question on shaolin contortion

[health king]

the way shaolin monks can bend there body is out of this world.Would any one here know how they stretch,Is it the same way kurz shows in the book.Thanks

[UKfightfreak]

They do not strech like Tom Kurz.

They actually start stretching at a very (very) young age, deforming bones and streching ligimants. Similar to some of the feats you will see in young gymnasts. This can be very damaging.

This is also impossible for most people who have developed.

[health king]

I have never heard of a monk complaning of joint pain etc or look at all the high up guys or girls in shaolin kung fu they don't also.There most be some way to do it saftly or all these people would not be doing it.But what is it they do????

Here's what I think they do. monks etc to lots of stuff to build unheard of strangth in the legs.Maybe there legs are so strong they can do all this pain free.What do you guys think?????

[UKfightfreak]

From everything I have read and seen on documentary's etc. They are constantly nursing injuries.

As for strenth - of course, If I ran up a mountain every day I would hope for extreme flexibility! But when it comes down to it they learn these things when they are so young that it is second nature - get a kid in the splits at 5 and as long as he keeps doing it he will still be able to do it in adult hood!

One thing I will say - is you don't see many old monks doing the feats that the younger ones can - surely they should be better? Rational training would have made them be athletic into old age - but there training is not rational - more like torture!

[health king]

So you are saying that old monks or other people will not do good at the shaolin arts .These arts and most other kung fu arts need extream flexibility
so does that mean these arts are not safe and no one should do them .You say they train very young.I'am 21 with poor flexibility does that mean that I could never get that flexibility if I still want to.

[looneyas]

.I'am 21 with poor flexibility does that mean that I could never get that flexibility if I still want to.

Health King - You are never to old to be flexable, You will never achieve the flexibility of the Monks as thats something you MUST start when u are of a very young age.
Im 36 I started training a year ago, I can do front splits left and right and a inch or so from full box splits.
I feel age is no barrier to flexibility. I find age a hindrance as you have to work hard at stretching. I stretch without fail everyday but hard 4 x a week. Best advice to getting flexable is,
1. Study up on knowing how to stretch (best book is Stretching Scientificty)
2. Set your self small and big goals
3. look fwd to stretching look at the big picture not the pain u may feel
4. set out a routine and stick to it change it everyfew months but if its the day to stretch u stretch....

[UKfightfreak]

Health king, when the body forms it bones harden and as you get older your ligaments/tendons become much more inflexibile than when you are a child.

Using Kurz method you will be able to reach amazing flexibility but you will still be restricted by your bones and tendons - a childs bones and tendons are much, much softer and more flexible and therefore can be 'forced' into much more stretched positions.

For example due to my late flexibility start even when I am in the flatest front split I can do, there is still around an inch or so that will not reach the floor - this is because of my bones - look at Kurz's split on chairs at the upper left of the screen, if you look the flat appearance of the split actually comes from the knees and not full flatness at the hips - if a child were to learn this at an early age they would overcome this - like the monks do.

But it is still using terrible techniques to strech for example, partner assisted streches, forcing a split.

If you are looking for an efficient way to obtain your maximal flexibility, safely in the shortest amount of time - Kurz is your best bet.

If you train for 8 hours (or longer?!?!) a day and enjoy phyisical pain, train with Shoalin Monks.

As a final note, look at the Monks training, the forms and the endurance or running up mountains etc. Nearly all of their training revolves around movements in stretched positions so if you see a Shoalin monk stretching routine - it is going to be mis leading unless you train like them.

[health king]

I havr tried kurz stuff but don't see much improvement maybe you could tell my what I'am doing wrong.

I do drynamics every morning 50 reps eack leg front,side and back
I do drynamics before each workout I do really light stretching after the workout and before bed..Any thing wrong with this too much too less what.Thanks


P.s you may want to read this report on The Danger of Static Stretching by Scott Sonnen at http://pub42.ezboard.com/ftheunderworld ... D=27.topic

[mmeloon]

I havr tried kurz stuff but don't see much improvement maybe you could tell my what I'am doing wrong.

I do drynamics every morning 50 reps eack leg front,side and back
I do drynamics before each workout I do really light stretching after the workout and before bed..Any thing wrong with this too much too less what.Thanks

I think we need more information before we can really say anything. Here are some questions that come to mind:

1) What kind of improvement are you looking for? Improving your dynamic flexibility or static?

2) Are you doing 1 set of 50 reps for each of front, side, and back? Or are you doing 5 sets of 10? 2 of 25? In any case, 50 sounds way too much to me.

3) What is your workout schedule? What are you doing? How often? How many days off? Your legs might be chronically fatigued if you're working them every day.

4) When you do these dynamic stretches, are you feeling a good stretch in the muscle? Or is pain in your hips limiting your motion (e.g., you don't have your hips tilted properly when performing side leg lifts)?

I think without that info, there's not much we can say. I'm tempted to say that you are overtraining and trying too hard but that's just a wild guess without more data to go on.

-Mark

[health king]

1: to kick over my head with power
2:2 sets15,2 sets10
3: martial arts 4 days a week for 90mins each day other then that nothing
4:yes part1, no part2

did you read the stuff on that link if so what do you think of it

[UKfightfreak]

1: to kick over my head with power
2:2 sets15,2 sets10
3: martial arts 4 days a week for 90mins each day other then that nothing
4:yes part1, no part2

did you read the stuff on that link if so what do you think of it

1. You need to do more than just dynamic stretches
2. 4 sets total? or 4 of each legs to the front, side and back? - either way two of each is better.
3. OK
4. fine

One more thing - how long have you been doing them?

And do you warm up a little and do joint rotations first before performing the dynamic stretches?

[health king]

2 years and yes I do a warm up

[mmeloon]

1: to kick over my head with power
2:2 sets15,2 sets10
3: martial arts 4 days a week for 90mins each day other then that nothing
4:yes part1, no part2

did you read the stuff on that link if so what do you think of it

Hmmm. Well, offhand I can't see anything particularly wrong. However, to add to what UKFightFreak said, your goal of kicking above your head will require more than simply flexibility. Some of it will be body alignment. I was having problems kicking over my head as well until I watched Mac M. doing front kicks on the "Power High Kicks" videotape. I noticed that he tilts his hips upwards into the kick, which requires him to bend his supporting leg a little. Try it and you'll find you can get much better reach on your kicking leg.

Based on what you've told us, I think my original guess of possible overtraining is wrong. I was worried that you might be training 7 days a week or something.

Regarding the link that you posted, I admit that I didn't read it completely through but it sounds like he's saying basically the same things that Kurz does. Is there any particular part that you were interested in us commenting on?

-Mark

[health king]

Maybe I read it wrong but does it not say do not do Static Stretching and does kurz not say to do Static Stretching.Maybe you could tell just what you tthink this artical is trying to say.Thanks

[UKfightfreak]

Wow, if you have been doing dynamic stretches for 2 years and you are not at maximal flexibility - there is something wrong with your method of training, your body or both.

Kurz said it should only take 8 weeks to get to Maximal flexibility with dynamic stretches!!