From: g8231233@cc.uow.edu.au (Andrew Warner)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: Stretching
Date: 10 Apr 92 00:44:03 GMT
Organization: University Of Wollongong

lampij@brandonu.ca writes:



>Hello again,

>	I wonder what types of stretching routines people do in their clubs.
>	I am one of those terminally stiff people.  I have been training now
>for more than eight years (I know, just a kid) and I stretch on a regular
>basis.  Some people can just up and drop to their maximum stretch without more
>than a 'hello', while I must jug around and slowly loosen up before I can ease
>my way down to my maximum.  Were I ever to get in a self-defence situation, I
>think it would be difficult for me to drop into a nice stable stance while
>striking, and I would certainly not kick above the waist.
>	Are their routines that are more effective for stretching than others? 

>	I think this would be a good place for some TKD people to practice
>explaining their principles of training for flexibility!!

>Thanks for the info...

>douglas lampi

>lampij@brandonu.ca

howdy Doug,
You might try the book Stretching Scientifically by Tom Kurtz. It has a
great deal of info. on so called dynamic stretching which is purported to
enable one to reach ones maximum range of motion with little to no warm up.
There are two things to note, 1) This is not the same as ballistic
stretching i.e. swinging your leg or whatever and forcing it beyond it's
stretched position. Ballistic stretching is not recommended by anyone as far
as I know. 2) Being able to reach your maximum extension does not
necessarily mean that you are warmed up. That is, while your muscles may be
able to reach full stretch they are not in a fit state to tolerate strenuous
exercise, particularly exercise as potentially damaging to the muscles as a
martial art.

An excellent book. There is a video which is available and makes clear some
of the things which aren't made totally clear in the book.

If you need to know the publisher etc. drop me an Email and I'll look it up.

Oh! I should add that the book instructs on PNF stretching too. That is the
tense-relax type stretching, along with passive and active static
stretching. The PNF stretching if done thoughtfully and cautiously is an
excellent way to increase your flexibility.

RECAP. The abovementioned book describes how you can increase your level of
flexibility dramatically in many cases and how you can train to achieve your
full range of motion with little or no warm up. (That is range of moion NOT
muscular readiness for exercise.) Very effective techniques but they do
require (surprise surprise) perserverance and regular application of the
methods described.

Sounds like an add doesn't it. Sorry.

Another thing I'd like to mention while I'm on a roll is that I think that
the violent techniques in the martial arts do not encourage flexibility.
Particularly the violent tensing on the end of many of the techniques which
are required to stop the limb hyperextending (unless someones head stops it
for you. This is not common in everyday training situations to the best of
my knowledge.) The point I'm trying to make here is that here we all are (I
have trained in TKD for about 6 or 7 years now) ripping the crap out of our
muscles throwing techniques around the place and then we expect them to
behave themselves when we try to stretch the poor buggers. An uphill battle
if you ask me.

Now, if we were to restrict our kicking and punching to targets such as bags
and pads (leaving aside any injuries to which these devices may predispose
us) our agonist muscles -- those doing the
kicking/punching/biting/butting -- would be able to concentrate on the task
at hand without interference from our antagonist muscles. Thereby
eliminating the slamming on of tension in the antagonist muscles which
TAKE POWER AWAY from the technique being executed and physically damage the
antagonist muscles into the bargain.

Just my two bobs worth based of course on bitter bitter personal experience
:-)

Good luck with your stretching

Andrew Warner
Dept of Physics
University of Wollongong, The
Wollongong
NSW Australia
g8231233@wampyr.cc.uow.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts