Ultimate

Flexibility
A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial
Arts

By Sang H. Kim
 ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO STRETCHING
FOR MARTIAL ARTS. Copyright © 2004 Sang H. Kim. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced
without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
articles or reviews. For information, address Turtle Press, 500 N. Washington St
#1545, Rockville MD 20849
www.turtlepress.com.
ISBN 978-1-934903-99-5
 Preface
Be friendly with your body. Your mood and condition change hourly, daily,
monthly and with the seasons. You’ve got to build up from wherever you are.
You should not and don’t have to compare yourself to someone else who is way
ahead of you. Be yourself. Build from your honest self. You cannot cheat with
flexibility. You either have it or don’t.
The exercises in this book are those that I have practiced for over 30 years.
Even now I have some degree of difficulty with some movements. So when you
are struggling with a particular exercise remember that even after thirty years, I
struggle too. Begin from wherever you can and work toward the ideals that you
see in the photos. While some of the exercises are quite difficult, some are very
easy. These are the exercises that you can and should do every day because they
don’t cause pain or require much effort.
Keep your stretching regimen interesting and relevant to your overall
training. When you feel that your flexibility training is related to your martial
arts practice, you will definitely progress toward your goal. Begin with what you
can do well, then gradually challenge yourself before finishing with something
pleasant and relaxing. Always end your workouts on a positive note so your
muscles will be eager to try again and your mind will be fresh and alive.
The road to flexibility travels through both the scenic woods and the barren
desert. Whatever you meet and wherever you find yourself, remember you are
on a journey.
Happy Stretching!
Sang H. Kim
 Chapter One: The Big Picture
Before we get into specifics about stretching and flexibility, let’s take a
moment to orient ourselves. If you are interested in improving your flexibility,
you probably fall into one of three groups: the novice who is starting from
scratch, the experienced martial artist who is frustrated with his or her progress
or the elite athlete who is looking for every edge when it comes to flexibility.
Depending on your level of experience and knowledge, the way you
approach your training and the way you use this book will differ greatly.

. . . Starting from Scratch

You’re new to martial arts and/or new to stretching and flexibility. You
know you want to be more flexible, but have no idea where to start. Start with
the list below:
1. Start slowly
Sure, you’re anxious to get started, but flexibility is a long-term process.
Doing twice as much today doesn’t mean you will progress twice as fast or even
that you can do half as much tomorrow.
2. Make a small commitment
Flexibility doesn’t require a huge commitment. It’s much less time
consuming than cardio or even your regular martial arts training. By making a
small commitment, you’re more likely to stick to it in the long run.
3. Choose one exercise for each target area
You have roughly fifteen target areas that need to be stretched for martial
arts training. Doing one exercise per target area is fine to start out. See the Core
Workout in the Workout Section (page 268-269) for a good basic workout.
4. Spend no more than 15 minutes daily
Everyone, no matter how busy, can afford fifteen minutes out of the day for
stretching. By keeping your time commitment small, it becomes hard to make
excuses for skipping a stretching session. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time for a
beginner to cover the major muscle groups. If you are alternating target areas,
for example, the upper body one day and the lower body the next, you can either
spend more time on each stretch or simply cut your session to eight to ten
minutes.
5. Reward yourself
Stretching shouldn’t be drudgery. If you don’t enjoy it as a relaxing activity
in itself, reward yourself at the end of each session.
6. Get educated
Read up on how stretching works, which exercises are beneficial and which
are harmful, how to apply flexibility to your martial arts training and how to turn
up the intensity as you progress. The Stretching and Flexibility chapters of this
book are an excellent place to begin.
7. Make one or two short-term goals
Short-term goals are easy to achieve and will make you feel like you’re
progressing right from the start. Right now take a moment to set a goal of
exactly how often and how much you’ll stretch. Write it down using concrete
words and imagery. For example, “Starting today, I will stretch for fifteen
minutes every day right before breakfast.” If you need help setting goals as you
progress, the Planning chapter (page 80) has a number of helpful strategies.
8. Evaluate your progress frequently
Sometimes, flexibility training can be frustrating because the results are
hard to measure. Choose a few exercises to track your progress. Static stretches
like the standing toe touch, hamstring stretch and side bend work well for
beginners. As you progress, gauging your progress within the context of your
martial arts training will become more important to you, but for now, just focus
on a few simple tracking exercises.
9. Don’t get discouraged if you plateau
Reaching a plateau, a point at which you get stuck for a short time, is
normal. Don’t let a plateau discourage you. Instead, see it as your body’s way of
saying, “Hey, challenge me – I’m ready!”
10. Stay within your depth
 If you are participating in a martial arts class, it may be tempting to imitate
the movements you see higher-ranking students doing or to jump ahead and start
doing PNF stretches right away. Unfortunately, this is more likely to cause
setbacks than improvements in your flexibility. While static stretching can seem
boring and low tech, it is the safest and most effective means of stretching for a
beginner. In time, as long as you stay injury free and progress steadily, you’ll be
the one that the new students are eager to imitate.

. . . Getting Over the Hump

You’ve been involved in the martial arts for a while, maybe even years, but
you feel stuck. No matter what you do, your flexibility doesn’t improve in the
ways that you’d like. If you’re ready to get on the road to measurable progress,
here is your road map:
1. Educate yourself
Just because you’ve been stretching a certain way since you were a white
belt, doesn’t mean you’re doing it right. There are many theories on stretching
and simply understanding how your muscles work can be a big help in sorting
out what theories you choose to apply to your training.
2. Set concrete goals
If you’ve always wanted to be “more flexible,” but have never really been
sure what that means, now is the time to get serious. Set a minimum of three
concrete flexibility goals for the coming year. For more details on setting and
sticking to your goals, see the section on goal setting.
3. Make a plan
Once you have goals, you need a plan. Simply deciding that you’re going to
stretch after each class isn’t enough to help you overcome your frustration. By
the time you finish this book, you should be able to create a plan that tells you
exactly how you’re going to take your flexibility to the next level, including
which exercises, how often, using which methods of stretching, when and at
what intensity level. The more specific you can be in planning, the better your
chances of increasing your flexibility. If you have never planned a workout
before, the Planning chapter has detailed instructions to help you get started.
4. Cut out what’s not working
 Some stretches just plain don’t work. You may be doing them out of habit
or because you’ve always done them, but now it’s time to cut them out of your
training plan and replace them with what works for you. Remember, what works
for the guy next to you in class or what works for your instructor, may not work
for you. Listen to your body and experiment.
5. Keep a training log or diary
When you feel stuck, a training log or training diary can help you pinpoint
the source of your frustration. In writing down what you do and how you feel
after a workout, trends may emerge. Finding a training style that works for you
takes some detective work, but it’s well worth the effort. More details about
creating a training log that really works can be found on pages 89 and 90.
6. Change your routine
Routines are comfortable, but they often lead to stagnation and boredom. In
this book, you’ll find a wide variety of exercises for each area of the body. Don’t
wait until you’re tired of an exercise or training routine to change it. Give your
training plan a facelift at least once every three months to keep it fresh and
exciting.
7. Be honest
Are you really doing what you planned? It’s easy to cheat a little here and
there and then find yourself scratching your head at the end of the month when
you don’t see the progress you expected. Did you really spend ten minutes on
stretching today or was it more like seven? Did you hold each stretch for twenty
seconds or get bored and trim it to ten? By being honest with yourself, you can
accurately evaluate the effects of each exercise.
8. Guard against overtraining
When you are eager to improve, you risk pushing yourself too hard. When
it comes to flexibility training, doing twice as much today doesn’t mean you can
skip tomorrow. And doing twice as much two days in a row, might mean your
muscles end up tighter instead of looser. Develop a reasonable workout plan and
stick to it.
9. Avoid gimmicks
 Sometimes when you get stuck, you’ll try anything to get out of a rut. There
are plenty of “quick results” gimmicks out there. Use this supplement or try this
machine, they say, and cut days off your training. If it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is. The bottom line is, if you want to be more flexible, stretch
every day. There are no shortcuts.
10. Stick with it
When you are past the beginner stage, but haven’t broken through to your
ultimate level of flexibility, progress may seem slow at times, but don’t give up.
You will get there!

. . . Achieving Ultimate Flexibility

You’re at the top of your game and need every edge. Start here:
1. First, congratulate yourself
As an experienced martial artist, you are not only in great shape, but you’re
in touch with your body. Knowing what your body is telling you makes it much
easier to push yourself to your ultimate heights.
2. Understand and use advanced techniques
If you are at a better than average fitness level, you are ready to use
advanced stretching techniques like PNF stretching and dynamic stretching.
These techniques carry a greater risk of injury for the average athlete, but for
conditioned athletes, they result in better quality results in less time. More
information about advanced techniques can be found in the Stretching chapter
(page 27).
3. Do the research
Use this book as a jumping off point to discover areas that interest you.
There are many areas of training and physiology that are beyond the scope of a
general stretching book. When you read something that interests you, make an
effort to find advanced research and delve more deeply into it.
4. Get a coach or trainer
Advanced techniques like PNF stretching require hands on training. There
is only so much that you can learn from a book or video. If an advanced
technique interests you, spend a few sessions with a coach or trainer to discover
how it works and how to apply it correctly and safely to your training.
5. Specialize
Go deep. As an advanced martial artist, you have the experience and know-
how to specialize in an area that interests you and push yourself beyond the
limits of your less experienced classmates.
6. Do only what works
Eliminate the fluff from your workouts. Once you reach the higher levels of
martial arts training, the amount of knowledge you need to maintain through
practice can feel overwhelming. There’s no need to do dozens of stretches if you
have ten that work your whole body adequately. That’s not to say cut corners,
but just because you’ve done fifty side kicks as part of your warm-up since you
were a white belt doesn’t mean those kicks are still contributing to your workout.
As your skill level increases, your training methods need to keep pace.
7. Multitask
Can you accomplish more than one goal through the same training method?
For example, can you stretch and strengthen certain muscles at the same time?
Can you work your stances and stretch your hamstrings? By finding ways to
make the conditioning portion of your training multipurpose, you’ll free up more
time for skill related training.
8. Understand how training impacts your flexibility
Did you know that strength training will make you more flexible? How
about the effects that flexibility has on plyometric training? By educating
yourself about the impact of various aspects of your training, you can train
smarter and avoid “robbing Peter to give to Paul.”
9. Have fun
Flexibility isn’t just about measuring your splits or pushing for another
three degrees of range in your axe kick. When you are highly flexible, a whole
new area of the martial arts opens up for you. This is the time in your training to
push yourself to new heights. Have you ever wanted to learn acrobatic moves?
Flips? Multiple kicks? Properly trained muscles are half the battle when it comes
to moves with a high degree of difficulty. When we talk about applied
flexibility, this is where the rewards lie. Treat yourself to some fun in your
training as a reward for your hard work.
10. Share your knowledge
If you have a solid understanding of flexibility training, why not share it?
Whether you are an instructor or a skilled student, you are in the position to help
the students at your school achieve ultimate flexibility too.
 Chapter Two: Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to move your muscles and joints through their full
range of motion. When it comes to martial arts, the range of motion required for
advanced movements often calls for greater than average flexibility. One of the
first things you learn as a martial artist is how to stretch your muscles to increase
your flexibility. While some people find that their flexibility progresses on track
with their advancement in the arts, others find flexibility an ongoing source of
frustration.

What is Flexibility?
Flexibility is the ability to move your muscles and joints through their full
range of motion. When it comes to martial arts, the range of motion required for
advanced movements often calls for greater than average flexibility. One of the
first things you learn as a martial artist is how to stretch your muscles to increase
your flexibility. While some people find that their flexibility progresses on track
with their advancement in the arts, others find flexibility an ongoing source of
frustration.
How flexible you are depends on a number of factors. Some you can
change: frequency and intensity of stretching, choosing the right exercises and
executing them correctly, increasing strength with flexibility, overall
conditioning. Some you cannot change: genetics, body structure, a serious injury
or disability, age, gender. The good news is that the average person can make
substantial gains in flexibility through a regular stretching program.
Research has shown that flexibility is not a general characteristic that
someone possesses but is specific to each area of the body. For example, you
might have great upper body flexibility but be tight in the legs or vice versa. In
fact, many martial artists even find that their right hip is more flexible than the
left allowing them to naturally kick higher on one side than the other. Ironically,
once you begin to favor one leg over the other, the more flexible leg will
continue to become yet more flexible and the other side may start to lag farther
behind.
Perhaps one of the reasons that flexibility is not an inherent physical trait
relates to the way it is gained and lost. The only way to increase your flexibility
is through targeted physical activity that lengthens the muscles. Conversely,
inactivity of those same muscles causes a steady loss in flexibility. Stretching is
not something you can do for six months and then forget about. It needs to be
done at every workout for as long as you pursue your martial arts training and,
ideally, for the rest of your life, in some form or another.

Why Greater Flexibility Can Make You Stronger and

Faster
Thanks to something called the stretch-shortening cycle, your body had the
ability to briefly store and utilize the tension created by a rapid muscle stretch. A
very simple description of the stretch-shortening cycle likens it to an elastic
band. When you stretch the elastic, it becomes taut and ready to snap back with
force when released. The more pliable the elastic and the farther you can stretch
it, the more force it will generate when released.
In your muscles, the process is slightly more complex, though based on the
same principle. When a muscle lengthens rapidly, it stores a reserve of potential
kinetic energy, which can then be delivered much more effectively and with less
expenditure of effort than a simple concentric contraction.
Imagine the motion of a baseball pitch. The pitcher lengthens his arm to an
almost superhuman position, then at the maximum point of stretch contracts his
muscles to propel the ball. Now imagine how much less powerful his pitch
would be if he simply lifted his arm slowly behind him, stretched and then threw
the ball with a simple concentric contraction of his arm muscles. The dynamic
nature of the pitch would be lost. By achieving a full stretch and triggering the
stretch reflex of the opposing muscles to begin the propulsion of the ball, his
flexibility increases his power and speed of movement substantially.
Many athletes, including martial artists, use plyometric exercises as part of
their training to take advantage of the stretch-shortening cycle. Even if you
choose not to use plyometrics, your increased flexibility will contribute to the
speed and power of your martial arts movements.

Influences on Flexibility
There are a number of factors that influence an individual’s flexibility:

1. Age
1. Age
Flexibility declines as you age, but much of this decline is related to a
decrease in physical activity. With regular stretching and exercise, much of the
age-related decline in flexibility can be prevented or even reversed. If you are
older and have been inactive, it may initially take more time to see gains in your
flexibility training, but stick with it. In time, you can attain the same level of
flexibility as your classmates in their twenties and thirties.

2. Gender
In general, women are more flexible than men, particularly in the spine,
hips and thighs. In addition to a different bone structure in the hips and spinal
area, women have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which help
maintain flexibility, while men have higher levels of testosterone, which is
geared toward building and strengthening muscles. On the other hand, men tend
to have stronger upper bodies, particularly in the arms, shoulders and abdomen.
This makes certain supported and dynamic stretches easier to perform. As a side
note, stretching can reduce pain and discomfort that women experience during
menstruation.

3. Location
Flexibility is site specific, meaning that it must be developed in each area of
the body individually. For example, a professional baseball pitcher can have an
extremely flexible pitching arm, while his other arm might have the flexibility of
the average athlete. Some joints have greater potential for flexibility. The
shoulder, for example, is flexible to the point of endangering itself while the hip
is sturdy and much less susceptible to being overstretched.

4. Activity Level
A more active person will naturally be more flexible than a sedentary
person and a person who has a lifelong habit of athletic participation will be
more flexible than someone taking up a sport late in life. One of the key factors
in developing and maintaining flexibility is consistent activity.

5. Temperature
When the body temperature is raised through activity, such as a pre-
exercise warm-up, the body becomes more elastic. As the body cools, elasticity
decreases. If you take a break in the middle of your workout and your body cools
down to pre-exercise levels, spend a few minutes jogging in place or doing some
other light aerobic exercise to re-elevate your body temperature before
continuing with your workout.

6. Strength Training
The correct strength training exercises increase, rather than decrease,
flexibility. Choose weight or resistance training exercises that work muscles
through a full range of motion.

7. Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the body releases a hormone called relaxin to loosen the
joints and ligaments in preparation for childbirth. During this time, women
should be especially careful when performing stretching or other exercises that
place undue stress on the joints.

8. Intensity and Frequency of Stretching

Quite simply, how much you put into your stretching will equal how much
you get out of it.

9. Exercise Selection
Choosing a dozen exercises that target the muscles you’ll be using in your
training is far more effective than doing thirty poorly targeted exercises.
Remember, you want to build flexibility that directly relate to your martial arts
skills.

10. Technical Execution

Each stretching exercise must be executed correctly to have the desired
effect. If you are cheating on a hamstring stretch so that you can touch your toes,
you might feel better in the short term, but your hamstring flexibility will not
increase substantially, no matter how often you stretch. Focus on doing each
exercise correctly, even if it means starting with the beginner variations or
achieving only a minimal stretch at first.

11. Overall Conditioning

 Good overall conditioning will contribute to good flexibility and good
flexibility is a major factor in maintaining an optimal martial arts conditioning
level.

Types of Flexibility
All flexibility is not created equal. For example, being able to do a split or a
back bend does not mean you will be able to execute a straight up side kick.
Conversely, being able to kick above your head doesn’t guarantee that you can
do a full split. Kicking requires functional or sport specific flexibility while a
split requires static flexibility. Let’s look at the different types of flexibility to
see how they affect your martial arts performance:

Static Flexibility
Static flexibility is flexibility that does not involve movement. It is a
measure of the range of motion about a joint. For example, to measure the static
flexibility in your hamstrings and lower back, you can perform the sit and reach
test. Sit with your legs outstretched and reach for your toes. By measuring at
regular intervals how close to or how far past your toes your hands reach, you
can track the improvement in the static flexibility of your hamstrings and lower
back.
Other popular gauges of static flexibility are the standing toe touch, the
back bend and the split. While these are interesting benchmarks, they do not
measure what most martial artists truly want to achieve: functional flexibility.
Research has shown that there is no direct relationship between static flexibility
and functional flexibility. Functional flexibility tends to be much greater than
static flexibility in movements that relate directly to those performed in an
athlete’s chosen sport. For example, a baseball pitcher who has an extreme range
of motion when pitching probably cannot achieve the same range of motion in a
static stretch. We will see why this is true when we look at the role that
reciprocal inhibition plays in the relaxation of the muscles during any given
movement.
It’s also important to remember that martial arts is not a stretching contest.
While flexibility is a fundamental necessity, too much emphasis on extreme
levels of static flexibility can be damaging to your body. In any activity that
requires quick changes of direction or rapid stops and starts, overly flexible
joints can lead to strained or torn ligaments, tendons and muscles. This is why it
is important to always build strength with flexibility and to engage in stretching
exercises that strengthen as well as loosen the muscles. A correctly designed
condition program uses strengthening exercises that enhance flexibility by
developing control of the muscles at even the outer limits of the range of motion.
Stability of a joint should always be a priority over range of motion.

Functional Flexibility
As already discussed, functional flexibility is the ability of a joint to move
through a range of motion during the performance of a movement at normal or
rapid speed. For example, throwing a spinning back fist requires good functional
flexibility in your upper back, shoulder and arm. Kicking your opponent in the
head with a roundhouse kick requires functional leg, hip and lower back
flexibility.
Functional flexibility is directly related to individual movements. The fact
that you can throw a high roundhouse kick does not guarantee that you can
throw a high side kick. Each kick engages the muscles in your legs to varying
degrees and requires functional flexibility in your hip at a slightly different
angle. You may find that you and a classmate have similar levels of general
flexibility but that he excels at high spinning kicks while your side kick is higher
than his. Functional flexibility can be improved both through performance of the
target movements and through targeted dynamic stretching.

Active Flexibility
This is a somewhat confusing term because active flexibility can be either
static or dynamic and its applications to martial arts movements aren’t easy to
correlate. Active flexibility is the range of motion achieved without outside
assistance. For example, a measure of active flexibility might be how high you
can raise your leg in side kick position without assistance from a partner or
stretching bar. Active flexibility must be demonstrated using only the athlete’s
muscles. Obviously, you are able to throw a side kick much higher than you can
simply raise your leg into a side kicking position. With the assistance of a
partner, you can probably achieve a height somewhere between the two. As a
measure of flexibility for martial artists, active flexibility has little direct value.
So to summarize, for martial arts training, your primary measure of
flexibility should be functional flexibility—how well you can perform your
target movements. Static flexibility can be a useful secondary measure for goal
setting, but should not be relied upon as an accurate gauge of performance.

Chapter Two Q & A

What is Flexibility?
Flexibility is the ability to move your muscles and joints through their full
range of motion.
My left leg is flexible but my right leg is really tight. Why?
Research has shown that flexibility is not a general characteristic that
someone possesses but is specific to each area of the body.
I’m really flexible. Do I still have to stretch?
Yes. Flexibility is not an inherent physical trait. The only way to increase or
maintain your flexibility is through targeted physical activity that lengthens the
muscles. Inactivity of those same muscles causes a steady loss in flexibility.
Will strength training make me less flexible?
No, just the opposite, thanks to the stretch-shortening cycle. A very simple
description of the stretch-shortening cycle likens it to an elastic band. When you
stretch the elastic, it becomes taut and ready to snap back with force when
released. The more pliable the elastic and the farther you can stretch it, the more
force it will generate when released.
What influences how flexible I am?
A number of factors including: age, gender, area of the body, general
activity level, atmospheric temperature, overall condition, stretching and how
much strength training you engage in.
Why can I do a full split and still not be able kick above my head?
Static flexibility (as in a split) does not involve movement and therefore
does not necessarily translate to functional flexibility, which is the ability to
move a joint through a range of motion during the performance of a movement
at normal or rapid speed. For martial arts performance, functional flexibility is
the most useful measuring tool.
 Chapter Three: Stretching
While stretching and flexibility are often used interchangeably by novice
athletes, they are two very different concepts. Stretching is a means to improve
your flexibility, but it is not necessarily the only means. If achieving flexibility
for martial arts is like building a house, then the various forms of exercises are
your building blocks.

Benefits of Stretching
In addition to increasing the flexibility of your joints and muscles,
stretching has a number of beneficial “side effects” that will improve not only
your martial arts performance, but other areas of your life as well.

Overall Fitness
Flexibility is one of the keys to a long and healthy enjoyment of the martial
arts. Through regular progressive stretching, you can increase the height of your
kicks, the power of your throws and the effectiveness of your ground fighting.
Properly developed total body flexibility is essential to improving the speed and
power of your techniques as well as preventing common injuries, like sprains
and strains. When you stretch at every workout, you will progress faster and
recover from workouts more quickly.
Increased flexibility not only leads to improved performance, it makes you
feel better in general. When your muscles are limber, your posture improves,
you have less difficulty performing everyday tasks, you breathe more deeply and
naturally, and you feel less stressed throughout the day.

Improved Body Awareness

Through consistent, mindful stretching you develop and strengthen the
connection between your mind and your muscles. Each stretch creates a distinct
sensation in a specific set of muscles that you use in your martial arts practice.
By paying careful attention to these sensations, you will develop a detailed
knowledge of how your body works, which muscles are used for what type of
movements, how your muscles and joints interact and where your weak points
lie.
Increased Energy
Chronically tense muscles have reduced circulation, resulting in a lack of
needed oxygen and a build up of waste products in the muscle. This combination
can leave you feeling sore and fatigued all over. Stretching regularly improves
circulation, bringing much needed nutrition to the muscles and taking away
harmful waste products.

