grenage

I know that leg rotation comes up a lot; so forgive me. I can kick with my right leg just fine - the support leg twists as it should. Unfortunately I am getting issues with the other leg; it feels like it's not twisting enough and it's causing me knee issues. It's less of a problem when I kick low. Whilst doing high leg swings as a warm-up in the gym I noticed that my right leg twists 90 degrees outward when swing my left leg in front. So now I suspect that something linking the legs is very tight and causing the issue. Has anyone got any ideas as to what I should be stretching to try and overcome the problem? Obviously I can shell out for a professional opinion if it comes to it, but I thought I'd ask around before doing so.

No worries, I'm sure your clunks can be sorted out. Give me a few days and I will get more in depth with what needs to be done with some recommend videos. Take care. Thanks, Alan; I'd really appreciate that. Yoga or any discipline for that matter, isn't going to miraculously cure clanking hips and aggravating knee joints.Understanding fully why this happens and using proper techniques, when kicking and exercises will. Here is just a primer on this subject to start you off on the right foot (excuse the pun) Self evaluation on your turnout is important. By using the clock method, with 12 being in front of you and 6 is behind you, then 9 will be to your left and 3 is to your right. Standing at 12, using an inside to outside crescent kick with the left foot, with your right foot pointing at 1. Feel the clunk in your kicking hip? Repeat the kick now with the right foot turned out to 2. The clunk should be a little less. Repeat the kick now with the right foot turned out to 3. Repeat to 4,5 and 6 if possible. Starting from this one inside to outside cresent kick, with the left foot, while the supporting leg points from 1 to 6. You should find that the more the supporting leg is pointing towards 1. the more your kicking hip will clunk and the more the supporting leg points towards 6 the clunk will disappear but instead the knee of the supporting leg will become affected with discomfort and eventually pain. The supporting leg, needs to have the knee inline with the foot. Turnout of the hips is paramount, otherwise the knee of the supporting leg will compensate for what the hip should be doing. Try out this little test for yourself, and let's see if this works for you. Also have a ballet teacher explain why turnouts are important, if one is available. I'll check out some exercises and more explanations for you also. This all might seem very complicated at the moment, but really, it is all easy, (like everything else) when you know how. Take care grenage. Hi Alan, That's great, thank you. I wasn't too sure on what turning the hips out meant, but the video makes it pretty clear. Looks like this might take a while to correct!

No worries, I'm sure your clunks can be sorted out. Give me a few days and I will get more in depth with what needs to be done with some recommend videos. Take care. Thanks, Alan; I'd really appreciate that.

Thank you, - these are things I've recently started doing, so I am hoping that they will pay off in time. It's frustrating as you never really know if something will pan out for a while.

Hi Alan, My hips clunk like mad! Could you recommend and exercises to work on opening the hips? I'm taking up yoga once a week with my partner, in the hopes that things may improve.

Hi there, and thanks for your reply. It's funny you mention that, because I took up crossfit a little while ago, and leg lifts were something I'd never done before. I had never struggled with anything so much in my life. I've got long slender figure, but I really struggled to lift straight legs off the ground.

Hi guys, Recently I've been having a lot of problems with kicking on one side only - kicking with my dominant leg (right) as the support foot. It is especially problematic with a roundhouse, and less so with a side thrust kick. I've been doing karate for nearly three years, and this has only started appearing in the last six months. I think it might be a tight muscle/tendon down the inside of my leg; has anyone else experienced this sort of problem, and are there any stretches you could recommend?

Good to hear I'm not alone in the problem.

No, that's great- thank you. I'll take a look at the Nike and Under Armour gear.

Sorry yes, I ment getting a third gi probably wouldn't help. I fully intend to get the compression shorts. Shotokan karate; is that what you mean?

Lol yes, and I'm not even sure it would solve the problem!

Great advice, thank you; I had no idea stuff like compression shorts existed - I'll check them out!

Ahoy! My first (180) was a Japanese cut, so shorter arms and legs but pretty roomy; my second (185) is a European cut, which is a lot more generous - I shrank the top with a tumble drier as it was too roomy.

Alas, my gis are 14 and 12oz!

Hi guys, I'm one of those unfortunate souls who sweats an awful lot when exercising, and while the sweat doesn't bother me, after a while the buildup in my trousers cause issues. When I lift my leg up in front of me for a kekomi kick, the damp fabric glues itself to my upper thigh and knee, so I can't get my leg up as high as required. I've bought a bigger gi on the off chance that there wasn't enough room, but have the same problem. I can't imagine there's a solution, but might as well ask! Any tips? Russell.

Hi there, I mean at all, unfortunately.

Well I can still get some mat time, and enjoy myself, even if I don't score a point; it's not like I wouldn't be trying.

Thanks for the advice! I'll try to get as much kumite in as I can in the run up to the tournament, and reevaluate at that time. I'll enter for at least a kata, so I won't be sitting down all day either way.

Hi there, thanks for your reply. Yes I'm reasonably confident of my control, but it's one thing to judge things in three/one/five step, and another in Kumite - I'm sure.

Hi guys, I'm nearly 35, and have been doing Shotokan Karate for just under a year; I'm a red belt, with my next grading coming up in February (probably). I quite fancy a bit of kumite, and will be entering a tournament in March - assuming I grade. For the record, I have done no kumite at all, and have no expectations of winning a point, let alone a match. Short of finding someone in the club willing to spar a little, is there any advice you might have for someone starting out? Thanks in advance!

I'll be back in 10 years.

So basically, whatever feels appropriate at the time, based on muscle memory and experience.

Thank you for your replies, chaps. Rest assured I stop short on such strikes to the neck; I only aim for contact on non-critical areas. That's good advice, and hopefully I'll have some space for a couple of bags when we move next year!

Hi guys, I've not been doing karate for long (6 months), and I've got a quick question regarding choice of strikes. I could ask my Sensei, but it's nice to get varied answers. When would you 'knife-hand' strike someone in the neck, rather than performing a straight punch to the throat? This is obviously assuming a real-world unfortunate situation. I like performing the knife-hand strikes during training because they feel powerful when I can perform them correctly, but no more so than a simple punch. So what are the real-world applications? I can only assume that it allow one to inflict damage more easily to the side of the neck. I would appreciate the insight of experience!

Hi there, They are a bunch of upper and lower back (generic) exercises; limbering, stretching, and strengthening: Neck rotations (side to side, circles, up down) Shoulder rotations (circles both directions) Laying on the flood with legs at 90 degrees, moving legs left and head right down to the floor (then the opposite) Moving arms behind, straightening and raising; raising a little more after each breath. Arms held directly above, then repeat as above. Putting one leg on a chair and stretching the other (forward stance). Kneeling on all fours, then arching the back in both directions. Laying on the floor with legs at 90 degrees, arching back up between knees and shoulders. Same as above with one leg help straight out and up. Planking for 30 seconds. There are a couple more, but those are what I can remember. You're supposed to do the limbering exercises 5-10 times a day, the stretching 4-5 times a day, and the strengthening once a day. I'm only doing them all once a day at the moment, with the exception of the leg stretch, which I can do at work without being committed to an asylum. I believe that the leg stretches alone are making the difference with my problem, but the others seem to be improving my general feeling.