Yet another stretching thread

[aes]

I know this topic has been posted and reposted here. I have read the existing threads but none of them seem to apply directly to my issue.

 

I am a 41 year old newbie MA. I love it but my lack of flexibility is going to be my biggest downfall. I cannot deliver a high to the head kick with either a front or roundhouse or crescent kick. This is a big problem for me because many forms will not be as impressive without higher kicks and I like to spar and I have limited options with such a low kick.

 

So I am working on quick stretches that I can do multiple times a day to improve my flexibility.

 

I read some of an old edition of Stretching Scientifically and found it too complex to apply to a daily routine. I have asked my Sensei's and they don't seem to have any good routines that I can do to help either.

 

Here is what I have come up with:

 

I try to do this 3 times a day.

 

I do sideways leg raises where I move my leg up and down over and over with knee straight. This tends to warm my muscles up and adds strength to the muscles on the sides that help hold the leg up.

 

I then go into what I think is called a Y split (toes forward legs outstretched in an inverted Y). I hold it and slowly turn my body and lean in one direction holding it and then do the other side.

 

I pull on the groin muscles like I am trying to pull my legs together then increase this stretch doing this several times. I hold the final position for about 2 minutes.

 

I walk it in heel toe then try to touch my toes and hold it with my legs straight for a good while.

 

After Karate class with my legs good and warmed up I will also go onto a stretch machine and hold my legs stretched for a while and see if any progress has been made (currently only make it to 120 degrees in the machine).

 

I have to do some of these stretches in my office and don't want to make too big of a scene so any advice people might have will have to take this into account.

 

I have been told by our senior Sensei's to not expect to have great flexibility but I am not happy with just settling for mediocre ability there and want to aggressively increase my flexibility. Thanks.

[Looneyas]

Here are some answers that might be helpful

I try to do this 3 times a day.

 

I wouldnt do any stretching 3 times a day as you need to heal from the stretching.

I do sideways leg raises where I move my leg up and down over and over with knee straight. This tends to warm my muscles up and adds strength to the muscles on the sides that help hold the leg up.

 

This is Dynamic Stretching and works on your Active flexibility not realy a stretch but rather a warm up.

I then go into what I think is called a Y split (toes forward legs outstretched in an inverted Y). I hold it and slowly turn my body and lean in one direction holding it and then do the other side.

 

Yes best way to get those high kicks and also stretch your hips..

I pull on the groin muscles like I am trying to pull my legs together then increase this stretch doing this several times. I hold the final position for about 2 minutes.

 

These are Isometric stretches, best doing these 3 - 4 times a week not daily

 

What i do see missing are Calf, Thigh, Hip Flexors, and hip stretches,

 

These are a major important stretch if you want to do head kicks.

[aes]

These are Isometric stretches, best doing these 3 - 4 times a week not daily

 

What i do see missing are Calf, Thigh, Hip Flexors, and hip stretches,

 

These are a major important stretch if you want to do head kicks.

 

Ok when I do these Isometric stretches too often I wondered, because it kind of hurts when I do them this often.

 

What kind of hip and thigh stretches to you recomend? I can do pretty good butterfly stretches already. Almost getting knees to the ground.

[Bretty101]

Hey aes,

 

Your stretching regime sounds really good to me!

 

I'd agree about stretching 3-4 times a week rather then a day. When you stretch or overstretch a muscle, it will contract and shorten to stop you from injuring yourself. The result of overstretching is you get less flexible!

 

All you want to achieve is, to take a stretch to it's limit, which causes the stretched muscle to contract. Eventually this muscle tires (even quicker with isometric stretching). When the muscle fatigues it will relax allowing you to stretch even further, when you increase your stretch the muscle contracts again and the cycle repeats itself.

 

The length of each cycle can vary. Using Isometric stretches it can be as little as 10 seconds, with static stretching nearer 60 seconds. With practice you can relax your muscles and get this cycle even shorter.

 

The deisired effect is to get your muscles to relax when stretched. The more frequently you achieve this the more flexible you will become.

 

Good luck! and look after your knees!!

 

Bretty

[Bretty101]

..d'oh double post.. Edited December 9, 2003 by Bretty101

[Bretty101]

....d'oh treble post...soz

[aes]

I have changed my routine a bit after some of the feedback here and reading a bit more, plus consulting my dojo.

 

I now do the following daily usually around lunch:

 

- standing side leg raises

 

- standing front leg raises

 

- lunges

 

- ham string stretch (put foot forward point toes back as far as I can with legs straight and lean forward trying to touch toes)

 

- straight leg toe touches held in position bending at hips

 

- Y splits repeated with tension on and off increasing splits

 

- put a leg on my desk and stretch to touch toes

 

- inside and outside crescent kicks

 

At night before going to sleep I use a rope setup to hook on my foot and pull my leg up towards my head while straight and hold it in position for many minutes at a time slowly increasing the stretch. Sometimes I use isometric tension as well.

 

I seem to be seeing some gains in my flexibility now but it is very slow.

 

I think adding the crescent kick and rope pull in bed are making the biggest difference plus not over doing the isometric splits.

 

Thanks again to those that made suggestions.

[jeffrogers]

Try a book by bill "Super foot" Walace. He has a lot of good ideas on stretching and working for better kicks. Search through google on his name. Maybe add in the search engine with his name books and streching probalby find what your looking for.

 

-Jeff

[aes]

Thanks I will see if I can find a copy somewhere here in Canada.

[JKTT]

One book by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace is Dynamic Stretching and Kicking. It is very basic and a lot of the stretches require a partner or are advanced stretches that have no explanations on how to progress to that level. Some other books that should be avoided due to little valuable information are:

 

-Combat Kicking, By: Andre Lima

 

-Basic Training for KICKING, By: Pu Gil Gwon

 

-The Art of Stretching and Kicking, By: James Lew

 

They are not useless, just basic, so I don't thing that they are worth the money.

 

All it took for me was dynamic stretching and isometric leg lifts. You've probably heard that before, but that is the only advice that I can offer.