Member

January 20, 2010 17:02

Does anyone do anything special, any techniques or training methods, to improve your flexibility and high kicks?

It's one area of my training that I'm trying to focus on this year, so I'm keen to hear of any methods you use.

My flexibility is poor to say the least.. in my hamstrings mainly. What do you do to improve your flexibility?

And for high kicking, I guess it takes a mix of flexibility, good technique and leg strength - especially in the hip flexors, core strength etc.

I can do high mawashi-geri's (roundhouse kick) when I'm warm and doing it quickly (ie above my own head height), with the help of momentum but I want to improve on my high kicking overall, especially my hook kick (ura mawashi-geri).

I'm doing a lot of slow (4-count) kicking to improve my leg strength and focus on technique, but what other methods do you use?

Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy

Administrator

January 20, 2010 17:31

I'm naturally fairly inflexible in my hamstrings too - for me they're always tight and it doesn't take a lot of work for them to be sore the next day.

The one thing I've found that helps over time is regular a stretching routines - preferably every day if possible even if it's just to 15-30 minutes.

Now slightly more bruised than before.

Member

January 20, 2010 21:52

I would agree with Micheal, if you need to stretch then you need to stretch and that is a min of three times a day. An important consideration is too objectively identify what you need to improve. Have you measured your hamstring range of motion?

An important stretching technique for kicking is PNF stretching. The difficulty with this method is that you need a partner and frequency, the two of which are often not in the same place.

Member

July 10, 2010 14:45

Isometric stretches I think it's called, the ones where you tense all the muscles involved before relaxing back into the stretch to get a little lower, then repeating. I'm told (by people who have got results from it) that it's the best method.

When the student is ready, the master will appear

Member

July 12, 2010 13:09

Hi Mike, good question..

The way we do it at Tactical Zen, and the way I learnt via my studies doing a diploma of fitness is the following:

We start the session with "oiling" movements - essentially non ballistic movements of the body to prepare it for the activities ahead. It can often start with the students walking around the training hall in a big circle and progressing to a jog. Then we line back up (mainly so everyone is facing the same way to ensure that everyone is doing everything the same) and take a natural stance (both feet together at shoulder width apart), then we move into alternate right and left punches using all of the body as per the correct bio-mechanics of punching (again just oiling, not with any force). This does two things; it gently prepares the human body for what is to come, and it reinforces muscle-memory because the punches are being done with correct technique.

The same basic process is done with the legs; starting with one leg swinging naturally from the hip in a linear movement (straight forward then straight back), letting the leg hang naturally. Then knee-raises to the chest etc.
The idea is to stay away from static stretching until the body is warmed up. Once you are warmed-up then it is okay to use static stretching. Your flexibility will improve if you use static stretching after your body is warmed up.

To directly address your objective of kicking higher, may I suggest that you employ the essence of the methodology I have described (one of the main objectives of this type of warm-up is safety - to prevent injuries), then perform a kicking drill or whatever, then do some static stretches, then some more kick, then some more static stretches etc...
Also I would suggest to identify and acknowledge what your body is telling you. In other words, if you are in the middle of a kicking drill and your body is telling you that you have not stretched enough just simply listen to it.

Another "rule of training" that I believe is true is this: If you want to Do it, Train it. In other words, if you want to kick high then you have to practice high kicks.

But whatever you do, just do it safely.

I hope this makes sense and helps you a bit.

with respect,

with respect,
Scott Cheasley
Tactical Zen Self Defence Systems.
www.TacticalZen.com