I'm Unbalanced

[K31]

Physically speaking that is.

The owner and third Dan of my dojang was watching us prep for a belt test and told us that we should perform the kicks in our forms slowly.

I know I don't have a lot of balance, particularly in side/roundhouse kicks.

I tried practicing side kicks last night doing them slowly while keeping my hands up as we are taught to do. I couldn't stay balanced for more than a few in a row. I got a walking stick and held that with one hand to help me balance.

Are there any exercises specifically for balance? Any good books? It did seem to me like my leg biceps and glutes needed work the most.

Will using a support help or hurt me in the long run? in other words, will I just learn to depend on it? If it's okay to use support, what's reccomended?

Thanks.

 

[Kacey]

If your balance is bad and you need to use a support in the short term, then I would use it - but I wouldn't suggest a cane; I'd use a chair or counter, or possibly a wall, there's space.

When you kick, your leg is away from your center of gravity; the slower the kick, the longer your leg - and especially your foot - is out away from your center. First, you need to determine if it's really a balance problem, or if you can balance on one foot as long as it's near your body; if so, you have balance, but are not adjusting for the weight of your leg being so far from your center. If not... I'll get to that in a minute.

To check your balance, try this - stand on one foot, and raise the other foot about halfway up your calf, and see if you have trouble; if not, raise your foot higher, until it is at least as high as your knee, and hold it again. If that's easy, try it with your eyes shut - lots of people adjust their balance by looking at a fixed point, and can't hold this with their eyes shut. If you can do this on each leg for at least 30-60 seconds, then the problem is with holding the kick out, in which case I would suggest practicing the kick with your hand near, but not on, the back of a sturdy chair or counter. Start with very low kicks, which will remain closer to your center of gravity, and work your way up; also, try holding on to something while you extend the kick and then let go, and see if you can maintain the position once you're in it.

If you have trouble with the above exercise (standing on one foot), then you are having trouble with your balance. There are a lot of things that can affect your balance - inner ear disturbances, sinus infections, spinal misalignment, other medical problems, and if you suspect one, you should see a doctor.

Assuming no medical problems, try the above exercise (standing on one foot) - start with your raised foot no higher than your ankle and work your way up. Pay attention to where your center of gravity is - make sure it is over your supporting foot. Bend the knee of the leg you're standing on; knees are the body's shock absorbers, and if your leg is straight/locked, you're going to have problems adjusting. Make sure your weight is on the ball of your foot, not your heel (try standing on both heels at once, and then the balls of both feet at once, and then on each one alone, and you'll understand why you don't want to stand on your heels). Lift your foot by bending your leg at the knee, and keep your raised foot close to your supporting leg. Pay attention to how you shift yoru weight to maintain your balance, and find the positions that you can hold the most comfortably. Time yourself, and see how long keep your balance on one foot; when you can comfortably hold your balance at least 30 seconds, raise your foot until your balance becomes difficult, and then work on it there. Continue this until you can stand on each foot with your leg raised as high as it will go (still next to your supporting leg) for at least a minute. When this becomes easy, start moving your foot away from your leg - both to the front and the back - until you can hold your leg away from your body for at least 30 seconds. When you can do this, add the correct foot positions for the kicks you are working on. At this point, you can begin to to do the kicks in slow motion as a way of raising your leg, instead of just extending it.

 

[IcemanSK]

Kacey is right on with her thoughts. I would add (assuming no physical problems) it might be worthwhile to get a balance board. Most sporting goods stores have them. I think they are inexpensive & help a great deal. My doctors (both orthopedic & chiropractic) have encouraged me to get one. I just haven't yet.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Bend the knee of the leg you're standing on; knees are the body's shock absorbers, and if your leg is straight/locked, you're going to have problems adjusting.

That was my very first thought and I agree with everything Kacey has said except for one point, and I am fully aware this is because I train CMA internal styles for the most part. It CMA Internal styles the foot on the ground, the supporting leg. The focus would not be on the heel and kacey said but it would also not be on the ball of the foot. It would be on the yongquan point which is in about the middle of the bottom of the foot.

 

[Marginal]

I had similar problems. My particular approach to it involved doing a lot of conditioning exercises. Running, cycling, situps, kettlebells (weight lifting'd occupy the same niche in general) I've never been a huge fan of solo kicking drills.

 

[tellner]

There's not much to add to Kacey's excellent suggestions, just a few things around the edges like...

