# How do I make my Legs more flexible?/ What do I need? (Muay Thai "beginner")



## ZockerSWAT

Hello everyone!

I am 14 year old, I weigh in about 56kg (~123 pounds) and I am 183cm (~6 feet) tall.
In Germany, there arent any Muay Thai or some kind of MMA Gyms withing 1 Hour (The nearest is at least 3h).
I allways have been pretty tall and I got pretty long arms as well, so I thought, that I 
might try to get fitter and learn some Muay Thai with it!
I know that in Muay Thai you use a lot of kicks and elbows, but sadly because I am so tall at my age
I injured my leg. It isnt something that bad, just a repercussion because of my unusual growing.
I have to wear some kind of kneepads till I get 18 and if it wont fix itself I gonna get into surgery.
The main injury will heal in about 2 weeks, so I thought that I might be able to do some steps to get 
flexible first!

I sadly cant do any sparring (because of the lack of MMA Gyms), but a friend of mine does boxing (there are a lot of boxing gyms) and maybe he can hook me up at his gym! I dont know what kind of devices I need, but my mother already agreed to get a punching bag, but I would like to get equipment that isnt already avaible at that boxing gym.



Sorry for asking this many questions ( and my bad english), but this is the only reliable forum I could find.
I already read the "Beginners Corner" (I believe that was what it was called) posts, that were pinned at the top.
At least most of them. Because I wanna learn Muay Thai and there may be specific excercises 
for Muay Thai, so I posted it here. If this is supposed to be on the Beginners Corner just let me know and I will just copy paste it on there and delete this one.
Thank you for taking your time to read this!


----------



## drop bear

Just repetitive kicking the bag will make you more flexible.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

What kind of kicks? I can barely lift my lift up my leg up to my belly button and cant even fully extend it.
The "how" is what makes it difficult for me


----------



## Dirty Dog

All kinds of kicks. But you need to be doing them properly. And you need to be patient. Despite advertising claims, you're not going to become rubber band man in 4 weeks.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Dirty Dog said:


> All kinds of kicks. But you need to be doing them properly. And you need to be patient. Despite advertising claims, you're not going to become rubber band man in 4 weeks.



Dont worry I know something like this takes time. I just dont know how to get started. Its nice to know that I can just try "all kinds of kicks", but like I said earlier, I cant even fully extend my leg when I want to try a Side Kick in an open area. Its kinda hard to just go by that.
What did you try to do when you had this problem?


----------



## Gnarlie

ZockerSWAT said:


> Dont worry I know something like this takes time. I just dont know how to get started. Its nice to know that I can just try "all kinds of kicks", but like I said earlier, I cant even fully extend my leg when I want to try a Side Kick in an open area. Its kinda hard to just go by that.
> What did you try to do when you had this problem?


Whereabouts are you Zocker? Pampa? 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Gnarlie said:


> Whereabouts are you Zocker? Pampa?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



I am not quite sure what you mean, but l live in Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany.
I cant disclose my exact location for obvious reasons but you could say that Nordrhein-Westfalen is my state I am in.


----------



## Gnarlie

ZockerSWAT said:


> I am not quite sure what you mean, but l live in Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany.
> I cant disclose my exact location for obvious reasons but you could say that Nordrhein-Westfalen is my state I am in.


Of course. NRW has quite an active Martial Arts scene though. I guess you are not in the city though if everything is 3 hours away. You might find something at a VHS, so not a proper gym but a group/Verein more locally a couple of nights a week. You really need a trainer. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## Gnarlie

If you just want to improve flexibility, then yoga works. Or try reading Thomas Kurz.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Gnarlie said:


> Of course. NRW has quite an active Martial Arts scene though. I guess you are not in the city though if everything is 3 hours away. You might find something at a VHS, so not a proper gym but a group/Verein more locally a couple of nights a week. You really need a trainer.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk




A "VHS"? I dont know what that is to be honest. And I woul love to have a trainer, but its kinda hard. Currently we dont have any class tests comming up and it is pretty chill. So its about the perfect time to start training! I would love to get a trainer, but dont know where to get one


----------



## Dirty Dog

ZockerSWAT said:


> Dont worry I know something like this takes time. I just dont know how to get started. Its nice to know that I can just try "all kinds of kicks", but like I said earlier, I cant even fully extend my leg when I want to try a Side Kick in an open area. Its kinda hard to just go by that.
> What did you try to do when you had this problem?



