My previous magazine articles have looked at the various requirements for designing conditioning programs for martial artists. I have also detailed different types of conditioning routines for developing specific aspects of a martial artist’s physiology. The focus of this article will be on the development of leg flexibility for martial arts and also on how best to condition the body to be generally flexible. I will conclude the article with a simple workout you can use to maximise the flexibility of your hamstring muscles (the hamstrings are an extremely important area of the anatomy in relation to performance in martial arts and sports in general).
Anyone familiar with martial arts training will be aware of the emphasis placed on stretching and flexibility in many martial arts styles and will no doubt have come across numerous articles in various magazines focussed on this particular topic. You may ask if we really need yet another article about stretching or if it is, indeed, such a complex subject that it should receive the kind of attention that it does. My justification for presenting you with yet another flexibility analysis is that there simply exists a need among martial artists – both the very experienced and the very new – for straight-forward, easily understandable information about developing flexibility for martial arts and conditioning the body for the specific demands placed on it.
This need for additional information about flexibility training has become clear to me in my visits to various martial arts clubs as well as throughout my own training career in different styles and at many clubs across numerous countries. There simply isn’t enough authoritative information in the traditional martial arts community about stretching and flexibility and there is a general ignorance or misunderstanding of what stretching and flexibility are.
The aim of this series of conditioning articles is to empower martial artists with information so that they become more confident in their competence to make informed decisions about their own training – and thus become better able to physically condition themselves to be the most complete athletes possible. I personally found out in my early martial arts and physical training career that I would never be able to achieve the level of competence I desired if I did not uncover more knowledge on how to physically change and develop my body in order to do things it was unable to do initially. Many of us have huge reserves of mental strength and determination (which may be partly responsible for us becoming martial artists in the first place), however – despite these high levels of motivation and perseverance – we seldom get anywhere close to the level of technical and physical excellence we seek. Flexibility is one area the majority of martial artists have failed to optimise, despite its importance in many different training styles.
There is a good reason for this. Knowledge is power. People who possess the knowledge about how to accomplish their goals have a much greater chance of success than those who don’t (or those who rely only on intuition and determination alone). We do need a measure of both intuition and determination in order to be successful but the deciding factor in how successful we then become will be how effectively and efficiently we channel that intuition and determination.
Culturally, within the martial arts, the general consensus is to rely on perseverance and intuition alone in order to develop flexibility. The matter is confused by the existence of individuals who follow the doctrine of perseverance, determination and intuition quite successfully and achieve phenomenal levels of flexibility. If a new student observes a more senior student in the class who has reached a high level of flexibility – the new student often simply tries to mimic whatever they see that particular student doing – hoping that it will lead to their own success. That approach would seem logical and the use of role-models for inspiration and direction of training is recommended. But there is possibly an aspect missing in that approach – understanding and knowledge.
Mimicking somebody can work sometimes – but if you blindly imitate, without thoroughly understanding what it is you are attempting to do, the chances of achieving the same results as the people you imitate are next to nothing. Don’t seek to imitate, rather, seek understanding. Each of us is unique and all information has to be customised to the individual. Hence, it is better to understand your own training needs and options so you can be positioned to address them more accurately.
There are many good reasons for martial artists – and indeed the general public – to develop adequate and appropriate flexibility. The definition of ‘appropriate’ flexibility, in relation to martial arts, refers to the ability to move the limbs and body in such a way that all physical procedures the martial artist could possibly consider can be attempted (should the martial artist so desire). ‘Appropriate’ flexibility also refers to the limbs and body being able to move through their required options and ranges of motion comfortably and smoothly, without the possibility of incurring long-term damage. This indirectly implies there is actually a speed-training aspect to flexibility development for a fighter – becoming more flexible can make you faster and more accurate.
Before we begin a more in-depth discussion on flexibility, there are a few important definitions to be made. Firstly, there are different types of flexibility a martial artist should develop. Secondly, not all flexibility development involves stretching (in its traditional sense).
A familiarity with the different aspects of flexibility training is crucial if you are to capitalise on your full flexibility potential. Knowledge of the different methods of flexibility-enhancement is essential if you are to use your training time efficiently. There are very few people I know of who are totally satisfied with the amount of time they have available for training. Time is one of the most valuable commodities we have and we must seek to make full use of the 24 hours we have in each day. Wasted time can never be retrieved and the windows of opportunity we get in life are all finite. Use the time you have to its maximum effect so you do not live your later life with regret. I will never apologise for stressing the importance of efficiency and good use of time.
