"Karate Stretching"

INTRODUCTION

Some of the best exponents of Karate in the world share a common ability - flexibility - and it is obtainable by all.

aims to build on your own knowledge base and to do just that. If you are looking to improve your karate in general and your fighting ability in particular, look no further than improving your flexibility. Unfortunately there is no magic pill or overnight fix in this regard - yet there are more effective ways to stretch than others.

BENEFITS

Whether you have been training for a while or just beginning, you will know flexibility is important for your kicking ability. What may not have occurred to you is that it is extremely important to have good flexibility in your supporting leg as well as your kicking leg, and that is why some of you find it easier to kick with your non dominant leg.

Flexibility helps not just the reach of your kicks but also the power of your kicks. Imagine being able to hold your leg up in the air with a minimum of effort rather than using all your effort just to stretch your tight hamstrings and adductor muscles. You could then use the antagonists to these muscles - the hip flexors, quadriceps and adductors - to deliver a powerful blow to your opponent. Being generally flexible helps your fluidity of movement - very important for both kata and kumite.

Having spinal flexibility helps your general ability to move well and stay healthy but also helps your ability to 'coil' and 'uncoil' - to torque yourself - to deliver power to both hand and foot strikes. It also enables you to 'duck and weave' effectively and even to move well for such moves as throwing and grappling.

Of course alongside the benefit of improved performance, being flexible has the major benefit of injury prevention.

ANATOMIES

There are three basic tissues to stretch in the body to gain flexibility - the muscles, the joint capsules/ligaments and the nerves.

Using the leg and hip as an example, the classic lunge stretch is a muscular stretch for the hip flexor muscle. This is performed by placing one foot forward and one foot back - the knee of the back leg is dropped to the floor, you lean forward keeping your trunk upright. You can feel a certain amount of 'give' with this stretching through the front of your hip - a nice stretch that feels good.

Lying on your back with soles of your feet together and knees stretched apart stretches your adductor muscles but is mainly a hip capsule and ligamentous stretch. This stretch has less 'give' - it has more of a solid end feel. It probably doesn't feel easy and is less elastic. Capsules and ligaments are much harder to gain flexibility through - it takes long thorough stretching to gain flexibility.

The classic hamstring stretch - sitting with one leg out straight and reaching forward to touch your toes - is actually as much of a nerve stretch (the sciatic nerve) as a muscular stretch. Bending the knee slightly takes the nerve off the stretch and makes it a pure muscular stretch. With your leg straight you know you are stretching the nerve with the tight feeling in the back of the knee - not in the belly of the hamstring muscle.

Nerves are more elastic than ligaments but less than muscles. Like ligaments they take a long time to gain length with stretching. Some researchers think it is not a good idea to strongly stretch the sciatic nerve immediately before exercise as it can upset the impulses going through it leading to less muscle control. They think it may contribute to hamstring strains. My view is that it is better to strongly stretch the nerve after exercise when you are very warm and beginning the cool down phase.

To summaries, muscles stretch easily and 'give' readily as you breathe into the stretch. Capsules and ligaments are the least elastic and feel very tight to stretch. To gain flexibility they take long, strong and continuous stretching. Nerves are a little elastic but don't feel great to stretch. They also require long sustained stretching preferably straight after exercise.

My advice is to learn some anatomy to know the structures you are stretching - read books, go online, ask questions of knowledgeable people at your club or gym, study yoga, do a short course - it’s all fascinating information that can only be of benefit not just for karate, but in life.

» posted in Mixed Martial Arts

| 939 reads | 0 comments |

0 votes: