Training Outside of Class?

[JowGaWolf]

JowGaWolf. Thanks that makes sense. This is specific but I'm just curious... do you or others on here kick every day, or do you give your legs a break from dynamic stretching a few days a week?

Oh also with stretching you don't want to go hard with that. Going too hard with stretches causes big tears in the muscles and causes injuries with take time. It also creates scar tissue which is less flexible.

 

[skribs]

Thanks skribs. At this time I'm fairly content with my rate of understanding the material and learning the lessons through repetition. I noticed my forms haven't improved for two reasons, flexibility and strength. I stretch everyday (dynamic before and static after) and I find that repeatedly I get close to a split or my highest kick, and then I overstretch a muscle and have to "restart." This has happened quite a few times. My worry is if I don't stretch enough I won't see change but also see what over stretching does.

As for strength, I had presumed by repeating my forms I would build the strength to rise from, say, a pu bu stance. I feel like I plateaued there and am wondering if I need to vary the workout to improve strength so I'm not wobbly and fatigued. As for speed, I was thinking of doing more bag time to work on speed, but am afraid by moving focus to that other areas will weaken.

Of course I understand progress does not occur overnight. Perhaps I need more fitness and strength training, but fear it will take from technique. Just curious how other folks with more experience train and if I'm focusing on the "right" areas.

For stretching, what you want to do is slowly increase the amount of stretch in a session. One thing I did when I was a yellow/purple belt in Taekwondo is I would lay on my back, put my butt up against the wall, and let gravity help me with my splits. It wasn't enough that it was painful, but I'd play Dominion on my phone or scroll through Facebook posts for about 5-10 minutes and then get up. I did this a few times a day, and within a few months my side kicks were much improved. Where you run into problems of over-stretching is when you quickly stretch to your maximum instead of slowly getting there.

For strength, your forms build muscle memory and I think help shape your muscles in the way you want them to go, but they won't increase your strength as much as pumping iron. I think it's a mix of the two - some focus purely on the physical workout and some focus on the skill itself - that makes it work. Personally, I don't work out. Between my day job and 4 hours of teaching/taking classes, I don't really have the time or energy to do so. But I understand that my punch is a lot weaker than it would be if I was working on the bench three times a week.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

How do you train outside of class?

Can you find sparring/wrestling partners that you can spar/wrestle 15 rounds daily?

If you can't, for your MA skill, you can use

- solo drills to "polish" it.
- equipment training to "enhance" it.

 

[Headhunter]

Of course weights will help good skills development, the stronger your are the better your skills will be.And the longer they will stay good before fatigue sets in, I see the fitness doesNt matter lot are out in force

Lol don't pretend you know a thing about me I'm the fittest guy at my club and I'm running a half marathon next week so don't go assuming I don't know anything about fitness

 

[jobo]

Lol don't pretend you know a thing about me I'm the fittest guy at my club and I'm running a half marathon next week so don't go assuming I don't know anything about fitness

So if your so clued up why did you say weights won't help develop skills, ?

 

[skribs]

Kicking is dynamic stretching, you don't really have to do both, other than as a warm up, set you bag up at a height that chalkenging, or stick some yellow tape on it at the height you want and kick it. Every thing needs rest, more Haist less speed

There's a difference in the motion for a kick and the motion for a dynamic stretch.

 

[Hanshi]

Be gentle with yourself and stretch gently. Always work up a bit of a sweat BEFORE you stretch. Train your techniques and don't worry about weights; they can come later. Progress is measured in years; and others will see your improvement long before you do.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Thanks skribs. At this time I'm fairly content with my rate of understanding the material and learning the lessons through repetition. I noticed my forms haven't improved for two reasons, flexibility and strength. I stretch everyday (dynamic before and static after) and I find that repeatedly I get close to a split or my highest kick, and then I overstretch a muscle and have to "restart." This has happened quite a few times. My worry is if I don't stretch enough I won't see change but also see what over stretching does.

As for strength, I had presumed by repeating my forms I would build the strength to rise from, say, a pu bu stance. I feel like I plateaued there and am wondering if I need to vary the workout to improve strength so I'm not wobbly and fatigued. As for speed, I was thinking of doing more bag time to work on speed, but am afraid by moving focus to that other areas will weaken.

Of course I understand progress does not occur overnight. Perhaps I need more fitness and strength training, but fear it will take from technique. Just curious how other folks with more experience train and if I'm focusing on the "right" areas.

