Starting out and form

[simon]

Hi!

I've got the book, and the DVD and am trying desperately to find the regular time slots to get closer to my objective of full front and side splits.

I know I can achieve this with the help on Tom's method, and have told some folk in my office that most people can do the splits with some training (from what I've seen on the internet).

Guess what, they didn't believe me, and I'm left in a position where the only way I can convince them is to do it myself.

That, and the fact that I want to get back into TKD with my son, is enough to motivate me to achieve it.

My question is, throughout most of the DVD the dynamic stretches shown are done by Tom who already has great flexibility. are there any videos showing what the same dynamic stretches look like with someone who is just starting out after years of relative inactivity in this area?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Simon

[Tim...]

Hi.

You should align your body in exactly the same way, so they should look exactly the same, but lower. There is no reason to alter these moves due to lower flexibility.

Cheers

Tim...

[Thomas Kurz]

I've got the book, and the DVD and am trying desperately to find the regular time slots to get closer to my objective of full front and side splits.

I know I can achieve this with the help on Tom's method, and have told some folk in my office that most people can do the splits with some training (from what I've seen on the internet).

Guess what, they didn't believe me, and I'm left in a position where the only way I can convince them is to do it myself.

That, and the fact that I want to get back into TKD with my son, is enough to motivate me to achieve it.

About your coworkers' comments:
See point 2 in my answer to Kevin Ault, posted at http://www.stadion.com/mailings/mailing02062007.html .

To make sure you prove the “folk in [your] office” wrong follow my advice:

Begin with work on the side split.

Spread your feet only to the width at which you comfortably control your stance.

When you are comfortable at a given width of your horse-riding stance, first work on lowering your hips--not on spreading your feet wider. Work on spreading your feet wider only when your buttocks at below your knees in the stance. Repeat this process at every new width.

Resist temptation to rush to the ground even when your thighs are a mere inch above it. Isometric stretching in low horse-riding stance is like lifting a heavy weight at maximal range of motion--it seriously stresses the inner thigh muscles. “Pushing it” too hard, even if it does not cause a muscle strain, fatigues these muscles so much that they may need more than 3 days of rest, If you have to rest more than 2-3 days between workouts, you may end up stagnating or even losing strength and flexibility instead of progressing. (I assume you don't plan to follow such stupid bodybuilding concepts as bodypart-split routines in which legs are worked only once a week.)