Stretching And Age.......

Kung Fu Wang

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When people talk about kicking during old age, I always like to share the following pictures.

Baji master Ma Yin-Tu in his 70.

old_man_high_kick.jpg


Shuai-Chiao master David C. K. Lin in his 65.

Lin_leg_lift.jpg
 

tshadowchaser

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Not sure of your age but Im 68

Thinking of getting a stretching machine but not really sure if I need one as i do not plan on doing head high kicks much.
In truth I still like some of the static stretches along with the dynamic stretching .
 

donnaTKD

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i need to stop getting hurt as often as i do ;) maybe then i'll last a bit longer than i will at the moment but i got addicted to scrapping and part and parcel of that is taking the rough with the smooth and all the time hoping that the smooth will win through.........

i do admire those old masters a lot though and the dedication that they've given to their respective arts :)
 

PhotonGuy

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Even if you don't do head high kicks its still good to be as flexible as possible. It makes your mid level kicks faster and easier to do and makes you all around more resilient. Supposedly stretching increases your strength 10%.
 

Transk53

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Even if you don't do head high kicks its still good to be as flexible as possible. It makes your mid level kicks faster and easier to do and makes you all around more resilient. Supposedly stretching increases your strength 10%.

Interesting, will have to remember that. Stretching adding strength, suppose it would do. Wonder if that would be a by product of hardening the muscles.
 

K-man

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Even if you don't do head high kicks its still good to be as flexible as possible. It makes your mid level kicks faster and easier to do and makes you all around more resilient. Supposedly stretching increases your strength 10%.
I read this and thought, WOW! There's hope for me yet. All the pain I go through at gym ... no longer necessary. Beauty! I'll just take is easy and do a bit of stretching and build up my strength in the process. Added benefit, I might get reacquainted with my feet! (As I've gotten older my arms seem to have shortened and my legs are longer ;) )

So I went looking and found this.

Stretching improves strength. So? | BBOY SCIENCE

Bugger! I'll see you again when I get back from the gym!
:asian:
 

Buka

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If kicking is any part of your repertoire, even a small part -

We all know that if you throw a kick higher than your flexibility allows, that kick will be weak. (I'm not taking into account balance issues) Whatever your range of "kick height", that top part of it is going to be the weakest part of your range because you are fighting your body trying to get it up there. Let's say you are flexible enough to get your foot up around the height of an opponents chest. The height where you can generate any real power, as well as a smoothness in kicking, is going to be somewhere lower than the chest, let's say around the lower abdomen. If you can become more flexible, you can raise the height of where you can generate power. It's still going to be lower than how high you can swing your leg, but that "power point" for lack of a better term, will raise somewhat. It allows more options in kicking. At least more options with some semblance of power.
 

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