Alan Armstrong

Hello Bulltahr, just for those that are not familiar with the wheel and chair stretcher here is a link to one being used.

Are you using flexibility machines or equipment or do you not need any of these devices for improving your flexibility for kicks? If you have used flexibility machines would you recommend using them to other martial artists?

None telegraphic pandiculation combined with an adrenalin rush works for me, as for clothing (don't wear a gi) much of the time I'm in sweats as most of the time I'm working out or chilling out. At the last formal occasion, while wearing a suit, ended up giving a free marital art lesson to a few of the guests, they were also martial artists, so not being warmed up and not wearing appropriate clothing isn't an issue for me, good to go, ready to rock and roll.

Popular opinion is to always warm up before stretching as cold muscle can cause injuries. Some days I will start my warm up workout wearing as many as 5 pairs of sweat pants, then as the workout continues removing them when needed. My personal preference is to make small circular movements with my joints first and gradually increase the size of the circles, working out any kinks that might cause injuries by moving too fast too soon before being completely limbered up. Once the joints are running smoothly, then it is time for the muscles to be warmed up by means of slow moving contractions and extensions, to create a little friction between muscles, adding intensity and speed throughout the workout. With the idea of warming up without wearing out, as in without the use of energetic cardio movements. Allowing for the use of finer motor skills to become improved upon and body alignment checks before making gross movements such as jumping Jack's or jogging often used in warming up muscles. As closer to the end of a workout the more intense the muscles can be made to work for strengthening and stretching them for improved flexibility. Why I mention all this, is that the fine motor skills and alignment aspect can become lost due to quick intense warm ups and too much stretching before being adequately warmed up. How are you doing your warm ups?

If I was out of marital arts for some time (which is not my case) then three months prior to joining a new MA I would take up Boxfit, as it is none competitive and a good way to build up the necessary cardiovascular strength and endurance. Then sign up for only three months with a MA club that is traditional MA minded that is also none competitive but is mostly cooperative based instead. All the while staying away form classes that are more intended for kids. As mentioned Tai Chi can be beneficial but really learn it, don't just do and learn the moves but learn the combat applications also, body mechanics, concepts, theories, terminology, also adding body building skills would help improve your strength. Swimming is the suggested choice for those that practice Tai Chi on a regular basis.

Knowing these four hand positions is essential to ensure that your striking and deflecting/ blocking techniques are correct for optimal performance (the two other positions are hyper extensions something to use against your opponent and to avoid being in for oneself) As for instance a palm up is an uppercut, thumb up is a hook, a palm down is a jab and an over hand left or right is a thumb down. As a horizontally thrown back fist is a thumb up, while a vertical backfist from high to low is a palm up version. Once the four versions are absolutely clear in one's mind, then practicing (punching) from many angles opens up an infinite amount of possibilities. Adding the loose and fast punching skills from using the scapula, to the heavy hitting locked shoulder, twisting the whole body behind the punches. Knowing the Pu Tu PD Td Concept also works well for practing self defence moves and grabs also palm strikes, chops and spear hand techniques. Hope that high-lighting an awareness of these four hand positions is helpful?

@ brendanxx. Welcome to the forum. The system or style you choose doesn't really matter but what does matter is your enthusiasm for the one that inspires you that can bring the best out of you. I am also in my 60s and my training is for approximately 35 hrs per week and loving it.

A person should have a battle plan, even if it is so simple as punching the opponent on the nose, in the first second, as this concept doesn't give the opponent any time to figure you out. As a plan can help a person focus and can be adaptable if need be. A plan could also be based on confidence or conditioning oneself or even speed and or surprise. In Wing Chun, if the opponent is less stronger or smaller than oneself then attack directly to the inside but if the opponent is larger or stronger then attack from the side by flanking. Knowing this concept with practice, I will know without doubt what I will do in a instant, without hesitation. As a plan for battle could be just that, hit hard, hit fast, without telegraphing without hesitation. But if you really want to be prepared for battle try this work out.

Here is a quick and simple way to make your kicks stronger and faster. Lay down on your side, balance a bean bag or weighted bag on the end of your leg over the ankle. Now practice your side kicks slowly, using full range of motion in and out while remaining on your side, make sure that your body is in total alignment, height is not important here, balancing the bag is. Alternate sides with about 10 kicks per side, I generally start off with a weight at 5 kilos. After about 10 on each leg, I add another 5 kilos making it 10 kilos per set. Progressing to 15 kilos then 20 kilos, what ever you are comfortable with but keep adding more weight to your set. Now, while still on one side do horizontal leg swings with the top leg as far as possible to the front and to the back, about 10 times and alternate legs. Now start using your kicks, still laying down on one side and practice all of your kicks, quickly in succession, side, hook, round house... on both sides, without the weights. Finally finish off the set, but sitting my rear, wrapping both arms around one leg as tightly as possible and hold my ear to my knee, then straighten the leg in to a front kick, repeat bending the leg and straightening all the while hugging the leg as tight as possible, pointing the leg up towards the ceiling or sky. This could actually be a part of the way to start your warm up, or while watching TV. There is no limit to the amount of sets or weight used, I do these exercise for about 1 hour per session, three times a week. Do you have any questions about this suggestion, hope you will try it and like it, good luck? These are the types of sand bags that I am referring to, as they come in many weights and are very durable, that can easily be balance on the ankle for this exercise.

