Will Static flexibility also help kicking ability?

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koryodan
Posts: 21
Joined: Mar 03, 2004 13:17
Location: Great Britain
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Will Static flexibility also help kicking ability?

Post by koryodan »

Hi guys,

I just wanted to ask a quick question.

I know that an individuals kicking ability is determined mostly by what level of Dynamic flexibility they have. However I wanted to know how much does the level of an individuals static flexibilty determine how well they kick.

An example of this would be myself. My dynamic flexibility is very good and in turn I can do standing kicks such as turning kick and side kick with good technique and can go very high. As a matter of fact there are a number of martial artists I know who can do full side and front splits but cant kick as well as me and need more time to warm up than me before they can perform kicks.

However I find it hard to perform jumping techniques, such as jumping reverse turning kick shown in this picture http://16atc.org/bbs/data/index/374919_2.jpg

However will it help me to kick even better if I attain a better form of static flexibility as well as having good dynamic flexibility?

I know in one of Mr Kurz columns its says that the ability to perform both front and side splits in unison with dynamic stretching helps kicking in that it helps with the form of a kick but will static flexibility in unison with dynamics also help the movement of the hip move more freely to kick higher? Do strengthening exercises that are also involved with static forms of stretching such as isometrics also help an individuals kicking ability?

Mr Kurz it would be great to hear your advice on this.

Thanks

Carl

wenhung
Posts: 13
Joined: Jul 09, 2004 06:42
Location: Taiwan

Post by wenhung »

Hi, Carl,

If you are talking about sports TKD (WTF sparring), I would say that static flexibility would not help improve your kicking much (not much enough to let you feel the difference). Nevertheless I find that static flexibility (isometrics) improves my strength and endurance, and the great benefit is that I don't get fatigued as easily and I recover faster. This is particularly useful when you have many fights to go in a short time. In WTF sparring, speed rather than strength dominates, but strength is important in keeping a good form throughout the game.

Regarding the reverse turning kick, many people overlook the fact that there are different ways to performe this kick. As far as I know there are 4 kicks: spinning heel kick, spinning hook kick, spinning crescent kick, and spinning whip kick (all of these can be jumping kicks). They may look similar but they are performed differently with different body alignments. I think the difficulty of performing these kicks should have more to do with the incorrect body alignment. Jumping ability is important, but normally it is not a hindrance to most people in good shape (unless you are talking 360-degree / 540-degree turning kicks which do require enhanced jumping ability).

Wenhung

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