Bodyweight exercise will give quick gains at first, but you'll absolutely plateah, because you're doing the same exercise with roughly the same weight over and over. Find a way to increase the intensity. Practice explosive rising from that stance (outside the form). Practice holding that stance a long time (to reduce fatigue in the stance that makes it harder to rise out). Find a weight-bearing exercise that uses the same muslces - or just hold some light (and later, heavier) weights while practicing rising out of the stance.

Now translate that to other areas where you feel more strength would help your form.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Be gentle with yourself and stretch gently. Always work up a bit of a sweat BEFORE you stretch. Train your techniques and don't worry about weights; they can come later. Progress is measured in years; and others will see your improvement long before you do.

And stretches should feel good, or have slight discomfort. They should never actually have pain. Also, pay attention to what is bearing the stretch. You want to feel it deep in the muscle, not near the attachment points.

 

[Headhunter]

So if your so clued up why did you say weights won't help develop skills, ?

Because they don't...if I have a crap roundhouse kick lifting weights isn't going to make my kick any better

 

[jobo]

There's a difference in the motion for a kick and the motion for a dynamic stretch.

No there's not, if your are kicking that's dynamic, if you Are stretching while kicking that a dynamic stretch, what definition of dynamic are you using ?

 

[jobo]

Because they don't...if I have a crap roundhouse kick lifting weights isn't going to make my kick any better

Putting weights on the ankle will

 

[drop bear]

Because they don't...if I have a crap roundhouse kick lifting weights isn't going to make my kick any better

If you have stronger legs your kick is going to be better.

 

[skribs]

No there's not, if your are kicking that's dynamic, if you Are stretching while kicking that a dynamic stretch, what definition of dynamic are you using ?

Because dynamic stretching serves the purpose of increasing the maximum point at which you can stretch your leg, and kicking is focused on the technique of kicking. If I want to work on my front kick, I will do a stretching axe kick for the stretch, and then front kick in order to get the kick in. I guarantee you I get more of a stretch out of the swinging motion, and my stretch kick can go higher than my actual kick.

Same thing for side kick or back kick. I will swing my leg up for a stretch side kick, I will chamber and push for an actual side kick.

There's other motions as well. The motion for a stretching crescent kick is a wide sweeping motion, where I'll use a quicker, more targeted motion for an actual kick.

The muscles stretch differently when you do a swinging motion for a stretch kick than when you chamber and snap. I don't really see how anyone can do a front kick and then an axe kick and go "yeah, the stretch feels the same." Unless you're doing one of the kicks wrong and both look the same, too.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Putting weights on the ankle will

The roundhouse kick and ankle weight can hurt your knee joint big time.

 

[jobo]

Because dynamic stretching serves the purpose of increasing the maximum point at which you can stretch your leg, and kicking is focused on the technique of kicking. If I want to work on my front kick, I will do a stretching axe kick for the stretch, and then front kick in order to get the kick in. I guarantee you I get more of a stretch out of the swinging motion, and my stretch kick can go higher than my actual kick.

Same thing for side kick or back kick. I will swing my leg up for a stretch side kick, I will chamber and push for an actual side kick.

There's other motions as well. The motion for a stretching crescent kick is a wide sweeping motion, where I'll use a quicker, more targeted motion for an actual kick.

The muscles stretch differently when you do a swinging motion for a stretch kick than when you chamber and snap. I don't really see how anyone can do a front kick and then an axe kick and go "yeah, the stretch feels the same." Unless you're doing one of the kicks wrong and both look the same, too.

If your purpose for stretching is to kick higher, then there's no point stretching it any other direction than the one you want to kick in,

It's is both a) dynamic and b) a stretch is there Fore a dynamic stretch

 

[jobo]

The roundhouse kick and ankle weight can hurt your knee joint big time.

Only if they are silly heavy, if a light weight damage your knee, your knee as already damaged

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Only if they are silly heavy, if a light weight damage your knee, your knee as already damaged

Heavy is a relative term. It's not an absolute term.

The fast speed and heavy weight don't go together. IMO, this weight training can help your roundhouse kick.

 

[pdg]

Only if they are silly heavy, if a light weight damage your knee, your knee as already damaged

I can agree with this

If you have any notion whatsoever of practicing for self defence reasons, you absolutely need to kick weighted.

Why?

Shoes.

If you can't kick with weights, you can't kick with shoes.

If you are called upon to defend yourself, you aren't likely to have time to get your shoes off.

My work boots weigh nigh on a kilo each, and I regularly practice in the garden wearing them.

 

[pdg]

Heavy is a relative term. It's not an absolute term.

The fast speed and heavy weight don't go together. IMO, this weight training can help your roundhouse kick.

That is possibly one of the most knee damaging exercises available...