Observation tells me that those that don't know how to stretch properly tug on their muscles while those that do reach. Also those that tug also strain and hold their breath while those that reach coordinate their breathing all the while. Shaolin monks in my mind hold the key to the proper way of stretching for martial art purposes, as if you may have noticed that many of their movements incorporate reaching. There is no doubt in my mind that strength training incorporating flexibility are key factors for the success of any martial artist. Moving and reaching simultaneously while walking or just playing, as in normal activities such as gardening or cleaning the house. Children naturally reach for things, in time they like adults learn not to, perhaps it is time to relearn what was once a normal way of being and stay younger than otherwise would. Reaching for the top will need your participation, to go out on a limb, I believe it is worth it, what do you think? Are you going to give reaching a try for a time to see how different things can be, if so try doing it as if you are a Shaolin monk?

In Kung Fu, the phenomenon of a mother possessing incredible strength, freeing her baby if trapped is legendary, Which if those that have forgotten this concept here is the reminder. That mind over matter is the highest level.

Not yet talked about is type of stretching with nothing else but gravity. By laying on one's back, butt up against a wall, pointing the feet to the ceiling and open legs wide and let gravity make the stretching process work for you, while your job is to relax. Sure, that soon gets boring, so circle those legs, now scoot up a little further to the wall with your back now up towards the wall. The two main principles are to relax and let gravity alone improve your flexibility. This is another one of many ways of gaining flexibility, a Yin approach, by realising un necessary tension. The idea here is to relax as close as possible to when sleeping while keeping the legs up and out. My method for doing this at home is on my couch, while on my back and legs are up and apart on the wall. There are of course many possible positions that can help loosen up hamstrings, hips, and inner thighs. To elevate boredom doing the happy baby pose works also the bicycle and hip thrusts or what it ever takes for helping elevate tension. As this is a good way to elevate tense muscles and good practice for improving relaxation, let's call it a little holiday or the quite before the storm, as for tomorrow it is back to extreme stretching and strength training with ankle straps with a pulley station, also utilising flexibility machines. Are you relaxed about trying it out, or have you been there, done that and have the Tshirt? There are other ways of using gravity for relaxing and stretching, how do you feel about the methods explained here and your own experiences and approach to this concept; as do they work or beneficial for you?

In Wing Chun we have a saying "Don't be greedy don't be afraid" this can be applied to many things, including a student asking questions to the CI.

There are no nightmare students disruptive ones yes. Personally I believe in what I teach works, therefore all questions welcome, no matter what is asked. Problem is CI's believing and teaching blindly (with second hand knowledge) without pressure testing the curriculum to a reasonable high standard, especially in self defence scenarios, thereby feeding students with a false sense of confidence. It is one thing learning a technique in a class and very much another to actually be able to use it under stress in an actual fight in the street, if students forget that aspect, then it just becomes a place to build egos. A student should be thinking that their life could be on the line some day and fighting might be the only way out to stay alive, therefore ask all the questions needed, learn from the answers a make the most use of them as possible.

Hi ashworth, what you described sounds similar to something I had happen to me, was a long time ago, all fine now. Seems to me that your kick that did the damage could have been due to a very loose kick that was hyper extended due to a momentary lack of contol. Recommend after resting or going easy on that area to focus more on strengthening your joints more to match your flexibility. Improving on hip alignment can lead to less injuries, using an ankle strap and pulley machine is useful or adding rubber bands to kicking routines would be helpful. Hips are fulcrums, as strong as they are they are susceptible towards damage, getting a muscular butt not only will give you more power it will also provide extra protection to many types of injuries including falling. Good luck and get well soon ashworth.

What do you do to prepare yourself (physically and mentally) a few days before a battle or an up coming tournament?