1. Sink your weight down
2. Make sure your pole is straight
3. Start kicking lower - better to do it waist high and right than head high and wrong
4. Concentrate on extension rather than height
5. Breathe

 

[Sukerkin]

Some excellent advice given ladies and gentlemen :tup:.

Kacey's suggestion to perform a few simple tests to see if the problem is one requiring medical correction is perhaps the most important initially. If you've got something up with your inner ear, after all, all the other advice is not going to be of much assistance to you.

If everythings okay, then the problem is one that can be rectified with practice and technique. A thing that has just occurred to me, that I don't think has been mentioned yet, is to make sure that you are well stretched before you start any kicking excercises. I know that it's an obvious thing but if your tendons have not yet sufficiently elongated then you are going to have trouble with kicks, especially slow ones that are held at full extention.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I snipped this from a post I made a while ago in the "Am I Being Conned" thread:

A little non-dojo anecdote, one of the ways I used to practice for high kicking and balance was to do things like switch the lights on with my big toe or do the washing up balanced on one leg (alternating between having the off-ground foot tucked against the on-ground leg or stretched out into a side-kick). Another was to stick one heel several steps up a flight of stairs and then do knee-bends with the other leg - that sounds easy but it's actually quite a challenge keeping your body upright and straight doing that (and it's great for stretching the tendons too ).

 

[Laurentkd]

There's not much to add to Kacey's excellent suggestions, just a few things around the edges like...

1. Sink your weight down
2. Make sure your pole is straight
3. Start kicking lower - better to do it waist high and right than head high and wrong
4. Concentrate on extension rather than height
5. Breathe

You've added the two things I was going to add...at least I believe so.
Your #2. to me says, that you have to make sure your entire body is aligned. I have seen so many people lean forward, or cock their head to the side, both of which will really disrupt your balance. You have to make sure you spine (pole) is straight up and down.
Also along with #5 I would add relax. Breathing and relaxing basically help you with ANYTHING, but I have found especially so with balance.

Great post Kacey!

 

[Shaderon]

Grat posts everyone above. All I can add really is that any excercise that works on your core muscles to promote your "core stability" is going to help your balance. Also the excercises that work on your outer and inner thigh muscles is going to help too.

My physio and PT gave me a few but most of these involve gym equipment, the ones that don't are things like shoulder presses with medium weights while standing on one leg (weights can be large food cans or those bottles of water than have handles), if you can handle them one legged squats, standing on one leg while doing everyday things, and indeed slow four directional kicks. To get good at anything, the best thing to practice is the thing itself. Kick once forward, once to the back, once to the side then turn on one leg and one to the other side, then try and turn back before putting your foot down. Even if you can't do more than two in a row still keep practising, it'll come.

 

[tellner]

You've added the two things I was going to add...at least I believe so.
Your #2. to me says, that you have to make sure your entire body is aligned. I have seen so many people lean forward, or cock their head to the side, both of which will really disrupt your balance. You have to make sure you spine (pole) is straight up and down.

Yep! That's what I was trying to say.

 

[Chizikunbo]

Physically speaking that is.

The owner and third Dan of my dojang was watching us prep for a belt test and told us that we should perform the kicks in our forms slowly.

I know I don't have a lot of balance, particularly in side/roundhouse kicks.

I tried practicing side kicks last night doing them slowly while keeping my hands up as we are taught to do. I couldn't stay balanced for more than a few in a row. I got a walking stick and held that with one hand to help me balance.

Are there any exercises specifically for balance? Any good books? It did seem to me like my leg biceps and glutes needed work the most.

Will using a support help or hurt me in the long run? in other words, will I just learn to depend on it? If it's okay to use support, what's reccomended?

Thanks.