Many people find it more difficult to kick air than a bag. I do. My air kicks are rarely fully extended. Because I'm old and acutely aware of the dangers of hyper-extending my joints. 
Just as with flexibility, the technique will improve slowly, over time.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Dirty Dog said:


> Many people find it more difficult to kick air than a bag. I do. My air kicks are rarely fully extended. Because I'm old and acutely aware of the dangers of hyper-extending my joints.
> Just as with flexibility, the technique will improve slowly, over time.
> 
> View attachment 22071




A bag being easier than air? Never thought about it like that. I will try it out the next time I get the chance to do it! I do have a gym pass, but I dont know if  they have bags there so I either need to get one myself or ask my "Boxer Friend" if he can help me out. 
Thanks!


----------



## Gnarlie

ZockerSWAT said:


> A "VHS"? I dont know what that is to be honest. And I woul love to have a trainer, but its kinda hard. Currently we dont have any class tests comming up and it is pretty chill. So its about the perfect time to start training! I would love to get a trainer, but dont know where to get one


Volkshochschule. They have classes in the evenings from different Verein groups. Sometimes martial arts. Maybe look for your local one and see what they have.

You might also have some success with Google for your area with "Muay Thai" AND "e.V."

Most sports clubs are "eingetragener Verein".

You never know, sometimes martial arts springs up in the weirdest places. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## Dirty Dog

Honestly, what it sounds like you really need is a teacher. As someone recently said here, you can learn *about* an art from books and videos, but you cannot learn the art.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Gnarlie said:


> Volkshochschule. They have classes in the evenings from different Verein groups. Sometimes martial arts. Maybe look for your local one and see what they have.
> 
> You might also have some success with Google for your area with "Muay Thai" AND "e.V."
> 
> Most sports clubs are "eingetragener Verein".
> 
> You never know, sometimes martial arts springs up in the weirdest places.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



Thanks gonna try that as well!


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Dirty Dog said:


> Honestly, what it sounds like you really need is a teacher. As someone recently said here, you can learn *about* an art from books and videos, but you cannot learn the art.



Yeah the more I think about it.. It does make sense. Learning the art and learning about the art is diffrent. 
Thanks again!


----------



## Gnarlie

ZockerSWAT said:


> Thanks gonna try that as well!


Du könntest vielleicht mal auch bei Kampfkunst-Board fragen. Da gibts sicher einige deutschsprachigen Trainer, die in NRW Muay Thai treiben. Schnuppertraining wäre angesagt. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## Kung Fu Wang

ZockerSWAT said:


> to get flexible first!


Stage 1: forehead touch toes.
Stage 2: nose touch toes.
Stage 3: mouth touch toes.
Stage 4: chin touch toes.

Do dynamic stretching after static stretching,


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Gnarlie said:


> Du könntest vielleicht mal auch bei Kampfkunst-Board fragen. Da gibts sicher einige deutschsprachigen Trainer, die in NRW Muay Thai treiben. Schnuppertraining wäre angesagt.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



Also könntest du mir ein Link schicken zu einem Kampfkunst Board schicken oder meinst du hier auf dieser Seite?


----------



## Gnarlie

ZockerSWAT said:


> Also könntest du mir ein Link schicken zu einem Kampfkunst Board schicken oder meinst du hier auf dieser Seite?


Google it, there is only one German language forum for martial arts. You'll find it! 



Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Gnarlie said:


> Google it, there is only one German language forum for martial arts. You'll find it!
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



Ok!


----------



## Gweilo

Hi Zockerswat I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but a simple technique for improving your legs, that can be done at home is...
Sit on the floor with your back flat against the wall,  open your legs until it starts to be uncomfortable, close your legs a little so there is a little stretch, but not uncomfortable, keeping you back against the wall see if you can lift your left leg off the floor, then try your right leg, then both legs, your aim should be to eventually be able to lift either or both legs off the floor for 10 seconds, m once you can do this, you can move on to more dynamic stretching excercise's.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

ZockerSWAT said:


> A bag being easier than air? Never thought about it like that. I will try it out the next time I get the chance to do it! I do have a gym pass, but I dont know if  they have bags there so I either need to get one myself or ask my "Boxer Friend" if he can help me out.
> Thanks!


