Improving Flexibility

[ANTSAN]

Osu,

As the tittle suggests im interested in hearing ways to improve flexibility, particuarly to reduce the effort needed to cary out techniques such as Jodan mawashi geri's, Brazillian kick etc etc.

Im currently working on stretches such as the 3 step stretch, touch toes, etc most nights.

Are there any other particular techniques you can share that will benefit in this area?

[hasbeen]

osu antsan, try stretching on a shiney surface in socks, this just helps you stretch that bit more.

[Kyokushin_Practioner]

Originally Posted by ANTSAN

Osu,

As the tittle suggests im interested in hearing ways to improve flexibility, particuarly to reduce the effort needed to cary out techniques such as Jodan mawashi geri's, Brazillian kick etc etc.

Im currently working on stretches such as the 3 step stretch, touch toes, etc most nights.

Are there any other particular techniques you can share that will benefit in this area?

Osu! ANTSAN,

lol,i was going to make this exact same topic.im kinda muscular and i want to keep my strength but i want to be very flexible at the same time.i know this will be hard to do,but with the proper training i think it's possible.

[seienchin]

I think you will find some good discussion in this thread:

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

[GJEChamberlain]

Osu!

The best investment I made was buying 'Stretching Scientifically' by Tom Kurz. Available on Amazon or via Stadion.com and Stretching.info: Your No-Nonsense Authority on Stretching and Flexibility, Mental Toughness, Strength, Speed, Power, Jumping Ability, Endurance, Coordination, Agility, Technique, and Sports Nutrition for All Sports and Martial Arts

No guarantee it'll work for everyone, but it certainly helped me.

Gary

[Paedde]

The keages will do everything, they work way better than static stretches. Do them every day and you will see improvement really fast.

Osu

[Kyokushin_Practioner]

Originally Posted by Paedde

The keages will do everything, they work way better than static stretches. Do them every day and you will see improvement really fast.

Osu

what's keages?

[mary222]

if you are looking for the brezilian kick you defenitelly need to work on you hip rotation it will also help with the jodan mawashi geri. as paedde said keages are good especially uchi and soto keage you can also work on swithching from one split stance to another. i mean starting from a regular frontal split try going into laterall without reasing you position by rotating your hips(gotta go easy when you do that) it will had a lot to your hip rotation

about the big muscle of steels vs flexiblility my suggestion would be to stretch stretch and stretch again yes you can be powerfull and flexible but steel doesnt strech easilly lol so after every muscular effort you should make sure that you work on keeping them flexible as well

[Kyokushin_Practioner]

Originally Posted by mary222

if you are looking for the brezilian kick you defenitelly need to work on you hip rotation it will also help with the jodan mawashi geri. as paedde said keages are good especially uchi and soto keage you can also work on swithching from one split stance to another. i mean starting from a regular frontal split try going into laterall without reasing you position by rotating your hips(gotta go easy when you do that) it will had a lot to your hip rotation

about the big muscle of steels vs flexiblility my suggestion would be to stretch stretch and stretch again yes you can be powerfull and flexible but steel doesnt strech easilly lol so after every muscular effort you should make sure that you work on keeping them flexible as well

thanks alot, how can i improve my hip rotation? will the "twist" stretch help?

[kabirlovero]

Originally Posted by ANTSAN

Osu,

As the tittle suggests im interested in hearing ways to improve flexibility, particuarly to reduce the effort needed to cary out techniques such as Jodan mawashi geri's, Brazillian kick etc etc.

Im currently working on stretches such as the 3 step stretch, touch toes, etc most nights.

Are there any other particular techniques you can share that will benefit in this area?

i started doin this leg stretch...u rest ur leg on someplace high....knees locked, and try to touch ur feet with your fdace... it helped me...

[Paedde]

I just do keages: mae, soto, uchi, yoko, ushiro
It works out well so far

Originally Posted by Kyokushin_Practioner

what's keages?

They are leg swings, a kyokushin kick. You can do it inside out, reverse, front, side or back.

They are great dynamic stretches and help a lot improving dynamic flexibility as needed for kicking and also build some muscles.

Osu

[Setsuna162]

I agree with Paedde. Dynamic stretches are great! In my club, we do dynamic stretch a lot more than static stretch (the splits). Some of the guys I practice with cannot split but have great high kicks.

[Nix]

mary,

Funny that you should mention that. I am fairly flexible, but my high kicks are worsening. Frontal kicks are okay, but circular kicks are crap. When I lift my leg sideways, my hip hurts as hell, and the same happens when I do the practice you mention - which is why I've been very careful with that. Are you suggesting that I should focus more on it in order to get my hip rotation back?

[mary222]

i've been doing it and it works for me.

another thing i know it sound stupid but when you do a circular kick do you actually push with your hips or just flicking your leg?? cause i've had that problem too after an injury a started to stop my kicks half way trought it cause i was scared of overextending the joints thing is doing so i was putting a lot of presure on my hip and knees. i corrected it by focusing on the right technic and involving the whole body in the kick not just my leg

[Nix]

I try to put my whole body into it. Sempai is quite strict on correct aplliance of techniques.

[seienchin]

Originally Posted by Nix

mary,

Funny that you should mention that. I am fairly flexible, but my high kicks are worsening. Frontal kicks are okay, but circular kicks are crap. When I lift my leg sideways, my hip hurts as hell, and the same happens when I do the practice you mention - which is why I've been very careful with that. Are you suggesting that I should focus more on it in order to get my hip rotation back?

Nix - if you are experiencing this with one hip in particular, you might have an injury internal to the joint. Altneratively, you might just be unlucky in that your hip joints are maturing into a less flexible orientation than you had hoped.

There is a tear of the hip cartilage that can happen, which has been most studied in Australia, because our Australian rules footballers get it from what they call an "around the corner kick". (In kyokushin it is the equivalent of a mae geri feint flicking into a mawashi).

So if it doesn't settle with some stretching, and is one side worse than the other, consider getting it looked at by someone who has the capacity to diagnose complex joint issues.

good luck with it.

[Dent]

Osu!

I have to agree with Seienchin. Better to get it sorted by a professional physical therapist now, than risk making it worse with experimenting at home.

Osu!

[Nix]

Thank you for your advice. The problem happens especially when I lift my leg sideways, e.g. when I bend my leg to execute mawashi geri chudan or mawashi hiza geri. Even yoko keage is bad, as is kicking from kiba dachi. Problem is I'm poor and too stubborn to admit I need medical assistance. Hopefully no treatment will be needed, and if so I hope the treatment is free. However, I will consider mentioning it to a friend of mine who is studying for physiotherapist, and is also a shodan so he knows what I'm talking about.

Osu!

[seienchin]

Nix - there are some injuries that it is OK to ignore and tough it out, there are others that actually deteriorate until they get treated, and that delay in seeking advice can have permanent implications.

With the torn hip cartilage thing, joint fluid can leak out, and it eats a hole in the bone...not nice, and not so easy to fix. other things like tendinitis can leave you with permanent calcifications in tendons, which could have been avoided with early treatment.

There is no shame in seeking advice..so if the pain is more than trivial, do more than consider.

Besides doesn't Norway have subsidised healthcare for students?

[Nix]

Healthcare is free in both Norway and Denmark, however you need to pay for some things, such as dentals and plastic surgery, and other things are partially paid by the government, such as eye surgery. The pain is not unbearable, it's just annoying that I can't kick properly from certain dachi. I will see what my friend says. I'm probably just growing old...