Stretching Tips 2

If you have become accustomed to the stretching technique from page 1, you will want to put that extra flexibility to work!

Having the flexibility is only one part of your kicking prowess! What you need to master next is the control of your technique. This is a test for you to try before you continue reading the rest of this page.

Next balance on one leg and hold the other leg out to the side into a sidekick position as high as possible for about 5 seconds.

Measure how high you held your leg. You can measure by standing next to a wall or something just to give you an approximate guide.

Now, again stand on one leg but this time swing your kicking leg up as high as you can (without tearing any muscles or falling over)

It is most probable that when you compare the two exercises, you have found that you can swing the leg a lot higher than you can hold it.

The point of this is to illustrate that your flexibility allows a greater range of movement than you are able to control. There are two governing factors involved in this, one is the muscle control at height of flexibility and the other is the balance factor. We will deal with the muscle control factor first!

You are in control of your kick, if, when you kick you can hold that position.

When you kick above your control limit, then you are temporarily out of control.

You will strive to perfect your kick by controlling the range of movement that your flexibility allows.

A good exercise to strengthen the kicking muscles is to actually perform the kick as slow as possible and hold it for about 5 seconds then relax and repeat 5 times.

Stand with both feet together. Lift up the kicking leg to knee height.

Push out the leg as straight and as high as possible to the side of the body, look in the direction of the kick.

(Do not worry if your kick is only being held at about midsection height and you are used to kicking to head height, this is quite normal)

You will feel discomfort in the lower back, the outside hip position and the thigh muscle. These are the muscles you will train to hold your leg to the desired height. At the moment they are not obeying. They need to be trained.

It is important that you adopt the correct kick posture i.e. perform the exercise as you would normally kick. We will cover balance and posture in the Balance Tips page.

Repeat this exercise with all your kicks and measure your progress. You will at first find it very demanding and tiring, but persevere.

Get your balance and look at the wall where your foot is placed

Now slowly move your foot away from the wall and hold it up!

If your foot drops down, even an inch, you must start again

If you can hold it at the same height, hold for about 5 seconds then replace the foot on the wall in the same place!

Now put your leg down on the floor and relax and massage the muscles!

Repeat this a minimum of 5 times in each kick position off each leg.

As you become more proficient you can increase the time held

Remember that every bit of effort that you put into your training will be rewarded.

There is plenty to come in the tips and training sections, look out for them in the future.


	The Elite Karate Club \| home Balance Tips Stretching Tips 1 Stretching Tips 2 If you have become accustomed to the stretching technique from page 1, you will want to put that extra flexibility to work! Having the flexibility is only one part of your kicking prowess! What you need to master next is the control of your technique. This is a test for you to try before you continue reading the rest of this page. Stand up and give yourself some room. Next balance on one leg and hold the other leg out to the side into a sidekick position as high as possible for about 5 seconds. Measure how high you held your leg. You can measure by standing next to a wall or something just to give you an approximate guide. Now, again stand on one leg but this time swing your kicking leg up as high as you can (without tearing any muscles or falling over) It is most probable that when you compare the two exercises, you have found that you can swing the leg a lot higher than you can hold it. The point of this is to illustrate that your flexibility allows a greater range of movement than you are able to control. There are two governing factors involved in this, one is the muscle control at height of flexibility and the other is the balance factor. We will deal with the muscle control factor first! You are in control of your kick, if, when you kick you can hold that position. When you kick above your control limit, then you are temporarily out of control. You will strive to perfect your kick by controlling the range of movement that your flexibility allows. A good exercise to strengthen the kicking muscles is to actually perform the kick as slow as possible and hold it for about 5 seconds then relax and repeat 5 times. Lets take the side kick position for example. Stand with both feet together. Lift up the kicking leg to knee height. Push out the leg as straight and as high as possible to the side of the body, look in the direction of the kick. Hold the kick position for about 5 seconds. (Do not worry if your kick is only being held at about midsection height and you are used to kicking to head height, this is quite normal) You will feel discomfort in the lower back, the outside hip position and the thigh muscle. These are the muscles you will train to hold your leg to the desired height. At the moment they are not obeying. They need to be trained. It is important that you adopt the correct kick posture i.e. perform the exercise as you would normally kick. We will cover balance and posture in the Balance Tips page. Repeat this exercise with all your kicks and measure your progress. You will at first find it very demanding and tiring, but persevere. Your kicking ability will improve tenfold! Try the following to aid in your training. Stand on one leg kicking distance away from the wall Place your foot on the wall to the desired height Get your balance and look at the wall where your foot is placed Now slowly move your foot away from the wall and hold it up! If your foot drops down, even an inch, you must start again If you can hold it at the same height, hold for about 5 seconds then replace the foot on the wall in the same place! Now put your leg down on the floor and relax and massage the muscles! Repeat this a minimum of 5 times in each kick position off each leg. As you become more proficient you can increase the time held Remember that every bit of effort that you put into your training will be rewarded. Effort = results Good luck with your training! There is plenty to come in the tips and training sections, look out for them in the future.