flexibility

[Deleted]

I cannot do full side or front splits but can get further towards that than others in the club I train in. Is it realistic to expect people to do full splits or should we just be happy that we can kick to a level where we can control and deliver an effective kick?

It is a supplementary question to the one I asked about fitness in another thread. I ask because I am thinking about my own goals and direction over the next twelve months and questioning how we should judge achievements in self and others.

[elmar]

Again, IMHO - an individual needs to be flexible enough to do the techniques in the kata - no more, no less. I kick people in the head after I dump them on the ground .

[Deleted]

That sounds good to me.

[garage]

If you deliver a side kick to the head the direction of the kick is upward. This makes the distance of the kick critical. If there is nothing to catch like in the throat or under the chin the kick is more likely to be weak as there is nothing to strike if they are too far away.

I have felt my foot slide up the chest and not really connect with anything. A middle level kick perpidicular to the body is more likely to connect and do something. Which is probably why there are no kicks above the waist in kata.

The feel great, look great but, do not really work and are high risk if you get the distance wrong.

[robbo78]

I feel that at junior level it is imperative to learn the kick correctly and as they progress flexibility will follow obviously the younger students will be more flexible but some of us older guys we will never probably do the splits i believe as long as u can deliver the kick at your jodan level especially for gradings and will probably only ever use a kick in a real life situation at chudan or gedan level.

[malk103]

I think the fancy high kicks are best left to TKD and that any high kicks in Kata are the end position so that the impact area is much lower.
I'm no street fighter but if confronted then I wouldn't be looking to kick high, maybe Kekomi against the side of the knee or something.
As for the splits, I had 10+ years as a mechanic at sea and then I have been driving a desk for the last 10 odd so have never been flexible, i've only been doing Karate for the last several years and not a lot of flexible stuff before that, I will leave the splits to our female Nidan.

[Paul Bedard]

At one time I would have loved to be able to do the splits & was so very close. I did a multitude of flexibility exercises & even have a `Hurley` stretch machine. Trust me I am quite flexible for a 57 year old, but have never been able to do the splits.
One sensei that I had watched one of my students doing the splits & said,`well he can stretch, but can he fight`..
I actually laugh when people over emphasize doing the splits. Not all body types can do this. Also I have seen many people who can sit on the floor & put a foot in each ear, but for some reason, while standing they can`t open & close their hips.
I tell people that ask about the splits. That`s nice, but if you really want to impress me, your hips will be flexible. Rotation, compression & expansion/extension for example.
IMHO it is not necessary for a karateka to be able to do the splits, but he/she do need to be somewhat flexible..

Osu

Paul B

[Paul Bedard]

I think that this might be a good spot to tell you about a workshop that I was in years ago. It was sponsored by the company that I work for, the subject was Wellness. We covered warm-up routines exercise, diet etc.. It was a train the trainer type program.
I`ll never forget what one of the guest speakers (Bob) told us. It goes kind of like this..
Men for the most part are naturally strong & women for the most part are naturally flexible. Yet where do we see the men? In a gym lifting weights & getting stronger.Where do we see the women, in a yoga class getting more flexible. What really should be happening, is the men should be going to yoga to get more flexible & the women should go the the gym & lift weights to get stronger.
`You see, it`s all about balance`, `We need to have both strength & flexibilty, for proper balance`. Not too much of one & not enough of the other..

Osu

Paul B

[Deleted]

Thanks for those replies. I agree with what has been said. I like being as felxible as possible for my own sense of athletic ability for a challenge but would never dream of kicking higher than chudan in dojo kumite. On the street its shins, knee and groin.

[garage]

Can you really kick head height?

Measure your inside leg around 30 inches x2 60 inches which is 5 feet if you are using the ball of the foot the best you can manage is 5" 5'. So it is lucky people crouch down a bit so you can pretend you can kick them in the head. I am of course assuming I am trying to hit someone at 6 feet.

Why oh why didn't I listen to my ballet and cheerleading coach and not bounce when stretching it set me back years.

Or bounce bounce pop. The sound of the tearing hamstring.