footing/leg stance question..

[osuperu]

ok....so i wouldnt say im pidgeon toed, but i walk without any bow of the feet..basically straight (does help when sprinting)...however for this and many other reasons my abductors and adductors are quite inflexible.. (i hate sitting indian style)..

so with the stances in mind:

on the shotokan back stance (maybe its the same of the other styles..i dont know) i can never get my feet to make that strict 'L' shape with my back and front feet, while mantaining proper hip and quad stance... otherwise i feel like my groin and outer hips are going to explode.

so does anyone else have this problem?? anyone not have a bow in thier steps?? anyone know of specific streches or excerises for the adductors/abductors??

thanks...

[JusticeZero]

Dunno, seems like general flexibility development, since all the stuff that you need for that stancework you'll need for other movements. I wish I had some students with your build though, it's hard to find people who already have perfect footwork to begin with.

[Zanejin]

It's just a sign that you're body isn't flexible enough. You should practice that stance as much as possible, resisting the pain until you cannot do so anymore. You should get better at performing the stance within a few weeks.

[tufrthanu]

I am of the school that says if it hurts dont do it...and if you have to do it modify it. Try centering your body more over your legs so that the stretch isnt all coming out of one leg.

[osuperu]

the weight positioning inst that much a a problem..its just when i have my front foot pointing straight (bacj foot still 90 degrees), thats when its hell....but if i put my foot in about 30 degrees its fine....but i strive for perfection..and that jsut wont do.

[tufrthanu]

You misunderstood my point. In a traditional back stance the position of the body and hence the weight is over the back foot. By centering the weight and hence your body you lessen the degree to which the front leg is stretched out. Another thing to try is to be more upright...not bend the legs as much. And you may feel that you have to do everything perfectly but that is actually unrealistic. Even grandmasters have quirks in their posture and techniques. They may ask you to fly to the moon and you should try...but you will only get so far no matter how badly you want it.

[Sparkey]

I have sort of a similar problem. My right foot is "put on wrong". If I point my toes straight ahead and bend my knee, my knee points very sharply inwards. If I want to bend my knee straight ahead, I must turn my toes out at about a 45 degree angle. I wear a custom orthodic in my shoe all the time to compensate for this and reduce back problems, but during Karate I train barefooted.

When I first started karate lessons, I made a point of telling my sensei about my physical difference. He told me to do the best I could, which I always do. But because of the way my foot is put on, I can never do a real propper Kibadachi. If my knee is pointing straight, my foot must be turned. If my toes are pointing straight, my knee shoots inward. I can't win. When sensei forgets that my feet don't cooperate with me and "corrects" my stance, I just smile, and say, "Hai, sensei, I'll do the best I can." He remembers and says, "you always do".

I just keep doing the best I can.

[tufrthanu]

Yes I have problems with that stance as well...my one of my legs is extroverted which I think may cause me problems. I can get my feet to point forward by my knees tend to bend inward...alternately I can point my toes out a little and have the knees properly...which is usually what I opt for. I also can't get as low as some people. I have seen people do a horse stance with their thighs parallel to the ground. This causes me extreme discomfort in my hips so I usually do it with my thighs at about a 45 to the floor.

[osuperu]

yep..well im trying...and streching a lot too..

i was wondering, can you do those all dymanic streches by yourself without a partner?

hello fellow oregonian