There are two aspects to flexibility training you need to be aware of:
1. Dynamic flexibility – the ability to move through your full range of motion in a fast movement, such as a kick.
2. Static flexibility – the ability to stretch out the limbs using the weight of the body, the supporting muscles of the limb, or an external mover (such as a partner). The limbs are maintained in the stretched position without moving. One aspect of static flexibility is sometimes called Static active flexibility – this refers to the ability to hold a limb in a stretched out position – using just the strength of the supporting muscle groups – without external assistance. An example of this is the holding up of your leg in the finishing position of a specific kick. Some martial arts styles encourage this sort of training to develop perfect form. Most people who can lift their legs up high and hold their kicks in that finishing position are able to do so without even warming up, a useful ability if you want to be able to use high kicks for self-defence, or if you want to perfect your form by practicing a high kick slowly, or if you want to throw multiple (aerial) kicks in competitions.
There are different methods required to enhance the aspects of flexibility described above and each of these different aspects of flexibility needs individual attention within your training if you are to develop it further. For an ideally trained martial artist, the maximum motion range will be displayed in statically stretched positions and this range of motion will determine the potential extent of dynamic and static active flexibility possible. It is virtually impossible to show more flexibility in your kicks than you do in your static stretches –unless you only train dynamically and don’t do any static stretching at all. If you don’t practice static stretching you will not get the injury-prevention benefits it brings and you will not tap fully into your absolute flexibility potential. However, not all people need to develop to their maximum flexibility potential.
Flexibility is sports-specific and is also specific to different martial arts styles. Pure grapplers don’t necessarily need as much leg flexibility as kick boxers.
Often, we see displays of breathtaking flexibility from gymnasts, martial arts exhibition athletes and contortionists. It would seem logical that we should consult such people if we want to discover the best ways of bettering our own flexibility. However, such professionals, as competent as they obviously are, may not be the best sources of flexibility information for the vast majority of martial artists. Though this statement may surprise you, initially, my justification for making it is the fact that I followed that logic and investigated the methods used by such people to achieve their results.
Gymnasts, contortionists, martial arts display teams and various circus trapeze acts all display incredible limb flexibility and utilise very similar training methods to achieve it. So why would I discourage martial artists from following such programs, you may ask?
The reasons are simple and easy to justify:
1. Martial artists, on the whole, do not require extremes of flexibility (hence, my emphasis on training for ‘appropriate’ flexibility). Once a martial artist throws a technique above a level equivalent to the height of his/her own head, the power of the technique is decreased to such an extent that the amount of risk taken on by performing such a technique far outweighs the benefit of undertaking the manoeuvre. The head is a vulnerable target and the temptation of neutralising an opponent by a kick to the head is highly attractive. However, if your opponent is considerably taller than you are (and ‘fights tall’) there is not much point in exposing yourself repeatedly by trying to throw high head kicks. There are much safer, easier and more effective ways to approach this dilemma – such as going low and working on the opponent’s front leg or midsection.
2. The amount of time invested in stretching and flexibility by the types of performers mentioned earlier cannot be justified by the average martial artist. Gymnasts and dancers spend a great deal of their time working on stretching their limbs. Even a professional fighter cannot justify such time-intensive training with a singular focus on flexibility because there are other aspects of conditioning which will bring much greater rewards when invested in. The flexibility required to comfortably, effectively and safely kick a target the height of your own head can be developed very easily without having to divert huge amounts of time to flexibility training. In fact, the type of flexibility required by the average martial artist can be developed in conjunction with other aspects of conditioning so it will have minimal time cost to the martial artist. This is important because martial artists need to apportion their time appropriately to work on rounded development of all the aspects of their game.
3. Performers who rely on extreme flexibility for their kicking displays place themselves at much higher risk of both short-term and long-term injury because they force their joints to operate well beyond the ranges of motion for which they are designed. Throwing a kick to a level equivalent to the height of your own head is actually a natural movement and many people, especially younger, fitter people, can do this without doing any stretching at all. Throwing a kick with such flexibility that your foot can touch someone standing directly behind you (as seen in many martial arts displays) is aesthetically brilliant – but the movement is not effective in the real world and the range of motion is not natural. As martial artists practicing kicks – we need to be very careful not to force our joints so far out of their natural motion ranges that the bones begin to erode each other and wear out at the joints. This can have crippling effects in later life and joint replacement operations are becoming more common among martial artists, even very young ones. Good technique and appropriate range of motion are crucial – ignorance of this fact is actually dangerous. It is for this reason that I have undertaken to supply ‘yet another’ article on stretching – despite the numerous articles on the topic you may have read in the past. The aim of this particular series of articles is to help you aspire to excellence in your chosen discipline without needlessly (and perhaps unwittingly) putting your present or future health at risk.
