Stretches to get my kicks high? Help!

[hammer]

Just wondering if there's anyone in the 45 and up crowd that can give any advice on increasing flexibility...been working on high kicks at close range in Kyokushin, and while I can get some results just buy doing the kicks with proper technique, there's a point where the lack of flexibility gets in the way.

see my earlier posts

On this or other threads?

There is plenty of advice (I've given some of my own here on KF) but my recent training has "revealed" that I'm not as flexible as I thought or hoped, and unfortunately once one gets to "a certain age" going overboard or not properly stretching makes for a rough time of it the next few days after a workout.

[Hawkmoon]

Hey Hammer in this thread as well as others!!

Heres a few of them, and I'm sure I missed others:

http://www.karateforums.com/how-to-strengthen-your-kick-vt46273.html

http://www.karateforums.com/how-often-do-you-stretch-vt46123.html

http://www.karateforums.com/stretching-tips-vt45291.html

For me, breathing and relaxed movement/posture is the way forward!

(Take a bath, and when you get out have a stretch, you (your legs) are much more relaxed at this moment so you'll find you get more for less.

That'll translate into normal stretching making life easier! as you train normally)

We do kyokushin, not a system or fighting style renowned for its high kicks or aerial kicking ability!

We work at gedan and chudan much of the time, it our bread and butter in a fight, but a high kick from time to time is a worthy weapon to have in the tool box!

So stretches and working to them is not something that is going to be easy, and is not something that should be rushed either!.

I'm 45 now, I can hit the head Jodan mawashi, spinning ushiro mawashi, hiza and the always reliable mai geri ... all work well, and all are done sparingly.

Its a surprise to the other guy when I launch any of them ... (I guess its funny to see grandad going all Bruce Lee on the mat LOL!)

When I was in my 20's these high kicks were things I could do in my sleep, they came easy to me, not so much now!

The tool box is little less packed now!

[hammer]

Hey Hammer in this thread as well as others!!

Heres a few of them, and I'm sure I missed others:

http://www.karateforums.com/how-to-strengthen-your-kick-vt46273.html

http://www.karateforums.com/how-often-do-you-stretch-vt46123.html

http://www.karateforums.com/stretching-tips-vt45291.html

For me, breathing and relaxed movement/posture is the way forward!

(Take a bath, and when you get out have a stretch, you (your legs) are much more relaxed at this moment so you'll find you get more for less.

That'll translate into normal stretching making life easier! as you train normally)

We do kyokushin, not a system or fighting style renowned for its high kicks or aerial kicking ability!

We work at gedan and chudan much of the time, it our bread and butter in a fight, but a high kick from time to time is a worthy weapon to have in the tool box!

So stretches and working to them is not something that is going to be easy, and is not something that should be rushed either!.

I'm 45 now, I can hit the head Jodan mawashi, spinning ushiro mawashi, hiza and the always reliable mai geri ... all work well, and all are done sparingly.

Its a surprise to the other guy when I launch any of them ... (I guess its funny to see grandad going all Bruce Lee on the mat LOL!)

When I was in my 20's these high kicks were things I could do in my sleep, they came easy to me, not so much now!

The tool box is little less packed now!

Thanks for the input...it's a bit tougher for me at 50 to be just learning these kicks. I'm finding the high kicks more challenging in Kyokushin than I did in TKD because the Maai (distance) is somewhat closer.

Would be real nice if I could get my height up on a Jodan mawashi or ushiro mawashi geri. As you said, while the low kicks are much more frequently used, it's great to be able to surprise an opponent with a properly executed high kick...

[Hawkmoon]

I hear that ...

Had our last major heavy session before the tournament the other day and as always the fighters were called up and told to fight the others until told to sit down.

So we all stood up when called one by one and fought until told to stop ...

I was called up, and off we went ... a collection of mixed middle and heavy weight fighters.

All good fun and good bouts!

Now one of the fighters going to the tournament is a heavy weight so when he was called up he fought as we new he would, powerful kicks and full weight driven punching .... then he gets close and he steps up another gear and he really goes to work.

:bawling:

So we all had to work at range to bring him down a peg or two. For me that started with a spinning jodan ushiro and just as soon as it brushed past his nose he slowed his pace.

Enough for me to start almost sport fighting him to try and wear him out ... didn't work, as well as I hoped but the kick did its job and slowed him enough so I could at least try and wear him out!

Worth the effort getting the stretching done ...