Injury Prevention
Your body works as a unit. Imagine trying to punch using only your right
arm. Not only would your punch be weak and ineffective, you’d likely hurt
yourself. A punch involves your whole body—your right arm to punch with,
your left arm to provide a counter force, your shoulders and upper back to
balance the movements of your arms, your legs to deliver force from the ground,
your lower back and hips to transfer that power to the upper body, even your
head and neck to keep the force focused rather than dispersing it through poor
posture.
If any one of these parts is functioning below par, your punch suffers the
effects. Imagine that your back is stiff and sore. How will you transfer the force
generated by the large strong muscles in your legs to the smaller muscles in your
arms? You might try to compensate by punching from your upper back or arm
muscles and ending up with an injured elbow or strained back. By keeping your
whole body toned and flexible, you can prevent injuries ranging from aches and
pains to serious joint damage.
Regular movement lubricates and strengthens the muscles, joints and
ligaments, leading to improved flexibility. When your body is more flexible, it is
better able to respond to the occasional overextension or sudden twisting
movement that might happen in the course of sparring, grappling, jumping or
bag work. As a martial artist, you need to prepared not only for the movements
you expect to perform, but for the unexpected as well.
On a daily basis, stretching can also reduce “day after” muscle soreness. As
you age and your body takes longer to recover from workouts, this will
increasingly be a gift to your tired muscles.

Focus
Stretching can be a meditative activity. When you stretch, focus not only on
loosening your muscles, but on synchronizing your breathing with your
movements. Deep breathing enhances your stretches, allowing your body to
relax more fully. It also creates a calmness in your mind that enhances
concentration and reduces the “chatter” that builds up in your head on a daily
basis.

Relaxation
Physical tightness is counterproductive to the principles of movement in the
martial arts. In order to generate power and speed, you must relax prior to
movement and, often, during movements. Stretching not only relaxes individual
muscles, it creates an overall feeling of relaxed readiness in your body that
allows you to take on the challenges of martial arts with confidence.

Stress Relief
Stress is often manifested in our body as tightness. Stiff neck, sore back,
tight hamstrings, chronic headaches and hunched shoulders are all signs of
excess stress. By spending ten minutes a day stretching and relaxing problem
areas, your overall stress levels will be reduced.
Beginning on page 55, you will find “Shortcuts” to relieving tension in
certain areas of the body. If you find yourself especially stressed out, take a few
minutes to identify where in your body the stress is accumulating and target it
with two or three stretching shortcuts for quick relief.

Stretching Basics
There are four basic components to a good stretching workout:

Alignment
Your body is designed to work in very specific ways. The deeper your
understanding of your body’s natural workings, the more effective your
stretching, conditioning and martial arts training will be.
When stretching, using this knowledge of your body’s ideal natural motion
is essential. Performing a stretch incorrectly can result in damage to your
muscles or, more commonly, your joints or connective tissue. If you have been
taught to associate pain with stretching, it’s time to change your approach.
Stretching should never be painful. During each stretch, you should feel a
pulling sensation in the target muscles. You should not feel pain in other muscles
or in your joints. For example, if you are doing a quad stretch and feel pain in
your knees or a strain on your back, stop immediately and reassess your posture.
During a quad stretch, you should only feel a pulling sensation in your
quadriceps muscles, nothing more.
For each exercise that you choose to practice from this book, read the
instructions and compare your posture to that of the person performing the
stretch in the accompanying photos. Some exercises require specific placement
of your hands or feet, a straightening or bending of the knees or a particular
alignment of the hips or spine. Where noted, pay special attention to these
seemingly minor details. Proper alignment ensures that you are hitting the target
muscles and truly improving your flexibility.

During a quad stretch, for example, you should never feel pain in your
knee.

Control
From your martial arts training, you should already be well aware of the
need for control in your movements. A controlled punch is much more likely to
hit its target than a wild swing. The same principal holds true for stretching. A
controlled stretch is much more likely to stretch the target muscle effectively.
Before you begin a stretch, have an idea of what your limits are for that exercise.
By knowing how far you can safely push yourself, you lessen the risk of injury.
A controlled approach to stretching also gives you a benchmark against which to
measure your gains. If you know your limits, then you will see clear evidence of
your progress as those limits increase.
In addition to controlling the pace of your stretching, you need to carefully
control the external parameters. The use of gravity or momentum in stretching
can be particularly dangerous. If you suspend yourself between two chairs to
force yourself into a deeper split, you are using gravity. If you swing your leg up
as high and as hard as you can, you are using momentum to increase the stretch
beyond what you would normally be able to achieve. While advanced athletes
successfully use both gravity and momentum in their flexibility training,
beginning and intermediate level martial artists will find controlled stretching
safer and more effective.
When stretching with a partner, you should always be the one in control.
Never allow a partner to push you beyond your comfort zone or to apply a
stretch to the point of pain. Staying in control of your body throughout each
stretch prevents injuries and increases the effectiveness of your stretching
routine.

Fluidity
Your muscles prefer flowing movements to jerky or sudden movements.
When stretching, fluid movements encourage and allow your muscles to reach
their maximum potential.
Fluidity in static stretching means moving into and out of the stretch at a
measured and equal pace. Do not bounce during a stretch or try to push out
another inch just before you release the stretch. If you feel like you can move
deeper into a stretch, complete that repetition and perform another one, going
deeper in one controlled movement.
In dynamic stretches, fluid movements reduce the risk of pushing too hard
or allowing momentum to take over. Though they allow for movement to
extended positions of flexibility, dynamic stretches should never be ballistic
(hard, powerful movements). You should feel as though you can comfortably
halt at any point in the movement and are never out of control.

Breathing
Deep breathing during stretching has many benefits. It provides you with a
rhythm for your stretches. It supplies much needed oxygen to your muscles. It
expels waste products from your body. Most importantly, it enhances your level
of relaxation both during exercise and afterward.
In general, breathe in prior to a stretch and breathe out as you move into the
stretch. Once you have achieved a maximum stretch, breathe freely. Never hold
your breath during a stretch.

How Stretching Works

Your skeletal muscles are designed to move your body. By contracting
(getting shorter) your muscles pull on your bones and create movement. If the
muscles and their surrounding tissues (fascia) are elastic, the joint is able to
move through its maximum range of motion. If the muscles are tight, the range
of motion is limited. Although muscles are generally long enough to
accommodate the full range of motion, they are limited in elasticity by the
conditioned response of the myotatic reflex.
When a muscle lengthens beyond a certain point, the myotatic reflex causes
it to tighten and attempt to shorten. It’s a simple process wherein the muscle
fibers and spindles register a sudden unexpected increase in their length and fire
off a message via the nervous system to contract the affected muscle, thereby
stopping the lengthening and potentially heading off a catastrophe that might
result in a muscle tear. This is the tension you feel during stretching exercises.
Although it may seem like a hindrance to flexibility, the myotatic reflex is
desirable because it prevents, in many cases, muscle strains and tears. Without it
your muscles would be allowed to overextend and tear easily. Through
stretching, you not only lengthen your muscles, but you reset your myotatic
reflex to a higher tolerance.

Reciprocal Inhibition
Reciprocal inhibition can be used to your advantage in stretching. Your
skeletal muscles operate in pairs, with one contracting (the agonist) while the
opposing muscle relaxes (the antagonist). The function of the agonist is to move
the bone or joint while the function of the antagonist is to both allow the
movement and to slow it if necessary. For example, when you bend your leg at
the knee, the hamstring muscles at the back of your thigh receive a message
from the nervous system to contract. The opposing quadriceps muscle at the
front of your thigh does not receive a message to contract so it is therefore
allowed to relax and lengthen as the leg bends. If the quadriceps contracted or
did not relax simultaneous to the contraction of the hamstring, your knee would
be unable to bend.
To feel reciprocal inhibition in action, set your hand on a table in the
position of a knife hand strike and push downward. With your other hand, feel
the triceps muscle in the back of your arm. It should be tensed with the effort of
pushing on the table. Now feel how relaxed the antagonist muscle—the biceps—
is as it allows the triceps to contract.
The result of this function is that the muscle that is not contracting is
inhibited, i.e. its ability to contract is suppressed. This principle can be used to
enhance the results of your stretching program by inducing the inhibition
response just prior to stretching a muscle. For example, when stretching your
hamstring muscles in a forward bend, focus on contracting your quadriceps by
pulling upward, as if you were pulling your kneecaps up toward your hips. The
contraction of your quads signals your hamstrings to release further, allowing
you to achieve a deeper stretch. This technique also develops strength in the
quads. If you apply this principle to each stretch, you will build both strength
and flexibility in opposing pairs of muscles, a nearly perfect model for
increasing your flexibility.

Bones, Joints and Connective Tissue

How flexible you are is dependent on more than simply how elastic your
muscle tissue is. The contributions of the various components of the joint can be
broken down as: the joint capsule including ligaments is the most important
factor (47%), followed by the muscles and their fascial sheaths (41%), the
tendons (10%), and least importantly the skin (2%) (Johns and Wright, 1962).
Although the ligaments and tendons contribute significantly to your degree of
flexibility, it would be unwise to target them for stretching with any intensity.
A far safer strategy is to target the muscles and their sheaths. The
construction of muscle tissue allows it to safely lengthen, whereas the tendons
and ligaments are less elastic, making them susceptible to permanent damage.
Tendons and ligaments are not only less elastic than muscle tissue, they have a
poor blood supply leading to longer healing times or even a complete lack of
healing once they are overstretched. If a joint suffers from one or more
overstretched ligaments or tendons, it becomes unstable and ripe for further
injury. When stretching, if you ever feel pain within a joint, stop immediately.
Pain in a joint indicates that you are stretching improperly, stressing the internal
structure of the joint rather than the adjoining muscles.
Bones and Joints
Your bones and joints set the baseline for your level of flexibility. For
example, no matter how hard you might try, you’d never be able to bend your
arm backward at the elbow joint without first destroying the construction of the
joint. The structure of a normal elbow joint doesn’t allow this type of movement.
Although some studies have shown that training produced modifications in bone
and joint structure in dancers, this isn’t a realistic goal for the average martial
artist.
Tendons
Tendons are tough inelastic connective tissue that connect muscle to bone.
They are not meant to stretch and cannot be elongated more than three to four
percent without risking damage to the connecting muscle. Because tendons are
stronger than muscle, a sudden overload is more likely to result in damage to the
muscle than a rupture of the tendon.
Overly tight muscles, however, can cause unnecessary wear and tear on
their associated tendons, resulting in chronic tendon pain. In fact, a skeletal
muscle can exert as much as fifty pounds of pull for each square inch of muscle
tissue, meaning that large muscles have the potential to generate several
thousand pounds of pull, enough to tear a tendon in extreme circumstances.
Maintaining a good range of motion in the body’s skeletal muscles can
relieve unnecessary stress on the tendons and prevent tendon problems down the
road.
Ligaments
Ligaments connect bone to bone and act as stabilizers within the joints.
Their elasticity varies, with the ligaments in the feet and spine being the most
elastic and therefore the most susceptible to injury. The elasticity of the
ligaments also varies with gender (women tend to have more elastic ligaments),
age and fitness level.
While they can stand a tremendous amount of stress for a short period, if a
sudden force is not relieved before it exceeds the strength of the ligament, it may
partially or fully tear. Once a partial tear occurs, the damage is repaired by the
growth of scar tissue, resulting in a permanent elongation of the ligament.
Ligaments can also be damaged by repeated stress or overstretching in incorrect
positions. Over time, the ligament elongates and the joint is weakened. Any
damage to the ligament reduces its effectiveness in stabilizing the joint,
potentially leading to repeated injuries to the joint or ligament.
Muscles
The movements of your body are controlled by the contraction and
elongation of over six hundred skeletal muscles. There are three types of
contractions employed by these muscles:
Concentric Contraction: A concentric contraction takes place when a
muscle shortens to move a body part against resistance. For example, when
doing a bicep curl, the muscle shortens to lift the weight toward your body.
Eccentric Contraction: An eccentric contraction can be a bit confusing since
the muscle is actually lengthening and we tend to think of shortening when we
hear the word contraction. During an eccentric contraction, the muscle lengthens
under tension, such as when you straighten your arm to set a heavy object down
slowly. If your arm’s flexor muscles were not actively working to provide
resistance while lengthening, the object’s weight would cause your arm to
lengthen suddenly, much like a weight attached to a bungee cord.
Isometric Contraction: When the tension in a muscle is insufficient to
overcome a given resistance, the length of the muscle remains unchanged
(neither eccentric nor concentric). Energy is expended but no motion is
produced, resulting in an isometric contraction. An example of this is pushing
against an immovable object, such as a wall. Your arm muscles can work at full
strength, but there is no movement in your arms because the resistance offered
by the wall is greater than the strength of your muscles.
Often, muscle contractions are both isometric and isotonic
(eccentric/concentric) during a single movement. For example, when you take a
step forward, some muscles contract and relax to bend and straighten your legs
while others function isometrically to maintain the stiffness in your leg. If some
of your muscles did not contract isotonically to maintain your skeletal structure,
your leg would collapse when your foot hit the ground.
Your skeletal muscles are made up of two types of fibers: extrafusal and
intrafusal. Extrafusal fibers contain myofibrils, which control the contracting,
relaxing and lengthening actions of the muscles. Myofibrils are made up of
bands and between the bands are sarcomeres. The sarcomeres contain
myofilaments which in turn are made up of two proteins: actin and myosin. The
actin and myosin slide over each other, merging to allow the muscle fiber to
contract or elongate.
A number of changes take place in your muscles and their surrounding
tissue as a result of stretching. Each muscle fiber is made up of hundreds of
sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit of the muscle. When a muscle contracts,
each of its sarcomeres shorten to bring about the contraction. Studies have
shown that over time, stretching can increase the number of sarcomeres,
increasing the length of the muscle as well as its capacity for contraction. That
would mean an increase in both flexibility and muscle capacity.
The fascia, the sheaths surrounding the muscle tissue, also increase in
length with consistent stretching.
The above is a very general explanation of the way stretching works and
probably as much as the average martial artists needs to know to understand how
flexibility is increased. If you have a particular interest in muscle physiology,
there are many good kinesology books that present detailed explanations of the
workings of the muscular system.

Methods of Stretching
Before we look at the most common types of stretching, we should
differentiate between stretching and warming up. Many amateur athletes,
including martial artists, assume that terms are interchangeable. While you may
include light stretching in your warm-up, stretching to increase flexibility should
never be a part of warming up. A warm-up is best made up of five to ten minutes
of light aerobic activity that engages the whole body. It should increase the body
temperature and circulation but not be fatiguing.
Stretching to increase flexibility should ideally be done after the strength
and cardio portions of training, when the muscles are at their warmest.

Static Stretching
Static stretching is the process of lengthening a muscle or muscle group to
the extent of its range of motion and then holding it while the muscle relaxes.
For beginning martial artists, static stretching is recommended as the primary
means of increasing flexibility. It carries the least risk of injury and allows for
gradual progress and maximum relaxation into the stretch. Since relaxing the
muscle is the number one goal of stretching, static stretching allows a beginning
martial artist to develop the correct stretching mind set.
Static stretching is also a good rehabilitation tool and you will find many
static stretches in this book suitable for re-strengthening and increasing the range
of motion in a previously injured body part. The most effective gains in static
stretching are generally experienced by holding each stretch for fifteen to twenty
seconds for two to four repetitions at each workout.
Static stretching has a number of advantages:
• It is easy to learn and execute, even for people with limited flexibility or
athletic experience.
• The risk of injury is low.
• It allows time for relaxation into the stretch which promotes resetting of the
stretch (myotatic) reflex.
• It can be done at a variety of degrees of difficulty allowing for controlled
rehabilitation of injured areas or advanced stretches in potentially risky
positions.
It also has a few disadvantages. Static stretching is not sport specific. For
example, you can’t really imitate the full range of motion of a roundhouse kick
by means of a static stretch. You can stretch in the chambered or extended
position, but that still does not approximate the full range of the kick. Static
stretching also does not provide the necessary speed for a sport specific stretch.
Since muscle tissue contains different structures for measuring length (static
length) vs. velocity and length (dynamic length), static stretching runs the risk of
developing only the first type. In fact, some studies have shown that static
stretching alone can actually impair sport specific flexibility. This is why it is
important to include dynamic stretches, such as raising kicks or arm circles, as
well as static stretches in your martial arts training.

Passive Stretching
Stretches accomplished with the aid of partner or other aid are considered
passive. Rehabilitation stretches often use the aid of a towel or belt to achieve a
stretch in the lower limbs that cannot be reached with the arms alone. Many
martial arts coaches and instructors use partner stretches for variety and to
increase communication between students in a class. While they are no more
effective than static stretching, they can be more dangerous. When stretching
with a partner, trust and communication are essential. Never allow a partner,
instructor or coach to push you beyond your comfort point in stretching.

Active Stretching
Stretching performed without an aid is active stretching. For example, if
you were to stand straight and raise your leg as high as you can into side kick
position without the help of a partner or stretching bar, this is an active stretch.
Active stretching is a useful rehabilitative device or a good precursor to dynamic
stretching. It develops flexibility in motion without the risks associated with
dynamic stretching. It also allows the target muscles to be stretched through the
range of motion required for the target activity. For example, slowly raising your
leg through the path of a roundhouse kick develops flexibility for the kick while
training muscle memory and strengthening the target muscles.
A modified form of active stretching, assisted active stretching, may
produce additional gains. In assisted active stretching, the athlete performs the
stretch to his maximum unassisted. He is then aided in completing the stretch by
a partner or stretching aid (towel or elastic band). This allows for a deeper
stretch than the athlete can achieve without assistance.

Ballistic Stretching
Once a popular means of training, ballistic stretching is now considered too
risky to be used without the supervision of a knowledgeable trainer. Although
sometimes used successfully by athletes, the risks of ballistic stretching
outweigh the gains, particularly when the same or better gains can be achieved
with PNF or dynamic stretching.
Ballistic stretching uses bouncing, rebounding or rhythmic movements to
take advantage of momentum, forcing the muscle into a deeper stretch. In
addition to a high risk of injury, ballistic stretching works against the body by
repeatedly triggering the stretch reflex, making it difficult for the muscle to
adapt to the stretch and elongate over time.

Dynamic Stretching
 Dynamic stretching is like ballistic stretching without the jerky movements.
Dynamic stretching takes a controlled approach to movement, using the target
muscle through the full range of motion at increasing speeds. For example, you
might begin with a slow controlled raising kick working up to a near-full speed
execution. Dynamic stretching is best practiced after a warm-up to reduce the
risk of injury.

PNF Stretching
Together, static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
(PNF) stretching are considered the most effective methods of increasing
flexibility by many experts. Both rely on the concept of relaxing the muscles into
a stretch to increase their length and elasticity.
The concept of PNF stretching was developed in the 1950s by Dr. Herman
Kabat as a means of physical therapy for patients suffering from paralysis and
muscular disease. Throughout the 70s and 80s, modifications to PNF stretching
theories have resulted in several commonly accepted methods.
Two methods that can produce measurable results in your martial arts
training are the contract-relax (CR) and contract-relax agonist contract (CRAC)
methods. In both methods, the target muscle is first stretched. Then the stretched
muscle is gradually contracted to a less than maximum contraction for four to six
seconds. This results in an isometric contraction because the muscle cannot
really move significantly in its elongated state. The muscle is then relaxed and
further stretched to the new maximum. The theory behind the contraction is that
it promotes further relaxation of the muscle once it is released, allowing for a
deeper stretch than was initially possible. To get the benefit of the contraction,
the deepening of the stretch should be initiated as soon as possible after releasing
the contraction. If more than a few seconds lapse, the benefit of the contraction
is believed to be lost.
The CRAC method takes this sequence one step further, contracting the
opposing muscle for four to six seconds. When the opposing muscle is relaxed,
the stretch is taken deeper, held and then released. For example, to perform the
CRAC sequence during a hamstring stretch, first stretch the hamstring to its
maximum then slowly contract the hamstring for four to six seconds. Relax the
hamstring, move deeper into the stretch and contract the quads for four to six
seconds. Relax the quads and move deeper into the final stretch, hold then relax.
The CRAC method has been demonstrated to be a more effective method of
increasing range of motion than the CR method.
The CRAC method is based on the concept of reciprocal inhibition
discussed earlier. In the above example, the theory assumes that when the quads
are contracted, the contraction of the hamstrings is inhibited, thereby allowing
the hamstrings to relax further.
The contractions used during PNF stretching should be less than your
maximum possible contraction of the muscle. By not pushing the muscle to its
maximal contraction, you will experience less soreness and reduce your risk of
injury. It will also be easier for your partner to assist in the stretch, particularly if
he is not as big or strong as you are.
When performing PNF stretches, give your muscle a short rest between
repetitions and never perform PNF stretches more than once a day.
Many of the static stretches in this book can be performed using the PNF
methods described here. Because PNF stretching requires detailed hands-on
instruction and guidance, PNF stretching variations are not included in the
exercise descriptions. If you have never participated in PNF stretching before, a
few lessons with a knowledgeable trainer or coach are recommended. Once you
understand the PNF technique, you can easily adapt a wide range of static
exercises for PNF practice.
Many PNF exercises require a partner and the technique employed is fairly
specific, increasing the chances that you may perform the exercises incorrectly.
PNF stretching carries a higher risk of injury than static stretching. Even when
you are proficient in PNF techniques, always take care when stretching with a
partner.

Aided Stretching
There are several popular stretching aids often used by martial artists,
including many variations of the seated stretching rack and the more traditional
standing cable and pulley set-up. If well constructed and used properly,
stretching aids can be a useful addition to your workout. Most stretching
machines promote flexibility in a limited number of static positions, which as we
know from our earlier look at static stretching is not enough to form a complete
stretching program.
Before you use a stretching machine, always ensure that it is functioning
correctly and that you understand its usage. If the machine is the seated rack
type, be certain that the pads pressing on your legs are located in the thigh area
or in the thigh and calf area. Pads located only at the calf or ankle put undue
stress on the knees.
Never use a stretching machine to push yourself beyond the point you
would normally stretch. It’s easy to go too far when working with a machine,
increasing the potential for injury.
You may also find it useful to use a towel or therapy band (a giant elastic
band used in physical therapy exercises) to assist in your stretches. If you find
that you cannot reach your toes in a seated toe touch or a single leg raise,
wrapping a towel or band around your foot allows you to get the same complete
stretch without straining. Bands can also be used to add a resistance element to
your flexibility training.

Whatever You Do, Don’t Cheat

None of the above stretching methods or any of the exercises in this book
will have the desired effects if you cheat. You may feel good about getting a
little extra out of a stretch by turning out your hip or rounding your back, but
you gain nothing from using tricks or cheats in your stretching. The reason
cheats work is because they relieve the stretch in the target muscle, allowing you
to “stretch” farther. In fact, what you are doing is not stretching the muscle
farther, but taking the target muscle out of the equation. If you can stretch a
muscle farther by altering your posture or positioning, you are defeating the
purpose of the stretch. In some cases, you may even be setting yourself up for an
injury by engaging the wrong muscles or straining your joints
For each exercise, pay special attention to the instructions and focus points
and understand that you may have to make minor adjustments for your body
type. Your best stretching posture may be slightly different from another
person’s. The difference between adapting a stretch to suit your body and
cheating is how the stretch feels. If you feel the stretch in the correct target
muscles and you do not have pain in your joints, you’ve made an acceptable
adaptation. If a change in posture lessens the stretch in the target muscles or
shifts it to another area of the body, you are probably cheating.