A bag, if you don't over-do it (keep the kicks moderate, not going for full power) is both easier and safer than air, especially for those of us with flexibility issues. Once you get your legs used to the activity, you'll find you can use them - in motion - in ways you cannot rest them. I can kick at my own head height when warmed up, though I can barely touch my own toes, and can't get to any sort of comfortable position in a static, seated stretch.

But you do want to start with something that's a reasonable kick. If you can find any kind of striking (beyond boxing) style in your area (Taekwondo, Karate, Savate, etc.), you could learn a basic kick or two to work with. You might even find you really like training that style and be able to use it until you can get to Muay Thai someday.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Stage 1: forehead touch toes.
> Stage 2: nose touch toes.
> Stage 3: mouth touch toes.
> Stage 4: chin touch toes.
> 
> Do dynamic stretching after static stretching,


I love that your "stage 1" is something I've never even gotten close to, not even at my very most flexible.


----------



## Kung Fu Wang

gpseymour said:


> I love that your "stage 1" is something I've never even gotten close to, not even at my very most flexible.


This has to do with how long your leg is. If you have longer leg, it will be difficult to do. Most people may have to stretch their leg so that leg can bend upward in order to reduce that length. IMO, that's not a good idea.

I can no longer do high kick like this any more.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Kung Fu Wang said:


> This has to do with how long your leg is. If you have longer leg, it will be difficult to do. Most people may have to stretch their leg so that leg can bend upward in order to reduce that length. IMO, that's not a good idea.
> 
> I can no longer do high kick like this any more.




So are high kicks out of the question then for me? xc
I allways liked the hook kick and spinning hook kick.
It looks kinda of difficult, but that was kind of my goal,
to be able to do the spinning hook kick.
I like to set goals, and that was my 1st
"medium level" kicking goal basicly.


----------



## Kung Fu Wang

ZockerSWAT said:


> So are high kicks out of the question then for me? xc
> I allways liked the hook kick and spinning hook kick.


Both hook kick and spin hook kick require to stretch your groin. The floor static stretching can be good.
















This is how flexibly my daughter is today.


----------



## Dirty Dog

ZockerSWAT said:


> So are high kicks out of the question then for me?



Why would you think that? You're 14. I think he's about 70. See a difference?


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Both hook kick and spin hook kick require to stretch your groin. The floor static stretching can be good.




I got a lot of stretching to do then, I need my legs to be stretchable so I can extend them and I need to be able to stretch like that.
I like how you need to do a lot of "pre-stuff" before you can actually use them. Some people see that as a bad thing, but I actually kind of 
like it, becacuse you can actually work on your stretching without equipment.


----------



## ZockerSWAT

Dirty Dog said:


> Why would you think that? You're 14. I think he's about 70. See a difference?



I didnt think much about age. But, yes sir I see the diffrence in age now. I didnt notice that till now.


----------



## Kung Fu Wang

ZockerSWAT said:


> I got a lot of stretching to do then,


You may try the door frame stretching (I don't have picture or clip for it).

- You put your back on one side of the door frame.
- Put your leg up on the other side of the door frame.
- Use both hands to pull the other side of door frame so your groin area can move closer to the other side of the door frame.

Also to stretch in hot bath tub is a good idea.

Some people believe that over stretching the groin area (such as the side split) can be a bad idea. It can be bad for the hip joint.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Kung Fu Wang said:


> This has to do with how long your leg is. If you have longer leg, it will be difficult to do. Most people may have to stretch their leg so that leg can bend upward in order to reduce that length. IMO, that's not a good idea.
> 
> I can no longer do high kick like this any more.


In my case, it's not about the length of the leg. My head doesn't get anywhere withing the vicinity of my knee, shin, ankle, toes, or anything. I can see them just fine, but that's about it.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

ZockerSWAT said:


> So are high kicks out of the question then for me? xc
> I allways liked the hook kick and spinning hook kick.
> It looks kinda of difficult, but that was kind of my goal,
> to be able to do the spinning hook kick.
> I like to set goals, and that was my 1st
> "medium level" kicking goal basicly.


