Tips to make your martial arts training better

You Too, Can Kick People in the Head! Hooray!

Kicking people in the head in an athletic situation has got to be one of the most fun things I've ever done in my life, and I'm sure will be one of yours once you perfect this beautiful skill. Not to say that kicking folks in the ribs isn't a blast as well, but there is just something special about the over-the-shoulder whack. Many different elements combine towards placing your kick on someone's melon, but the first stepping stone towards accomplishing that is simply kicking high. This really only requires you to focus on two things; both equally important and dependent on each other. Flexibility and Strength.

#1 Flexibility
This one I'm sure you could figure out yourself. Bottom line: If your legs only spread apart 90 degrees in any direction.... You will not be able to kick anything above the equivalent to your own waist height. Some people are born with the strange ability to do splits and maintain that throughout their annoying little lives. The rest of us normally feel lucky if we're able to touch our toes on occasion. I, unfortunately, am part of the latter group. When I first began training I was thrilled when I was able to kick my trainer in the hip. He, on the other hand, was not. So how did I, and many others overcome this? Work. Time. Pain. Flexibility is a skill that just like running a marathon..... takes effort. I suggest to you pursue this goal in three sections:

Section A:
Warm up, spend about five minutes stretching your legs: hamstrings (back of thigh), adductors (inner thigh), quadriceps (top of thigh), and abductors (hips). Hold each stretch for no more than 10 seconds.

Section B:
Run through half of your normal training routine, while performing all of your kicks. Take three minutes at your half way point to stretch each muscle group again. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds.

Section C:
Finish your kick training while trying to kick as high as possible, going through your complete range of motion. When you're done with that, it is time to start some serious stretching. Now that your legs are completely heated up and prepared to hold their maximum range of motion, it is time to gain some flexibility. Again, you should stretch each of the prior mentioned four muscle groups. Perform a variety of stretches for each muscle. Hold your initial stretch for approximately 20 seconds. Take a deep breath in. Stretch a little further. Hold 10 seconds. Stretch a little further. Slowly retract your legs to a normal position. Repeat each stretch several times on both legs.

Flexibility is a skill that takes time. Just like any other skill, practicing often is the only way to become successful at it. Devoting this short amount of time during each of your training sessions is sure to yield high results.