Leg Stretcher Machines?

[Dent]

Osu! Kansetsu,

I'm not sure being so comfortable is a good idea. I've got an infant in the house, and with the hours she's keeping (Watch out, Bloke!), I can see me falling asleep in that thing.

Waking up would be well...

Osu!

[Kansetsu]

hahaha...then that just means you'll have a full split faster than i would...lol. Although, how safe your jewels will be...i can't say...lol

[seienchin]

Feet are flat on the surface of the plank, heels on the floor, toes pointing upwards.

You actually don't even need to use a plank - I do it so I can flex forward over the plank.

A plain old wall works equally well, but once you are managing to get your hips very close, then iyou can't bend forward.

Instead of pulling the plank in, you sit facing the wall, feet wide apart. The lift your bottom of the ground, slide your feet outwards, and settle your bottom back on the ground, closer to the wall than you were. If you do this on a non-slippery surface, like carpet, you won't slide backwards once you have put the stretch on, no matter how stiff you are.

I sit at rest in this position, then I actually do some slow accentuated stretches over each leg and to the middle, and then some faster "bouncing" stretcing, then sit, and then move the plank or bottom again.

If you want to use a plank for the reasons I do, then you can use a plank just like a wall -(ie, fix the plank to a couple of friendly posts if you happen to haev them, as I do).

The only benefit of a stretch rack is that it takes the lateral pressuer off your knees, because the push comse at the knee instead of at the feet. But with my plank, I can stretch every bit as effectively as one of those machines.

Also , the position of the stretch with the stretch rack, and my plank exercise, is not functional. you will never be kicking with your torso flexted at 90 degrees to the legs. Once you have some basic flexibilty in that position, your need to look at stretches that keep your knee, hip and shoulder aligned while your legs spread. Consider the one I have illustrated in this thread:

http://www.kyokushin4life.com/forums...se-splits.html

I guess that the core message here is don't let poverty stop you from working on your stretch. And if you have enough money to buy a stretch rack, consider donating it (or a portion of it) to the charity of your choice. It would achieve a much greater good.

And remember - you don't need to be super flexible to be successful in knockdown. If you mark out on the ground the height of the usual person on your weight division, you will see that you can span their hieght at nowhere near full stretch. This means you can develop the abilty to kick head high, without the extremems of flexibilty that get used in "show-off" martial arts.

I'm not saying flexibility is not necessary - it helps speed, it helps protect you from injury, and it does improve your range of what you can aim to kick. But as I have posted elsewhere about pushups, sitting in seiza and a couple of other things - these (and flexibility) are not outcomes worthy of a karate-ka's esteem...they are tools on the journey. Work out what you need to achieve in terms of functional flexibilty, and strive for that without being distracted by some of the puff that is out there. And a strong, fast karate-ka will take out a bendy flexibile one most days.

[Dent]

Osu! Seienchin,

You do have a sense of humor. I visualized my stretching against the wall, and then read your comment about getting too close to bend forward. Made me laugh out loud.

Should I ever find that a reality, I'll be sure to PM you with thanks!

Osu!

[seienchin]

Originally Posted by Dent

Osu! Seienchin,

You do have a sense of humor. I visualized my stretching against the wall, and then read your comment about getting too close to bend forward. Made me laugh out loud.

Should I ever find that a reality, I'll be sure to PM you with thanks!

Osu!

No, No...no PM. We will want pictures, posted in the public parts of the forum. And the champagne will be on you!

[Dent]

Osu! Seienchin,

Somehow I think my money is safe on this one.

Osu!