Now that we have discussed the types of flexibility training martial artists require, as well as the appropriate levels of flexibility we should aim for, the next aspect you need to be aware of is the sequencing of flexibility training in your overall training and workout routine.
Dynamic flexibility training fits in at the beginning of your workouts and can be done before, during or immediately after warming up.
Static flexibility training fits in at the end of a workout. Static stretching works best when done at the end of a training session when the body temperature is raised and the muscles are looser. This sort of stretching is often called ‘developmental stretching’ because it is used to enhance or maximise the flexibility of the body.
These sequencing rules are important and if you do not follow them there is still a slim possibility that you may achieve high levels of flexibility – as a few people do – but more effort and time will be required to do so, your results will be inconsistent from week to week and the results will not be easy to sustain. Also, you are much more likely to suffer regular training injuries if you ignore the correct exercise sequences.
Finally in this article, I will explain how to train in order to develop dynamic and static flexibility as defined earlier in this article. I will do this by describing a sample routine for maximising flexibility in the hamstring muscles. This routine, if followed correctly, will give you the ability to fully stretch your hamstrings – through their natural motion range – until your chest and knee meet with your leg held straight. You will be able to do this in both dynamic and static movements along the frontal plane of motion – if you use the routine as described. It is a one-dimensional plan and by no means a complete routine for overall flexibility development. However, the principles will apply to all flexibility training and you can apply this knowledge to your other flexibility training exercises, accordingly. A single article would not be sufficient to cover all the considerations for a full stretching program but I expect the understanding of the flexibility principles outlined in this article will give you sufficient knowledge to start developing or enhancing your own personal program.
Now for the exercises…
To develop dynamic flexibility of the hamstrings, perform leg swings/raises with each leg. This involves simply swinging the leg forward and upwards, at a slow tempo, so that no momentum is generated. Do sets of ten to fifteen repetitions and perform as many sets as you need to so that your legs are moving easily through your full range of motion. Focus on good form and slow speed in each leg swing, but aim to lift the leg as high as you are able. Usually, the maximum flexibility in dynamic movements is a fixed percentage of the maximum static flexibility range for the same muscles (so you need to focus on your static flexibility as well in order to get the best out of your dynamic flexibility training).
A spin-off from doing the exercise just described is that you will loosen the hamstrings fully for every kick that relies on good hamstring flexibility. This means you don’t have to actually perform the specific kicks to fully loosen up/warm up.
Another way you can warm up for kicking practice is to use some sort of cardiovascular activity (such as running or shadow boxing) for three to five minutes – in order to heat up the body and increase circulation. You can then practice your kicks at a low height/level – beginning with the simplest techniques and progressing to the higher level/more complex ones. This takes considerably longer than simply using dynamic leg swings but may be acceptable for people who don’t have heavy time constraints and want to lengthen their workout for aerobic training purposes.
Key Learning Point:
Dynamic flexibility training works best at the beginning of a workout – as part of warming up – but it can be performed as desired throughout the workout as well.
Many athletes (including martial artists) are not aware of this fact because traditional stretching programs have encouraged static stretching during warm-ups and before training. There are two main reasons why some martial artists stretch statically before they train – as part of warming up. The first possible reason is because old (outdated) exercise science used to encourage this practice as a way of preventing injury. Modern clinical studies have since proved the exact opposite to be true, but few people keep up-to-date with the most recent scientific research. Often, we train and teach the way we were trained and taught years before. So the myth has been able to persist.
The second reason why some people stretch statically before training is that it may sometimes have the temporary effect of suppressing stretch and pain receptor activity in the muscles allowing a temporary state of heightened flexibility in normally stiff limbs. Note the use of the words ‘temporary’ and ‘normally stiff.’ The ‘temporary’ state of heightened flexibility is caused by almost imperceptible changes in the sensitivity of the baroreceptors, proprioceptors and pain receptors that coordinate muscle tone and stretch reflexes. These changes reduce the muscles’ responsiveness to stretching and numb pain. Thus, people who use pre-stretching in their training can show increases in their normal flexibility range for up to half an hour or so, but can never achieve the maximum long-term flexibility potential of their joints and muscles.
