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  • Flexibility

    I've had a couple lessons now, and my worst issue is my general lack of flexibility.

    The stuff that I have the flexibility to do, I do well, as I learn quickly and have quite a bit of muscle.

    However, my body is stiff as a board, and I've been stretching every day for about a week, and I don't see any change.

    I know Lipster posted a FAQ on stretching for me a while back. I looked at that and tried my best with it, but I don't think I'm doing something right.

    What is the best way to (daily/semi-daily) stretch to become generally more flexible, and how long will it take?

    P.S. My upper body is fine, it is mainly my feet/ankles/calfs/legs/hips that are are unstretchable.

  • #2
    just keep going - 1 week is not a lot of time!

    dawood
    simple and natural is my method,
    true and sincere is my principle --Tse Sigung

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    • #3
      Okay, you are jumping way too fast. You almost certainly are not going see any change - nothing is gonna happen in a week. Flexibility takes time and patience. Everyone says that for a reason. When I first started, I was told I could probably do the splits in six months. Didn't happen. Partly 'cos I'm not very flexible, partly because I've never been very active beforehand, and because I didn't stretch properly/enough. Anyway, I came to realise it's not a race. I've still got some way to go. And there're plenty of people in the rooster classes (about a year or more training) who still can't.

      Everyday is your best bet if you can. I need to up my flexibility for my next test - I gotta be able to do the splits - and I just discovered something a couple of weeks back. It's a well know fact, yeah, but I just found this out myself. I started morning training (again). When it got to my regular lessons in the evening, I found I was waaay loose and could stretch much better. Just a few minutes' stretch in the morning will make all the difference, it's amazing. I gained more flexibility in the past two weeks doing this then I did in the previous couple of months.

      So, again, it depends on your goals. But flexibility is one thing that needs patience. It'll take a while.

      Peace


      And maybe one day you could do this...
      Attached Files

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      • #4
        yea or..

        yea you could wait forever to do that vertical split..or you could buy this



        and do it in like 3 months or something
        "did you ask me to consider dick with you??" blooming tianshi lotus

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        • #5
          The down side of those things is the fact that they’re an incredible rip-off. Considering they don’t help much with the front splits and that doing the splits the old fashioned way simultaneously builds strength (flexibility without strength is useless in MA), I wouldn’t go for one of those. I bought one of those stupid cable stretchers – waste of money, guys. I hardly use it. Though they have their uses, I guess – if you can afford it and you’re in some mad rush…

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          • #6
            Give a little longer....generally it can take as long as a month to notice even a slightest improvement. Patience is very important.
            Wait a little longer and see if it gets better.

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            • #7
              Get stretching scientfically

              by thomas Kurz
              shows the correct order to incorporate all different stretch types into your MA workout.
              I only just started with it but getting good results, when method i used before got me know where fast.

              The best thing about his method is that u should be able to achieve optimal stretching without full warmup.
              anyway check it out

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              • #8
                Front splits

                Originally posted by Lipster
                The down side of those things is the fact that they’re an incredible rip-off. Considering they don’t help much with the front splits and that doing the splits the old fashioned way simultaneously builds strength (flexibility without strength is useless in MA), I wouldn’t go for one of those. I bought one of those stupid cable stretchers – waste of money, guys. I hardly use it. Though they have their uses, I guess – if you can afford it and you’re in some mad rush…
                So, are front splits most beneficial to gaining flexibility in the pelvis, glutes and hamstrings?
                Peace, favor your sword. "In these modern times many men are wounded for not having weapons or knowledge of their use." Achille Marozzo, 1536 Donald Corey Pillow

                Familiarity breeds Contempt

                Citizens should not fear their governments; governments should fear their citizens.

                There ain't a wrong way to do right or a right way to do wrong! Joe Frazier

                Ignorance is Bliss

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                • #9
                  Ive only been training in shaolin kung fu for about 3-4 months now and i can do the splits just fine. and i can almost touch my head to my toe but it took a whole heck of a lot of streching. in fact the first week of my training i think i pulled like 4 muscles from over streching (dont do that!!!) but after they healed i was way more flexible compared to before. I dont reccommend that macine to strech you out. You need the strength that you aquire from streching. I mean what good is being able to do the splits if your leg isnt strong enough to kick that high?

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                  • #10
                    Stretching

                    To follow up and reenforce Dave's and Lipster's comments, below you will find the link to the stretching section written by Shi Yan Ming at the Shaolinwolf site.





                    Read it through completely, and most of your questions will be answered there.



                    Uwe

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                    • #11
                      streching is like any thing eles you would like to do correctly you just have to practice alot some thing i should do more of.
                      lil monk

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                      • #12
                        A couple of things to keep in mind.

                        I have found the best stretching occurs (for me) 1. after I've warmed up, and have broken a sweat. and 2. after the workout, too many people don't stretch after there workouts. I usually start out with something that gets the blood moving, then move to rolling out the joints, then do my warmup, then stretch. After this I usually workout, then stretch when I'm done.
                        practice wu de

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                        • #13
                          shaolinstylee, i just recently started back up in the MA world and i always used to follow your general philospohy for stretching (that is, get the blood moving first and then get to the good stuff). but what do you mean by 'rolling out the joints'? it sounds like great fun.

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                          • #14
                            Rolling the ankles, knees, hips, waist, shoulders, wrists, and neck...

                            Rolling the ankles should be obvious, but in case you got out of gym class or never played an organized sport.. stand on one foot, placing the other foots big toe down on the ground at about shoulder width, then move your leg in small circles.. hence rolling.

                            knees, I usually give them a good rubbing, to get them physically warm, then move them about, sort of randomly, some of the movements I do:
                            standing with feet together, bend at the knees and waist, put your hands on your knees and gently move up and down then side to side...etc.

                            hips:
                            excersise looks like doing an outside crecent kick, but with your leg bent. Sort of like going into a high stance, then pulling your leg to the outside, I do both sides for about a minute per.

                            I also do a waist thing, where I have my feet at about shoulder width, knees bent and twist from side to side letting my arms flop around.

                            I usually do some willy arms (swinging the arms at the shoulder joint) for the shoulders

                            Roll the wrists each direction

                            move head back and forth, then side to side for the neck....
                            practice wu de

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                            • #15
                              oh i see what you mean. i also do some unique japanese wrist stretching exercises that i picked up from my very brief three-week stand with aikido, which you might think of as "rolling the wrists". i think you can find them online a few places, but they help me out alot... my job is mostly typing, so they help me to protect myself from carpal tunnel.

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