How the Stretch Reflex Works Against You

Stretching too far, too fast or too hard can make your muscles tighter rather
than more flexible. When you engage the stretch reflex by stretching too far or
too suddenly, your muscles “put on the brakes” by contracting to prevent an
injury that might be caused by sudden or excessive lengthening of the muscle. If
you push too far into a stretch, bounce during a stretch or try to force a stretch
using gravity, a stretching bar or a partner, you will cause your muscles to
tighten in response to the stretch reflex, the exact opposite result of what you are
trying to achieve through stretching.

Motions of Stretching
There are four fundamental motions that the body makes:
• Linear
• Circular
• Twisting
• Shaking
Depending on the type of joint, each body part has varying levels of range
of motion for each type of movement. For example, your arm can move in the
linear directions of forward/backward and up/down, it can make a full circle to
the front or rear, it can twist about one hundred eighty degrees around it’s own
axis and it can shake loosely from the shoulder.
Because of the construction of your hip joint, your leg has great range of
motion along the linear planes, but much less when it comes to circular or
twisting motions.
Your hands and feet have limited motion when it comes to twisting but a
wide range in circular and linear movements. Your head, thanks to the versatility
of your neck, can do all four quite well.
So how does this variety of movement relate to flexibility? Whether
stretching to increase flexibility or prepare for martial arts activities, you should
cover the full range of movement types for each major body part. Imagine a
baseball pitcher who does only linear stretches. Would he be well prepared for
the circular and twisting motions of throwing a ball? Definitely not. Even though
he “stretched” before pitching, his stretching would be incomplete and therefore
ineffective.
 Shaking movements, while not strictly a flexibility exercise, are a good
method of warming-up, cooling down and staying active during down time.
You’ll often see professional boxers shaking their arms before a fight or
taekwondo players shaking their legs while waiting in line for target kicking.
Shaking relieves tension in the muscles and joints and helps keep them warm
during intermittent activities or rest periods.
Depending on what martial art you practice, and at what level, you may not
put all of your body parts through every type of motion, but for maintaining a
base level of flexibility, going through a full stretch at least once per workout is
recommended.

Why Warm Up?

Some stretching methods advocate stretching or performing dynamic
extended range of motion movements without a warm up. While you may be
able to stretch or kick above your head without first warming up your body,
stretching cold is not recommended as a regular workout practice. A warm up
performs a number of important functions that will aid not only your stretching,
but your entire workout.
The benefits of a warm-up include:
• Increased body temperature
• Increased blood flow to the muscles
• Increased speed of the nervous system
• Decreased muscular tension
• Increased heart rate
• Increased metabolism
• Improved mental preparedness
If you have the chance to enter your workout more prepared and at less risk
of injury, why not take it?
A good warm up consists of simple gross motor movements like brisk
walking, jogging, cycling, jumping rope, rowing or light calisthenics. You can
also include many of the simple flexibility exercises found in this book like hip
circles, arm swings, knee circles and neck rotation. During your warm-up avoid
static stretches, hard calisthenics and full speed martial arts movements. Aim for
a light sweat and increased heart rate, but avoid activity so vigorous that you feel
tired after warming up.

Chapter Three Q & A

Why do I need to stretch?
In addition to increasing the flexibility of your joints and muscles,
stretching improves your overall fitness, body awareness, energy level, focus
and ability to relax. It’s also an excellent method of relieving stress and
preventing or rehabilitating injuries.
Is stretching the same as warming up?
While you may include light stretching in your warm up, stretching to
increase flexibility should never be a part of warming up. A warm up is best
made up of five to ten minutes of light aerobic activity that engages the whole
body. It should increase the body temperature and circulation but not be
fatiguing. Stretching to increase flexibility should ideally be done after the
strength and cardio portions of training, when the muscles are at their warmest.
What type of stretching should I start with?
If you are new to stretching, begin with static stretching, the safest method
for learning the basics of flexibility training and introducing your body to a new
way of moving. As you become more experienced, add dynamic and PNF
stretching to you training. Aided, passive and assisted stretching can all be used
to supplement your flexibility training as necessary.
What is the function of static stretching for martial artists?
Static stretching carries the least risk of injury and allows for gradual
progress and maximum relaxation into the stretch. Since relaxing the muscle is
the number one goal of stretching, static stretching allows a beginning martial
artist to develop the correct stretching mind set. Static stretching is also a good
rehabilitation tool.
How long should I hold a static stretch for?
 Fifteen to twenty seconds at a time is ideal.
Why is ballistic stretching not recommended?
In addition to a high risk of injury, ballistic stretching works against the
body by repeatedly triggering the stretch reflex, making it difficult for the
muscle to adapt to the stretch and elongate over time.
What’s the difference between ballistic and dynamic stretching?
Dynamic stretching takes a controlled approach to movement, using the
target muscle through the full range of motion at increasing speeds, making it a
safe alternative to ballistic stretching.
How can I add PNF stretching to my training?
If you have never participated in PNF stretching before, a few lessons with
a knowledgeable trainer or coach are recommended. Once you understand the
PNF technique, you can easily adapt many of the static exercises in this book for
PNF practice.
Why do I have to warm up before stretching?
While you may be able to stretch or kick above your head without first
warming up your body, stretching cold is not recommended as a regular workout
practice. A warm up performs a number of important functions that will aid not
only your stretching, but your entire workout.
 Chapter Four: Understanding Your Body
How you use your body is as important to your flexibility as how often you
stretch. Using your body correctly can increase the height of your kicks, the
speed of your footwork and the power in your punches as well as ensure that you
enjoy many years of relatively injury free martial arts practice.

Understanding your Body

How you use your body is as important to your flexibility as how often you
stretch. Being able to do a full split does not guarantee that you’ll have the
flexibility to kick your sparring partner in the head. Static flexibility (the kind
required for splits and other stationary stretches) is very different from dynamic
flexibility (the kind required for kicks). When it comes to dynamic flexibility,
how well you understand your body and how you use it are key factors. Using
your body correctly can increase the height of your kicks, the speed of your
footwork and the power in your punches as well as ensure that you enjoy many
years of relatively injury free martial arts practice.

Posture
If you practice a traditional style, you have probably been drilled on correct
posture in your stances from day one. If you practice a more modern style, you
may not give much thought to posture. Good posture can increase the power of
techniques, allow you to move more freely and prevent injuries, especially to the
back. Some basic posture guidelines that lead to more efficient movement:
• Hold your head straight and your chin slightly down.
• Relax your shoulders and push them slightly back, opening the chest.
• Keep your elbows close to your body.
• Avoid both slouching the spine and overly straightening it. When standing,
your low back should have a slight inward curve to it.
• Keep the knees straight but not locked when standing fully upright and bent but
not beyond ninety degrees when working in a martial arts stance.

Movement
Movement
The second element is how you move on your feet. Runners call this their
gait, but martial artists have a bit more complex puzzle to decipher. We not only
move forward, but also sideways, backward and every direction in between.
• When moving in an upright fighting (boxing type) stance, your weight is
slightly forward, your toes are “grabbing” the ground and your focus is on
staying light on your toes. Avoid standing flat footed or with your weight to
the rear in a fight stance.
• When moving in a more classical low stance, the weight should shift to the
standing leg, with the body centered over the standing leg, as the moving leg
passes under the body and moves forward or backward. Avoid pushing your
weight forward or backward and instead focus on shifting and gliding, with an
erect spine and head.
• Move symmetrically and with a consistent rhythm. Avoid favoring one leg
over the other.
• Take moderate strides, especially when sparring or shadow sparring. Avoid
letting your center of gravity shift away from your supporting leg.
• Keep both knees facing forward. When moving in fighting stance it is helpful
to squeeze your thighs slightly, keeping your knees from turning out.
• Avoid locking out your knees. Even when standing in fully upright stances,
leave some give or slack in your knees and ankles.
• Steady your hips, balancing your weight equally through both legs when
standing still. Whether assuming a forward fighting stance (with hips squared
forward to your shoulders) or an angular stance (with hips and shoulders
angled to the side) keep your hips aligned to your shoulders to prevent back
strain.
• Use your arms to assist in your movement. In a conventional fighting stance,
your hands are held at chest/shoulder level and your shoulders are relaxed.
Use your arms as a counterbalance to your movement. If your shoulders are
tensed up around your neck, your fists are clenched too tightly or your arm
muscles are not in a relaxed ready position, your arms become “dead weight”
rather than aids in your movement.
• Keep your head centered over your center of gravity. Avoid leaning backward
when moving forward and vice versa.
• Maintain good posture, with particular attention to moving your body as a unit.
Avoid allowing your center of gravity to travel too far away from your
foundation, particularly when sliding or hopping or spinning.

Body Mechanics
The third element is how you use your body to accomplish your goals or the
science of body mechanics. The body is an amazing but delicate instrument,
much like an expensive airplane. It can soar to amazing heights, but one
miscalculation and the result could be disastrous.
While whole books could be written on the subject of body mechanics, here
are a few simple guidelines:
• The absence of pain is not an indication that the way you are moving is correct.
Bouncing around for three rounds of sparring in a slightly awkward stance
may not bother you during a class, but you’ll feel it in your back, hips or
knees the next day.
• Think before you move. Taking a mindful approach to your training can
prevent that one wrong move that you regret later. It might seem like a good
idea to join the younger kids for a few jumping flip kicks, but consider your
skill level and condition first. If you are in doubt about a technique or
movement, consult your instructor, try a less strenuous variation or sit out the
exercise.
• Use your legs to lessen the load on your back. When executing throws or lifts,
use your legs to load the weight and keep your back erect. Never bend from
the waist to lift something, especially something as heavy as another person.
• Stagger the position of your feet when lifting or throwing, so that one foot is
slightly in front of the other.
• When twisting during a throw or kick, use your legs and arms to move the
weight around the axis of your back. Don’t twist your back as the primary
source of movement.
• Avoid locking out your joints, especially the knees and elbows. Keep your
joints “soft” and supple in movement.

The Sum of your Parts

 If you’ve ever been injured, you know that there’s no such thing as just a
back injury or just a twisted ankle. When one part of your body is weakened by
injury, the rest of your body begins paying the price. If your lower back hurts,
you may begin to feel pain in your shoulders, neck or knees because of the way
you are carrying your body to compensate for the back pain.
By the same token, how you develop the muscles in your varying body
parts can affect how quickly or slowly you progress in your martial arts training.
Stretch your legs but neglect your torso and you’ll never be able to reach your
full potential when it comes to kicking height. Develop your abs but neglect your
back and you’re setting yourself up for a back injury. Your body parts are
interconnected in delicate and sometimes unexpected ways.
Consider the functioning of your muscles during a single body movement.
Something as simple as moving your arm directly upward away from your body
is primarily controlled by your deltoid muscle (the prime mover) but you don’t
move your arm by simply signaling your deltoid muscle to contract. In addition
to the contraction of the prime mover, other muscles contract to steady the
shoulder, making the action of the prime mover more effective. These muscles
are called synergists. At the same time, the antagonist muscles must relax to
allow the primer mover to work. Imagine trying to lift your arm while the
muscles on the underside of your arm remained contracted as well. Your arm
would not move. So in addition to developing the deltoid muscle sufficiently,
any upward movement of the arm requires relaxation and contraction of
associated muscles, and this is just for a simple single directional nonweight-
bearing movement. Imagine the complexity of coordination of the muscles
involved in something like a jumping spinning kick.
Let’s look at some of the ways your muscles, and by extension your body
parts, work together to make you a better martial artist.

Back
Your back is an essential energy transfer station. It acts as a direct link
between the upper body—head, neck, shoulder and arms—and lower body—
hips, legs and feet. No matter what style of martial art you practice, your back
plays a central role. If you back is sore or weak, all of your movements suffer.
Some athletes feel immune to back injuries, associating back pain with
people who are older or out of shape. Contrary to that perception, back pain is
the number one cause of “limited activity” for adults under age forty-five. In
fact, after the common cold, back pain is the most common medical complaint in
the United States. No one is immune, particularly not those who put increased
stress on their back by engaging in demanding movements like high kicks, falls
or throws.
Most often, when back pain occurs, it strikes the lower back, the flexible
region toward the base of the spine that bears most of the work in our daily lives.
The lower back (lumbar region) plays a big part in sitting, bending and lifting. It
is susceptible to both traumatic injuries—those resulting from contact or a
sudden violent movement, such as a car accident or blow to the back—and
overuse injuries—the result of poor posture, repeatedly performing exercises or
other movements incorrectly, poor body mechanics or repeated small stresses
from lifting or bending on a daily basis. Sometimes it seems impossible to trace
the pain to a specific incident.
Back pain, if left untreated, can lead to other nagging aches and pains. If
you try to compensate for back pain by favoring or “babying” the offending area,
you may find yourself developing sharp shooting pains in your leg or tense
knotted muscles in your shoulders. Back pain should be addressed at your
earliest opportunity, with a visit to your doctor or a physical therapist.
On the opposite page are suggested exercises for improving the function of
your back and getting the most out of this complex, vital region. If your back
muscles are tight or you are new to flexibility exercises, select from the
Beginning exercises. If you are already actively participating in the martial arts
and consider yourself moderately flexible, you have two choices: the moderate
Maintaining Back Flexibility exercises or the more challenging Increasing Back
Flexibility exercises. If you experience occasional tightness in your back due to
stress, fatigue or overuse, try one or more of the Shortcuts.
Beginning Back Flexibility exercises:
Side Bends
Moving Toso Bends
Elongation Stretch
Maintaining Back Flexibility exercises:
Seated Torso Twist
 Lying Torso Twist
Spinal Roll at the Bar
Back Shortcuts:
Seated Torso Twist
Back Stretch
Slump
Increasing Back Flexibility:
Lunging Side Twist
Hybrid Torso Twist
Bridge Back Flexibility

Major Muscles of the Back

Latissimus Dorsi: This is a wide, triangular muscle (as a pair, often called
the lats.) It extends upward from the lower back, around the side of the torso and
into the armpit. It functions primarily to move the upper arm and shoulder in
common movements like rowing and swimming.

Neck
If you are a grappler or a full contact fighter, taking care of your neck is
essential. The wide range of motion and complex structure of the neck make it
vulnerable to injury, particularly from sharp blows to the head, excess weight
bearing when on the ground or hard falls. Keeping your neck strong and flexible
can prevent injuries and give you an edge in the ring.
No matter what style of martial art you practice, it is recommended that you
include at least one or two flexibility exercises for your neck in your warm-up or
conditioning routine. Choose from the list below.
Maintaining Neck Flexibility:
Neck Rotation
Neck Pull
 Shoulder Standing

Major Muscles of the Neck

The muscles of the neck are primarily responsible for moving and
supporting the head. They include:
Sternocleidomastoid: A long muscle that extends along the side of the neck
from the thorax (chest) to the base of the ear. Its functions are to bend the neck
forward toward the chest and to raise the sternum (breastbone) to assist in deep
breathing.
Splenius Capitis, Semispinalis Capitis, Longissimus Capitis: These are long
muscles extending from the head down to the vertebrae in the neck and control
movement of the head including rotation, bending, extending and returning the
head to an upright position.

Shoulder
The shoulder is one of the most unstable joints in the body, held together
not by bones like the hip joint, but by a collection of soft tissue—muscles,
ligaments and tendons. This makes it exceptionally flexible in all directions and
therefore highly vulnerable to injury. In particular, martial arts activities like
punching, joint locks, throws and falls expose the shoulder to a high level of
wear and tear. Movements that require the arm to be raised overhead repeatedly
or with force, such as a high block or a downward cut with a sword, are the most
likely to result in overuse injuries such as tendonitis and rotator cuff tears.
Sudden or ongoing shoulder pain should be evaluated by your physician before
you continue with your martial arts training.
Because the shoulder is a transfer point for conducting power from the
larger muscles of the torso and legs to the smaller muscles of the arms, it plays
an important role in a large percentage of martial arts movements.
Below and on the following page are suggested exercises for improving the
function of your shoulders and protecting these vulnerable areas. If your
shoulder muscles are tight or you are new to flexibility exercises, select from the
Beginning exercises. If you are already actively participating in the martial arts
and consider yourself moderately flexible, you have two choices: the moderate
Maintaining Shoulder Flexibility exercises or the more challenging Increasing
Shoulder Flexibility exercises. If you experience occasional tightness in your
shoulders and neck region due to stress or fatigue, try one or more of the
Shortcuts.
Beginning Shoulder Flexibility exercises:
Arm Circles
Double Arm Pull
Arm Raises
Kneeling Reach
Stick Lift
Maintaining Shoulder Flexibility:
Half Windmills
Shoulder Stretch
Corner Press
Rear Arm Stretch
Dip
Single Arm Twist
Increasing Shoulder Flexibility:
Rotator Cuff Stretch
Rear Palm Press
Rear Towel Stretch
Partner Bridge
Back Bend at the Bar
Shoulder Shortcuts:
Arm Circles (large)
Shoulder Stretch
Back Stretch
Beginning Chest Flexibility exercises:
Press, Press, Fling
Criss Cross
Up Back Over
Shoulder Press
Maintaining Chest Flexibility:
Chest Pull
Chest Opening
Inverse Chest Opening
Lateral Chest Opening

Major Muscles of the Shoulder and Chest

The muscles of the shoulder and chest primarily function to move the upper
arm. The upper arm is one of the most freely moveable body parts because of the
structure of the shoulder joint and the web of muscles that connect the shoulder
with the upper and lower arm bones.
Trapezius: This is a large triangular muscle in the upper back often referred
to as the traps. It connects the base of the skull and the vertebrae to the shoulder.
It performs many functions including shrugging the shoulders, pulling the
scapula (large wing like bone in the back) toward the spine, pulling the shoulders
and scapula downward and pulling the head backward when the shoulders are in
a fixed position.
Pectoralis Major: A thick fan shaped muscle of the upper chest, often
referred to as the pecs. It extends from the thorax (middle of the chest) through
the armpit to the upper arm and functions mainly to rotate the arm forward and
across the chest.
Deltoid: This is a thick triangular muscle that covers the shoulder,
connecting the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula to the upper arm. It’s primary
functions are to extend, flex and raise the arm.
Rotators: The Subscapularis, Infraspinatus and Teres Minor function to
rotate the upper arm.
Arm/Elbow
Whether you practice a grappling, striking or weapon based art, your arms
are likely the primary method of engaging the opponent at least fifty percent of
the time and maybe as much as ninety to one hundred percent of the time. The
good news is that the arms are naturally quite flexible and durable. As long as
you are careful not to put unnatural or repetitive stress on the elbow joint, such
as locking out punches, it is relatively easy to keep your arms healthy and
functioning at peak efficiency.
Many martial artists work hard to increase the strength in their arms, and
upper bodies in general, for added power. If you follow an upper body weight
training program in addition to your martial arts training, it is doubly important
to add flexibility exercises for the arms so that you build strength and range of
motion equally.
Always include a good range of flexibility exercises for the arms in your
warm-up and/or conditioning program. Choose from the list below.
Maintaining Arm Flexibility:
Inside Forearm Stretch
Outside Forearm Stretch
Single Arm Twist
Stick Twist
Finger Press

Major Muscles of the Arm

Biceps Brachii: This is a thick muscle on the inside of the upper arm,
connecting the scapula with the forearm. It functions to flex the arm at the elbow
and to rotate the hand as in turning over a wristlock.
Brachialis and Brachioradialis: Muscles that connect the upper arm to the
forearm and flex the elbow.
Triceps Brachii: This is the only muscle on the back of the upper arm,
connecting the scapula, upper arm and lower arm. It functions to extend the
elbow.

Wrist/Hand
Wrist/Hand
The wrist and hand can be a problem area for martial artists. Common
injuries often result from poor technique: not making a tight enough fist when
striking, not wrapping the hands correctly for bag work or full contact striking,
opening the hand when blocking a kick, resisting a joint lock or getting a finger
smashed in a stick fighting exchange.
Increasing the flexibility and suppleness in your hands won’t save you a
smashed finger, but it can help lessen the risk of jamming, spraining or straining
your wrist and fingers. If you practice an art like hapkido or aikido where the
wrist is a frequent target of attacks and your hands need to be sensitive to the
feel of your opponent’s body, maintaining flexibility in these areas is essential.
Include two to three exercises for each in your warm-up and conditioning
routines.
Maintaining Wrist Flexibility:
Outside Forearm Stretch
Wrist Flex
Wrist Bend
Finger Press
Fist Roll
Maintaining Hand Flexibility:
Inside Forearm Stretch
Finger Press
Finger Pull

Major Muscles of the Wrist and Hand

There are many muscles responsible for moving the wrist, hand and fingers.
They consist primarily of the flexors on the anterior side of the forearm and the
extensors on the posterior side of the forearm.

Abdomen
 While not a major source of concern when it comes to flexibility exercises,
the abdomen is a vital area of development for martial arts in general. The
abdomen is made up solely of large sheets of muscles, making strength training
particularly important for this area.
For full or light contact arts, the abdomen can be a target for punishment by
both kicks and punches. A well-toned abdominal area is essential to resisting the
cumulative effects of these blows. While knockouts to the body rarely occur,
body blows can take their toll over the course of a match, resulting in diminished
stamina and power.
Also falling within the abdominal area are the oblique muscles, the wide
muscles running up the sides of your torso. These muscles are essential to high
kicks, powerful throws and dynamic full body movements. Unlike the more
powerful frontal muscles, these muscles can become overly tight and hinder your
movements.
Include a variety of flexibility exercises for the obliques in your warm-up
and/or conditioning program. Choose from the list below.
Maintaining Abdominal Flexibility:
Side Bends
Seated Torso Twist
Full Body Arch
Lying Torso Twist
Lunging Side Stretch

Major Muscles of the Abdomen

Unlike the chest and pelvic regions, the muscles of the abdomen are not
supported by bones. Instead they form layered sheets that connect the vertebral
column and the rib cage to the pelvis.
External Oblique: This is a broad thin sheet of muscle connecting the lower
ribs to the pelvis. Contracts the abdominal wall.
Internal Oblique: A large muscle located beneath the external oblique and
having the same function.
 Transversus Abdominis and Rectus Abdominis: These are large horizontal
muscles located beneath the obliques in the lower portion of the abdomen and
perform much the same function as the obliques.