Trying to get to grips with Wing Chun vocabulary from one organisation to the next is next to near impossible, as it is conceptual based, interpretations can be varied. Also names for hand positions or shapes can also be named after movements. Wing Chun centre line concepts are also varied depending on who is explaining them. Wing Chun yin yang theory can have many interesting interpretations as yin the feminine aspect can be just ignored and put to one side. With the Chinese have a character/word for everything that can seem totally unrelated, or unclear to what its meaning is. Yee ge Kim yung ma. AKA The mother of all stances goat clamping character two adduction horse stance. Naming a technique which has simultaneous punching and deflecting... doesn't make sense to give elaborated names therefore the word Da represents the combination of striking and deflecting... such as pack da, gun da, wu da, tun da, is very helpful to keep things as simple as possible. As it has sometimes been said that there are no blocks in Wing Chun, which doesn't seem possible, unless knowing that with the forward thinking, movements and concepts of instantaneousness of a strike could also be deflecting, then it would make sense, as rearly that one thing at a time is happening, hence the confusion of names and terminology, in the Wing Chun system; not forgetting to mention that, even on film, naming that movement, might just look like a blur.

Hong Kong airlines advertisement of a Chinese woman doing the 1st Wing Chun form Sil lum tau. https://youtu.be/MrN4cFhMYuA Makes me wonder if in the far off future that other airline cabin crew will be mandatory trained in martial arts such as MMA or BJJ and will see some friendly bouts between them in major airports.

For me he looks like a classic American surfer out of the 1950s that has been transported here from another time and place.

It was Confucius that said "If I show you a corner of a table then you will understand the other three legs" or something similar. "Huen" its meaning is circle, then as learned in the Sil Lim Tau, circular movement or circle has a great significance in Wing Chun. Circling fingers, wrist, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees, hips, waist and head. Circling the opponent, pivoting, circling stepping, hock punch or upper cut, knee and elbow strikes (as in movements that are part of a circle) chain punching... are huen punches... Therefore to "Huen Sao" the wrist has a far more profound meaning than just circling the wrist, than it appears, as Wing Chun is a conceptual martial art, in which we are just scratching the Huen aspect surface of it here. As the late great Bruce Lee would probably explain it like this "Don't concentrate on pointing and drawing with your finger a circle around the moon or you will miss all the heavenly glory"

Releasing here, refers to when the internal automatic contraction of kicking muscles are switched off to allow full range of motion for optimal performance. Spindling here, refers to when the automatic contraction of muscles occurs, that impedes the ease of movement or mobility for kicking purposes, in other words, being stiff. The idea here with practice is to conditioning the body to lessen the problem of Spindling. Once a person realises that Spindling is a sensation that is triggered by discomfort as a protection mechanism, then the better equipped a person is to control it. How you might ask is it done, then the answer is, to stretch a split for example 100 times at only 50% capability, then gradually increase yourself a little further and further, as the body realises that this isn't painful or dangerous, the body will then lower its self protection mechanism and allow for a greater range of motion. Well that's the theory behind it, agree to disagree, what do you think about?

I use a cable station for about 2 to 3 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week, needless to say I love it. Here is something worth knowing for improving your kicks by working out on and with a cable station similar to this in the link, however there are many other options, such as exercises available to play with not shown in the video. If you don't have access to such a contraption then suggest to improvise till you do (using a pulley and rope) good luck have fun. Do you use a cable station or something similar, how is it working for you?

Update: More than a year later and have gained more strength and flexibility due to using weights. Have had to modify my weight flexibility training in a few ways, firstly, buy by saying that my calves have grown bigger and due to that, it is difficult to stap the weights on, secondly because of my legs becoming stronger I have upped the amount on weights to 14 kilos per leg and using weight bags, held to my calves using bungie cords. Also using strap and pulley machines attached to weights at the gym, including a few different stretching machines there as well. Combined with thin and thick rubber bands, at this junction, now have alot of variable options to use at my training sessions to gain strength and flexibility every day of the week. Should also mention that mixing the stretching with core exercises works wonders.

Are you supplementing your diet? Personally the older I feel the more nourishing suppliment ideas become. Collagen Helping joints to stay healthy and flexible. Glutamine For stamina and strength that also helps the recovery process all the while keeping glutamine levels normal. BCAAs Amino Acids, can help reduce muscle fatigue and speed up recovery and also decrease the loss of amino acids during exercise. Vitamin B Complex Assists in sustaining and regulating energy levels and also another factor in metabolism. Creatine Helps with contractille force that allows muscles to contract harder for longer. Green Tea Extract For far burning with anti-oxidants which can help with challenging workouts. Fish Oil Anti-inflammatory that reduce the risk of heart diseases, also symptoms of joint pain and will help with recovery between workouts. What are you doing to supplement your diet? If not why not?

Personally my new year resolution is working great, hoping to stick to it. Was wondering how every one else is doing on their resolutions in the first few tentative new weeks of this year? Stick to your goal, in remembering that easy and failure are not options.