splits

[kirvixus]

hey I read that in the shaolin schools if you can't do the splits they basically force your legs in that position and it's pretty hard to walk for a while so I was hoping to be able to do the splits before I leave because that sounds pretty painful. anyone have suggestions on how I can slowly ease into doing the splits? also if you guys know any other crazy painful stuff they make you do please tell me now so I know what else to start getting ready for.

[doc]

First of all, they don't force your legs into that position. It's pretty hard to force ligaments to do what they don't want to do, unless you tear them. It takes time and practice to slowly loosen up the joints. Just starting doing them now. Slowly. Don't hurt yourself. It will take longer to recover from the injury than it will to stretch yourself out.

[kirvixus]

well thanks for clearing that up someone on here posted a website that said that and it sounded a little ludacris. I was real worried cause that would be damn painful.

[shaolintiger]

I heard the same thing before I start training shaolin kungfu 7 years ago,I was so scared.So I started trying to do the splits,I did it in 1 week,I think that you can do it too.The first thing u have to do is train every day,every day you must try to wide your splits every day,or you could use the splits machine.

[Asger]

http://www.stadion.com/column_stretch1.html

I find the side splits very hard to do. I trained in it every day for some months and i was only slowly getting there. One single week sounds crazy too me! But then, people are differently build.
Then one day i had an appointment after training, and i rushed my stretch not to be late for it. How i regret doing that! I teared something in there on the inside of my thigh.
After that happened, I wasn't able to do a sidekick for 5 or 6 months without it hurting really bad.
Some months ago i got my hands on some chinese oil to massage it with. Now it is slowly getting better, but i still have to be very careful.

But some day I will be able to side split! It can't be impossible!

[shaolintiger]

How many hours do you practice.To be honest you can do it in 2 DAYS.
But you will never do it if you didnt hurt your self a little.

[zachsan]

::shudder::...

[Asger]

Tiger, in what ways do you practise the sidesplit? Obvioulsy my methods seem inadequate.
I prefer to do it after a nice long jogging. Then I simply try to go down into sidesplit from a standing position. After a little while of doing that, I tiltbackwards so that I am sitting on the ground, with toes pointing to the sky. I'm bending forward my abdomen for a little while.
Then I repeat the whole thing for about 2 or 3 times.

I started practising the splits again just yesterday, the injury seems to be ready for rehabilitation

[Levittownhxc]

I got to regular splits pretty quickly, but, i've always been alittle flexible.
Side splits i'm still working on. I can't seem to get past a certain point before my hips feel like they'll explode.

[Asger]

ditto

[Swordless]

You definitely want to get in a lot of stretching and/or other warmups to warm your legs up before doing splits. As for how far you can go, it just takes time to improve, unless you have absolutely crazy flexibility. It always seems to be easier in the summer months as well; easier to get warmed up when it's eighty degrees and sunny as opposed to when the below zero wind chill cuts into you as you're walking into class.

[drftrader]

When you're training for the splits, push your butt back slightly. This will put your hips at a different angle/alignment & take off some of the pressure. You should be able to go a little further into your split.
Tracey

[mortal]

The only way you could do a full split in two days is if your 18 and under. It took me about a year. That was training very hard almost everyday. 2 weeks is not realistic for most people. It doesn't mean they are training incorrectly.

[Levittownhxc]

I wouldn't say the ONLY way.
I'm 23, and when I actually tried, it took me maybe 3-4 weeks to get to a point that I could put both legs flat on the ground without having to ease into it.

[zachsan]

well ok... 3-4 weeks is more than 2 days...