They are probably not out of the question. I can kick relatively high, and I'm among the least flexible (in the legs) people I know. You're young, and some years of good practice will make lots of things possible that aren't possible today.


----------



## Leviathan

Performing a roundhouse kick against a bag is somehow easier than in the air because the bag stops your leg when hitting the target. In the air you have to stop - and reverse - the movement all by yourself. 

Kicking high does not require so much flexibility: people often mistake a lack of flexibility with a lack of strength in the hips. That seems to be your case, from what I understand. And bear in mind that it's not just the kicking leg that is involved in a kick: you have to twist your pelvis (Becken) and involve the whole torso as well. 

You can make a quick check: ask someone to - gently - raise your leg to the side while you hold on to something in order not to fall. That will show you how much flexibility you have. I wouldn't be surprised if your feet could reach 1,8 meter. Now ask your buddy to drop your leg and try to maintain it up in the air as high as possible. If it drops significantly - say to the waist - this will be the result of a lack of strength in the leg. Give it a try, you might be surprised.

No need to do the splits to kick at head height. 

If there is no club around I would advise you to consider another martial art. Starting from scratch on your own is not really feasible.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Leviathan said:


> Performing a roundhouse kick against a bag is somehow easier than in the air because the bag stops your leg when hitting the target. In the air you have to stop - and reverse - the movement all by yourself.
> 
> Kicking high does not require so much flexibility: people often mistake a lack of flexibility with a lack of strength in the hips. That seems to be your case, from what I understand. And bear in mind that it's not just the kicking leg that is involved in a kick: you have to twist your pelvis (Becken) and involve the whole torso as well.
> 
> You can make a quick check: ask someone to - gently - raise your leg to the side while you hold on to something in order not to fall. That will show you how much flexibility you have. I wouldn't be surprised if your feet could reach 1,8 meter. Now ask your buddy to drop your leg and try to maintain it up in the air as high as possible. If it drops significantly - say to the waist - this will be the result of a lack of strength in the leg. Give it a try, you might be surprised.
> 
> No need to do the splits to kick at head height.
> 
> If there is no club around I would advise you to consider another martial art. Starting from scratch on your own is not really feasible.


I'm going to offer a strong counter to your assertion, that actually probably supports your assertion.

If someone slowly raised my leg to the side, they'd be stopping not much above waist level. Seriously. But I can kick (both round kick and side kick) to head height. (Raising it to the front, they'd not get any further than to the side.)


----------



## dvcochran

Dirty Dog said:


> Many people find it more difficult to kick air than a bag. I do. My air kicks are rarely fully extended. Because I'm old and acutely aware of the dangers of hyper-extending my joints.
> Just as with flexibility, the technique will improve slowly, over time.
> 
> View attachment 22071


@ZockerSWAT, I agree with Dog, but air kicks will work flexibility more than a bag for the reason noted. You can fully extend every time. For flexibility, balance, and core strength they don't have to be full speed. If he has a mirror he can critique his kicks and work on form. When doing air kicks you can kick higher or longer than you normally would, also working on stretch. Bag work is building power, while working on speed and technique, not so much flexibility.


----------



## Leviathan

gpseymour said:


> I'm going to offer a strong counter to your assertion, that actually probably supports your assertion.
> 
> If someone slowly raised my leg to the side, they'd be stopping not much above waist level. Seriously. But I can kick (both round kick and side kick) to head height. (Raising it to the front, they'd not get any further than to the side.)



When someone raises your leg to the side, do you pivot the standing foot? Do you tilt your pelvis? Otherwise it somehow does not make much sense, like "I can't raise my hands above shoulder level but still I can comb my hair"...

Anyway, Muay Thai isn't taekwondo: flashy jump spin twist kicks or so are not in, low kicks are. 

@ ZockerSWAT: in case you buy a punching / kicking bag, get one that is appropriate for low kicks as well.


----------



## spidersam

Leviathan said:


> When someone raises your leg to the side, do you pivot the standing foot? Do you tilt your pelvis? Otherwise it somehow does not make much sense, like "I can't raise my hands above shoulder level but still I can comb my hair"...
> 
> Anyway, Muay Thai isn't taekwondo: flashy jump spin twist kicks or so are not in, low kicks are.
> 
> @ ZockerSWAT: in case you buy a punching / kicking bag, get one that is appropriate for low kicks as well.