If you pre-stretch regularly you can show transient increases in flexibility during training – albeit after a thorough warm up – but in the cooled-down state you are actually stiffer than the average person due to the micro-scarring injuries pre-stretching causes – hence, my earlier reference to ‘normally stiff limbs.’ Another reason for poor flexibility in the majority of athletes who pre-stretch is the regular training injuries which interrupt their technique work and don’t allow for consistency of development. By pre-stretching, you interfere with normal coordination and stretch reflexes which are designed to protect muscles and joints. This causes a pre-disposition to soft tissue injuries due to unrestricted, incorrect joint movement, often resulting in stiffness (when not warmed up) and a higher general injury-incidence among users of pre-stretching.
Key Learning Point:
Static Developmental Stretching works best at the end of your workouts – as the last exercise drill. Studies have shown that static stretches, when used after training, will help reduce your likelihood of developing training-related injuries.
As a general rule for stretching and flexibility training, find a small number of good stretches that you can use to form a simple stretching routine and practice them regularly. Don’t keep changing the stretches you do whenever you stretch – develop a fixed routine. There are only a few planes of motion you need to develop as a martial artist and if you find exercises which maximise the use of those motion planes, they will be sufficient so that you don’t need to waste time doing numerous other stretches for the same muscles.
This principle applies to most conditioning drills – select a few Compound exercises (exercises which involve many muscle groups) and develop just those few exercises (because once you maximise your ability in those few compound movements, your full proficiency will have been reached). A good example relating to flexibility is the performance of the front split and the side split. By optimising your range of motion in just those two exercises, you will have fully developed your flexibility for every martial arts kick that exists. So those two exercises will be sufficient for maximising your hip flexibility for kicking. Thus, the only other stretches you’ll need to do will be for the lower leg (calf and Achilles) and the midsection (trunk/abdominals and lower back).
This means that a full flexibility routine for an advanced trainer can consist of just five compound stretches. However, beginners and less flexible people usually need to perform many simpler, more selective stretches to isolate individual muscle groups and progress to the more compound exercises after they’ve developed enough flexibility in the individual muscles. This is why this particular article will concentrate on isolating the hamstrings only. Once the individual muscle groups have been fully developed they can be grouped together in training by using a few compound exercises.
Now for the static stretches you can use to fully loosen your hamstrings and help you reach your full flexibility potential for practical movements which rely on good hamstring strength and flexibility. Perform this routine every other day:
Begin your hamstring stretching at the end of a full martial arts or fitness training session, when your body temperature is raised and you are sweating. Incorporate this session into the first part of your full stretching routine (don’t do it on its own) and try to keep your stretching workouts brief – limited to just a few major stretches for the main muscle groups for the legs – as explained earlier.
1. PNF Standing Front Hamstring Stretch: Extend your leg forward and rest your heel on a steady support (use a flight of stairs, a table or a stool/chair) at a comfortable height – most people (even beginners) should be able to raise their leg to waist height. Make sure the other (supporting) leg is stood on a flat, stable surface (usually the floor) and is fully straightened with the foot rested flat and the majority of your weight supported on the heel. The supporting foot can be faced sideways or forwards – depending on which placement is most comfortable.
Lean forward and stretch out your arms with the intention of holding your raised foot with both hands (If you are not very flexible you will not be able to reach your foot when you first start this routine). When you feel you have reached the limit to which your hamstrings will stretch – without pain – press the heel of the forward-extended leg downwards against the support (flight of stairs, table or stool/chair) by tensing the hamstring muscle while leaning forward against the resistance. This is called an isometric muscle contraction. Hold the contraction for the time it takes to breathe ten times. Then release the tension and simultaneously lean further forward – or move the foot to a higher step on the staircase – while trying to bring your shoulders and chest closer to your knee. Do the contractions and relaxations at regular, ten-breath intervals.
Each time you perform the hamstring contraction it should allow you to stretch a little further when you relax. The effect will be relatively minor when you first start this type of training but it will improve over time, with regular practice. Eventually, you will reach the extremity of your range of motion and will easily be able to reach your foot with both hands or touch the chest/shoulder to the knee of the extended leg. You can then use the routine for maintenance training.
This contract-relax-stretching technique is called PNF stretching (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation). This name refers to the fact that the proprioceptors (a type of nerve receptor) are reset by muscular contractions. They control natural stretch reflexes designed to assist with movement and posture coordination by stopping the limbs from accidentally overextending and injuring the joints and muscles during various physical tasks. Simply put, by contracting the muscles in stretched-out positions you will build strength at this extreme range of motion and this will allow the nervous system to be aware that the muscles are still strong at the extremities of their extension so a corrective stretch reflex is not necessary.