Hip
Martial arts that include a lot of kicking techniques can be tough on the hip
joint, especially as you grow older. A number of well-known martial artists have
had hip replacement surgery to repair the effects of decades of kicking-related
wear and tear.
On a more positive note, the hip is a sturdy joint, much more so than the
knee or the back. Because the hip is supported by the large muscles of the thighs
and buttocks, it can bear a great deal of strain under normal use. In general,
activity benefits rather than damages the hip joint.
In martial arts practice, the hip joint is a transfer point between the back and
legs as well as the site of the center of gravity when standing at rest. When
striking with the upper body, the hip transfers power from the legs, through the
back muscles to the arms. In throws and takedowns, the hip is used to transfer
energy from your body to your opponent’s and to receive the energy of your
opponent’s movements. In kicking, the hip stabilizes the body and centers the
body weight.
A flexible hip joint increases the height of your kicks, especially the side
kick and all types of spinning kicks. It also improves the power in your upper
body skills by allowing the lower body to move through a full range of motion
when transferring energy from the legs to the upper body.
The pelvis is also the site of the dantien or danjun, located just below the
navel, considered the center of the body and the energy powerhouse in many
arts.
Below are suggested exercises for improving the flexibility and range of
motion in your hip joint. If your hip muscles are tight or you are new to
flexibility exercises, select from the Beginning exercises. If you are already
actively participating in the martial arts and consider yourself moderately
flexible, you have two choices: the moderate Maintaining Hip Flexibility
exercises or the more challenging Increasing Hip Flexibility exercises. If you
experience occasional tightness in your hip region due to fatigue or overuse, try
one or more of the Shortcuts.
Beginning Hip Flexibility exercises:
Hip Rotation
Squat
Butterfly Stretch
Knee Pull
Prone Hip Rotation
Maintaining Hip Flexibility:
Slump
Modified Squats at Bar
Partner Groin Stretch
Frog Stretch
Cross Knee Pull
Partner Piriformis
Increasing Hip Flexibility:
Cross Legged Side Bend
Standing Piriformis
Advanced Butterfly
Single Leg Pull
Hip Shortcuts:
Hip Rotation
Butterfly Stretch
Knee Pull
Lunging Forward Stretch

Major Muscles of the Hip

Gluteus Maximus: This is the heaviest muscle in the body and covers most
of the buttock on the rear of the hip. It connects the base of the vertebral column
to the thigh. It functions to straighten the hip when walking or running and raises
the body from a seated position.
Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus: These muscles lie beneath the
gluteus maximus and function to rotate and raise the thigh. They are also known,
together with the tensor facsiae latae, as the thigh abductors.
Tensor Fasciae Latae: This muscle connects the ilium (large flared bone of
the hip) to the thigh. It functions to rotate, raise and flex the thigh.

Knees/Legs
Every time your foot hits the ground in a simple walking stride, your knee
bears the force of up to one and a half times your body weight. When you run or
jump, the impact on your knees is even greater. Squatting puts stress equal to
more than seven times your body weight on your knees.
Add to that the low stances, full contact kicks, jumps, spins, lifts, falls,
twists and even strikes with the knee practiced in many martial arts and you’ll
realize how essential it is to take care of your knees. One of the most essential
factors in maintaining healthy injury-free knees is your understanding of correct
body mechanics. For more details on how to protect your knees when moving in
the martial arts, see the Body Mechanics section (page 52).
Keeping the large muscles of the thigh—the hamstrings and quadriceps
muscles—strong and flexible should be a primary concern for martial artists of
all styles. Even soft styles like tai chi benefit from strong leg muscles,
transferring some of the burden of deep stances from the knees to the thigh
muscles. If you run as a supplement to your martial arts training, pay special
attention to stretching the hamstrings, because runners tend to suffer from tight
hamstrings.
A good warm-up of the legs and knees can help prevent both long-term and
traumatic injuries. The knee has five major ligaments and a number of tendons,
all of which need to be warmed up and lubricated before strenuous exercise.
In addition to the hamstring and quadriceps muscles, the thigh is the site of
a frequent problem area—the groin or adductor muscle. If this muscle is overly
tight, it is nearly impossible to do a high side kick or spinning kick. A groin pull
is a very common injury among beginning and intermediate students, an injury
that can linger for months if not cared for properly. Prevention through targeted
stretching is highly recommended.
The muscles of the lower leg, the calf muscles, play a substantial role in
jumping. If you do a great deal of jump kicking or acrobatics, include calf
stretches in your warm-up/conditioning plan to keep your calf muscles from
tightening and shortening.
On the opposite page are suggested exercises for improving the flexibility
and range of motion in your legs. If your leg muscles are tight or you are new to
flexibility exercises, select from the Beginning exercises. If you are already
actively participating in the martial arts and consider yourself moderately
flexible, you have two choices: the moderate Maintaining Leg Flexibility
exercises or the more challenging Increasing Leg Flexibility exercises. If you
experience occasional tightness in your legs due to fatigue or overuse, try one or
more of the Shortcuts.
Beginning Leg Flexibility exercises:
Knee Rotation
Calf Stretch
Windmills
Individual Leg Raises
Seated Toe Touch
V Stretch
Maintaining Leg Flexibility:
Knee Raises
Abductor Stretch
Calf Stretch
Leg Swings
Double Quadriceps Stretch
Seated V Stretch
Hurdler Twist
Increasing Leg Flexibility:
Toe Touch
Single Leg Stretch
Partner Leg Raises
Controlled Kicks
Cross Under
Kneeling Groin Stretch
Hurdler Stretch
Leg Shortcuts:
Knee Rotation
Standing Quad Stretch
Groin Stretch
Double Quadriceps Stretch

Major Muscles of the Upper Leg

Muscles in the upper and lower leg together with the hip muscles, combine
to create the complex combinations of rotation, flexion, extension, adduction and
abduction required for martial arts movements.
Psoas Major and Iliacus: These two muscles attach the thigh to the lumbar
vertebrae and are the primary flexors of the thigh. They move the leg forward
during walking.
Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus and Gracilis: This group of muscles is
commonly referred to as the thigh adductors and functions to pull the thigh
inward toward the opposite leg, flex and extend the leg and rotate the thigh.
They connect the pelvis to the thigh.
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, and Semimembranosus: These three
muscles collectively make up the hamstrings running down the back of the thigh,
connecting the lower part of the hip bone to the thigh and lower leg. They
function to flex, extend and rotate the leg.
 Sartorius: This long strap like muscle crosses diagonally over the front of
the thigh and across the inner side of the knee. It connects the hip to the lower
leg and assists in many movements including flexing and rotating the leg.
Quadriceps Femoris: This large muscle covers the front and sides of the
thigh and functions as the primary means of extending the knee/lower leg.

Major Muscles of the Lower Leg and Foot

Many of the muscles that move the ankle and foot are located in the lower
leg.
Tibialis Anterior: This long muscle runs along the front of the shin,
attaching the bones of the shin to the bones of the foot and ankle. It functions to
move the foot toward the shin and to twist the foot inward.
Peroneus Tertius: This muscle connects the shin to the outside of the foot. It
functions to move the foot toward the shin and to twist the foot outward.
Extensor Digitorum Longus: This long muscle runs along the outside of the
calf, just behind the tibialis anterior. It connects the shin bones to the foot,
terminating in a four part tendon that attaches to each of the four smaller toes.
Because of its unique structure, this muscle can move both the foot and the toes.
Gastrocnemius: This thick muscle runs down the back of the lower leg,
forming part of the fleshy area of the calf. It joins the top of one of the lower leg
bones to the heel bone via the Achilles tendon. It functions to flex the leg at the
knee and to press the foot away from the shin bone, as in the push-off segment
of walking or running movements.
Soleus: A thick flat muscle located beneath the gastrocnemius. Together,
these two muscles form the fleshy part of the calf. The soleus is similar in
function and location to the gastrocnemius.
Flexor Digitorum Longus: A counterpart of the extensor digitorum longus,
this long muscle runs from beneath the soleus, through the ankle and along the
bottom of the foot, where it terminates in a four pronged tendon that controls the
flexion of the toes and foot and twisting of the foot.

Ankles/Feet
You won’t often hear about stretching your feet or ankles, but any martial
artist who practices barefoot, should spend a few minutes warming up both feet
and ankles before a workout. Because the foot is used for support, mobility and
impact in many arts, the ankle needs to be flexible enough to move in all
directions, especially under impact. A tense, stiff ankle joint makes kicking less
effective and even painful.
Depending on the martial art you practice, select at least one or two
appropriate exercises to include in your warm-up routine.
Maintaining Ankle Flexibility:
Hurdler Twist
Alternating Calf Stretch
Heel Stretch
Instep Stretch
Ankle Rotation

As You Age
In Your 20s
Most people see their late teens or twenties as their athletic peak. If you are
in your teens or twenties and in good shape, this is an excellent time to establish
good fitness habits for the rest of your life. You may be able to get away with
doing less and still excel beyond your older classmates. Because you can,
doesn’t mean you should.
The way you approach your training in your twenties can determine how
many years of martial arts and other strenuous physical activities you’ll get out
of your body. Make it a habit to warm-up and cool down at every workout, to
engage in stretching and strength training regularly and to practice good fitness
habits.
One last caution: take care of your joints. A serious knee or shoulder injury
at twenty-five can plague you for the rest of your life. While you may feel
invincible at this age, your body will quickly tell you otherwise when pushed too
far.

In Your 30s
In Your 30s
An almost imperceptible decline in strength, muscle mass, metabolism and
aerobic capacity begins after you enter your fourth decade. Be prepared to put a
stronger emphasis on conditioning, not only to stem the decline, but to prevent
injuries. Your body will no longer be as forgiving as it was ten years ago.
You can get the most out of your martial arts training by being prepared.
That means taking the time to warm up before working out, spending extra time
on strengthening and stretching problem areas, and being aware of the dangers
of high impact or hard contact activities. Most of all, listen to your body.

In Your 40s
Many martial artists find that some time after their fortieth birthday, they
begin to feel, well, old when they step on the mat. This doesn’t have to be the
case. You might have a few nagging injuries, you might weigh a few more
pounds than you did at twenty-five and you might not be able to fly through the
air like the twelve-year-olds in class, but that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain a
solid level of strength, flexibility and skill.
Put conditioning at the top of your priority list. If the classes you attend are
skill focused, this may mean doing additional conditioning workouts on your
own. Focus on total body strength and flexibility as well as weight control.
Keeping your weight within acceptable limits not only improves your martial
arts performance, it means a healthier you overall. Finally, get regular checkups.

In Your 50s and Beyond

Depending on how long you’ve been a martial artist and how physically fit
you’ve been throughout your life, you may not see much of a change between
forty-five and fifty-five or even sixty-five. And if you are a fifty plus adult just
getting started in the martial arts, the news is even better. Your body retains the
ability to improve strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness well into your
sixties and seventies.
As you age, you may begin taking medications to control cholesterol, high
blood pressure or any number of routine conditions. Discuss the impact of these
medications on your training with your physician and follow any guidelines he
or she sets out for you. You may also want to see a nutritionist who specializes
in older athletes. As a fifty plus athlete, you have special needs, not only to fuel
your workouts, but to prevent bone loss and guard against injuries and illness.
Rest
When it comes to training, you may have discovered that more isn’t always
better. Strenuous exercise tears down muscle tissue and it is the rest period
following exercise that rebuilds and strengthens.
So how much rest do you need to ensure that your stretching exercises are
doing the job? After moderate exercise—light stretching, light cardio—a twenty-
four hour rest is enough for the average adult. After strenuous exercise—a long
run, a heavy sparring session, weight training, PNF stretching—a forty-eight
hour rest is recommended before you engage in another session of strenuous
exercise. You can, however, follow a strenuous training session with a moderate
stretching session the next day. Rest should not be equated with inactivity, but
with recovery and rebuilding.

Muscle Recovery
After an exercise session, your muscles go through various stages of
recovery, with the most rapid recovery taking place in the first two hours. Let’s
look at a breakdown:
• Metabolic rate slows and begins to return to pre-exercise levels
• Heart rate slows and begins to return to a resting rate
• Body temperature drops and begins to return to pre-exercise levels
• Respiratory rate slows and begins to return to a resting rate
• Elevated hormone levels (i.e. testosterone and cortisol) begin to drop
• Muscles begin refueling with ATP and creatine phosphate
• Body begins removing excess lactic acid (waste product of exercise) from the
muscles via the bloodstream
• The body begins rehydrating, restoring fluid volume to pre-exercise levels
• Glycogen stores in the muscles are replenished (this is aided by the presence of
carbohydrates, so a high carb sports drink consumed right after the completion
of a workout can aid in muscle recovery)
• Carbohydrate replenishment continues, though at a slower rate
• Muscle repair takes place, resulting in the desired adaptation to exercise (this
process results in gains in muscle function)
A Word About Soreness
The old axiom “no pain, no gain” is only partially true when it comes to
increasing your flexibility.
Some day-after soreness in the muscles is normal, especially if you have
been pushing yourself beyond your normal limits or trying out new stretches.
There are varying theories on the origin of post-exercise muscle soreness
including the build-up of waste products and microscopic tearing of the muscle
fibers or connective tissues. Whatever the cause, normal day-after soreness
disappears naturally within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Many athletes find
that light activity is helpful in reducing day-after muscle soreness.
If you experience continuing pain or increased pain with normal activity,
particularly in the joints or near the joints (at the ends of the muscles, where the
tendons are located), you may be stretching incorrectly or overstretching.
Remember, stretching should never cause joint pain, either during the exercise or
in the hours and days following it.

The Right Mind Set

The mind set you bring to your stretching or training sessions can have a
substantial impact on your flexibility. Let’s look at a few common experiences
and see how the mental affects the physical:

Situational Tenseness
Fear and nervousness can make you tense up. When stressed, your body’s
functions speed up, changing your heart rate, breathing, muscle tension and
blood flow. Under stress, your body is prepared to run or fight, not to relax into a
split.
Recognizing situational tenseness
Have you ever felt that you were much more flexible when practicing at
home than in martial arts class or more flexible in class than at a belt test or a
tournament? Are there situations where you find that you cannot perform as well
as you normally do?
Overcoming situational tenseness
If you find that your flexibility diminishes in certain situations, some role
playing and targeted relaxation exercises can help you relax. First, ask yourself
what about the situation bothers you. Are you afraid of failing a test, doing
poorly in competition, not being able to keep up in class, looking silly in front of
your peers?
Once you’ve identified the root of the tenseness, begin with visualization.
Find a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed, like a favorite chair or
your bedroom floor. Lie down or remain seated, whichever you find more
comfortable. You can play some quiet music or simply relax in silence. Take a
few deep breaths and let go of your everyday thoughts. Once you find your mind
has quieted, visualize the situation in which you feel tense. For example, see
yourself entering your martial arts school for a promotion test and taking your
place on the mat. Be aware of how your body feels. Are you nervous? Be aware
of the physical sensations of your nervousness but don’t let them escalate into a
panicked feeling. Being nervous under stress is normal. Remind yourself that it’s
okay to feel a few butterflies in your stomach, that just because those nervous
feelings are there, they don’t have to take over your experience of having a
successful promotion test. Take as long as necessary in your visualization to
calm your nervousness.
When you are ready, begin to see yourself executing the physical moves of
the test. Hear your instructor calling out commands and see yourself responding
exactly as you would like to—confidently, calmly and with your very best
techniques. Be aware of how your body feels when you are performing at your
best and try to associate that feeling with the atmosphere of the promotion test.
The more details and feelings you can bring into your visualization, the more
likely it is to have an impact on your real world performance. When used
consistently, visualization is a powerful tool for decreasing anxiety and
improving performance.
Another technique you can use to overcome tension in a specific situation is
to try to recreate that situation as closely as possible in a safe environment. If
you are planning to compete in a tournament, can you practice in the tournament
gym or facility ahead of time? Can your instructor simulate tournament
conditions (a ring, judges, referee, spectators) at your school? The old saying
“practice makes perfect” applies to our mental skills as much as to our physical
skills.
 Reducing nervousness and fear can go a long way toward improving your
flexibility under “game” conditions.

Temperamental Tenseness
Some people are tense in general. You can see it in the way they walk,
stand, speak and even relax. A “tight” approach to life can translate into
chronically tense muscles, making flexibility an ongoing struggle.
Recognizing temperamental tenseness
Ask yourself a few questions:
• Do you walk with short, quick steps, even when not in a hurry?
• Do you speak quickly, even in relaxed social situations?
• Do you hurry to finish everyday tasks like reading the newspaper or brushing
your teeth?
• Do you often stand with your shoulders hunched up around your neck, your
fists clenched or your arms crossed tightly over your chest?
• Do you find it difficult to stretch out on the couch and just relax at the end of
the day?
• Do you find change difficult or undesirable?
Many people come into the martial arts after years of inactivity and find
stretching the most difficult aspect of practice. They are forever asking how they
can become more flexible in kicking or striking without taking a look at the way
their body moves through its daily motions. You cannot expect to go through life
wound up tightly for twenty-three hours a day and then achieve great flexibility
during your one-hour martial arts class.
Overcoming temperamental tenseness
If you see yourself in the questions above, the best place to start your
flexibility training is in your daily activities. Slow down when possible. Take
time to let your body relax into your physical activities. Be aware of how you
feel as you move through the day—walking, eating, showering, driving. Are
your neck and jaw muscles tensed? Is your lower back tight? Are your shoulders
pulled up toward your ears? Sometimes, simply bringing your attention to
specific body parts can cause them to relax, releasing tension that you didn’t
know existed.
As you go about your daily activities, take periodic timeouts. Spend about
sixty seconds focusing on relaxing the major problem areas—the muscles of the
face/jaw, neck, shoulders, lower back and hands. Use the shortcut exercises
found in this book or any simple relaxation exercises that you like. The focus
here is not on improving your flexibility for martial arts, but on getting in touch
with your muscles and learning how to consciously relax your body as a whole.
If at first you find it difficult to stay relaxed throughout the day, set aside
ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes before bed for light stretching, deep
breathing and relaxation exercises. Again, consistency and patience are the keys
to improving your relaxation skills and increasing your flexibility.

Conditional Tenseness
Our past experiences can condition us to respond to situations in ways that
other people may not. For example, for the victim of a violent mugging and
assault, the prospect of sparring or of any contact in a martial arts class might
induce tenseness and nervousness. Similarly, if you threw a powerful head high
kick at your last promotion test and suddenly found yourself lying on the mat,
you might find your hamstrings tensing up at just the thought of having to do
that kick at your next test.
Recognizing conditional tenseness
Conditional tenseness can be mistaken for situational tenseness. The
difference lies in the trigger. Situational tenseness is a direct result of the current
environment. Conditional tenseness is a result of a past experience triggering a
reaction to the current environment. Only you can know the cause of your
tenseness based on your past experiences.
Overcoming conditional tenseness
Because it is not directly related to the event at hand, conditional tenseness
presents some special challenges. You may truly want to succeed in martial arts
for the very reason that you find it difficult. If you’ve been the victim of physical
violence, martial arts can make you feel more secure, but it can also feel
threatening due to the physical components of the class. Until you become fully
comfortable in class, you may want to take private or semi-private lessons.
Speak to your instructor about your concerns and ask him or her to work with
you in creating an atmosphere in which you can achieve a relaxed performance.

Performance Anxiety
There is such a thing as trying too hard. Every instructor has stories of
white belt students who have come into class with so much enthusiasm that they
have literally injured themselves by the end of the first class. In martial arts,
trying too hard can often translate into kicking and punching too hard, a good
way to strain or tear a muscle.
Recognizing performance anxiety
Do you feel that you need to do things right the first time? Do you want to
be the best in class or the best at your rank? A healthy competitive attitude is
great, but a “win at all costs” mind set can exact a high price on your
performance.
Overcoming performance anxiety
First, remind yourself that you’re in class to learn and making mistakes is
part of learning. Your instructor doesn’t expect you to know everything or get it
right the first time. Second, shift your benchmark from externally driven goals
(to be better than Joe or Mary) to internally driven goals (to be better than
yourself of last week or last month). Third, give yourself permission to operate
at 90% rather than 120%. Ironically, trying a little less and relaxing a little more
will result in a better overall performance. Remember, flexibility is about
releasing the tension in your body. If you go at your martial arts training with
teeth gritted and face contorted in effort, you are working against yourself.

Self-talk
Loosely related to the above situations is the subject of self-talk. The tapes
you play in your head influence your training for good or ill. Tell yourself that
you’re not flexible or you’ll never be as flexible as your instructor and in the
end, you’ll probably prove yourself right.
Let’s look at two white belts on their first day of class to see the best/worst
case scenarios when it comes to self-talk:
Joe White Belt: “Look at all those black belts kicking the heavy bag. I’ll
never be able to do that. I can barely kick the bottom of the bag. I bet they spent
hours a day for years to get that flexible. I wasn’t even that flexible back in high
school.”
Bill White Belt: “Wow, look how high those black belts are kicking. I can
barely reach the bottom of the bag now, but I can’t wait until I can do that. They
must know a lot about flexibility. After class, I think I’ll talk to one of them and
get some tips about stretching so I can start practicing right away.”
Which one of these white belts do you think is going to make it to black
belt? Do you think that Bill knows any more about stretching than Joe or is any
more flexible? The only differences in the two are their attitudes and the way
they talk themselves into or out of making an effort to improve. Joe is plagued
by defeatist self-talk while Bill’s self-talk is optimistic and energetic.
You can put self-talk to work for you in all aspects of your training, but
especially in your flexibility training, where gains are often slow and hard to
measure. Pay attention to what your tapes are saying and reprogram them if
necessary. Many martial artists find it helpful to spend a few minutes each day
meditating on positive self-talk phrases or to tape a phrase on the bathroom
mirror as a reminder.

Why Mind Set Matters

For some readers, the mental and emotional side of flexibility strikes an
immediate chord, while others have a more difficult time seeing the connection.
“I just want to kick high,” you might be saying. “I don’t have time for all
this mental mumbo jumbo.” Depending on how far you want to take your
flexibility training or your martial arts training in general, a purely physical
approach may work just fine. However, if you want to reach the highest levels of
performance, a healthy emotional and mental mind set is essential. Consider the
following lists of emotions:
Awareness
Fear
Awakening
Judgment
Curiosity
 Shame
Openness
Anger
Tranquility
Nervousness
Energy
Impatience
Which attributes would you rather associate with yourself and your martial
arts practice? One of the central tenets of traditional martial arts is the
connection between mind and body. If your mind is open, supple and energetic,
your body is more likely to be a reflection of that, making ultimate flexibility
that much easier to achieve.

Chapter Four Q & A

Why is joint pain a bad sign during stretching?
Pain in a joint indicates that you are stretching improperly, stressing the
internal structure of the joint rather than the adjoining muscles.
If a stretch hurts, does that mean that I’m lengthening the
muscle?
Stretching should never be painful. You should feel some mild discomfort
during the stretch and may have some day-after soreness but pain during a
stretch is a sign of pushing yourself too hard.
How long should I wait between workouts?
After moderate exercise—light stretching, light cardio—a twenty-four hour
rest is enough for the average adult. After strenuous exercise—a long run, a
heavy sparring session, weight training, PNF stretching—a forty-eight hour rest
is recommended before you engage in another session of strenuous exercise.
You can, however, follow a strenuous training session with a moderate
stretching session the next day.
I do mostly kicks, so I just want to stretch my legs. Is that okay?
I do mostly kicks, so I just want to stretch my legs. Is that okay?
Developing only one area of your body can be an invitation to injury and
will result in uneven progress. While your leg muscles are the primary factors in
kicking, the muscles of your back, abdomen and hip play large supporting roles.
Neglecting to develop them equally could result in a serious muscle or ligament
injury down the road. While you might focus on one area, include general
conditioning exercises for your whole body.
How can I prevent training injuries as I get older?
You can get the most out of your martial arts training by being prepared.
That means taking the time to warm up before working out, spending extra time
on strengthening and stretching problem areas, and being aware of the dangers
of high impact or hard contact activities. Put conditioning at the top of your
priority list.
How old is too old for increasing my flexibility?
Your body retains the ability to improve strength, flexibility and
cardiovascular fitness well into your sixties and seventies.
 Chapter Five: Your Workout Plan
Throughout this book there are lists and summaries to help you choose
flexibility exercises for working on certain areas of the body, training for
specific martial arts, attaining various levels of flexibility and recovering from a
layoff or injury. In addition to these specific suggestions, there are some general
rules you can follow in developing a personalized workout plan.