Here is what I would recommend. Your posture has a HUGE effect on your balance. There is a concept in korean martial arts called Chung Seh which translates as "True and Proper Posture". In the west we tend to slouch alot, in our chairs, on the couch, in the recliner, and in standing/moving. It is just not somthing that seems to be emphasized much in our culture anymore. You may have heard of the "Song of Ship Sam Seh" or the song of Thirteen Influences (8 directions/5 phases) which was a poem written by GM Hwang Kee the founder of the Moo Duk Kwan and it details the principles of Tae Keuk Kwon (Tai Chi Chuan), one line of the poem states "Hold Your Head As If Suspended From A String", this is a direct reference to proper posture. Holding your head in this manner aligns your spine, and thus centers you over your center of balance called the danjun (tantien) which is located approx. 3 inches below the naval. It also teaches you to maintain a similar height throughout the performance of hyung/poomse/tul preventing the "popping up" that tends to occur. Also there is a line in the Ship Sam Seh that states "When the spine is erect, energy rises to the top of the head" which in my interpretation is a reference to the dajun (center of balance, and ki storehouse) as well as what is somtimes called the kundalini which is a ki reserved located at the base of the spine.
You need to focus on keeping a straight, and stong back. When you first start practicing this you will feel like you are over-extending your back and it will feel unusual from so many years of slouching, however eventually this will subside and you will hold a good posture in all things, walking, sitting, practice etc. But is important to keep it in the front of your mind and consciously fix your posture, but when the muscles become trained you will feel better about it as it will become natural. Proper posture also makes you look taller, and in a group of people the person who looks the tallest will generally command the most respect oddly enough.
Balance enhances all of your techniques, from simple kicks and strikes to more advanced joint locks and throws (which oddly enough are part of TKD forms). Practice makes perfect, so take the time and you can overcome your problem with balance. Unfortuantly not manyt instructors actually instruct on balance, and posture, however it should be one of the very first concepts/tenents that are introduced because it is what makes, or breaks a technique.
I hope this helps,
--Josh

 

[MA-Caver]

And on top of all these suggestions... think about getting your hearing tested. The lack of equilibrium is (sometimes) caused by poor hearing or a hearing loss of some kind. I have it but have learned how to compensate for it. My balance isn't the greatest sometimes so I'm more careful.

 

[bignick]

I would say off hand that it has less to do with "balance" than it does with core strenght. It takes an awful lot of strength to hold an extended kick. Your core muscles probably aren't strong/flexible enough to do the technique slowly. We don't notice this at full speed because we retract the limb so fast. Going slowly exposes the weakness. One thing that will help is practice. Keep going at it and sooner or later you'll see progress. Stretching and working on your core strength should show some gains as well.

Good Luck.

 

[exile]

Great stuff on this thread. Balance is my weak point too, but in the few years that I've been doing TKD I've managed to bring myself (`force myself' feels more like it) to much better balance, and I figure, given my original balance problems, if I can do it, anyone can.

One point I think that needs to be brought out: balance and strength are connected. It's true that no matter how strong you are, if your balance is off, you can't maintain an extended-leg kick position for more than a second or two. But by the same token, if your hip flexors in particular aren't strong enough, then you simply won't be able to keep your leg outstretched in proper form for the kick, and this will often translate into the sensation of being unbalanced. So you really have two problems running: being in balance and getting stronger in the right muscle groups.

Unfortunately, free weight training programs for the lower body don't really address the problem, because they focus on the large muscle groups such as the quadraceps complex in the thigh and the smaller calf muscles, and those aren't really implicated in strength. You can work your way up to half a ton of short-range reps on the leg press machine and still not be strong enough in the hip flexors, and unfortunately, I know of no way to work the hip flexors by massive compound exercises. What I found helped was the following: two 10lb ankle weights on the same leg, using a chair for support initially, and throwing 5 to 10 rear leg side kicks fairly slowly, trying for max duration at max extension. This will build both hip flexor strength and, to a limited extent, balance—but to get the benefit of the latter, you have to progressively minimize your reliance on the chair, holding onto it less and less as you develop more strength.

Something I've done in tandem with this strength-building program, is to work on chambering, as a variant of the kind of exercise Kacey suggested: stand in a ready stance, and lift your bent kicking leg up as high as you can, slowly; and then rotate it so your flexed knee is perfectly horizontal. And just stand there as long as you can. When you can do that for pretty much as long as you have strength, without losing your balance, extend your leg out, parallel to the floor, slowly, as far as you can, and bring it back slowly; when you can do that, maintain the extended position for a couple of seconds, then bring it back again; when you can do that, maintain the extended postion for an additional two seconds, and so on. The same exercise works with the roundhouse: maintain the chamber, then the slow circular arc and back again slowly, then maintain the maximally rotated position for a couple of seconds, and so on.

Another good exercise is slow, solid kicks into a heavy bag—single kicks off a single chambering at first, but then multiple kicks off the same chamber; again, both rear-leg side kicks and roundhouse kicks.

Doing these drills made a vast improvement in my kicking balance over an eighteen month or so period. It took a while to see any signs of progress, but one day I realized that my form in both the side and turning kicks was vastly better, even on my `weak' side (i.e., my left leg kicks). Put these exercises together with those that have already been suggested above, and be patient, yes? It really does take a while to come in, but it will.

 

[Chizikunbo]

I tried practicing side kicks last night doing them slowly while keeping my hands up as we are taught to do. I couldn't stay balanced for more than a few in a row. I got a walking stick and held that with one hand to help me balance.

