age a bad thing

[Earl Weiss]

Can you do the butterfly stretch (soles of feet touching near your groin) and have your legs parallel to the ground? If so, then you can do the side splits. Everyone should be able to do the front splits.

Can you do the butterfly stretch (soles of feet touching near your groin) and have your legs parallel to the ground? If so, then you can do the side splits. Everyone should be able to do the front splits.

I was able to do the butterfly and front splits well until about age 45. then I noticed a decrease in my range of motion. Figured as always trying harder would lead to improvement.
Instead it just lead to soreness and discomfort. As this increased I finaly sought medical help and X rays showed severe hip arthritis. What was happening was that the joint deterioration lead to dereased range of motion in the joint. So, trying harder was just jamming the deteriorated edges of the bone together harder.

Some, Like Bill Wallace still have amazing flexibility after joint replcaement. I have never been able to regain the splits. So, you may or may not be able to achieve this.

 

[puunui]

Some, Like Bill Wallace still have amazing flexibility after joint replcaement. I have never been able to regain the splits. So, you may or may not be able to achieve this.

You had hip replacement surgery?

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I would take the next three to six months and heavily concentrate on stretching. That is more than enough time to do the splits. And once you have it, it always stays with you.

I don't agree with the time frame of 3-6 months. I think it depends on the person. For me, I've worked diligently at the front splits for 1 year and am slowly making progress. (about 90% of full split with one leg forward, and 80% with the other leg forward). I have pushed myself hard (far) enough to be sore, like a weight workout.

I am 41 and see the kids (especially preteen girls) being so flexible without working at it too religiously. I think the right attitude is to find the right balance of stretching far enough versus not TOO far, and taking the results as they come. But I don't think everyone can get the splits in 3-6 months. I think it's like saying anyone can bench press 225 pounds within 3-6 months: perhaps most can, but not all.

 

[rockbust]

I have hit the 50 mark now and yes there is some hip pain and knee trouble at times. I really dont stretch any more than 10 minutes a day but have not lost any height in my kicks. Although I cant do a full split I can get pretty close. I do a lot of teaching still and the repetitive kicks do give my knees and hips a bit of trouble.

I remember when I was 35 reflecting back to when I was 20 and a fresh black belt. I used to think my technique was going downhill. Now at 50 I can honestly say I am the best I have ever been. Granted my ankle will give out after a dozen 540 attempts but what do I expect. I pray the future will find me functional enough to keep training.

 

[Rumy73]

Many TKD practitioners try to deliver high kicks solely using the power of the leg. This approach becomes less forgivable for those with more mileage. So how can one keep his/her kicks high and strong as time goes on? I suggest opening up to another approach to one’s kicking technique. Traditional kicking techniques relied on the stomach and hips. The contraction of these muscles and the release propels the leg outwards/upwards and the leg/knee merely completes the technique. The move to leg/knee delivered kicks has been a product of sports competition. While it is faster, it is much less powerful. I suggest checking out some titles by Hwang Kee, which do a much better job than I have at explaining traditional kicking.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You had hip replacement surgery?

Yep, couldn't avoid it. Pretty happy with the results.

Not as good as when I was 20 but better than before the surgery.


Made a video for the surgeon.

http://www.youtube.com/user/EarlWeiss#p/u/7/eLGnXrKdC50

Found out he shows it when he lectures on replacements.

Asked Bill Wallace about some of the stuff the surgeon telss you. His comment was "tell him to go F himself. They have no idea what we do."

 

[andyjeffries]

I don't agree with the time frame of 3-6 months. I think it depends on the person.

While I'm sure it does depend on the person, I agree with Puunui's assesment. I'm sure Dr Tom Kurz's book Stretching Scientifically sets out a similar time frame. There are certain assumptions based on a simple test you can perform to see if your hip structure/ligaments etc will allow it - but if that is OK, I believe Dr Kurz's research shows that it is realistic.

However, there are lots of bad ways of stretching (just sitting in a stretch/pulling your body in to position in a static position is the main bad way of stretching for Taekwondo).

 

[Manny]

Yep, couldn't avoid it. Pretty happy with the results.

Not as good as when I was 20 but better than before the surgery.


Made a video for the surgeon.

http://www.youtube.com/user/EarlWeiss#p/u/7/eLGnXrKdC50

Found out he shows it when he lectures on replacements.

Asked Bill Wallace about some of the stuff the surgeon telss you. His comment was "tell him to go F himself. They have no idea what we do."

Mr,Weiss I saw your video and you are amazing, this video was made afther your surgery I must conclude, your kicks are pretty good sir, keep kicking!!!

Manny

 

[Earl Weiss]

Mr,Weiss I saw your video and you are amazing, this video was made afther your surgery I must conclude, your kicks are pretty good sir, keep kicking!!!

Manny

Thank you. I don't know about amazing. That was a year post op at age 51 or so, about 4 years ago. The greatest fear was of the unknown for people like us.
Everyone is different but no one could tell me what TKD life would be like post op.

I had an article published in Totaly TKD concerning hip replacement so that if anyone else is facing the same situation they will have some insight in to what at my experience was.

 

[puunui]

Yep, couldn't avoid it. Pretty happy with the results.

Both sides or just one? I also watched the bill wallace clips. He still has quickness.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Both sides or just one? I also watched the bill wallace clips. He still has quickness.

So Far just one. I'll wait as long as possible for the second. If you watched the Bill Wallace clip on my You Tube channel, That's my son I "Volunteered" to get kicked in the head.

I told Bill Wallace that 25 years ago he was kicking me in the head at a seminar. I now had someone else for him to demo on.

 

[Balrog]

Well, hopefully with age comes wisdom. Consider that height is relative. A good midlevel kick is plenty good to kick a short person in the head.

As we progress in life we need to adjust or declining physical abilities and throw in our increasing mental capabilities.

Agreed. No one needs to kick high. If you want to kick someone in the head, kick them in the belly first. They'll bend right over and present the head at a much more manageable level.

 

[puunui]

So Far just one. I'll wait as long as possible for the second. If you watched the Bill Wallace clip on my You Tube channel, That's my son I "Volunteered" to get kicked in the head.

I told Bill Wallace that 25 years ago he was kicking me in the head at a seminar. I now had someone else for him to demo on.

If I were there, I would have been volunteering to get kicked in the head. But yeah, it's hard not to have been a Bill Wallace fan if you were into kicking. Back in the day, his stuff was revolutionary. Hapkido actually had that one leg multiple kick style before him, but I think he created his independently. I liked his stretching too. Is he still flexible?

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

.. There are certain assumptions based on a simple test you can perform to see if your hip structure/ligaments etc will allow it - but if that is OK, I believe Dr Kurz's research shows that it is realistic.
...

I saw the video, and wasn't sure if it was that different from the typical fitness product infomercial...take a really fit guy show him exercising and people will think you too can have these results...I'd be interesting in seeing the results of 20 people at random following the exercises. I guess all the infomercials over the years have turned me into a skeptic!

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

.... If you watched the Bill Wallace clip on my You Tube channel, That's my son I "Volunteered" to get kicked in the head.

I just watched Bill Wallace #2 Nov 2009 64 years Old . Do you know the purpose of the front leg "stomp" before moving the rear leg forward? Is it to give the option of moving farther forward, or just to confuse / surprise the opponent? Thanks.

 

[Earl Weiss]

If I were there, I would have been volunteering to get kicked in the head. But yeah, it's hard not to have been a Bill Wallace fan if you were into kicking. Back in the day, his stuff was revolutionary. Hapkido actually had that one leg multiple kick style before him, but I think he created his independently. I liked his stretching too. Is he still flexible?

Well, been there done that with him more than once. Once asked him "When do I get to hit back?" Figured my son should have some fun.

Yes, he is still very flexible.

There are some stories about him emulating a style of "Wally Slokey" (phonetic Spelling) who he may have lost to early in his career. Not sure of the details.

 

[puunui]

There are some stories about him emulating a style of "Wally Slokey" (phonetic Spelling) who he may have lost to early in his career. Not sure of the details.

I seem to remember him explaining how he developed his style in one of his books, I want to say Dynamic Kicking and Stretching. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I remember him saying he had to adapt because he injured himself.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I seem to remember him explaining how he developed his style in one of his books, I want to say Dynamic Kicking and Stretching. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I remember him saying he had to adapt because he injured himself.

True. I believe he was a Judo player. This lead to using one leg for kicking. The Wally Slokey story involved someone doing multiple different kicks with the foot before putting it down.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I just watched Bill Wallace #2 Nov 2009 64 years Old . Do you know the purpose of the front leg "stomp" before moving the rear leg forward? Is it to give the option of moving farther forward, or just to confuse / surprise the opponent? Thanks.

Although not really evident from this example in the video you can hear him say "Step" as he does this. He is accentuating the motion which involves putting the weight on the front foot allowing the rear foot to move forward and then kick as a method of closing the gap.

 

[terryl965]

I seem to remember him explaining how he developed his style in one of his books, I want to say Dynamic Kicking and Stretching. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I remember him saying he had to adapt because he injured himself.

That is so true, he has said that for years that if he never got hurt who knows what might have happen with his kicking style. He is still very flexible and still can get that leg up very quickly.