If so, how long did it take you to do so? How would you suggest i improve my split. I joined a martial art club so i need to increase my flexibility. I've been practicing opening my legs since i started (3months ago), and theres a big change.
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Can anybody here do the split?
- Thread starter bassist 4 life
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soulgeezer
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2007
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- Endorsing Artist: Red Zone Effects
When, in my younger days, I was an ice hockey goalie, I could do a full split.
For a long time I just couldn't do it. Then, one day, somebody took a shot on goal and my legs started moving in opposite directions.
The fact that I was on ice at the time probably had a lot to do with it!
James Brown did a nice split, you should check out some of the old films of him, I think Prince did a split once and while too. Hmm, Little Richard maybe. It's probably best done with a fender precision.
I used to be able to do the Van Damme version when I wore rollerskates (quads) I'd just grab the rail pick up the front wheels and drop.
I was pretty flexible then now I'd be struggling to deliver a good kick higher than the knee.
I was pretty flexible then now I'd be struggling to deliver a good kick higher than the knee.
Yes.
And no, I don't have any pics right now.
If you want to do them you should stretch every day, and only when your leg muscles are warm. Get in them and then breathe in slowly. As you breathe in, tighten your leg muscles. As you exhale, relax your legs and you'll sink lower and lower. You should hold them for about 2 minutes at a time.
If you do middle splits, make sure your knees are facing up so you don't put too much pressure on your knee joints.
And no, I don't have any pics right now.
If you want to do them you should stretch every day, and only when your leg muscles are warm. Get in them and then breathe in slowly. As you breathe in, tighten your leg muscles. As you exhale, relax your legs and you'll sink lower and lower. You should hold them for about 2 minutes at a time.
If you do middle splits, make sure your knees are facing up so you don't put too much pressure on your knee joints.
Thats the safe way 
We used to bounce on them in my traditional Shotokan Karate classes. One leg, the next, both. Sometimes cold. Not often but occassionally, mainly with visiting Japanese instructors.
Given your advice here I presume you'd cringe knowing what else we did that I later heard through "medical professionals" or pysio's shouldn't be done.
We used to bounce on them in my traditional Shotokan Karate classes. One leg, the next, both. Sometimes cold. Not often but occassionally, mainly with visiting Japanese instructors.
Given your advice here I presume you'd cringe knowing what else we did that I later heard through "medical professionals" or pysio's shouldn't be done.
I used one of these as part of my flexibility routine, it made a huge difference. I wasn't very limber when I started taking Shotokan Karate (Rising Sun Karate, Fresno CA), but after training hard I was able to go past 180 degree splits, and being that flexible made head kicks almost effortless. The most important thing to do before "stretching" (lengthen and strengthen) is is warm up really well, get a good sweat going and then work on flexibility.. and don't push too hard too soon. Oh, no bouncing...
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Rising Sun Shotokan? Never heard of it. But I do know the history between Japanese masters and American schools after WWII so nothing surprises me over there
I've heard nothing but bad about those leg stretch machines. And why need the splits for Shotokan Karate anyway? A kick higher than the waist exposes the groin to the fastest counter, a reverse punch. Great for flashies in a tip tap tag match against a lesser skilled opponent I suppose.
I'm not knocking your choice for using one to increase flexibility, just wondering what motivated it? I've known a lot of students to ask for more flexibility, when they were really asking for increased kick height or to step and reach further with strikes, and often a review in setups to those moves showed more improvement than leg flexibility alone ever did. I was less flexible than most my peers yet could kick and reach just as high and far as them, if not more.
Rising Sun Shotokan? Never heard of it. But I do know the history between Japanese masters and American schools after WWII so nothing surprises me over there
I've heard nothing but bad about those leg stretch machines. And why need the splits for Shotokan Karate anyway? A kick higher than the waist exposes the groin to the fastest counter, a reverse punch. Great for flashies in a tip tap tag match against a lesser skilled opponent I suppose.
I'm not knocking your choice for using one to increase flexibility, just wondering what motivated it? I've known a lot of students to ask for more flexibility, when they were really asking for increased kick height or to step and reach further with strikes, and often a review in setups to those moves showed more improvement than leg flexibility alone ever did. I was less flexible than most my peers yet could kick and reach just as high and far as them, if not more.
Well, unless you lived in the Fresno/Clovis CA. area, why would you have heard of it?
No NEED to do the splits for Shotokan.. I was having difficulty with my hip due to an old hockey injury, so increasing my range of motion was the main driving force, because the pain level was pretty high in some stances. So I needed to work extra hard to get as flexible as possible, and it worked.
And as far as the comment about a head kicks being great for flashy "tip tap match against a lesser skilled opponent"... that's your opinion.. most people that can't throw an effective kick higher than the groin say things like that.. nothing personal, comes from years hearing people say similar things..
Maybe you have heard of Superfoot Wallace? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Technique is important, breathing is important, and so is flexiblity... the question was asked about flexiblity, not technique, and not who can kick higher than their less flexible peers.
So Depth_Charge, why are so against being as flexible as possible?
Brotherhood of the art.Well, unless you lived in the Fresno/Clovis CA. area, why would you have heard of it?
I know a lot of people from a lot of schools and have not heard of yours, thats all. Sorry if you didn't like me mentioning that. I'm sure you never heard of Nollamara SKI either, and it doesn't bother me if you told me so. What that means to me is your club hasn't featured well on the national circuit, or doesn't compete.
Fair enough I was just asking what did motivate you. Never mentioned injury in the original post. It's just an interest area, mis-education and concetration on the lesser important aspects for a technique to work when the major ones are ignored, or misunderstood.onemorebass said:
[quote="onemorebass]
And as far as the comment about a head kicks being great for flashy "tip tap match against a lesser skilled opponent"... that's your opinion.. most people that can't throw an effective kick higher than the groin say things like that.. nothing personal, comes from years hearing people say similar things..