Taekwondo and Muay Thai are definitely very different. However their fundamentals are the same. If there is no Muay Thai in the area he is better off learning Taekwondo, karate, or anything that is local. Attempting to teach oneself often causes injury, poor form, and bad habits


----------



## dvcochran

ZockerSWAT said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I am 14 year old, I weigh in about 56kg (~123 pounds) and I am 183cm (~6 feet) tall.
> In Germany, there arent any Muay Thai or some kind of MMA Gyms withing 1 Hour (The nearest is at least 3h).
> I allways have been pretty tall and I got pretty long arms as well, so I thought, that I
> might try to get fitter and learn some Muay Thai with it!
> I know that in Muay Thai you use a lot of kicks and elbows, but sadly because I am so tall at my age
> I injured my leg. It isnt something that bad, just a repercussion because of my unusual growing.
> I have to wear some kind of kneepads till I get 18 and if it wont fix itself I gonna get into surgery.
> The main injury will heal in about 2 weeks, so I thought that I might be able to do some steps to get
> flexible first!
> 
> I sadly cant do any sparring (because of the lack of MMA Gyms), but a friend of mine does boxing (there are a lot of boxing gyms) and maybe he can hook me up at his gym! I dont know what kind of devices I need, but my mother already agreed to get a punching bag, but I would like to get equipment that isnt already avaible at that boxing gym.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry for asking this many questions ( and my bad english), but this is the only reliable forum I could find.
> I already read the "Beginners Corner" (I believe that was what it was called) posts, that were pinned at the top.
> At least most of them. Because I wanna learn Muay Thai and there may be specific excercises
> for Muay Thai, so I posted it here. If this is supposed to be on the Beginners Corner just let me know and I will just copy paste it on there and delete this one.
> Thank you for taking your time to read this!



Obviously you have access to the internet. Google and Youtube static and dynamic stretches. A balance of both works well but I suggest more statics to isolate your stretching in your case. Always get very good and warmed up. You can do any kind of calisthenics or kick sets or striking/blocking drills you wish, just get the blood pumping very well and work up a sweat. Then do a short dynamic stretch set. After you have made a list of static stretches that target the parts of the body you want to work on (hips for example) do them slowly for an extended count. When appropriate, use resistance such as your own body weight, a wall or a partner if available. It takes time, possibly years especially since you are growing. I personally think it is a great time to work on flexibility because it "grooms" the growth phase.


----------



## dvcochran

Leviathan said:


> Performing a roundhouse kick against a bag is somehow easier than in the air because the bag stops your leg when hitting the target. In the air you have to stop - and reverse - the movement all by yourself.
> 
> Kicking high does not require so much flexibility: people often mistake a lack of flexibility with a lack of strength in the hips. That seems to be your case, from what I understand. And bear in mind that it's not just the kicking leg that is involved in a kick: you have to twist your pelvis (Becken) and involve the whole torso as well.
> 
> You can make a quick check: ask someone to - gently - raise your leg to the side while you hold on to something in order not to fall. That will show you how much flexibility you have. I wouldn't be surprised if your feet could reach 1,8 meter. Now ask your buddy to drop your leg and try to maintain it up in the air as high as possible. If it drops significantly - say to the waist - this will be the result of a lack of strength in the leg. Give it a try, you might be surprised.
> 
> No need to do the splits to kick at head height.
> 
> If there is no club around I would advise you to consider another martial art. Starting from scratch on your own is not really feasible.


Raising the leg to the side works/tests the obliques (torso), adductor and graclis muscles in the thigh. Holding a leg static in the air is a good measure but does isolate anything. I agree, @ZockerSWAT would benefit from making some baseline measurements, but he is young and just need to get to work after a good list of stretches has been created. As stated he is struggling with mid-section height kicks so straight-on and side splits are very good stretches to work on. Not pretty or flashy but very effective with time.


----------



## dvcochran

@ZockerSWAT , I take it you are in some kind of workout program? Doing some kind of MA or gym workout? If so grab a partner before/after class and work on static stretches. Then use you dynamic stretching as a gauge to measure improvement.