I bet that his, is more of a balance issue. Mind you it probably would not hurt to do some work with muscular strength...

 

[exile]

I bet that his, is more of a balance issue. Mind you it probably would not hurt to do some work with muscular strength...

Probably, but given his lack of balance, K probably hasn't been able to get himself into a position where he's been able to maintain the weight of his leg long enough to strengthen his hip flexors. I found this true myself, when I first started my balance-improvement program: I have very strong legs from years of ski racing and mogul skiing (and then weight training), but it's all in the wrong place! It's the aerial freestylers who develop the strong hip flexors. And the heavy leg presses I 've done for the last ten years or so just work the quads. But I had to devise ways to get my leg extended long enough to actually provide enough resistance in the right position that the hip flexors would start to get stronger, because my balance was so bad I couldn't get my kicking foot `out there' in the first place (pretty pathetic, eh? ). Once those hip muscles started getting stronger, though, I found that I could keep my leg fully extended long enough that my upper body, balancing leg and so on could could work out where they had to be, so to speak, to maintain that position.

So given the interdependence between the strength necessary to keep the leg extended in the kick, on the one hand, and the body's ability to work out the right dynamics to stay in balance through the whole of the kick, from the chamber and pivot to the full extension, on the other, K might do well to work on both sides of the problem in the same session....

 

[Chizikunbo]

Probably, but given his lack of balance, K probably hasn't been able to get himself into a position where he's been able to maintain the weight of his leg long enough to strengthen his hip flexors. I found this true myself, when I first started my balance-improvement program: I have very strong legs from years of ski racing and mogul skiing (and then weight training), but it's all in the wrong place! It's the aerial freestylers who develop the strong hip flexors. And the heavy leg presses I 've done for the last ten years or so just work the quads. But I had to devise ways to get my leg extended long enough to actually provide enough resistance in the right position that the hip flexors would start to get stronger, because my balance was so bad I couldn't get my kicking foot `out there' in the first place (pretty pathetic, eh? ). Once those hip muscles started getting stronger, though, I found that I could keep my leg fully extended long enough that my upper body, balancing leg and so on could could work out where they had to be, so to speak, to maintain that position.

So given the interdependence between the strength necessary to keep the leg extended in the kick, on the one hand, and the body's ability to work out the right dynamics to stay in balance through the whole of the kick, from the chamber and pivot to the full extension, on the other, K might do well to work on both sides of the problem in the same session....

Very good info ;-) Being 18 and such I have not dealt with some of the issue presented in this thread... so I am appriciating learning more more about this as its sure to assist in my teaching methodology...
thanks,
--josh

 

[exile]

Very good info ;-) Being 18 and such I have not dealt with some of the issue presented in this thread... so I am appriciating learning more more about this as its sure to assist in my teaching methodology...
thanks,
--josh

You're 18? Good for you for starting MAs early, when your balance and other capabilities are at their peak, probably (I've talked to sports coaches about this balance thing—it's a concern of mine, as you can probably tell!—and they are unanimous that the late teens are the best time for balance skills). It has partly to do with the fact that the biological toolkit which provides our sense of balance—inner ear fluid sensors and visual correction mechanisms—tends to degrade as we get older. At my age—60—there's been so much wear and tear that balance is seriously degraded, and it only gets worse in the 70s and 80s, which is one reason why older people tend to fall a lot, and of course, since their skeletal integrity is often compromised by osteoporosis, the effects of these falls is often disastrous. The good news for you is that if you train these capabilities hard and persistently and stick with them, they degrade much, much more slowly as you get older. It's the same thing with muscle quality: build up as much muscle as you can when you're younger, and you preserve that base long into your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.

A lot of young people do serious athletics, but sometime in their mid-to-late twenties give it up because of lifestyle changes. But the ones who stick with it have way better quality-of-life through their whole lives. And while people train flexibility, strength, endurance and so on, they seem to train balance only rarely. So the MAs are a particularly good thing to start when young and keep doing, because they contribute to all of those physical abilities.

 

[Chizikunbo]

Yep,
I am very lucky to have found MA's, my parents first enrolled my 13 years ago at age 5 ;-) But that is a good thing to know, also tells me that I need to train harder and harder ^_^
I think that balance is a very interesting subject with regards to how it related to the inner ear. Makes sense, that as a very young kid, I had both of my ear drums rupture, and I just remember falling all over the place and beeing very dizzy...
The correlation of one part of the body to the next never ceases to amaze me ;-)
--josh