Choosing Exercises
The exercises you choose can have a substantial impact on the results you
achieve. A few tips for choosing the exercises most likely to be effective:
• Choose exercises to target all of the major areas of the body: neck, back,
shoulders, chest, arms, wrists, hip, legs and ankles.
• Thoroughly stretch each area. For example, the shoulder moves in multiple
directions. Stretch not only to the front and back, but upward and in circles to
work a full range of motion.
• Balance your exercises by always working opposing muscles: lower back/abs,
triceps/biceps, hamstrings/quadriceps, etc.. Overworking one set of muscles
can put you at risk of injury in the opposing muscle group.
• It’s acceptable to vary your workout based on how you feel on a given day. If
you’re feeling especially tight in your back or your hamstrings are suffering
from a hard workout the day before, spend a little extra time to relax and
stretch the problem area.
• Moderate stretching can be done every time you workout, however you should
reserve the more intense exercises for every other day or three days a week to
give your body time to recover.

Exercise Order
When choosing the order of exercises for your workout, a mixture of simple
rules, common sense and personal preference all come into play. First the rules:
• Always warm up with gross motor exercises (light jogging, bouncing, rope
jumping, cycling) before beginning your stretching exercises.
• Begin with large muscles and muscle groups and move to the smaller muscles.
For example, begin with the chest and shoulders, then move to the forearm,
wrist and fingers.
• If you are doing strength training and/or cardio, do it before your flexibility
exercises.
• Work opposing muscles in groups. For example, when working the legs,
stretch the hamstrings and then quadriceps, the adductors and then abductors.

Duration
There are a number of ways you can structure the repetitions in your
flexibility workout. For more dynamic exercises, like knee raises or arm circles,
between eight and twelve repetitions on each side are adequate. In this book,
these exercises are designated as simple repetitions and a recommended number
of repetitions is given.
For static stretches, two to four repetitions on each side are enough. Begin
with a moderate stretch, hold, relax, go a little deeper, hold, relax and continue
on that way until you reach your maximum. Breathe steadily and evenly
throughout, inhaling as you relax, exhaling as you move deeper into the stretch
and breathing comfortably as you hold the stretch. In this book, these exercises
are designated as progressive repetitions.

Planning your Stretching Program

Your flexibility training is most likely to show results if you have a plan to
guide you. How often you stretch and for how long can have a significant impact
on your progress. There are varying theories on both and ultimately, you will
need to experiment until you find what works best for you. Some common
questions martial artists encounter in planning their stretching program are:
How long should I hold static stretches?
Hold static stretches for ten to twenty seconds, doing two to four repetitions
on each side. You may want to hold the last repetition for thirty seconds. Studies
have shown that there is no added benefit to holding a stretch for longer than
thirty seconds.
How many repetitions of dynamic stretches?
 Repeat dynamic stretches eight to twelve times on each side, attempting to
gradually increase the range of motion with each repetition.
As you progress, increasing to two or three sets of dynamic stretches can be
beneficial. If you find that your range of motion is lessening due to fatigue
toward the end of a set, reduce the number of sets or repetitions.
How hard should I stretch?
Perform each stretch until you feel tension in the muscle, but not pain.
How often should I stretch?
The average martial artist can benefit from stretching three to six times a
week.
When should I stretch?
Stretching can be done at any time after the warm up, but most experts
recommend doing flexibility exercises after the strength and cardio portions of
training.
Which exercises should I do?
The exercises in this book are labeled for both parts of the body trained and
martial arts benefits. First choose a selection of exercises that work all of the
major body parts at your current skill level. Include at least one exercise for each
of the following areas:
o Neck
o Shoulders
o Upper back
o Chest
o Arms
o Wrists
o Lower back
o Hip and buttocks
o Groin
 o Hamstrings
o Quads
o Calves
o Ankles
o Feet
Then add exercises that develop the specific martial arts skills that you are
practicing. See the workouts in Chapter 7 for suggested core and specialized
exercises.
As you progress in your martial arts training, you can increase the
difficultly level of the overall body stretches and increase the number and
intensity of the martial arts specific stretches.
What should I do if I stop improving?
Don’t expect your gains in flexibility to be consistent, even if you are
following a very consistent stretching program. Some days will be better than
others and you may even feel like you are backsliding occasionally. As long as
you are not experiencing joint pain or chronic muscle pain and you are making
progress overall, stick with your plan. If you need additional motivation, revise
your plan once a month, dropping some exercises and replacing them with new
exercises to work the same areas.
I go to class three days a week. Do I still have to stretch on my
own?
If your martial arts class includes stretching exercises, these may or may not
be enough to satisfy your daily stretching goals. If you need to do additional
stretching, try to fit it in immediately after your class ends, while your body is
still warm.
When shouldn’t I stretch?
If you are generally healthy and injury free, you can stretch every day if you
like. However, any of the following are reasons to check with your doctor or
trainer before continuing your stretching program:
o Chronic joint or muscle pain
 o Numbness or tingling during or after stretching
o Sharp pain during a stretch
o Joint instability
o A fractured bone, torn/partially torn ligament, tendon or muscle
o Recent serious injury or illness
o Pregnancy

Setting Goals
There are three common reasons for not sticking with a fitness program:
• Not setting goals
• Not setting concrete goals
• Not setting realistic goals
Simply having a goal is not enough to ensure progress. As martial artists,
we’re trained to have goals—both long and short-term—but we’re not always
taught how to set those goals so that they are effective motivators.
Here are nine tips for setting goals that you can and will achieve:
1. Be specific
For your goal to be achievable, it must be concrete.
Examples of nonspecific goals:
1. I want to kick high.
2. I want to do a split.
3. I want to be flexible.
Examples of specific goals:
1. I want to do a chest high side kick with my left leg.
2. I want to reach a 160 degree split on the stretching rack.
3. I want to be flexible enough to touch my palms to the floor in a standing
toe touch.
Nonspecific goals are discouraging. How will you know when you are
kicking high if you haven’t defined the meaning of high? You may be tempted to
quit early, assuming you’ve reached your goal, or you may keep raising your
idea of high so that your goal is always just out of reach.
By looking at the examples above, you can easily see how the second set of
goals is measurable. You will absolutely know when you have achieved your
chest high side kick or your 160 degree split. There will be a day when you hit
that goal and can feel a sense of reward for your hard work.
Specific goals give you not just the what, but the when of your training. By
when do you want to be able to kick your sparring opponent in the chest? By
when do you want to be able to nail that head high front kick in your next form?
Choose a reasonable time frame for each goal. It may be four weeks or six
months, but there should be a time at which you can step back, assess your
progress and decide whether or not you’ve met your goal.
2. Actions vs. Accomplishments
There are two kinds of goals: action goals and accomplishment goals.
Action goals include statements like:
1. I will stretch ten minutes a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
2. I will spend five minutes on PNF stretching after each martial arts class.
3. I will do extra five reps on all hamstring stretches on my left side.
Action goals quantify what you will do, without regard for the outcome,
making them very easy to achieve. Five extra minutes of stretching is a simple
commitment. It may result in your increasing the height of your front kick, but
you’re not worried about the outcome. If you have trouble making goals and
sticking to them, start with one easy to succeed at action goal, for example ten
minutes of static stretching after every martial arts class during the month of
May.
Accomplishment goals include statements like:
1. I will be able to kick above the top of the freestanding bag with my right
leg roundhouse kick by June 1st.
 2. I will be able to do a bridge within eight weeks.
3. I will be within six inches of the floor in my straddle split by January
15th.
Because they specify outcomes, but not the process by which to achieve
those outcomes, accomplishment goals can be harder to complete. When you set
an accomplishment goal, it must be accompanied by a workout plan. What
exercises will help you achieve your goal? How often should you do them?
What level of progress do you expect to reach in one week, one month, two
months? How do you know if you are on track, ahead of or behind schedule?
As you’ve probably deduced by now, a combination of action and
accomplishment goals is necessary. For one accomplishment goal, you might
need one, two or a half dozen action goals. For example:
Accomplishment goal:
I will be able to kick above the top of the freestanding bag with my right leg
roundhouse kick by June 1st.
Action goals:
1. I will spend five extra minutes a day on groin stretches.
2. I will practice fifty roundhouse kicks a day on the bag, using a piece of
masking tape to mark my interim goal height for the week.
3. I will spend five minutes, three times a week on PNF stretches targeting
my groin & thigh muscles.
4. I will use visualization during my mediation sessions, with a focus on
relaxing my groin and thigh muscles.
The action goals you select are a very personal choice. If you are a
beginner, your instructor can help you choose the right action goals to meet your
accomplishment goal. As you become more experienced, your understanding of
the relationship between action goals and accomplishment goals will improve to
the point that creating goals becomes second nature.
3. Multiple Time Lines
If your goal is small and manageable, you’ll only need one time line. If it is
something that encompasses more than a few weeks time, you can increase your
chances at success by breaking it down into interim or mini-goals.
First, choose a target date for completion of your long-term goal. Then
create a series of milestones along the way, each no more than four weeks in
length, but even closer together if you find you have trouble sticking to a plan
without frequent rewards. For example, if you want to reach a 180 degree split,
reward yourself for reaching 160, 165, 170 and so on.
4. Focus on yourself
Because martial arts is often a group activity, it can become easy to
compare yourself to your classmates, opponents or instructors. For some people,
competing with another martial artist, even if it is only in their imagination, can
be very motivating. For others, it can be self-defeating.
If you find yourself feeling jealous when a classmate makes a big
breakthrough or discouraged that you’ll never be as good as your instructor, you
probably fall into the latter group. Shifting your goal setting and progress
tracking to a more internal yardstick can help you overcome these feelings and
rekindle your motivation.
When you set goals, use I/me/my statements. Rather than saying “I want
my side kick to be higher than Joe’s,” try something like, “In four weeks, I want
my side kick to be six inches higher it is today.” With only yourself to compete
against, you have a better chance of succeeding.
Of course if kicking higher than Joe gets you motivated to stretch every
day, go for it.
5. Keep a Training Log
You will find a lot of books that have detailed training logs to keep track of
everything from how many reps you do to how many calories you burn in a
session. If one of these works for you, that’s great. If you’ve been avoiding
training logs because you find keeping a detailed log of numbers more of a chore
than a motivation, don’t despair.
Your training log can be as simple as a single sheet of paper with one
column for the date and one for the progress indicator you are tracking. Say your
goal is to stretch ten minutes a day. All you need is a sheet like this:
5/9 - 10 minutes
 5/10 - 8 minutes
5/11 - 10 minutes
5/12 - skipped – sore knee
5/13 - 10 minutes (upper body only, knee still sore)
5/14 - 10 minutes – knee feeling better
But what if you’re working toward an accomplishment goal? You can still
use a similar method. For a kicking height goal, test yourself once a week by
kicking a target or bag at a certain height for a number of reps:
5/9 - 48 inches – 8 reps
5/16 - 50 inches - 6 reps
5/23 - 50 inches – 10 reps
5/30 - 51 inches – 8 reps, 53 inches – 1 rep
Long-term goals are best tracked weekly so that progress is evident and you
don’t get thrown off your plan by minor daily setbacks.
You can even do both, keep a more detailed training log of your workouts
and a single sheet to track progress toward your goal. Sometimes seeing your
progress in one compact snapshot is more motivating that looking through pages
of training log comments. Use whatever system you find most motivating.
6. Multiple Means
Don’t get stuck in a training rut. Pushing toward a goal does not mean you
have to do the same thing every day or at every workout. For most areas of the
body, there are dozens of stretches that produce similar results. Varying your
workout not only keeps it interesting, it brings faster results. Your body works
hard to adapt to your training needs. By keeping it guessing with new and varied
exercises, you progress much more quickly.
When you look at the exercises presented in this book, many may look
similar or produce similar results. In addition to giving you a variety to choose
from, this ensures that you won’t find yourself doing the same hurdler’s stretch
every day for the next ten years.
7. Multiple Objectives
 Martial artists are natural multi-taskers. In one class, you might practice
basic movements, forms, sparring and one or more weapons routines. You
engage in individual, partner and group activities that use all of your body parts.
Few physical activities require as much versatility as the martial arts. So why not
have multiple goals?
When you work toward more than one goal, you not only improve in a
number of areas, but you lessen the pressure on yourself to reach a single
objective. In a given week, you may find that your leg flexibility is backsliding,
but your lower back has never felt better. It’s easier to deal with setbacks when
you have multiple objectives to focus on.
8. Setbacks
Don’t be surprised if you are progressing along nicely toward your goal and
suddenly find yourself stuck in one place or even slipping back toward your
starting point. Because your body is a fragile, living organism and not a
machine, your progress will at times be sporadic or even nonexistent.
There is a long list of physical elements that may lead to a setback
including injury, illness, stress, hormones, overtraining, the weather, your diet
and how much rest you are getting. When you experience a setback or a plateau,
first look at what else is going on in your life. Have you experienced a major life
change? Is your daily schedule different than it was when you were progressing?
How do you feel in general, physically and mentally? Are you getting enough
rest, eating right, sleeping well at night? If you find that non-training factors are
to blame, do what you can to correct them or simply resolve to stick to your plan
and wait out the stresses in other areas. Even if you cannot keep up your regular
martial arts training for a period, try to fit in a few minutes of light stretching
each day.
If you cannot trace your setback to a change in your daily life, take a hard
look at your training. Are you doing something differently? Should you be?
Look not only at your stretching routine, but at your other training habits.
Perhaps you’ve started doing a lot of jumping kicks and your calf muscles are
tightening up as they get stronger. Or the time you’re putting in with your bo
staff is making your back tense. Once you’ve identified the source of the
problem, a small adjustment in your training plan should get you back on track.
What if you can’t find an obvious cause? Then it may just be a case of
plateauing. You have two choices: take a few days off from training to give your
body a vacation or try changing your approach. You might switch from PNF
stretching to static stretching or shift your emphasis from short stretch times with
high reps to longer stretch times at lower reps. Experiment with different
strategies, giving a new strategy at least four to six workouts before you make an
evaluation. When you’re experimenting, keep a detailed log of both your
training activities, the results you achieve and how you feel after each workout.
9. Schedule and Stick to it
All of the above strategies are useless if you don’t make the time to carry
them out. When it comes to flexibility, you don’t need to commit a lot of time,
but you do need to commit to at least three to four days a week. The easiest way
to do this is to make stretching as much a part of your daily schedule as eating,
showering or watching your favorite television program.
Unfortunately, because it’s only a few minutes a day, you may find it easy
to put off or skip. Rather than promising yourself that you’ll find a few minutes
to squeeze in here or there each day, schedule a specific time and stick to it.
Some people find that scheduling a new habit around an existing habit helps the
new habit stick. Tracking your stretching on to the end of your martial arts
workout would be ideal. If that doesn’t work for you, try to schedule it before a
meal, after your evening walk, just after you wake up (as part of a morning
meditation is especially refreshing) or as soon as you arrive home from work.
Once the activities become paired in your mind, you’ll find it hard to skip your
stretching.
Supplementary Aids
Stretching doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive. It shouldn’t be a daily
chore that you check off your list, like taking out the trash or doing the laundry.
By creating a pleasing, motivational routine around your stretching workout, you
will find yourself looking forward to the relaxation and down time that
stretching can give you.
Depending on when and where you stretch, you might find the use of
supplementary aids helpful. A CD of quiet music, chanting or nature sounds can
be a relaxing accompaniment to your stretching routine. Some people prefer to
stretch in a favorite room or in a quiet spot outdoors. Others like to incorporate
their stretches into a walk around the local park or fitness circuit.
Stretching with a friend or as part of a group can also be very motivating. If
you have a stretching partner who is willing to stay ten minutes after your
martial arts class, your stretching time will pass quickly and enjoyably.

In the Event of an Injury

At some point in your martial arts training, you’ll experience an injury. It
may be a minor muscle strain that sidelines you for a few days or it may be a
serious joint injury that puts you out of commission for a month or more. Serious
injuries should always be examined and treated by your physician. Getting the
correct medical advice, treatment and rehabilitation at the time of an injury can
prevent chronic problems down the road. Minor injuries that don’t clear up in a
reasonable period or time, like a nagging groin pull that lingers for weeks,
should also be treated by a professional.
For many injuries, your doctor may recommend rest, ice and medication for
the pain and swelling followed by a short course of physical therapy exercises.
At the time of your initial diagnosis, talk with your doctor about when and in
what capacity you can return to your martial arts training. If your doctor is not
familiar with martial arts, explain what activities comprise a normal class. You
wouldn’t want him or her to think that you do an hour of full contact sparring at
every class and therefore prescribe weeks off from your training. You may be
able to return to limited training sooner than you expect. In general, gentle
exercise is helpful rather than harmful to the body after an injury.
For muscle and joint injuries, your physician or physical therapist will give
you a set of simple exercises to do each day. No matter how easy the exercises
seem, make a commitment to doing them on the schedule that you are given.
Your body needs to make a slow, gradual return to activity after an injury. If you
already have a stretching plan in place, go over each exercise with your physical
trainer to see which ones are okay for you to continue doing during your
rehabilitation and which are off limits.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine offers a number of
tips for speeding your recovery after a sports injury:
• Maintain year round balanced physical conditioning.
• Make sure that injuries are recognized early and treated promptly.
• Participate in a full functional rehabilitation program.
• Stay fit while injured.
• Keep a positive, upbeat attitude.
Although it’s too late to do the first item on that list after an injury, you can
begin right now, while you’re healthy. The better physical condition you are in,
the more quickly you will recover in the event of an injury.
Stretching for Rehabilitation
In general, rehab exercises build strength and range of motion at a very
gentle pace through static stretches, aided stretches and resistance exercises
using your body’s own weight or therapy bands.
Some of the flexibility exercises typically recommended for rehab are:
For the Back:
Side Bend
Seated Torso Twist
Back Stretch
Cat Stretch
Back Curl
For the Shoulders:
Arm Circles
Shoulder Stretch
Double Arm Pull
Corner Press
Rotator Cuff Stretch
Dip
Seated Twist
Stick Lift
Shoulder Press
For the Wrist:
Wrist Flex
Wrist Bend
Fist Roll
For the Hip:
Butterfly Stretch
Prone Hip Rotation
Cross Knee Pull
Partner Piriformis
Abductor Stretch
V Stretch
For the Leg or Knee:
Calf Stretch
Standing Quad Stretch
Hurdler Stretch (beginner)
Hurdler Twist
Crossover Hurdler
Prone Leg Ext. (beginner)
Heel Stretch
Instep Stretch
For the Ankle:
Hurdler Twist
Heel Stretch
Instep Stretch
Ankle Rotation
 Toe Stretch
Although examples of rehabilitation exercises are provided here, you
should always consult with a professional trainer or therapist before beginning
any type of rehab program after an injury.

Altering your Plan

An injury can feel like a serious setback to your training plan. Suddenly, all
of your goals feel impossible to reach in the time frame you had planned and
your hard training feels like it’s quickly going down the drain. If you are a
dedicated athlete, even a few days off can leave you feeling sluggish and
discouraged.
The number one weapon you have in recovering from an injury is your
positive attitude. Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. Most injuries are
small bumps on the long road to martial arts mastery.
Your best ally in your recovery is your trainer, therapist, coach or
instructor. Work together to set a new plan, one that includes both your
rehabilitation exercises and as much of your regular training plan as you can
safely include.

Returning to Training
How quickly you can return to your regular training after an injury depends
on the severity of the injury, the completeness of your rehab program, how
quickly your body heals and your general condition.
During the immediate recovery phase, when pain, bruising or swelling are
still present, a course of rest, ice, elevation, compression and anti-inflammatories
are generally prescribed. Once the immediate recovery phase is past, you will
generally begin general conditioning exercises like cycling, rowing, swimming
or resistance training for the uninjured parts of the body. This is an important
part of maintaining your general fitness so that you do not fall behind in your
training. If you can maintain your overall strength and endurance through
crosstraining, your return to martial arts class will be much less difficult. During
this phase you will also begin strength and flexibility exercises for your injured
area.
The determination of when you can return to your regular martial arts class
should be made by your physician or physical therapist, but there are some
general guidelines to help you know when you are approaching readiness. A
return to class will generally be allowed when you:
• Do not have pain or swelling in the injured area.
• Have regained full range of motion.
• Have regained a sufficient level of strength.
• Can comfortably perform weight-bearing activities.
Long-term Recovery
After an injury, your body is often more susceptible to injury, either to the
same area or to another part of the body. Some injuries, like ligament tears or
fractures have healing times of six months or longer. Even when you have been
cleared to return to class, exercise caution. Test out your abilities progressively,
starting at fifty to seventy percent intensity and building back up to your pre-
injury intensity over a period of weeks.
Some injuries are caused by a deficit in your conditioning program. Work
with your coach, instructor or trainer to create a conditioning program that
ensures the injured area will stay strong and flexible after you return to training.

Chapter Five Q & A

Can I stretch every day?
Moderate stretching can be done every time you workout, however you
should reserve the more intense exercises for every other day or three days a
week to give your body time to recover.
Where in my workout should I include stretching exercises?
If you are doing strength training and/or cardio, do it before your flexibility
exercises.
How many repetitions of each stretch should I do?
For dynamic exercises, like knee raises or arm circles, between eight and
twelve repetitions on each side are adequate. For static stretches, two to four
repetitions on each side are enough.
How I can set goals that really work?
 Be specific, have a time line, focus on yourself, keep a record or training
log, use a variety of training methods, stick to a schedule and don’t get
discouraged by setbacks.
I don’t have time to keep a training log. Is it really necessary?
While a training log is not necessary to reaching a goal, it can be a great
help. Your training log can be as simple as a single sheet of paper with a one line
entry per training session.
Stretching every day is too boring. How I can make myself want
to do it?
Vary your stretching methods by pairing up with a partner, changing the
location or time of your workout or rewarding yourself after stretching.
 Chapter 6: The Exercises
There are no secrets or shortcuts to maximum flexibility, but there are some
easy things you can do to get the most out of every stretching session.

Quick Tips
There are no secrets or shortcuts to maximum flexibility, but there are some
easy things you can do to get the most out of every stretching session:
• Choose exercises that target the muscles you use in your martial arts
movements or with a specific goal in mind. Avoid stretching for the sake of
stretching.
• Stretch both sides of the body equally. Many stretches provide directions for
one side—repeat the stretch on the other side as well.
• Always warm-up before stretching.
• Stretch daily or at every workout.
• Stretch opposing muscles equally.
• Focus on the muscle(s) being stretched while minimizing movement in the rest
of the body.
• When possible, isolate a single muscle group to improve the feedback you
receive while stretching.
• Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds. Holding a stretch beyond 30 seconds does
not result in increased gains.
• Inhale prior to a stretch and exhale as you move into the stretch. Breathe evenly
and comfortably while holding a stretch.
• Stretch the same muscle in a variety of positions and at a variety of angles.
• Prior to a stretch, focus on relaxing the target muscle.
• Stop if you experience:
o joint pain
o sharp or sudden muscular pain
o dizziness, light-headedness or shortness of breath
• Move into static stretches gradually, maintaining awareness of the muscle
group and the amount of tension you are placing on it.
• It is unnecessary to stretch to the point of extreme pain. Once you feel tension,
the muscle is being stretched (elongated beyond its current limit). Beyond this
point, added tension may inhibit rather than enhance the stretch.
• On competition days, stretch as close to your event as possible to take
advantage of the immediate benefits of stretching.
• Know where you should feel tension in each stretch. If you are performing a
hamstring stretch and feeling tension in your low back, calf or knee,
something is wrong with your positioning.