[/quote]
Yes it is my opinion. And I used to say what you did to. But thats an opinion that has served me as a fighter very well in real fights, not just competition.
American people are larger than Japanese people and like to show off more not just get the job done (as evidenced by those choreographed "shows" you call forms competitions) and American Karate does not adhere to tradition it's is very progressive and does work and I;m knocking it at all.
I asked what your motivation was becasue I don't believe felxibility training to be the only "I want to kick higher or I want to move/reach better" factor but a minor of many contributing factors to a kick that can almost decapitate and certainly KO should it land with enough force.
Superfoot Wallace is a kickboxer not a karate exponent. I know American arts are heavily influenced by the sweet science and draws many effective techniques into it to replace ineffective katea moves for fighting.
Sorry, was just asking!onemorebass said:
I'm not.onemorebass said:
I do Brazilian Ju Jitsu now and people can't lock my arm in a straight arm bar for my flexibilty...it just won't bar for most people they don't set up the hold to attack the arm high enough.
What I don't like seeing is people spend 2 years working on flexibility when a deeper step in or a better foot angle can improve things...which you don't appreciate when are swining muay thai leg kicks around instead.
Thats all, no aversion flexibilty as such and I must have offended your art their mate which I apologise for, becuase I said all that before and pretty much repeated myself to clarify as well as embellish my knowledge of your arts over there.
What do you know of Australian Arts?
I don't need the link. Superfoot is a kickboxer who got famous in the ring and did not rely on traditional kicking techniques taught from a preserved traditional art as much as one from a lethal fighting science (Muay Thai to Kickboxing).
soulgeezer
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2007
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- Endorsing Artist: Red Zone Effects
By the way, I've been meaning to ask...
"The" split? Is this somehow different than "a" split? And, if so, how?
"The" split? Is this somehow different than "a" split? And, if so, how?
"A splits" is front to back, the James Brown style.
"THE splits" is sideways, the Van Damme Bloodsport way.
"THE splits" is sideways, the Van Damme Bloodsport way.
QUOTE:
Thats all, no aversion flexibilty as such and I must have offended your art their mate which I apologise for, becuase I said all that before and pretty much repeated myself to clarify as well as embellish my knowledge of your arts over there.
No offense taken, but you assume an awful lot about me and how I have trained. Remember, it's a big country and not everybody "performs" Kata wearing a Sequined Gi, swinging a flamming Katana to the beat of Eye of The Tiger!
I didn't belong to a club, didn't go to compititions or tournaments. I trained at a Dojo, I had several instructors, some very traditional, some more influenced by other styles such as Muay Thai and Kung Fu.
I trained hard and often (6-7 days a week), and I always tried to partner up with somebody physically larger and more skilled than myself.. and whether it was Kata, Kumite, strikes, blocks, stances, flexibilty, conditioning or whatever.. I always gave 100%, because it was very important to me.
And no, I don't know anything about Australian Arts, that's why I made no reference to it.
Have a nice evening.. er... afternoon!
I'm done..... sorry for the hijack
Thats all, no aversion flexibilty as such and I must have offended your art their mate which I apologise for, becuase I said all that before and pretty much repeated myself to clarify as well as embellish my knowledge of your arts over there.
No offense taken, but you assume an awful lot about me and how I have trained. Remember, it's a big country and not everybody "performs" Kata wearing a Sequined Gi, swinging a flamming Katana to the beat of Eye of The Tiger!
I didn't belong to a club, didn't go to compititions or tournaments. I trained at a Dojo, I had several instructors, some very traditional, some more influenced by other styles such as Muay Thai and Kung Fu.
I trained hard and often (6-7 days a week), and I always tried to partner up with somebody physically larger and more skilled than myself.. and whether it was Kata, Kumite, strikes, blocks, stances, flexibilty, conditioning or whatever.. I always gave 100%, because it was very important to me.
And no, I don't know anything about Australian Arts, that's why I made no reference to it.
Have a nice evening.. er... afternoon!
I'm done..... sorry for the hijack
I've shared my experiences on techniques and what I've learned about American Arts. You're part of those Amrican arts and yes I preume chances are good you've studied more "modern" (trend) techniques. Sorry if I made assumptions directly at you, didnt mean to.
Not much bigger than Oz. Go to the library, cut out a map of Oz and lay it over the mid US and you will find you will thrown out of the libraryonemorebass said:
And the maps are roughly as big as each other give or take a few hunred miles The competitions I see promoted from America are the flashy sequined ones, which supports my statement Americans enjoy that aspect of the arts more. And I respect that some competitors are very good at what they do, regardless what I think of it personally.
I believe you. Most serious Martial Artists do. I've done Seminars with Gracies and Machado's and John B Will as trained with some excellent teachers and coaches too. It's great thing to be part of.onemorebass said:
onemorebass said:
See above quote and reply. I knoooooooow. So do I.
What I said about the American Arts is was what I've learned and read about progressive American Karate. There is a lot of pulished material coming out of the states on the topic.onemorebass said:And no, I don't know anything about Australian Arts, that's why I made no reference to it.
And I recognise there are pockets of traditional schools dotted through the US that practice and preserve the more ancient fighting methods. It's a refreshing change to meet one
No, please. No need to apologise I can be quite prickly at times and I find it's important to be available to clarify if I canonemorebass said:Have a nice evening.. er... afternoon!
I'm done..... sorry for the hijack
Cheers
I still say say you should try and find out how prince does it, cause i imagine that you want do it in a gig/show, and prince does it with stile-he snaps back up real quick. JB was best (r.i.p.).