----------



## jobo

ZockerSWAT said:


> So are high kicks out of the question then for me? xc
> I allways liked the hook kick and spinning hook kick.
> It looks kinda of difficult, but that was kind of my goal,
> to be able to do the spinning hook kick.
> I like to set goals, and that was my 1st
> "medium level" kicking goal basicly.


theres a chance you may never be able to that, some people just arnt stretchy,  just as some people are so loose there arms fall off. theres a far greater chance that your in the middle somewhere. and need to work on it for months as your young but maybe for years.

the art of increasing mobility isn't to force a big stretch  of the muscl,  youl only damage the muscle, but to learn to relax the muscle into the stretch, so less big stretches more gentle stretches  with a focus on relaxationmwill get you there faster


ZockerSWAT said:


> I got a lot of stretching to do then, I need my legs to be stretchable so I can extend them and I need to be able to stretch like that.
> I like how you need to do a lot of "pre-stuff" before you can actually use them. Some people see that as a bad thing, but I actually kind of
> like it, becacuse you can actually work on your stretching without equipment.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

dvcochran said:


> @ZockerSWAT, I agree with Dog, but air kicks will work flexibility more than a bag for the reason noted. You can fully extend every time. For flexibility, balance, and core strength they don't have to be full speed. If he has a mirror he can critique his kicks and work on form. *When doing air kicks you can kick higher or longer than you normally would*, also working on stretch. Bag work is building power, while working on speed and technique, not so much flexibility.


I can't kick nearly as high with air kicks.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Leviathan said:


> When someone raises your leg to the side, do you pivot the standing foot? Do you tilt your pelvis? Otherwise it somehow does not make much sense, like "I can't raise my hands above shoulder level but still I can comb my hair"...
> 
> Anyway, Muay Thai isn't taekwondo: flashy jump spin twist kicks or so are not in, low kicks are.
> 
> @ ZockerSWAT: in case you buy a punching / kicking bag, get one that is appropriate for low kicks as well.


I use the same position I use for kicking. My theory (based only on some "thinkin' through") is that it's the antagonistic muscle effect - I don't recall the technical name. But when you activate a muscle (the agonist), the antagonistic muscles relax in response. I'm not sure what else would explain the difference in ROM. It's consistent on front, side, and round kick positions.


----------



## dvcochran

gpseymour said:


> I can't kick nearly as high with air kicks.


Interesting, have you actually measured the differences? I would say I kick the same height but they are different kicks. It is much easier to return to the starting position when there is resistance to push back against. I feel there is more mechanics involved in a high, near full power air kick vs. a bag kick. Kicking into an object can hide quite a lot. If my foot or hips are not quite rotated correctly it is very evident with an air kick and may not be noticed at all on the bag. The power difference may be negligible.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

dvcochran said:


> Interesting, have you actually measured the differences? I would say I kick the same height but they are different kicks. It is much easier to return to the starting position when there is resistance to push back against. I feel there is more mechanics involved in a high, near full power air kick vs. a bag kick. Kicking into an object can hide quite a lot. If my foot or hips are not quite rotated correctly it is very evident with an air kick and may not be noticed at all on the bag. The power difference may be negligible.


I have sort of measured it. And I think I know the difference with air kicks - at least I have a theory that's less dubious than the one I have about static stretch. And my theory is based on the fact that the height seems to differ with amount of resistance by the target. So, if I kick a heavy bag or pad or something that will absorb enough of the kick to stop the leg - or nearly so - (including those wobbly freestanding bags), I can kick higher than if the target gives a lot (like someone holding a mitt). And my lowest height is with no target (so no resistance). I think the stopping of the leg (when I have to do it, myself, as with air kicks) probably involves some tension of the antagonistic muscles for the raising action, too. I have no idea how I'd prove that, but it's my best thought at present.

I think air kicks are always a different kick from the full kick (into a target that provides significant resistance). It's harder to balance (in most cases) for an air kick, and you have to put on the braking muscles (and counter-balance that braking at your core). I'm not sure if air kicks always show up errors in the target kick - sometimes they show up errors in the air kick that wouldn't matter for the target kick (so aren't actually errors there).


----------

