was my 1st
"medium level" kicking goal basicly.
theres a chance you may never be able to that, some people just arnt stretchy, just as some people are so loose there arms fall off. theres a far greater chance that your in the middle somewhere. and need to work on it for months as your young but maybe for years.

the art of increasing mobility isn't to force a big stretch of the muscl, youl only damage the muscle, but to learn to relax the muscle into the stretch, so less big stretches more gentle stretches with a focus on relaxationmwill get you there faster
I got a lot of stretching to do then, I need my legs to be stretchable so I can extend them and I need to be able to stretch like that.
I like how you need to do a lot of "pre-stuff" before you can actually use them. Some people see that as a bad thing, but I actually kind of
like it, becacuse you can actually work on your stretching without equipment.
 

Gerry Seymour

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@ZockerSWAT, I agree with Dog, but air kicks will work flexibility more than a bag for the reason noted. You can fully extend every time. For flexibility, balance, and core strength they don't have to be full speed. If he has a mirror he can critique his kicks and work on form. When doing air kicks you can kick higher or longer than you normally would, also working on stretch. Bag work is building power, while working on speed and technique, not so much flexibility.
I can't kick nearly as high with air kicks.
 

Gerry Seymour

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When someone raises your leg to the side, do you pivot the standing foot? Do you tilt your pelvis? Otherwise it somehow does not make much sense, like "I can't raise my hands above shoulder level but still I can comb my hair"...

Anyway, Muay Thai isn't taekwondo: flashy jump spin twist kicks or so are not in, low kicks are.

@ ZockerSWAT: in case you buy a punching / kicking bag, get one that is appropriate for low kicks as well.
I use the same position I use for kicking. My theory (based only on some "thinkin' through") is that it's the antagonistic muscle effect - I don't recall the technical name. But when you activate a muscle (the agonist), the antagonistic muscles relax in response. I'm not sure what else would explain the difference in ROM. It's consistent on front, side, and round kick positions.
 

dvcochran

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I can't kick nearly as high with air kicks.
Interesting, have you actually measured the differences? I would say I kick the same height but they are different kicks. It is much easier to return to the starting position when there is resistance to push back against. I feel there is more mechanics involved in a high, near full power air kick vs. a bag kick. Kicking into an object can hide quite a lot. If my foot or hips are not quite rotated correctly it is very evident with an air kick and may not be noticed at all on the bag. The power difference may be negligible.
 

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Interesting, have you actually measured the differences? I would say I kick the same height but they are different kicks. It is much easier to return to the starting position when there is resistance to push back against. I feel there is more mechanics involved in a high, near full power air kick vs. a bag kick. Kicking into an object can hide quite a lot. If my foot or hips are not quite rotated correctly it is very evident with an air kick and may not be noticed at all on the bag. The power difference may be negligible.
I have sort of measured it. And I think I know the difference with air kicks - at least I have a theory that's less dubious than the one I have about static stretch. And my theory is based on the fact that the height seems to differ with amount of resistance by the target. So, if I kick a heavy bag or pad or something that will absorb enough of the kick to stop the leg - or nearly so - (including those wobbly freestanding bags), I can kick higher than if the target gives a lot (like someone holding a mitt). And my lowest height is with no target (so no resistance). I think the stopping of the leg (when I have to do it, myself, as with air kicks) probably involves some tension of the antagonistic muscles for the raising action, too. I have no idea how I'd prove that, but it's my best thought at present.

I think air kicks are always a different kick from the full kick (into a target that provides significant resistance). It's harder to balance (in most cases) for an air kick, and you have to put on the braking muscles (and counter-balance that braking at your core). I'm not sure if air kicks always show up errors in the target kick - sometimes they show up errors in the air kick that wouldn't matter for the target kick (so aren't actually errors there).
 

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