Safety
There are a number of cautions that should be observed when stretching, no
matter how experienced or fit you are.
• The most important rule is to use common sense and listen to your body.
Taking an aggressive approach to stretching can do more harm than good.
You can’t make up for a week of missed practices in one day. Attaining
maximum flexibility requires patience. Take a long-term approach and work
with your body, not against it.
• If you are uncertain about your readiness for any of the exercises presented
here, consult with your physician, trainer, coach or instructor.
• A mild sensation of burning or pulling should be felt in the target muscles
when stretching. It should be mildly uncomfortable but never unbearable.
• Wear appropriate clothing—loose fitting workout clothes or your martial arts
uniform.
• Practice on a non-skid surface. Many standing stretches require a solid base.
• Stretching barefoot is recommended. If this isn’t possible, a pair of flexible
martial arts shoes is the next best thing.
• Don’t bounce during a stretch. Bouncing causes the muscles to tighten and
heightens the risk of injury.
• If an exercise has more than one variation, begin with the easier form and work
up to the more advanced versions.
• Focus on relaxing into each stretch rather than pushing yourself.
• Follow instructions for exercises carefully. There are right and wrong ways to
stretch every muscle. Good flexibility exercises are designed to provide a
maximum stretch with a minimum risk of injury.
• Breathe naturally throughout each stretch. Exhale as you lower into the stretch
then maintain an even rhythm. If you feel the need to hold your breath, you’re
pushing too hard. Instead, relax up out of the stretch slightly and focus on
breathing evenly as your muscles release.
• Hold each stretch for about twenty seconds. For some stretches, this might be
difficult at first and it’s okay to only hold the stretch for as long as you are
comfortable. Over time, gradually increase the duration until you work up to
twenty seconds.
• Do gravity assisted stretches with caution and only after fully warming up.
Gravity assisted stretches are exercises like splits and standing toe touches
which use the force of gravity to increase the pressure on the stretch.
• Avoid straining other parts of your body to achieve a stretch. For example,
when doing the lying hamstring stretches, take care to keep your head flat on
the floor to avoid straining your neck muscles. Cheating to reach a deeper
stretch is counterproductive.
• You should never feel pain in your joints during stretching exercises. If you do,
stop immediately and discontinue that exercise.
• When doing flexibility exercises that require bending at the waist, always bend
from the hip, not the lower back. Maintain a straight spine when bending. The
lower back is extremely vulnerable to injuries.
• Stretch both sides of the body equally. Spend the same amount of time on your
right hamstring as your left, on your right shoulder as your left, etc.
• Stretch opposing muscles equally—if you stretch the hamstrings, don’t forget
the quads, if you stretch the back don’t neglect the abs.
• Practice slowly and mindfully.
• Pay attention to your entire body, not just the muscles you are stretching. Focus
on your overall posture and on balancing the entire body, right and left, upper
and lower. If it helps, visualize the physical structure of the stretch in your
mind as you perform it.
• Move into and out of each stretch with care.
• Always increase strength and flexibility together.
• Not every exercise in this book is recommended for every person. Physical
limitations, preexisting injuries or medical conditions may make some
exercises inadvisable. Heed the cautions and discontinue any exercise that
causes you pain.

Understanding the Exercise Descriptions

Each exercise description is broken down into several parts:
Primary Benefit
The primary result of the stretch. Exercises are grouped throughout the
book by primary target areas, but many exercises stretch more than one area, so
a more detailed explanation is provided here.
Martial Arts Application
How this exercise contributes to your martial arts training.
How to Perform
Instructions for performing the exercise. Under this section you may also
find variations for beginning or advanced practitioners. Begin with the standard
or beginner variation before progressing to an advanced variation.
Repetitions
There are two basic types of flexibility exercises: those performed
dynamically for a high number of reps and those performed progressively for a
low number of reps. To assist in your planning, each exercise is designated as a
simple repetition exercise or a progressive repetition exercise.
Simple repetition exercises should be performed 8 to 12 times on each side.
 Progressive repetition exercises should be performed as follows:
• First rep: A gentle stretch—just enough to feel the stretch in the target
muscles.
• Second rep: A deeper stretch—hold and relax into it.
• Third rep: A deeper stretch—hold for the longest duration of the three.
• You can perform a fourth rep, progressing further into the stretch if you
are able.
• Rest between reps, either simply relaxing up out of the stretch or
alternating sides.
Focus Point
The keys to a correct and successful stretch.
Cautions
Read and follow the cautions for each exercise. The exercises in this book
cover a broad skill range and may not be suitable for every athlete. Know your
limitations and attempt only those exercises that you feel you can comfortably
and safely perform. For every exercise with a caution or limitation, there are
other, safer exercises to serve as a substitute.
 Chapter Seven: Neck Exercises
Neck Rotation
Primary Benefit:
Prepares the neck muscles for vigorous exercise.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the neck muscles for falling/grappling and defensive movements
(i.e. bobbing and weaving). Increases flexibility in spotting during turns.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
Beginning at the right shoulder, slowly rotate the head down across the
chest to the left shoulder and back across the chest to the right shoulder.

Focus Point:
Center your neck vertebrae and execute the exercise with consistent
application of force throughout.
application of force throughout.
Caution:
Never rotate the head to the rear because it puts undesirable pressure on the
vertebrae. Perform slowly.
Variation:
1. Look to the left and to the right
2. Look up and down alternately.

Neck Pull
Primary Benefit:
Stretches & strengthens the neck muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the neck muscles for close combat grappling and resistance
movements.
Repetitions:
2-6 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
Place your right hand on the left side of your head and gently pull your head
toward your right shoulder.
Focus Point:
Focus on a gentle steady pull.

Modified Bridge
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the neck, chest, abdominal, quadriceps and shin muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Strengthens and loosens the neck and torso for falling and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your knees and raise your hip up off the floor, holding your ankles
for stability or crossing your arms over your chest.
Caution:
Do not do this exercise if you have a preexisting neck or back injury. If you
are uncertain of your neck strength, have a partner spot you by supporting your
waist as needed.
Focus point:
Focus on keeping your hip higher than your waist.

Shoulder Standing
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the neck and back.
Martial Arts Application:
Helps prevent neck and back injuries in falling and throwing techniques.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back.
2. Raise your legs toward the ceiling transferring your weight onto your
upper back and shoulders. Place your hands on your hip for support. Once you
feel comfortable in this stretch, try placing your palms flat on the floor behind
you to increase the difficulty.
Caution:
Stop if you experience pain in your neck or back, or become dizzy or light-
headed. Do not do this exercise if you have a preexisting neck or spinal injury or
if you have high blood pressure or are significantly overweight.
Focus point:
Focus on aligning your body directly over your shoulders and extending
toward your toes. You should feel a lightness in your lower body and a grounded
feeling in your upper body.

Advanced variations:
Variation 1 (harder):
Lower your legs until your feet touch the floor above your head.
Variation 2 (easier):
If you need to work up to lowering your feet to the floor, begin by lowering
your feet to the seat of chair placed above your head.

Focus Point:
Focus on maintaining control as you lower your feet, breathing out slowly
and relaxing into the stretch.
 Chapter Eight: Shoulder Exercises
Arm Circles
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, chest and upper back.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves circular striking, blocking and throwing techniques.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stretch both arms out to the side.
2. Rotate them in large circles to the front.
3. Reverse and rotate to the rear.

Variation:
1. Rotate in small circles to the front.
2. Reverse and rotate in small circles to the rear.
Focus Point:
Focus on tightening your stomach muscles to anchor your body during the
movement.

Half Windmills
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulder, chest and triceps muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for striking and throwing skills that require moving
your arms in different directions.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stretch one arm over your head and let the other hang at your side.
2. Simultaneously thrust both arms to the rear twice.
3. Switch arms and repeat.
Focus Point:
Focus on both hands breaking the plane of your body equally to the rear.
Variation:
To intensify the stretch, perform in front stance, alternating right and left
stances for an equal number of reps.

Shoulder Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, triceps and oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Reduces the risk of shoulder injury in locking and falling applications.
Improves range of motion for punching and other hand skills.
Repetitions:
2-3 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Put your left hand over your right shoulder and press your left elbow with
 1. Put your left hand over your right shoulder and press your left elbow with
your right hand.

2. Raise your left arm above your head and bend at the elbow. Press down
on your elbow with your right hand.

3. Grasp your right hand and pull to the left with your left hand.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your bent arm parallel (#1) or perpendicular (#2-3) to the
floor.

Double Arm Pull

 Double Arm Pull
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulder, triceps and oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for striking and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-3 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Hold a towel or belt in one hand and drop it over your shoulder behind
you so it hangs along your spine.
2. With your other hand, reach up and grasp the other end of the belt in
front of your spine.
3. First, pull upward with your upper hand and hold.
4. Then pull downward with your lower hand and hold.
5. Perform on the other side by reversing the position of your hands. Keep
your stomach muscles firm and your spine straight throughout.

Focus point:
Focus on a balanced stretch in both shoulders. Do not twist your torso to
increase the stretch.
 Corner Press
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the chest, shoulders and inner arms.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for rear striking and weapons (i.e. nunchaku)
techniques.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing a corner of the room with your feet together pointing
directly into the corner.
2. Raise your arms to shoulder level with your elbows bent at a ninety-
degree angle.
3. Place your hands flat on the wall with your fingers pointing toward the
ceiling.
4. Lean into the corner, pressing your hips slightly forward.

Focus Points:
 Focus on pressing your whole body forward to intensify the stretch.

Rear Arm Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the shoulders, arms and lower/mid back.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves your ability to endure joint lock techniques due to increased range
of motion (defensive endurance).
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stretch both arms behind your back and interlock your fingers with your
thumbs pointing to the ground.
2. Bend at the waist and raise your arms toward the ceiling.

Cautions:
Do not do this exercise if you have a previous shoulder injury, especially a
shoulder dislocation.
Focus Point:
Focus on pulling your elbows inward, toward each other.
 Arm Raises
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms and torso.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for throwing, striking skills and spinning/rotating
techniques.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet a bit more than shoulder width apart and your fists
touching the ground.

2. Extend your right arm up above your back while keeping your left fist on
the ground. Look at your upraised fist.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your arms on one plane when extending one overhead.

Rotator Cuff Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders.
Martial Arts Application:
Reduces the risk of injury in striking, grappling and weapon practice.
Repetitions: 2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing your partner.
2. Raise your arm to shoulder height and bend it at the elbow, keeping your
arm on one plane.
3. You partner places one hand under your biceps for support and grasps
your wrist with her other hand.
 4. When you are ready, your partner rotates your forearm backward by
pushing your wrist while maintaining the position of your upper arm.

Focus Point:
Focus on a slow, gentle stretch while maintaining the position of your upper
arm. Communicate the level of intensity of the stretch with your partner to
prevent injuries.
Rear Palm Press
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulder, arm, wrist and hand muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for striking and weapons techniques.
Repetitions:
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Standing, place your hands behind your back, palms together, fingers
pointing downward.
2. Slowly rotate your hands inward toward your back until your fingers are
pointing toward the ceiling.
3. If you are not feeling a stretch, press your palms together more firmly
and pull your elbows back and inward.

Caution:
Do not attempt the rear palm press if you have had a shoulder injury or
shoulder pain in the past.
Focus Point:
Focus on relaxing your shoulders and opening your chest.
Variation (easier):
If you cannot turn your hands inward, simply press your palms together
with your fingers pointing downward.
 Rear Towel Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulder, arms and wrists.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for striking, grappling, and joint locks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Raise your arms above your head and grasp a belt or towel at a width of
about one and half times your shoulder width.
 2. Lower your arms. As you reach shoulder level, bend your right arm at the
elbow, while keeping your left arm straight and continuing to lower your arms.
You should feel the stretch in your left arm at this point.

3. Continue lowering your arms, straightening your left arm at the first
comfortable point below shoulder level.
 4. Finish at waist level with both arms straight.
Caution:
Discontinue this exercise if you experience shoulder pain.
Focus Point:
Be flexible in adjusting the width of your arms according to your flexibility
level but focus on keeping one arm straight throughout.

Dip
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, chest and upper arms.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility and strength for striking, grappling and weapons
techniques.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stand about three feet from a sturdy chair or stretching bar.
2. With your back to the chair, place your palms on the top of the seatback
and bend your knees and elbows, lowering yourself as close to a sitting position
as possible. Do not go below a ninety-degree knee bend. To increase the stretch,
as possible. Do not go below a ninety-degree knee bend. To increase the stretch,
move your feet away from the chair.

Focus Point:
Begin from a static stretch and gradually dip further to intensify the effect
of the stretch.

Kneeling Reach
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders and chest.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility in the upper chest and shoulders for grappling and
throwing.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on the floor facing a chair or other low sturdy surface.
2. Stretch your arms over your head and fold them so your forearms are
touching.
3. Bend forward at the waist and rest your folded arms on the seat of the
chair.
chair.

Caution:
Do not perform the kneeling reach if you experience shoulder pain or if you
have a preexisting shoulder injury.

Kneeling Forearm Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the forearms, wrists and shoulders.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility in the lower arm for weapons applications and
grappling skills like wrist locks and arm bars.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on the floor with your fingers pointed toward you and your thumbs
pointed outward.
2. Keeping your palms flat, lean backward, lowering your hips toward your
feet until you feel a stretch in your forearms and wrists.
Focus Point:
Move your entire body backward to gradually increase the stretch in the
wrists.

Seated Twist
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the front of the shoulders and the obliques.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the shoulders for striking, weapons and joint lock (defensive)
techniques.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Sit on a chair with a firm back or against a wall.
 2. Bend one arm and place it behind your back, keeping your forearm
parallel to the floor.

3. Turn your head and torso toward your bent arm.

Focus Point:
Keep your torso straight and rotate around your erect spine.

Stick Lift
Primary Benefit:
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the chest, shoulder and oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for striking and weapons techniques.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Seated, clasp a stick with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width
apart.

2. Keeping your stomach pulled in and your back straight, raise the stick as
far above your head and behind you as you can.
Focus Point:
Keep your arms straight throughout the exercise but don’t lock out your
elbows.

Hand Stand
Primary Benefit:
Stretches and strengthens the shoulders, abdominal and back muscles, and
wrists.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility, strength and sensitivity to posture and balance in
movements that require inversion, such as falling and flipping.
Repetitions:
2-3 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Place your palms flat on the ground and raise your legs up toward the
ceiling.
2. Balance on your hands for up to one minute.
Caution:
Falling over backwards during a handstand could result in serious neck and
spine injuries. Always use a spotter or support. If you have high blood pressure,
avoid inverted stretches such as the hand stand.
Focus Point:
Focus on using your total body musculature to raise yourself into position
rather than kicking up or throwing your body upward.
Beginner Variation 1:
If you cannot balance, have a partner catch and hold your legs or use a wall
for support.
Beginner Variation 2:
If you cannot extend into the stretch fully, balance the soles of your feet on
a wall.

Partner Bridge
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, chest, back and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
 Increases flexibility and strength in the upper chest and shoulders for
grappling and throwing.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Face a partner and place your hands on each other’s shoulders.
2. Each person takes one big step backward and bends at the waist.

3. Continue moving backward until you both feel a comfortable stretch in

your shoulders. If one person is more flexible than the other, stop moving
backward before the less flexible partner becomes uncomfortable.
Caution:
Do not perform the partner bridge if you experience shoulder pain or if you
have a preexisting shoulder injury.
Focus Point:
Lean toward your partner to equalize the distribution of force. Cooperation
is a must.

Scissor Swing
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, chest, back and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
 A good warm-up for movements that utilize the upper and lower body in
opposing directions.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand beside a sturdy chair or stretching bar and place your right hand on
it for support. Raise your left leg to the front while swinging your left arm to the
rear.

2. Once your arm and leg reach their maximum height, reverse direction,
swinging your leg to the rear while your arm comes up and forward.

Focus Point:
Focus on a relaxed coordination of your arm leg. Smoothness is more
important than height.
 Chapter Nine: Chest Exercises
Press, Press, Fling
Primary Benefit:
Stretches shoulder, arm & chest muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for striking and throwing.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your arms outstretched in front of you.

2. Thrust your elbows to the rear two times.

 3. Swing your arms to the rear once.

4. Return to Position 1 after each step.

Focus Point:
Begin from a small motion and increase range of motion as you warm up.

Criss Cross
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the chest, shoulder and back muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for striking and grappling.
Repetitions:
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stretch both arms in front of you.

2. Cross your arms right over left, then left over right, then right over left
again.

3. Thrust both arms to the rear.

Focus Point:
Relax and develop a rhythm.

Up Back Over
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders and chest.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for throwing and takedown skills that use both arms
together.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Swing your arms up.
 2. Swing your arms down to the rear.

3. Swing your arms over your head in a circle to the rear.

Focus Point:
Begin slowly and increase speed as you warm up.

Seated Chest Opening

 Seated Chest Opening
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the upper torso, including the obliques, chest,
shoulders and neck, as well as the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for turning and spinning movements.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Sit with both legs split comfortably to the sides, but not to their
maximum stretch.
2. Reach for your right foot with your right hand. Rest your left hand on
your left thigh.
3. Slowly twist your upper body to look upward over your left shoulder.
4. Relax your left shoulder backward, fully opening your chest.

Focus Points:
Lean your body slightly forward and toward your outstretched arm.

Chest Pull
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the chest and shoulder muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for striking, grappling and weapons techniques.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your arms out
to the sides.
2. Your partner stands behind you with one shin bracing your lower back
while she grasps your forearms.
3. When you are ready, she pulls your arms back toward her, opening your
chest.

Caution:
Your arms should not be pulled closer together than your partner’s hips and
you should never stretch far enough for your arms to touch behind you. If you
have ever dislocated a shoulder or feel pain in your shoulders when stretching,
do not perform this stretch.
4. Then she releases the stretch and pulls back and slightly upward.
Focus Point:
Relax your arms, hands and neck.

Shoulder Press
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the chest and shoulders.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for grappling and defensive hand skills.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands over your ears.
 2. Press your elbows to the floor, opening your chest and shoulders.

Focus Point:
For the best stretch, your hands should be directly behind your ears when
you lower your arms.

Chest Opening
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the neck, shoulders, chest, abdominal and spinal
areas.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves strength and flexibility for grappling and striking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your stomach with your hands in push-up position.
 2. Push your upper body off the ground and fully extend your arms while
looking upward.

Focus Point:
For a deeper stretch of the lower back, press your hip and feet down into the
floor.
Advanced variation (harder):
1. Lie on your stomach and grasp your ankles.
2. Lift your knees and head, drawing them toward each other as you pull
your feet up and toward you.
 Inverse Chest Opening
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the chest, shoulders and arms while strengthening
the arms.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for movement on the ground.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs extended in front of you, your hands behind you and
your palms on the floor.
2. Lift your torso, shifting your weight onto your feet and hands while
looking upward.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your torso straight.
Beginner variation (easier):
Instead of extending your legs outward, bend your knees and put your feet
flat on the floor.
Advanced variation (harder):
1. From the Beginner Variation position, raise your left leg slowly off the
floor to about chest level.
2. Lower your left leg and repeat with your right.

Lateral Chest Opening

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the shoulders, chest and the oblique muscles of the torso, while
strengthening the arms.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility and strength for grappling and kicking, especially back
kick and side kick.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your stomach and place both palms on the floor.
 2. Press upward, looking up over your right shoulder.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your feet, knees, hip, shoulders and head on one line.
Advanced variation:
1. Lie on your stomach and place both palms on the floor.
2. Press upward, looking up over your right shoulder.
3. When you feel stable, reach your right hand up toward the ceiling,
extending your fingertips for a full stretch.
 Back Lift
Primary Benefit:
Loosens the spine and chest.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking, grappling and throwing while increasing
leg strength.
Repetitions:
1-3 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stand back to back with a partner and lock your arms at the elbow.

2. One partner leans forward, lifting the other onto his back. Do not lock out
your knees when lifting.

Caution:
Caution:
Always do this exercise with a partner of similar weight and height. Load
the person slowly onto your back. Do not do this exercise if you have preexisting
back or knee injuries.
Focus Point:
Totally relax your body and trust your partner.
 Chapter Ten: Arm, Wrist and Hand
Exercises
Inside Forearm Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the underside of the forearm, wrist and fingers.
Martial Arts Application:
Warm-up and conditioning for joint locking practice and snapping strikes
like backfist.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Grasp the fingers of your right hand with your left hand and pull toward
you (right palm facing away from you).

2. Slowly raise the height of your arm to your head height.

3. Slowly lower to belt level.
Focus Point:
Grab your wrist firmly but leave the index finger of your gripping hand
free.
free.

Outside Forearm Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the outside of the forearm, wrist and fingers.
Martial Arts Application:
Warm-up and conditioning for joint locking practice.
Repetitions:
3-6 Simple, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Grasp your left hand with your right hand, placing your right thumb
against the back of your left hand.
2. Twist your right hand counterclockwise by pushing with your right
thumb and pulling with your right fingers.

Advanced Variation (harder):

To intensify the stretch rotate your upper body slowly to the right then left,
as if applying a wrist lock to yourself.
 Single Arm Twist
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the front of the upper arm and shoulders.
Martial Arts Application:
Warm-up and conditioning for joint locking, grappling and striking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your left side to a wall and reach back to place your left palm
on the wall.
 2. Place your right arm behind you and turn to your right, reaching your
right hand toward the wall and looking over your right shoulder toward your left
hand.

Focus Point:
Exhale as you twist.

Stick Twist
Primary Benefit:
Primary Benefit:
Loosens and strengthens the muscles of the wrist and forearm.
Martial Arts Application:
Warm-up and conditioning for joint locking, weapons and striking practice.
Also improves grip strength.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Grasp a short stick (about the length of your arm) in the middle.

2. With your arm extended at shoulder height, twist your arm to the right
and left, maintaining control of the stick.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your arm height level at the center of the rotation.

Wrist Flex
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the top and bottom of the wrist.
Martial Arts Application:
Warm-up and conditioning for joint locking, striking and weapons practice.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Grasp your right hand with your left hand.
 2. Pull toward your chest.

3. Push away from your body.

Focus Point:
Fix your elbow position at 90º and move your hands and forearms only.

Wrist Bend
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the wrist and the lower forearm.
Martial Arts Application:
A good warm-up and conditioning for joint locking, striking and weapon
practice.
Repetitions:
 10-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your arms in a relaxed ninety-degree bend in front of you,
hands out, thumbs pointing to the ceiling.

2. Pull your thumbs back toward your chest.

3. Push your little fingers down toward the floor.

Focus Point:
Focus on maintaining your wrist at shoulder height throughout the
movement.

Finger Press
 Finger Press
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the fingers, hands and forearms.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves strength and flexibility of the grip for grappling, locking, striking
and weapon practice.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stretch your arms in front of you and interlock your fingers with your
thumbs facing downward.
2. Stretch and flex your elbows.

Variations:
Press downward (thumbs facing toward your abdomen) then press upward
(thumbs facing away from you).
Focus Point:
Exhale on the outward or downward movement and inhale on the upward or
inward movement.

Finger Pull
Primary Benefit:
 Stretches the muscles of the fingers and hands.
Martial Arts Application:
Prevents stiffness in the grip.
Repetitions:
2-4 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Grasp one finger. Keeping your wrist flat, gently pull the finger back
toward your forearm.
2. Perform on each finger and thumb individually.

Focus Point:
Focus on pulling gently while trying to minimize the resistance in the finger
being stretched.
Variation (harder) :
To emulate actual combat situations, you can turn your arm over, so your
palm is facing upward.

Fist Roll
 Fist Roll
Primary Benefit:
Loosens the muscles in the wrist and back of the hand.
Martial Arts Application:
Conditioning and warm-up for joint locks, striking and grappling.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your arms in a relaxed ninety-degree bend in front of you,
hands out, thumbs pointing to the ceiling.
2. Make fists with both hands and roll your fists up toward your wrists.

