how would i improve my flexability for kickboxing and itf tae kwon do,musical forms

ladylouise

hello
i was woundering how i would improve my flexaibility so some standard.
my splits look more v-shaped then straight line.i find it hard to kick straight and high. basicly my flexability is rubbish.need advice on how to improve it.and i am overweight & age as well would that affect my flexability .

RedXIV

There's plenty of exercises and stretches designed purely for flexibility but one of the surprising resources for me was to do yoga. couldn't believe it but it really made a difference to me when i was doing it

ladylouise

RedXIV wrote: »

There's plenty of exercises and stretches designed purely for flexibility but one of the surprising resources for me was to do yoga. couldn't believe it but it really made a difference to me when i was doing it

i did yoga before i wasn,t able for it.
i have leg stretcher which i don,t find too good.

RedXIV

I used a leg stretcher before and it gave more problems than benefits, what kind of stretches are you doing to improve your flexibility?

ladylouise

RedXIV wrote: »

I used a leg stretcher before and it gave more problems than benefits, what kind of stretches are you doing to improve your flexibility?

the kind of stretches which help me do front splits and box splits.i don,t exactly what stretches improves this

RedXIV

have you noticed no difference at all? i'd be wary of anything that made you flexible fast in case it had long term implications. When i was doing TKD, i was doing the usual flexibility stretches and i was getting more flexible over time, albeit slowly

ladylouise

no improvement at all .i have tramped nerve in right leg.

Black Swan

ladylouise wrote: »

hello
i was woundering how i would improve my flexaibility so some standard.
my slits look more v-shaped then straight line.i find it hard to kick straight and high. basicly my flexability is rubbish.need advice on how to improve it.and i am overweight & age as well would that affect my flexability .

Suggestions:

• Be patient. To get stretched out and flexible takes time (months -- sometimes years). If you hurry the process, you could injure yourself.
• Be selective. Begin with three or four different stretches and master them, before adding a new one.
• No crutches. Although there are probably exceptions, I have observed that most stretching machines end up in storage gathering dust or sold at garage sales from lack of long term use.
• Stretching Habit. Most important of all! Don't only stretch at the KB centre or TKD dojang. Develop a habit of stretching when doing other things about the house daily, or in other places that allow for it. For example... Rather than be a couch potato, sit on the floor in a stretching position when you watch the telly, shifting every now and then. At first it's a real pain, but after awhile, you won't even know you are doing it.

VNP

The elastic steel dvds are very good, giving safe methodology, i had a shoulder injury and decided to work on splits for the last couple of months and cannot believe the progress i made, but you have to make a big effort time wise every day for 5 days a week. With a real good warm up and castor oil massage on the musscles your working on, pnf couple of times a week, you ll be flying.

ladylouise

VNP wrote: »

The elastic steel dvds are very good, giving safe methodology, i had a shoulder injury and decided to work on splits for the last couple of months and cannot believe the progress i made, but you have to make a big effort time wise every day for 5 days a week. With a real good warm up and castor oil massage on the musscles your working on, pnf couple of times a week, you ll be flying.

i look up the elastic steel web site i can only buy the dvd by credit card.i have no credit card.thanks any way i try the tom kurz website its the same there too.
is there website in Ireland that sells the dvd.

FruitLover

ladylouise wrote: »

the kind of stretches which help me do front splits and box splits.i don,t exactly what stretches improves this

Splits (a static stretch) are almost irrelevant to TKD (a dynamic activity). Dynamic stretching will improve your dynamic flexibility faster than static stretching. In fact, dynamic stretching should be part of your pre-class warmup.

ladylouise wrote: »

i try the tom kurz website its the same there too

Tom Kurz has free articles (of which his book is mostly composed) available on his site. You don't need a DVD.

Deisekickboxing

dont forget a good warm up before undertaking any stretching exercises!

FruitLover

Deisekickboxing wrote: »

dont forget a good warm up before undertaking any stretching exercises!

I'd consider a warm-up necessary only for rigorous exercise (e.g. MA training) or before static stretching. Dynamic (not ballistic!) stretches can be performed without a warmup.

In fact, Kurz recommends regular early-morning dynamic stretches for martial artists.

00MARTZ00

Hi all
First time posting on the martial arts forum.
Hope this doesnt sound stupid but what is dynamic stretching?

requiem1

I was having the same issue as the op, came back to karate after a couple of years and had lost all flexibility. Went to a training camp in scotland and the instructor told me that it wasn't about continually stretching but building up my hip flextors and making sure they were strong.

Sure enough i stretched as per normal but included alot of kicking exercises to build up my strength and i can kick quite well again.

yomchi

00MARTZ00 wrote: »

Hi all
First time posting on the martial arts forum.
Hope this doesnt sound stupid but what is dynamic stretching?

Any stretch that in principle involved the moving of a limb in any range of motion. A leg swing would be a form of dynamic stretch.