The Importance of Stretching

[KenpoMaster8054]

i do stretching too before we do our karate we do leg stretch we do sit up push up crunches etc

 

[Kung Fu Wang104]

The day when your elbow cannot touch your toes, the day that you know you are no longer young.

 

[Stuarto65]

So do I, and as I age I'm coming to appreciate the benefits of long, slow, gentle poses with less ambitious positions. The 'silent school yoga' videos (not the expensive ones, just the free ones on youtube) changed how I do things. I highly recommend a watch.

I might give that a try, been looking for new good ways to stretch out. I stretch pretty much every day to keep myself loose, but I am also trying to increase my flexibility.

 

[Stuarto65]

i do stretching too before we do our karate we do leg stretch we do sit up push up crunches etc

We do standing and sitting hamstring stretches, wide leg stretches, butterfly stretches, and various warmups.

 

[Gyakuto104]

This is when my legs get very tight.

The modern consensus seems to be that our muscle rarely shorten and become ‘tight’. Instead, our stretch reflex contracts them for fear of them being damaged when overstretched. Convincing our nervous systems the muscle is in no danger seems to be the way ahead in increasing flexibility by doing things like proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretches.

At the age of 38, stretching is absolutely paramount to avoid pulling a muscle.

There’s very little evidence that pre-exercise static stretching reduces the chances of ‘pulling’ a muscle. I recall an experiment using 300 army recruits; before going fora 15 mile run, 150 of them performed static stretching the other 150 did not. After the run, the number of strains and pulls were the same in each group.

When we roamed the savannah’s of Africa, hunting for food, we didn’t stretch as a warm up when chasing bison to eat; we just ran hard as soon as we saw our prey.

Dynamic stretching seems to be the way these days
Dynamic stretching

 

[Same Trick49]

After a derp rest we instinctively stretch.
Dogs and cats(and probably most animals) occasionally stretch

 

[Gyakuto104]

After a derp rest we instinctively stretch.
Dogs and cats(and probably most animals) occasionally stretch

But we (and they) ant most, extend our arms and yawn. We don’t hold a static, unnatural stretch position for 30 seconds for three reps.

 

[Kung Fu Wang104]

In CMA, this kind of stretching are emphasized:

- your elbow can touch your toes (when your leg is straight).
- you can kiss your toes (when your leg is straight).
- your hand can touch your kicking foot.
- your right upward kick can hit your left ear.
- your right upward kick can hit your nose.
- your back upward kick can hit the back of your head (very difficult to do).

My Karate/TKD friends told me their stretching emphasize are different. Does anybody know why the difference may be?

 

[Stuarto65]

In CMA, this kind of stretching are emphasized:

- your elbow can touch your toes (when your leg is straight).
- you can kiss your toes (when your leg is straight).
- your hand can touch your kicking foot.
- your right upward kick can hit your left ear.
- your right upward kick can hit your nose.
- your back upward kick can hit the back of your head (very difficult to do).

My Karate/TKD friends told me their stretching emphasize are different. Does anybody know why the difference may be?
View attachment 34343

Those all seem quite difficult to do. I can almost put my hands flat to the floor when doing a standing hamstring stretch. That's a lot better than I could do when I first started. No way I can kiss my toes! Haha

 

[Gyakuto104]

I think achieving and maintaining hamstring and leg adductor flexibility are vital for a healthy older age. Well done, @Stuarto!

 

[Kung Fu Wang104]

Those all seem quite difficult to do. I can almost put my hands flat to the floor when doing a standing hamstring stretch. That's a lot better than I could do when I first started. No way I can kiss my toes! Haha

Toes kissing can be seen at 3.00.

TKD/karate floor stretching is difficult to do too. Just wonder why the emphasize difference can be.

 

[Gyakuto104]

A good place to start.

 

[Same Trick49]

But we (and they) ant most, extend our arms and yawn. We don’t hold a static, unnatural stretch position for 30 seconds for three reps.

Yes, but still yawny stretch is a stretch like other stretch to energize(make ready) the muscles(and other bodily tissue).
In taijiquan the “yawny” stretch is done for 30 min, preferably for 3 reps

 

[Same Trick49]

In CMA, this kind of stretching are emphasized:

- your elbow can touch your toes (when your leg is straight).
- you can kiss your toes (when your leg is straight).
- your hand can touch your kicking foot.
- your right upward kick can hit your left ear.
- your right upward kick can hit your nose.
- your back upward kick can hit the back of your head (very difficult to do).

My Karate/TKD friends told me their stretching emphasize are different. Does anybody know why the difference may be?
View attachment 34343

In some traditional karate kata(Taolu/forms) the kick hit the hand is emphasized.

However Karate was heavily based on southern Chinese martial arts, which at the time did not emphasized such gymnastic requirements ? that I believe steam mostly from northern long fist CMA ?

 

[Kung Fu Wang104]

However Karate was heavily based on southern Chinese martial arts, which at the time did not emphasized such gymnastic requirements ? that I believe steam mostly from northern long fist CMA ?

This could be a good reason. The northern CMA emphasizes that 30% striking come from hand, and 70% striking come from leg.

 

[Gyakuto104]

Yes, but still yawny stretch is a stretch like other stretch to energize(make ready) the muscles(and other bodily tissue).
In taijiquan the “yawny” stretch is done for 30 min, preferably for 3 reps

Yes, I’ve heard Taijiquan is a bit of a yawn

 

[Gyakuto104]

In some traditional karate kata(Taolu/forms) the kick hit the hand is emphasized.

However Karate was heavily based on southern Chinese martial arts, which at the time did not emphasized such gymnastic requirements ? that I believe steam mostly from northern long fist CMA ?

You’re point being…?

 

[Stuarto65]

Toes kissing can be seen at 3.00.

TKD/karate floor stretching is difficult to do too. Just wonder why the emphasize difference can be.

Toes kissing can be seen at 3.00.

TKD/karate floor stretching is difficult to do too. Just wonder why the emphasize difference can be.

Some seriously impressive flexibility. I'm just happy I can get my fingers on the floor and that I can get a roundhouse kick up to head level.

 

[Stuarto65]

A good place to start.

Nerve flossing, I do this sometimes. I did it when I pulled a muscle and it helped

 

[Prince_Alarming104]

But we (and they) ant most, extend our arms and yawn. We don’t hold a static, unnatural stretch position for 30 seconds for three reps.

What our ancestors did, however, that we generally don't is sit on the floor. That's all a lot of floor stretches really amount to.