From: ttk@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (the jade man)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: Hip Damage, legs too strong...
Date: 13 Oct 1992 06:01:57 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucscb.ucsc.edu


>From: heinzl@elroy (Heinz Lottermoser)
>Subject: Hip Damage, legs too strong...
>Date: 12 Oct 92 20:36:12 GMT
 
>Hello,
>I have a problem you people might help with.  I was a cyclist for
>several years, and I have "very" well developed musculature in my legs for
>vertical movement up and down(i.e. cycling movements), but recently when
>I began MA, I started what I thought was a slow program to increase the 
>mobility in my legs for lateral and circular movements by slow stretching 
>and slow kicking.  So far so good.  However, we have what is called 
>"skills class" which is an hour spent basically going over what you know
>and pushing your body to it's limit to up the limits.  You know 100 push ups
>in a an hour and 200 varying kicks from slow to hard in intensity.  
>Anyway, I have been to a couple of the classes and now I can barely walk.  
>It seems that my leg muscles for vertical movement are too strong, and 
>the slow stretches and kicks are causing my leg bone to cantilever over
>into my hip socket, badly.  I am getting distinct cartilege damage and 
>tendonitis.  
>My teachers seem to be used to people with little muscular development, not 
>abnormal over-development, and suggest that I do slow form kicks to strengthen
>the muscles and loosen them, but I am not getting any stretch this way, since
>the muscles anchor the leg too low and I can't get a slow side kick up above
>two feet when extended.  Same for a slow forward thrust kick.
>Does anyone have a suggestion for what I could do, to get the stretch?  
>I feel like I need to strengthen the muscles on the outside of the leg and
>the groin mucsles going from the inside of the thigh to the outside of the
>hip in order to offset the cantilevering, but I don't know of any good
>excercises for this.
 
     I have been coping with a similar problem ..  I developed my 
leg strength running the 400-meter, and when I started MA training 
(Shotokan Karate, Okinawan Kobujutsu, Jodo) I had to deal with 
weak ligaments in my hips, underdeveloped "fine control" muscles, 
and an excess of power in my quads and calves (but little 
flexibility in them).  My hips have prevented me from ever 
throwing a decent roundhouse, but my Sensei said that if I keep 
trying they'll strengthen.  Now, two years after gaining my 6th 
Ryu, I've noticed some improvement but it's slow going.  The 
outside of my hip was also underdeveloped, but I've managed to add 
useful bulk with a little routine:  1) lay on your side, do 
leg-lifts.  2) After you're tired, stand up and extend slowly into 
a hip-level side kick position.  3) I can't hold it very long, but 
I try to until my hip cramps.  4)  I walk it off and start doing 
the leg-lifts again.  It's a little masochistic, but it does work.
     For the inner-leg strength, take a deep "horse" stance and 
hold it while you practice stationary punch/strike techniques.  I 
like to practice triple punches from this stance.  It also gives 
the back a better workout than if you'd done the same thing from a 
formal front stance or fighting stance.  (I've long since 
forgotton the Japanese names for these positions.  I haven't been 
in a dojo since earning my 6th Ryu, but have practiced what I've 
learned pretty consistantly since.)
 
     Does anyone else have advice for him and me both?  I've laid 
down what's worked for me, but I'm not exactly an experience 
martial artist.
 
                                                      -- TTK