How do you keep loose?

[ccultrara]

Hey everybody, I was wondering how do you stay loose after a good workout or heavy stretch. It seems that if one night i throw 100 kicks at different heights plus the actual workout, the next day i become ridiculously tight and cant throw cold kicks. Any suggestions to fight this?

 

[dancingalone]

I am a believer in yoga as a means of attaining flexibility, strength, and physical/mental relaxation.

 

[ccultrara]

How often do you do yoga?

 

[dancingalone]

Every day, even if it is just a 15 min session. The point is to always be working towards some goal, whether that be pain therapy or strengthening or stretching a specific muscle or joint group.

For example, I always spend some time daily performing trikonasana or bhujangasana since those are good for the hips and back, two areas which are key to my martial arts practice.

 

[ATC]

You Should be kicking and stretching daily. 100 kicks in a day is simply a warm up anyhow. If you are doing at least that much daily then you should not be tight. I say just up your training is all.

 

[ccultrara]

I only threw the number100 out as it was the first that came to mind. And I have been doing a lot more than often, im thinking i might be overstretching

 

[StudentCarl]

...It seems that if one night i throw 100 kicks at different heights plus the actual workout, the next day i become ridiculously tight and cant throw cold kicks....

Don't throw cold kicks.

I think I read that you're 17 or 18. I'm 47. Your body is just joining the adult world--that's all. Take good care of that body so it can serve you for many, many years.

Carl

 

[Fiendlover]

My instructor always adds some yoga techniques into our stretching and he likes to focus on the hips and hip rotators to stay lose from all those kicks.

This might be hard to explain, but he has us sitting on our knees with our toes touching and our knees spread as wide as they can go. Then we just rotate our hips to loosen up. It's kind of painful if you're new to it but it works wonders for the hips and the kicking.

 

[seasoned]

My instructor always adds some yoga techniques into our stretching and he likes to focus on the hips and hip rotators to stay lose from all those kicks.

This might be hard to explain, but he has us sitting on our knees with our toes touching and our knees spread as wide as they can go. Then we just rotate our hips to loosen up. It's kind of painful if you're new to it but it works wonders for the hips and the kicking.

I have done it this way for years, it is a great way to stretch the hips.

 

[ccultrara]

thanks ill give that a try, and what i mean by cold kicks, is that i like to throw just a couple so my body gets used to it if i ever have to defend myself in which i wont be stretched and warmed up

 

[Fiendlover]

I have done it this way for years, it is a great way to stretch the hips.

Yeah my instructor really stresses this technique for getting flexibility and kicking higher and I have seen major improvements in those areas since I started doing it.

 

[zDom]

Hey everybody, I was wondering how do you stay loose after a good workout or heavy stretch. It seems that if one night i throw 100 kicks at different heights plus the actual workout, the next day i become ridiculously tight and cant throw cold kicks. Any suggestions to fight this?

Anytime you are pushing yourself in kicking, you are going to get the soreness and feel tight.

That's good though as it indicates growth.

Don't fight it.

And don't throw cold kicks — that is asking for an injury.

You should, especially when feeling tight, take your time and warm up.

Once you get warm (enough that you should have sweat dripping!) and do some light stretching, you should find you aren't feeling as tight as you were before you warmed up.

When you say "different heights" I hope you mean starting low and working higher as you get warmer and warmer.

And I agree with above: 100 kicks isn't very much at all. Heck, it's only 50 with each leg!

 

[ccultrara]

Again, i threw 100 out figuratively and is really just a warm up number for me. Any way what i meant by cold kicks is real self defense application, not being warmed and getting jumped by someone. Having the ability to kick in that situation

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Again, i threw 100 out figuratively and is really just a warm up number for me. Any way what i meant by cold kicks is real self defense application, not being warmed and getting jumped by someone. Having the ability to kick in that situation

Im pretty sure in a self defence situation the adrenaline and self preservation would get you warmed up real quick.

 

[ATC]

Again, i threw 100 out figuratively and is really just a warm up number for me. Any way what i meant by cold kicks is real self defense application, not being warmed and getting jumped by someone. Having the ability to kick in that situation

Dynamic leg swings morning and night will allow for you to kick cold and head height. The leg swings must be a day and night routine.

Do some Google Fu on Tom Kurz and kicking high without warm up and you will get some good reading on dynamic stretching.

Here is a youtube link that will send you to his page. But you can find all the info you need without buying his DVD or books.

This should help.

 

[IcemanSK]

At 42 (after 28 years of training) I've realized the importance of stretching AFTER training as much as before training. Yoga is excellent as well.

When I was 17, I looked at guys in their 20's & wanted to be able to do what they did. Now, age my age, I look at guys in their 70's who have trained since their teens & are in great shape still & say, "I want to be like them!"

 

[Miles]

So much good information already put out there!

Yoga and/or consistent stretching is important, especially as one gets more mature. So is lifting weights to ensure that the muscles are strong enough to handle the hard kicking.

Like ATC said, Tom Kurz is an excellent source of material-he has a column in TKD Times and a good website.

Good luck!

 

[zDom]

So is lifting weights to ensure that the muscles are strong enough to handle the hard kicking.

I really have to disagree with this statement.

Because of the specificity principle, there is simply no weight lifting that will target your kicking muscles as well as KICKING.

Kicking is a complex movement. Any weight training is only going to target one portion of that movement — and imperfectly, at that.

Wearing ankle/shin weights has to be done with extreme caution to prevent damaging muscles/joints.

One interesting way to train with resistance safely is to kick under water.

I think the best way to train hard kicking is with a heavy bag or with a partner holding a body shield.

 

[ATC]

I really have to disagree with this statement.

Because of the specificity principle, there is simply no weight lifting that will target your kicking muscles as well as KICKING.

Kicking is a complex movement. Any weight training is only going to target one portion of that movement — and imperfectly, at that.

Wearing ankle/shin weights has to be done with extreme caution to prevent damaging muscles/joints.

One interesting way to train with resistance safely is to kick under water.

I think the best way to train hard kicking is with a heavy bag or with a partner holding a body shield.

You can use resistance with kicking. Many top level artist use bungee cords or bike inner tubes as those provide resistance throughout the range of motion.

Also if you use ankle weights you should kick slowly through the entire range of motion, no snap or speed should be used. Just a 5-10 second slow motion kick with a 1-2 second hold at the extension of the kick. One of the best ways to build up those ancillary muscles.

Kicking under water is also a great resistance training method as well, as you have mentioned.