My upper body strength & flexibility are more than adequate so I haven't been focusing on that. My lower body flexibility sucks, so...
In class, we've been doing the warm-up stretches recommended for doing splits here. Karate isn't interested in doing splits, but the basic concepts still apply.
For karate, there is a need to open your legs wide, just below 180 degrees, so that you can deliver a side kick at head-height. To get that kind of stretch, one may sit on the floor and simply spread one's legs as far as one can without injury, hold for at least 30 seconds, then use one's hands to try to pull back either leg just a little more, and hold for as long as possible, perhaps spreading just a little more if possible.
At home, I do one more variation of this leg spread: I lay on my back with my heels against a wall or desk, letting gravity gradually enforce as much of a spread as I can handle without injury. I can let physics do the hard work while I catch up on Twitter or Instagram on my mobile phone.
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Date: 2017-09-07 01:51 am (UTC)In class, we've been doing the warm-up stretches recommended for doing splits here. Karate isn't interested in doing splits, but the basic concepts still apply.
For karate, there is a need to open your legs wide, just below 180 degrees, so that you can deliver a side kick at head-height. To get that kind of stretch, one may sit on the floor and simply spread one's legs as far as one can without injury, hold for at least 30 seconds, then use one's hands to try to pull back either leg just a little more, and hold for as long as possible, perhaps spreading just a little more if possible.
At home, I do one more variation of this leg spread: I lay on my back with my heels against a wall or desk, letting gravity gradually enforce as much of a spread as I can handle without injury. I can let physics do the hard work while I catch up on Twitter or Instagram on my mobile phone.