3. Reverse and roll the opposite way.

Focus Point:
Your index finger knuckle is the anchor point of the rotation.
 Chapter Eleven: Torso Exercises
Side Bends
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for throwing and striking.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Standing, raise your right arm and stretch it over your head.

2. Bend to the left, reaching over your head to toward the floor. Align your
arm with your ear as you reach.
Focus Point:
Focus on aligning your elbows, head, knees and feet on the same plane. Do
not lean forward or backward.

Side Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles of the torso, lower back, hip and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for throwing and striking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet three to four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned
in and your right foot at a ninety-degree angle.
2. Extend your arms to the sides at shoulder height and bend to the right,
letting your hip shift backwards.
3. Touch the floor beside your right foot and look upwards at your
outstretched left hand.
Focus Point:
Focus on extending both arms outward away from the chest to open the
chest muscles and elongate the torso.

Moving Torso Bend

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the chest, abdominal and spinal areas.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases the range of torso movement in throwing and takedowns.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand with both feet shoulder width apart and arms outstretched.
 2. Bend forward and touch the ground in front of you.

3. Reach through your legs and touch the ground behind you.

4. Stand up and lean back, placing your hands on your hip and opening your
chest.
Focus Point:
Support your back when you lean to the rear and relax your spine when
leaning forward.

Lunging Side Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches oblique, groin and hamstring muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases range of motion for spinning and twisting movements, such as
those in jumping kicks or stick/sword practice.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your back foot slightly turned
in and your front foot facing forward.
2. Bend your front knee and twist your upper body so your rear arm is
tucked against the outside of your front leg.
3. Extend your other arm straight out from your body beside your ear.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your extended arm, torso and legs on one plane.

Partner Torso Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles groups of the torso, including the latissimus
dorsi (back) and abdominal oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves spinning and throwing skills.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand back to back with a partner.
 2. Both partners twist their upper body to the right and touch palms.

Focus Point:
Spot your partner (visually) on each turn to practice orienting yourself in
motion.
Variation:
One partner twists to the left while the other goes right.

Seated Torso Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles groups of the torso, including the latissimus
dorsi (back) and abdominal oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for striking, throwing and spinning skills.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your left leg crossed over your right leg.
2. Put your right arm on your left leg and turn to your left, supporting
yourself with your left hand. Look to the rear.

Focus point:
Focus on stretching with your breathing—lengthen the spine as you inhale
and twist into the stretch as you exhale.

Hybrid Torso Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscle groups of the torso, low back, hip and legs
including the latissimus dorsi (back), abdominal oblique and quadriceps
muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for grappling, kicking and spinning skills.
Repetitions:
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs comfortably split.

2. Twist to your right, placing your hands on the floor—your right hand
behind your hip and your left hand behind your knee.

3. As you lower your upper body to the floor, bend your knees and relax
your feet.
Focus Point:
At the maximum point of the twist, use your rear knee for leverage to
increase the stretch in your torso.

Elongation Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles of the torso, arms and legs
Martial Arts Application:
Excellent warm-up or cool down stretch for total body relaxation.
Repetitions:
3-6 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with both legs extended and your arms reaching up over
your head.
2. Gently stretch your arms up through your fingers. Point your toes and
release your pelvis and lower back as you lengthen your legs.

Focus Point:
Focus on lengthening the whole body from the spine, elongating all of the
 Focus on lengthening the whole body from the spine, elongating all of the
major areas of the body: arms, spine and legs.

Full Body Arch

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility across the front of the body, including the abs and
quads.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for all movements.
Repetitions:
3-6 Simple
How to Perform:
Lying on your back, point your toes and press your hands into the floor
while arching your pelvis up off the floor.

Focus point:
Focus on spreading your weight evenly across your heels, shoulder blades
and arms. Release tension in the torso.

Lying Torso Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles groups of the torso, hip and low back,
abdominal oblique, hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for grappling, kicking (especially roundhouse kick and
crescent kick) and spinning skills.
crescent kick) and spinning skills.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with both arms outstretched to the side.
2. Raise your right leg and twist your body to touch your foot to the floor
on your left side. You may look to the right to increase the stretch.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping both shoulders flat on the floor.
Beginner variation (easier):
1. Lie on your back with both arms outstretched to the side.
2. Raise your right knee and twist your body to touch your knee to the floor
on your left side.

Advanced variation(harder):
1. Lie on your stomach.
2. Raise your right leg and touch your right foot to your left hand behind
you.
 Lunging Side Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the large muscles of the torso and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves strength and flexibility for throwing and falling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned in
and your right foot at a ninety-degree angle.
2. Extend your arms to the sides at shoulder height and bend to the right,
flexing your right knee to a ninety-degree angle and keeping your right thigh
parallel to the floor.
3. Rest your right elbow on your thigh and reach your left arm up toward
the ceiling, beside your left ear.
 Focus point: Focus on keeping your head, hip and feet aligned as you
stretch.
Beginner variation (easier):
1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned in
and your right foot at a ninety-degree angle. Place a chair in front of your hips.
2. Place your hands or forearms on the back of the chair (at chest height) for
support and bend to the right, flexing your right knee to a ninety-degree angle
and keeping your right thigh parallel to the floor.

Advanced variation (harder):

1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned in
 1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned in
and your right foot at a ninety-degree angle.
2. Extend your arms to the sides at shoulder height and bend to the right,
flexing your right knee to a ninety-degree angle and keeping your right thigh
parallel to the floor.
3. Place your right hand on the floor beside your right foot. Focus on
keeping your head, hip and feet aligned as you stretch.

Bridge
Primary Benefit:
Improves overall torso flexibility.
Martial Arts Application:
Strengthens and loosens the torso muscles to improve jumping, kicking and
grappling skills.
Repetitions:
1-3 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your palms on the floor next to your head and raise your body up
onto your hands and feet.
onto your hands and feet.

Caution:
The bridge puts pressure on the spine. If you have back pain or a pre-
existing back injury, do not perform this exercise.
Focus Point:
Create a firm base with your legs so you can relax your upper body.
Beginner variation 1 (easier):
Kneel with your knees together and bend backward, touching your hands to
the soles of your feet while looking upward.

Beginner variation 2 (easier):

Lie on your back, with your knees bent. Bring your feet in towards your
shoulders while raising your buttocks off the floor. Hold your ankles for support
while keeping your hip raised as high off the ground as is comfortable.
Beginner variation 3 (easier):
Progress to a supported bridge, with a partner supporting your lower back
while she helps you push up into the stretch.

Advanced variation (harder):

Lift up onto your toes to intensify the stretch.
 Chapter Twelve: Back Exercises
Torso Twist
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the upper and lower back and the oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves agility in falling, grappling, throwing skills and spinning strikes.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet a bit more than shoulder width apart and your arms
stretched out to the side.

2. Bend forward at the waist and alternately touch your toes with your
outstretched arms.
Focus point:
Focus on twisting and bending from the hips.

Spinal Roll at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Loosens the spinal column.
Martial Arts Application:
Works as a both a warm up and strengthening exercise for the much used
large muscles of the back and pelvis.
Repetitions :
8-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Bend at the waist and put both hands lightly on the bar for balance.

2. Release your spine by flexing your knees slightly and dropping your
 2. Release your spine by flexing your knees slightly and dropping your
abdomen toward the floor while you look upward.

3. Raise up onto your toes, hunching your shoulders and lengthening your
spine. Imagine being pulled upward by a string attached to your shoulder blades.
Relax your head and neck.

Focus Point:
Focus on a smooth rhythmic movement, like a wave in the ocean.

Seated Stick Twist

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility around the spine.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for striking and weapon techniques.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
 8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Sit on a bench or stand in horse riding stance. Plant your feet wide
enough to stabilize your hip.

2. Rest a long stick across your shoulders and grasp it with both hands at a
comfortable distance from your shoulders.

3. Turn to the right, looking over your right shoulder then to the left looking
over your left shoulder
Focus point: Focus on keeping your hip and legs still while getting
maximum range of motion above the waist.
maximum range of motion above the waist.

Back Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the back and shoulders.
Martial Arts Application:
Relaxes the back muscles in preparation for all types of practice.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on your hands and knees.
2. Sink your buttocks backward onto your feet, point your toes under you.
3. Slide your hands forward along the floor to increase the stretch.

Focus Point:
Focus on pressing your low back straight down into the floor.

Cat Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches and strengthens the back.
Martial Arts Application:
A good warm up for all types of practice.
Repetitions:
 8-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on your hands and knees. Look at the floor but do not drop your
head.

2. Inhale while curling your spine up toward the ceiling.

3. Exhale while pressing your spine down toward the floor.

Focus Point:
Focus on rounding your back by keeping your chin tucked to your chest.

Back Roll
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the back.
Martial Arts Application:
Strengthens and loosens the spine for falling and throwing.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your knees bent and your hands clasped around your thighs or
shins.

2. Gently roll back until your shoulder blades touch the floor and then roll
up to the starting position. If you have difficulty rolling back up, try stretching
your arms toward your feet, rather than grasping your legs.

Focus Point:
Keep your head and pelvis level while trying for maximum movement in
the spine.

Back Curl
Primary Benefit:
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the back.
Martial Arts Application:
Strengthens and loosens the spine for falling and throwing.
Repetitions:
6-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.

2. Pull your knees to your chest and while lifting your head to meet your
knees.

Focus Point:
Focus on lifting your shoulders and flattening your lower back on the floor.

Back Bend at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Loosens the spinal column and stretches the large muscles of the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range and acrobatic kicks.
Repetitions:
1-3 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand about one foot from the bar, with your hands resting on the bar,
and allow your partner to lift your leg to about waist height.
2. Slowly bend your upper body backward toward the bar while letting your
hands slide outward along the bar.

3. If you are very flexible, once you have reached an upper body arch, raise
up onto your toes while your partner maintains the height of your outstretched
leg.

Caution:
Do not perform this exercise, if you have a preexisting back injury or
 Do not perform this exercise, if you have a preexisting back injury or
experience back pain during the exercise.
Focus Point:
Focus on aligning your body from your straightened spine downward.

Seated Reaches
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles along the sides of the torso.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for twisting and spinning movements, as well as
defensive body movements (i.e. bobbing and weaving).
Repetitions:
3-6 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs split to a comfortable angle and your arms outstretched
at shoulder height.

2. While looking straight ahead, reach your right hand as far as you can to
the right without bending your spine.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your spine and your head erect.
 Chapter Thirteen: Hip Exercises
Hip Rotation
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the hip joint.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the body for activity of all kinds.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Place your hands on your waist and rotate your hip clockwise.

2. Reverse and rotate counterclockwise.

Focus Point:
Roll your pelvis in a smooth gliding motion.

Slump
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the groin and hamstrings.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for grappling and kicking.
Repetitions:
6-8 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with one foot on a chair and the other on the floor beside the chair.
2. Bend straight forward at the waist, letting your upper body relax toward
the floor.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your torso bent at a ninety degree angle, with your thigh
perpendicular to your torso and your hip square to the front.

Cross Legged Side Bend

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the obliques, lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and
calves.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the body for throwing, grappling, weapons and striking
techniques.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet together, crossed at the ankles.
2. Bend to the right side, reaching for your left ankle. Keep both feet flat on
the ground and both knees straight.
Focus point:
Focus on relaxing the hamstrings and hip. Bending the lower back is a
secondary goal.

Standing Piriformis Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the buttocks and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the buttocks muscles for kicking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing a low (hip high) stretching bar.
2. Place your lower leg and foot along the top of the stretching bar.
3. Lean forward into the stretch.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping the side of your lower leg flat along the bar so you feel
the stretch deep within your buttocks.

Modified Squats at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the buttocks and abductor muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases flexibility for kicking, stances and grappling skills.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Facing the bar, bend at the waist and place your hands on the bar for
support.
 2. Flex your left knee and lower your body, bringing your right knee under
your left leg. Keep your right foot pointed.

Caution:
Do not perform this exercise if you have a preexisting knee injury or
experience knee pain during the exercise.
Focus Point:
Decrease the amount of weight place on your standing leg to increase the
stretch in your other leg.

Partner Groin Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the groin and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range, especially for side, back and spinning
kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing a wall or stretching bar, with your partner standing beside
you.
2. Place your hands on the wall, lean slightly forward and lift your leg to the
side like you are chambering a roundhouse kick.
3. When you are ready, your partner raises your leg to the side, keeping
your thigh and calf parallel to the ground and your knee at a ninety-degree angle.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your hip square to your partner and your spine straight.

Squat
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hip, groin and lower back muscles, as well as the heels and
ankles.
ankles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves range of motion in the legs and lower back for kicking, throwing
and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart.
2. Slowly lower your buttocks, toward the floor, dropping your weight
between your feet.
3. To balance in the squat position, lean your upper body slightly forward
and place your hands between your feet.
4. To increase the stretch, use your elbows to push outward on your knees.

Caution:
Stop if you experience knee pain at any time during the stretch. Squatting is
not recommended if you have had knee pain or a knee injury in the past.
Focus point:
Focus on stretching equally across the inner thighs. You may feel the
stretch more in one leg than the other at first, but do not push the more flexible
leg until the less flexible one “catches up.”

Butterfly Stretch
 Butterfly Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hip, groin and thigh muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking range.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your knees bent and the soles of your feet touching.
2. Straighten your spine by sitting against a wall or putting your hands
behind you, palms flat on the floor for support.
3. To deepen the stretch, move your feet closer to your thighs.

Caution:
Do not allow anyone to stand on or put their full body weight on your legs
during this exercise.
Focus point:
Focus on distributing your weight equally over both feet and sinking your
hip into the squat.
 Advanced Butterfly Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the lower back, hip, groin and thigh muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking range.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your knees bent and the soles of your feet touching.
2. Lean forward from the waist, setting your elbows on the floor in front of
you or applying pressure to your knees with your arms.

Caution:
Do not allow anyone to stand on or put their full body weight on your legs
during this exercise.

Knee Pull
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the lower back, buttocks, groin and hamstring muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking range in advanced kicks such as twisting kicks and
crescent kicks.
crescent kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Seated, bend your knee and pull it toward your chest with both arms.

2. A number of methods can be used to pull your leg: place both hands on
your ankle (over the top or cradling your leg) or place one hand on your ankle
and one on your knee. If you have had knee pain in the past, the second method
is safest.

Focus Point:
Focus on pulling the leg as one unit to avoid stressing the knee. You should
feel a slight twist in the deep muscles at the top of your leg and in your buttocks.
 Single Leg Pull
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hamstrings and hip muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with both legs extended.
2. Grasp one foot and extend the leg out to the side, bringing it to rest on the
floor beside you. Open your pelvis and keep your back as flat on the floor as
possible.

Focus Point:
Focus on opening your pelvis and keeping your spine flat on the floor.

Prone Hip Rotation

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the pelvis.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for footwork, kicking or ground work.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your back flat to the floor.
2. Raise one knee and draw a circle in the air with it. You may use your
hand to support your knee if necessary.

Focus Point:
Firmly plant your supporting leg to isolate the movement in your other leg.

Frog Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the adductor muscles in the inside of the upper thighs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
 1. Kneel with your feet turned outward and your elbows on the floor.

2. Slowly spread your knees outward as you slide your hands forward on
the floor.

3. If you can do so comfortably, let your pelvis and chest come to rest on
the floor.

Focus Point:
Press your hip down toward the floor to deepen the stretch.

Y Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the torso, hip and thighs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for spinning, twisting and turning movements as well
as ground work.
Repetitions:
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Begin on your stomach with your chest raised and arms extended.

2. Swing your right leg over your left, stretching as far to the right as
possible, while looking to the front.

Focus Point:
Focus on swinging the leg in a smooth motion while keeping the stationary
leg anchored to the floor.

Cross Knee Pull

Primary Benefit:
 Stretches the lower back, buttocks and outside upper thighs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking range.
Repetitions:
6-8 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your left foot flat on the floor and your right ankle
resting just above your left knee.

2. With both hands, pull your left leg toward you until you feel a stretch in
your right thigh.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your lower leg perpendicular to your torso throughout the
stretch.

Partner Piriformis Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the buttocks and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the buttocks muscles for kicking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back and raise one leg with your knee bent.

2. Your partner steadies your knee with one hand while grasping your ankle
with the other.

3. When you are ready, your partner gently pulls your knee toward him (to
maintain the angle of the stretch) while pushing your leg toward you.
maintain the angle of the stretch) while pushing your leg toward you.
Focus Point:
Focus on relaxing your stretching leg and not resisting the pull.

Bridge and Roll

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the torso and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the body for groundwork and grappling.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent and arms up
in a “ready” position. Bridge up onto your shoulders. Tuck your chin.

2. Roll to the right, onto your right shoulder. Look and reach to the right.
Focus Point:
Focus on thrusting your pelvis upward as you turn.
 Chapter 14: Leg Exercises
Knee Rotation
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the knees.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for footwork, kicking or ground work.
Repetitions:
10-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand with both knees together.
2. Place your hands on your knees and rotate them clockwise.
3. Reverse and rotate counter clockwise.

Focus Point:
Stabilize your head position above your feet.

Knee Raises
 Knee Raises
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the hip joint and hamstrings while strengthening the
legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height, range, speed and power.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Raise one knee up as high as you can. Relax your upper body, letting
your arms rotate close to your torso.

Beginner variation (easier) :

Lean your back against a wall and have a partner push your knee up to your
chest and hold it.
Advanced variation 1 (harder):
Twist to touch your knee to the opposite elbow.

Advanced variation 2:
Rotate the leg outward ninety degrees to open the hip.
Focus Point:
Relax your feet and focus on lifting from your knees.

Abductor Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the outer legs and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, particularly for side kick and spinning
kicks (hip turning agility).
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand sideways next to a wall.
2. Place your left arm on the wall, with your palm flat on the wall and
fingers pointing toward the ceiling.
3. Leaning your left hip into the wall, cross your left leg behind your right
leg.
Focus Point:
Focus on slowly pushing your hip toward the wall while keeping your
upper body erect.

Calf Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Increases flexibility in the back of the lower leg.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves jumping, kicking, footwork and low stances.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand about arms’ length from a wall and place your palms on the wall at
shoulder height.
 2. Step back with your right foot, bending your left knee, while keeping
your right leg straight and your right heel on the floor.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your heel flat on the floor and your foot pointed at the
wall. If your heel leaves the floor, you are no longer isolating your calf muscles.

Toe Touch
 Toe Touch
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calves.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and stance depth.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Stand with both feet together and knees straight.
2. Bend at the waist and touch the floor with your hands.

Caution:
If you feel dizzy, stand up slowly. If you often feel dizzy during the toe
touch, try Beginner variation 2, keeping your head above waist level. If you have
knee pain during this stretch, try Beginner variation 2 and do not lock your knees
out.
Beginner variation 1 (easier):
Begin in a squat with both palms on the floor then stand up as far as you
can while maintaining your hand position.
Beginner variation 2 (easier):
If the conventional toe touch is too difficult, use a chair or stretching bar for
support, bending forward at the hips and resting your hands on the back of the
chair or the bar.

Advanced variation 1(harder):

Touch your palms to the floor.

Advanced variation 2 (harder):

Cross your legs and touch your toes.
Focus point:
Focus on relaxing the hamstrings. Touching the floor is a secondary goal.

Twisting Toe Touch

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calves.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and stance depth.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Standing with both feet together, flex your knees and twist your upper
body to the side, reaching down to touch the floor on your right side with both
hands.
 2. Slowly stand up as far as you can, keeping your hands on the floor.

Focus point:
Try to keep your feet and knees facing forward throughout the exercise.

Windmills
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calves.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height, particularly for twisting or spinning kicks.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
How to Perform:
1. Cross your feet and stretch your arms out to the sides.

2. Keeping your legs straight, reach your right hand to the outside of your
left ankle. Reach your left hand toward the sky and look at your fingertips.

Focus point:
Bend from the hip to maintain the structure of your spine and shoulders as
you reach toward your ankle.

Lunging Forward Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hip and leg muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for deep stances and kicking.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet about four feet apart, your left foot slightly turned in
and your right foot at a ninety-degree angle.
2. Extend your arms above your head and lunge forward, flexing your right
knee to a ninety-degree angle and keeping your right thigh parallel to the floor.

Focus point:
Focus on keeping your pelvis square to the front and your spine straight and
erect.

Single Leg Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hip and quadriceps muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range as well as balance.
 Increases kicking height and range as well as balance.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand on your right leg and raise your left leg behind you.
2. Grasp your left ankle with your left hand and pull it up and toward you
while lowering your upper body. Make sure you are pulling on your ankle, not
your foot during this stretch.

Focus Point:
Focus on slow moving balance as you stretch.

Standing Quad Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the front of the thigh.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range and improves range of motion for leg
blocks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
How to Perform:
1. Stand on your left leg and bend your right leg until you can grasp your
right ankle behind you.
2. Let your right foot relax as you stretch. Do not pull on your foot.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your calf and thigh aligned under your hip so your leg
does not rotate outward.

Toe Raises at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Loosens the muscles of the pelvis and the backs of the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves strength and flexibility for kicking and stances.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Bend at the waist and place both hands lightly on the bar for balance.
 2. Flex your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor.

3. Raise your heels from the floor, maintaining the angle of flexion in your
knees.

4. Straighten your knees while staying up on your toes.

Focus Point:
Maintain a straight spine and focus on the movement in your pelvis and
knees.

Individual Leg Raises

 Individual Leg Raises
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the major muscle groups in the legs and groin.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking range and balance.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Standing, place your leg on a stretching bar or other firm support at about
waist height. Your standing foot should be parallel to the stretching bar.
2. Loop a belt around your foot and pull back slowly, maintaining an
upright posture.

Focus Point:
Straighten your torso and standing leg and focus on relaxing your upper
body.

Leg Extension at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the quadriceps and groin muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, particularly for kicks to the rear or
spinning kicks.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing the bar, with both hands on the bar for support.
2. Relax your head and neck. With your left leg straight, bring your right
knee up toward the bar.

3. Flex your left knee slightly while dropping your upper body down and
extending your right leg straight out behind you. Point your toes and try to make
your body into the shape of a gentle curve.

4. Bend your right leg, pulling your foot toward your buttocks.
Focus Point:
Be flexible in the movement of your supporting leg and upper body to
create a smooth flowing stretch.

Groin Stretch at the Bar

Primary Benefit:
Stretches large muscle groups of the lower back, hip and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially axe kick, roundhouse kick
and front kick.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Stand at the bar with the toes of your right foot resting on the bar and
your hands grasping the bar on either side of your foot for balance.

2. Bend your right knee, deepening the stretch in your hamstrings and calf.
 3. If you are very flexible, raise up onto the toes of your left foot, bringing
your right knee into your chest.
Focus point:
Do not allow either knee to roll outward during this exercise. Keep both
knees facing forward at all times.

Stretching Bar Split

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the groin and legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range, especially axe kick, crescent kick and
high jumping kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing the stretching bar and place your right ankle on the bar.
 2. Slide your ankle to the right, down the bar, to lengthen the stretch. Keep
your left foot flat on the ground.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your hip square to the wall and your spine erect.

Partner Front Leg Raise

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the major muscle groups in the legs and groin.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases height and range for front, axe, crescent and raising kicks.
Repetitions:
 2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Standing, place one leg on your partner’s shoulder or have your partner
raise one leg up in front of you without bending your knee.

2. When you are ready, your partner moves lower by sliding his back leg
backward into a low stance, deepening the stretch.