Perform the stretch identically for both legs. This exercise can also be done without using the PNF method (though the results would be less consistent and less impressive if you didn’t perform the PNF version as well). Hold stretches for the amount of time it takes you to breathe about fifty times – whether you use PNF techniques or conventional relaxed stretches. The only advantage of relaxed stretching techniques is that they can be performed daily. Isometric PNF stretching, although much more effective, is a strength-training exercise drill requiring recuperation and, hence, it is subject to the ‘consecutive days rule’ for conditioning drills – it should not be done for two days in a row.
2. Seated Hamstring Stretch: Sit on a flat comfortable floor with your legs spread apart as far as possible. Lean towards one leg and reach for the ankle with both hands – again attempting to touch the chest/shoulder to the knee. You can intensify the stretch by holding the heel end of the foot with one (or both) hand(s) and pulling yourself down further. Repeat the same procedure for the other leg. Stretch for the amount of time it takes to breathe about fifty times. A final aspect you may want to add to this stretch is to perform it on both legs at the same time by leaning down the middle. This is a double seated hamstring stretch. To execute – reach for both ankles/feet simultaneously, lowering the torso down the middle (equidistant between both legs). Try to touch your chest to the floor – although it is not a failure if you cannot reach the floor. Only go as far as is comfortable – the different body types and muscle sizes of individual athletes will imply different maximum ranges of motion for different people.
For beginner athletes, the double seated hamstring stretch will be the first transition towards eventually performing the side split – although it is not the same exercise as a side split. Even if you can touch your chest to the floor in the double hamstring stretch it is still very different to performing a side split and it is nowhere near as effective as a side split for improving martial arts technique and striking range. A side split involves a much greater angle of sideways separation of the legs – closer to 180 degrees than to 90 degrees from limb to limb – and for this reason side splits are highly dependent on groin and inner thigh flexibility and strength.
Good flexibility opens up a range of exciting and interesting training possibilities to achieve perfect form.
You may wonder how you can tell whether you are in a side split (with your toes pointed upwards) or in a very extreme double hamstring stretch. The answer is quite simple. When in a standard side split you can perform an isometric (PNF) contraction against the force of the stretch – by pressing the heels downwards using the contraction of the hamstrings and the groin and inner thigh muscles – without it actually affecting your balance or lifting the torso upwards and backwards. In a double seated hamstring stretch you would simply raise your torso upwards and backwards if you pressed your heels against the ground. In a standard side split the stretch is felt more in the groin and inner thigh muscles than it is in the hamstrings. The leg position in side splits is extreme and is about the same whether you perform the split with the toes faced forwards or upwards – you can actually transition seamlessly from the forward-facing toes position to the upward-facing toes position in a true side split (though this is not recommended practice).
Another, more obvious way to tell you are doing a side split properly is that no matter how far you are able to stretch, your buttocks cannot touch the ground in a side split – your hamstrings or inner thighs/inner knees would be flat against the ground at maximum extension.
As mentioned earlier, it’s important to be aware of sequencing rules when performing stretches. PNF exercises should be done before relaxed stretches in any workout where you perform both types. You can perform just the PNF hamstring stretch as your full hamstring workout (instead of doing the seated stretches) if you have serious time constraints and need to shorten stretching time. However, you would not be able to use the seated hamstring exercises isometrically (you’d simply lose balance and fall over backwards if you tried!). The message is as follows:
If you are only going to do one hamstring stretch, perform an isometric (PNF) version to get the most benefit. Relaxed stretches help with cooling down after training but are not nearly as effective as PNF techniques for developmental stretching.
Good hamstring (frontal) flexibility can be combined well with good lateral and rear hip flexibility to enable you to do front and side splits – if you want to practice those advanced compound exercises after hamstring training in your stretching routine. Once you are able to do full front splits you need not bother performing any other isolation exercises for the hamstrings – they will be adequately stretched by the front split alone so the hamstring isolation routine outlined will no longer be necessary in regular training. But if you lose form due to a training layoff and your flexibility declines significantly, you will probably need to start performing hamstring isolation stretches again – until you regain your full flexibility.
Most people with healthy joints will achieve their full hamstring flexibility by using the routine outlined above but it’s important to be aware of the need for adequate leg strength if you want to develop good leg flexibility for martial arts. I have discussed strength training for the legs in great detail in a previous article so I will not go into it now. Ideally, flexibility training should be combined with strength training for the legs in order to get the best results (and to reap the full injury-prevention benefits of flexibility training). Most injuries are related to weaknesses within coordinating muscle groups and joints as well as range-of-motion factors.
Idai Makaya
www.idaimakaya.com