Caution:
Indicate to your partner when to stop and hold the stretch to prevent
overstretching.
Beginner variation (easier):
If you cannot place your leg on your partner’s shoulder or your partner is
not strong enough to confidently support you, use a wall or stretching bar for
support while your partner raises your leg.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your hip square to the front and your upper body as erect
as possible.

Partner Side Leg Raise

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the major muscle groups in the legs and groin.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases height and range for side, hook and whip kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Standing, place one leg on your partner’s shoulder or have your partner
raise one leg to the side of you without bending your knee. Clasp hands with
your partner for balance, if necessary.
 2. When you are ready, your partner deepens the stretch by sliding his back
leg backward into a low stance.

Caution:
Indicate to your partner when to stop and hold the stretch to prevent
overstretching.
Beginner variation (easier):
If you cannot place your leg on your partner’s shoulder or your partner is
not strong enough to confidently support you, use a wall or stretching bar for
support while your partner raises your leg.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your head, hip, knee and feet aligned, and your upper
body as erect as possible.

Partner Rear Leg Raise

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the major muscle groups in the legs and groin.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases height and range for back kick, front kick, raising kicks and
spinning kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate
How to Perform:
1. Facing away from your partner, lean forward. Steady yourself with your
hands on the ground or on your knee.
 2. Reach up and backward with your leg to place it on your partner’s
shoulder as she stands in a low front stance or have your partner raise your leg.

3. When you are ready, your partner stands upward, increasing the stretch
as you maintain your balance,.
Caution:
Indicate to your partner when to stop and hold the stretch to prevent
overstretching.
Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your head, hip, knee and feet aligned.
Beginner variation:
If you cannot place your leg on your partner’s shoulder or your partner is
not strong enough to confidently support you, use a wall or stretching bar for
support while your partner raises your leg.
 Controlled Kicks
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility and strength in the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height, range and control.
Repetitions:
6-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform for Front Kick, Raising Kick or any Linear Kick:
1. Stand in a left foot forward fighting stance, with your right hand resting
lightly on the bar beside you (the bar is on your right side).

2. Raise your right knee and slowly extend into a front kick, using the bar as
a light support. Kick as high as you are able to without support.
 3. Hold for a count of 3 to 10, depending on your ability level. Retract your
leg slowly and return to fighting stance.

Focus Point:
Focus on controlling the progression of the movement (angle of
chambering, weight transfer, pivot, range of motion and retraction) at your
optimum height. Raw kicking height is a secondary goal.
How to Perform for Side Kick or Roundhouse Kick:
1. Stand in a right foot forward fighting stance with your right hand resting
lightly on the bar (the bar is on your right side).
 2. Raise your left knee, turn and slowly extend into a side kick, placing both
hands on the bar for light support. Kick as high as you are able without support.

3. Hold for a count of 3 to 10, depending on your ability level. Retract the
leg slowly and return to fighting stance.

How to Perform for Spinning Kicks:

1. Stand in a right foot forward fighting stance (the bar is on your right
 1. Stand in a right foot forward fighting stance (the bar is on your right
side).

2. Turn counterclockwise toward the bar, raise your left knee, and slowly
extend into the kick, placing both hands on the bar for light support. Kick as
high as you are able without support.

3. Hold for a count of 3 to 10, depending on your ability level. Retract the
leg slowly and return to fighting stance.
 Partner Controlled Kicks
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility and strength in the legs
Martial Arts Application:
Increases strength, flexibility and control in kicks.
Repetitions:
6-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. At the stretching bar, choose a kick from the Controlled Kicks exercise
on the previous pages and perform steps 1 and 2 of the exercise.
 2. When your kick reaches its maximum extension, have your partner
lightly grasp your shin (or your lower thigh if you experience knee pain) and
raise your leg another 1-3 inches.

3. When your partner removes his supporting hand, try to hold this new
height. If necessary, your partner can provide a very light support so that you are
doing at least 80% of the work to hold the kick in the air.
Focus Point:
To increase the length of time you can hold each kick, focus on the
equilibrium between your upper and lower body. The primary goal, however, is
to maintain a perfect kick for a short duration rather an imperfect movement for
a longer duration.

Forward Leg Swings

Primary Benefit:
Improves dynamic flexibility in the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially for axe kick and front kick.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
 1. Stand in fighting stance at the bar and place your right hand on the bar
for light support.

2. Swing your right leg up, loosely and without power, focusing on a
dynamic initiation of the swing.

3. Let it fall and swing past your left foot.

Focus Point:
Begin with smaller swings to relax your leg initially, then progress to larger
swings as your muscles warm up.

Lateral Leg Swings

Primary Benefit:
Improves dynamic flexibility in the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially for side kick, hook kick and
back kick.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing the bar and place both hands on the bar for light support.

2. Swing your right leg up to the right, loosely and without power, focusing
on a dynamic initiation of the swing.

3. Let it fall and swing past your left foot.

Focus Point:
Focus Point:
Begin with smaller swings to relax your leg initially, then progress to larger
swings as your muscles warm up.

Rear Leg Swings

Primary Benefit:
Improves dynamic flexibility in the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially for back kick, whip kick and
spinning kicks.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand facing the bar and place both hands on the bar for light support.

2. Swing your right leg up to the rear, loosely and without power, focusing
on a dynamic initiation of the swing. Look back over your shoulder at your foot.
 3. Let your leg fall and swing slightly through to the front, without touching
the wall.
Focus Point:
Don’t open your hip to the rear when you raise your leg. Focus on keeping
your pelvis as square to the wall as possible.

Measured Kicks
Primary Benefit:
Improves dynamic flexibility in the legs.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height, range and accuracy.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. On a heavy bag, mark 3 to 4 zones, about three inches in height, with the
lowest zone at a very comfortable height for your kick.
 2. Throw two full power kicks to the lowest zone, two 80% power kicks to
the next highest zone and two 50% power kicks to the remaining zones.

3. Finish up by throwing one kick to each of the zones, from lowest to

highest.

4. Rest briefly between each kick and focus on accuracy of height.

Focus Point:
Pay careful attention to the placement of your support leg so the distance
for each kicking height is correct before you begin to kick. This will increase
for each kicking height is correct before you begin to kick. This will increase
your sensitivity to distance and therefore increase the accuracy of your high
kicks.
Variations:
Finish (step 3) by kicking middle-low-high or high-middle-low.

Groin Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the groin, hamstring and calf muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially for crescent kicks, axe kick
and linear kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand with your feet about twice your shoulder width apart.
2. Squat to the left side with your left leg bent and your right leg extended.
Reach toward your right foot, maintaining an erect spine. Your pelvis should be
square to the front.

Focus Point:
Incline your upper body slightly forward at the hip while keeping your
 Incline your upper body slightly forward at the hip while keeping your
spine erect.
Standing Split
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the groin, hamstrings and quads.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves linear kicking height.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand a few feet from a wall.
2. Bend forward and place your palms on the floor.
3. Raise one leg behind you with your toes pointed toward the ceiling and
slide your foot as far as possible up the wall.

Focus point:
Focus on keeping your pelvis square to the floor.

Cross Under
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the hip, buttocks and outside of the legs as well as
the side of the torso.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking and ground work.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit in front of a bench (or heavy bag) with your arms resting on the object
for support and most of our weight on your right hip.
2. Cross your left leg over your right, bending it at the knee.
3. Lift your weight onto your left foot, supporting your upper body with
your arms, while you stretch your right foot along the floor away from you.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your upper body as erect as possible.

Kneeling Quad Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the front of the hip and groin muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking and deep stances.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on your right knee, placing your left foot on the floor.

2. Slide your right leg backward, allowing your hip to open. Never allow
your left knee to extend in front of your left ankle.

Caution:
If you experience knee pain or have a pre-existing injury to your kneecap or
knee cartilage, do not lift your rear foot off the ground.
Focus point:
Focus on pressing your rear thigh toward the floor.
Advanced variation:
Lift the foot of your rear leg toward your spine while you lower your hip
downward.
 Static Torso Bend
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the back, hamstrings and calves.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases the range of torso movement in throwing, takedowns and falls.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on all fours with your hands shoulder with apart.

2. Lift your hip and straighten your knees, going up on your toes.
 3. If you are comfortable lowering your heels to the floor, do so, letting
your head drop slightly for a deeper stretch in your arms and back.
Focus Point:
Focus on pressing your chest toward your thighs.
Beginner variation 1:
If you have pain in your hamstrings, flex your knees slightly and keep your
heels raised.

Beginner variation 2:
If you have pain in your shoulders, rest your hands on a slightly elevated
surface, like a low step.
 Double Quadriceps Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the quadriceps muscles, knees and ankles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking initiation speed, flexibility and range of movement on the
ground.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel with your toes pointed under your hips. Never turn your feet out
during this stretch.
2. Lie back with your legs folded under you. If you cannot lie flat, rest your
elbows on the floor to ease the stretch to a comfortable position.
Caution:
Stop if you experience knee pain.
Focus Point:
Use your hands and elbows as support to control the depth of the stretch.

Kneeling Groin Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the inside upper thigh.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking, stances and ground work.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Place your left foot flat on the floor and bend your knee so that your shin
is perpendicular to the floor. Place your hands on either side of your foot for
support and balance.
2. Place your right knee and foot on the floor behind you and slightly out to
the right.
3. Lean forward with your upper body and press your pelvis toward the
ground. Do not allow your right knee to come forward of your right ankle—
maintain the perpendicular angle.
maintain the perpendicular angle.

Caution:
Stop if you experience knee pain.
Focus Point:
Focus on pressing your hips toward the ground while maintaining the
starting position of both feet.

Seated Toe Touch

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hamstrings.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height, especially front kick and jumping kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs extended in front of you and together, with your knees
straight.
2. Extend your arms in front of you and bend at the waist to touch your
hands to your toes.
Focus point:
Focus on pressing your thighs down into the floor and pulling your toes
back.
Beginner variation (easier):
1. Sit with your legs extended in front of you and together, with your knees
straight.
2. Place your hands behind you, palms flat on the floor. Focus on pressing
your thighs down into the ground and pulling your toes backward until you feel a
slight stretch.

Advanced variation (harder):

1. Facing a partner, sit in the starting position with the soles of your feet
touching.
2. Grasp hands.
3. One partner leans back while the other partner leans forward.
 3. One partner leans back while the other partner leans forward.

Caution:
During the partner stretch, the partner leaning forward should indicate if the
stretch becomes too painful.

Seated V Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hamstring, groin and oblique muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range, especially side kick, back kick, axe kick
and crescent kicks.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs spread as far to sides as you find comfortable.
2. Reach your left arm toward your right thigh while you lean to the left
from the hips Reach your right arm over your head toward your left foot.

Focus Point:
Focus Point:
Focus on bending sideways from your hip. Do not slouch your back or lean
forward.

Box Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hamstrings and low back.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for techniques on the ground.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit facing your partner, with one of your legs bent in front of you and the
other outstretched. Your partner’s outstretched foot is pressed lightly against
your bent leg and your outstretched foot is pressed lightly against your partner’s
bent leg.
2. Grasp hands or wrists with your partner.
3. Lean backward as your partner bends forward at the waist. Lean only as
far as is comfortable for your partner.
4. Repeat the process with your partner leaning back and you bending
forward. The forward bending partner should always control the degree of
stretch.

Focus Point:
Focus Point:
Maintain a straight spine while bending from the waist.

Straddle Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the legs and hip.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Seated, spread your legs to the sides.
2. Bend at the waist and stretch forward. Try to keep your toes pointed to
the ceiling and your thighs flat on the floor.

3. Stretch to the right foot.

4. Stretch to the left foot.
Focus Point:
Relax your hip joints and shoulders, bringing your focus to pressing your
legs into the floor.
Beginner variation (easier):
If you cannot reach your foot, loop a belt around the arch of your foot and
gently pull toward you.
Advanced variation (harder):
1. Sit facing a partner in the starting position with your feet touching.
2. Grasp hands.
3. One partner lies back while the other leans forward.

Hurdler Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the hamstrings and low back.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and speed.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your right leg bent to the side and your left leg extended in front
 1. Sit with your right leg bent to the side and your left leg extended in front
of you.
2. Stretch forward to touch the toes of your left leg, keeping your toes
pointed to the ceiling. Do not allow your foot to turn out.

3. Turn and look to the back, rotating your upper body away from your left
leg.

Caution:
If you have knee pain or a pre-existing knee injury, try the beginner
variation or discontinue the exercise. The traditional huddler stretch puts stress
on the ligaments of the knee and can lead to instability of the knee joint.
Focus Point:
Press your thigh into the floor and bend/rotate from the hip.
Beginner variation(easier):
1. Sit with your left leg folded in front of you and your right leg extended.
2. Stretch forward to touch the toes of your right leg, keeping your toes
pointed toward the ceiling. Do not allow your toes to turn out.
3. If you cannot reach your toes, loop a belt around the arch of your foot
and gently pull.
Partner variation (harder):
1. Sit with your left leg folded in front of you and your right leg extended,
keeping your toes pointed toward the ceiling.
2. Your partner places his hands on your lower back.
3. As you stretch forward toward your right foot, your partner pushes gently
on your lower or mid-back to assist the stretch. Let your partner know when to
stop pushing.

Hurdler Twist
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in the front and outside of the lower leg.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the lower leg for deep stances and footwork.
 Prepares the lower leg for deep stances and footwork.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your left leg folded in front of you and your right outstretched.
2. Grasp your right foot with your right hand and rotate it slowly inward
and toward you, so that your ankle faces upward. If you cannot reach your foot,
use a towel to gently pull your foot inward and toward you.

Focus Point:
Focus on keeping your buttocks flat on the floor.

Crossover Hurdler
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the back of the leg, particularly behind the knee, and in the lower
back.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking range and height, especially raising kicks and kicks to the
rear.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your left leg outstretched and your right leg bent. Rest your left
 1. Sit with your left leg outstretched and your right leg bent. Rest your left
ankle above the knee of your right leg.
2. Bend forward at the waist and reach for your right foot.

Focus Point:
Keep your toes pointed toward the ceiling and bend from your waist until
you feel a gentle stretch behind your knee.

Side Split
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the legs and groin.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range, especially for axe kick, crescent kicks,
front kick, side kick and back kick.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Extend your left leg in front of you and your right leg behind your body,
keeping your knees straight.
2. For an added stretch, bend your upper body to the floor.
Focus Point:
Focus on inhaling and exhaling deeply to release tension during the stretch.
Create a feeling of dropping your upper body rather than pressing it downward.
Beginner variation (easier):
If you cannot reach the floor, bend your rear leg and put your rear knee on
the floor for support.

Seated Leg Extension

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the buttocks and hamstrings.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Seated, grasp the arch of your right foot with you right hand and place
your left hand on your right knee.
your left hand on your right knee.

2. Extend your leg by pulling with your right hand and pressing with your
left. Press on your knee further to increase the stretch.

Focus Point:
Gently round your spine to aid in releasing tension from your hamstrings.

Center Split
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the legs and hip, particularly in the groin area.
 Stretches the legs and hip, particularly in the groin area.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves kicking height and range.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs split to either side, as far apart as is comfortable. Your
knees should be straight but not locked out and your toes pointed toward the
ceiling.
2. To deepen the stretch, move your hip and buttocks forward while
keeping your feet in place.

Focus point:
Focus on moving your hip forward while keeping your upper body erect
and your toes pointed at the ceiling.
Beginner variation (easier):
1. Begin with your feet flat on the floor, legs straight and your palms on the
floor in front of you for support.
 2. Slowly lower yourself down, shifting your weight onto your heels and
pointing your toes toward the ceiling. Try to keep your back as erect as possible,
using your arms to support yourself as necessary.

Deep Bow
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles in buttocks and thighs.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicking (especially high side kick) and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your right knee bent in front of you on the floor and your left
knee folded gently behind you with your toes pointed.

2. Lower your upper body forward over your right knee, resting your arms
 2. Lower your upper body forward over your right knee, resting your arms
on the floor.

3. Keeping your right leg bent under you, stretch your left leg out straight
behind with your toes pointed.
Caution:
Do not perform this exercise if you have a preexisting knee injury or
experience pain during the exercise.
Focus Point:
Align your hip and knee along the same plane.
Reach and Flex
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the muscles of the hip and the quadriceps.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height.
Repetitions:
8-10 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your arms outstretched and your knees bent.
2. Raise your right leg up toward the ceiling, pointing your toe and pulling
your hip up off the floor. Balance your weight equally on your shoulders and left
foot.
 3. Pull your toes downward, flexing your foot and stretching the back of
your leg. If you find it comfortable, you can also raise up onto the toes of your
left foot.

Caution:
Do not perform this exercise if you have a preexisting neck injury.

V Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the groin and leg muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Good preparation for kicking practice and a good way to work up to doing
the more advanced splits.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your lower back flat to the floor and your legs
raised up toward the ceiling, feet together.
2. Lower your legs to the sides. You may use your hands to gently support
your legs or place your palms on the floor for balance.

Focus Point:
Relax your feet so that your toes are lower than your heels.
Beginner variation (easier):
1. If you find it difficult to keep your legs upright while stretching, lie down
with your buttocks and legs resting against a wall.
2. Lower your legs along the wall, using the wall to support your feet,
calves and thighs.

Prone Leg Extension

Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the buttocks and hamstrings.
 Improves flexibility in the buttocks and hamstrings.
Martial Arts Application:
Increases kicking height and range, especially for crescent kicks, front kick
and axe kick.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
Lying on your back, grasp the arch of your left foot with your left hand and
pull toward your left shoulder.

Caution:
Place your hand or a belt in the arch of your foot. Do not pull on your toes
during this exercise.
Focus point:
Focus on keeping your hip equally balanced.
Beginner variation (easier):
If you cannot grasp your foot, loop a belt around the arch of your foot and
use it to gently pull your leg toward you.
 Double Leg Extension
Primary Benefit:
Improves flexibility in the obliques, lower back, hip and buttocks.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for grappling, throwing and kicking.
Repetitions:
6-8 Simple, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lying on your back, extend your arms to the sides and raise both legs,
keeping your knees straight.

2. Slowly lower your legs to one side, as close to your outstretched hand as
possible.
Focus Point:
Use your arms to control the slow descent of your legs into the stretch.

Spinal Twist
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the lower back and buttocks.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for ground work and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your arms outstretched at shoulder height and your
knees bent.

2. Cross your left leg over your right, placing your left ankle just above
your right knee.
 3. Lower your right knee to the floor on your right side and look to the left.
Focus point:
Focus on keeping your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor.

Reverse Spinal Twist

Primary Benefit:
Stretches the lower back, buttocks and outer hip muscles.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for ground work and grappling.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Lie on your back with your arms straight out to the side and your legs
bent.

2. Cross your left leg over your right leg at the knee.
 2. Cross your left leg over your right leg at the knee.
3. Use your left leg to gently pull your right leg toward the floor on the left
side, while keeping your upper back and shoulders flat on the floor. Your lower
back may twist slightly off the floor.

Focus point:
Focus on keeping your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor for a
maximum stretch in your hip and lower back muscles.

Alternating Calf Stretch

Primary Benefit:
Increases flexibility in the back of the lower leg.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves jumping, pivoting, squatting, low stances and footwork.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Bend forward (at about a 45° angle), staying on your toes, and place your
palms on the ground.
2. Alternate touching your heels to the ground one at a time. If you cannot
touch the ground, come as close as possible.
Focus Point:
Pull your knees straight toward your head.

Heel Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Increases flexibility in the back of the lower leg.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves jumping, pivoting, squatting, low stances and footwork.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Stand on a step and hold the railing or wall for balance.
2. With your heels hanging over the edge of the step, keep your legs straight
and lower your heels.
Caution:
Do not perform this exercise if you have experienced plantar fasciitis in the
past or if this exercise causes pain in your foot.
Focus Point:
Use your two feet as a unit, keeping your ankles and knees close together.

Instep Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the top of the foot up through the shin.
Martial Arts Application:
Improves flexibility for kicks that use the top of the foot as a striking
surface.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive, alternate sides
How to Perform:
1. Stand about arms’ length from a wall and place your palms on the wall at
shoulder height.
2. Reach back with one foot and place your toes on the floor.
3. Slowly sink into the stretch, pressing the top of your foot and ankle
 3. Slowly sink into the stretch, pressing the top of your foot and ankle
toward the floor.

Focus Point:
Slowly lower your body to increase the intensity of the stretch.

Arch Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Stretches the plantar arch on the bottom of the foot as well as the toes.
Martial Arts Application:
Prepares the feet for kicking and footwork.
Repetitions:
2-4 Progressive
How to Perform:
1. Kneel on all fours, with your toes on the ground.
2. Slowly sit back toward your feet, keeping your toes pressed into the
ground.
Focus Point:
Keep your feet perpendicular to the floor. Do not allow your heels to turn
outward.

Ankle Rotation
Primary Benefit:
Loosens the ankle joint.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for jumping, footwork and ground work.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your left leg outstretched and your right leg resting on it.
2. Grasp your right foot with your left hand and gently rotate it to the left
and then to the right.
 Focus Point:
Begin with small natural circles and progress to wider rotations.

Toe Stretch
Primary Benefit:
Loosens the muscles of the feet.
Martial Arts Application:
Good warm-up for jumping, footwork, kicking and ground work.
Repetitions:
8-12 Simple
How to Perform:
1. Sit with your legs outstretched and your hands behind you for support.
2. Press your toes away from you and down toward the floor, keeping your
ankles at a relaxed ninety-degree angle.
 3. Pull your toes back toward your knees, keeping your ankles at a relaxed
ninety-degree angle.

4. Relax your feet and spread your toes apart.

Focus Point:
Give your full attention to your toes during this exercise. They are both the
initiation and contact point of all kicks and are the precision element in
footwork, kicking and stances.
 Chapter 15: The Workouts
Core Workout
The Core Workout is where it all begins. Use these stretches as your
building blocks, adding style specific exercises as needed.
1. Neck Rotation
2. Shoulder Stretch
3. Finger Press
4. Wrist Flex
5. Standing Quad Stretch
6. Calf Stretch
7. Arch Stretch
8. Butterfly
9. Seated Torso Twist
10. Seated Toe Touch
11. Ankle Rotations
12. Lateral Chest Opening
13. Cross Knee Pull
14. Elongation Stretch

Warm-up
The goal of the warm up is to prepare the body for vigorous movement.
Doing 8 - 12 repetitions of each exercise in this set will get your heart rate
elevated and increase your body temperature in preparation for a workout. Begin
with five minutes of aerobic exercises like footwork or light jogging.
1. Neck Rotation
 1. Neck Rotation
2. Arm Circles
3. Finger Press
4. Fist Roll
5. Half Windmills
6. Side Bends
7. Moving torso Bend
8. Arm Raises
9. Knee Rotation
10. Hip Rotation
11. Knee Raises
12. Leg Swings
13. Rear Leg Swings
14. Alternating Calf Stretch
15. Ankle Rotation
16. Back Roll

Cool Down
A brief cool down period allows your body to naturally return to its resting
state. Perform each of the exercises in this set slowly, concentrating on your
breathing and relaxing fully into each stretch.
1. Back Stretch
2. Chest Opening
3. Frog Stretch
4. Advanced Butterfly
5. Ankle Rotation
6. Shoulder Standing
 6. Shoulder Standing
7. Toe Stretch
8. Back Curl
9. Shoulder Standing
10. Double Leg Extension
11. V Stretch
12. Prone Hip Rotation
13. Spinal Twist
14. Elongation Stretch
15. Slump

Light Contact Workout

If you practice a light or non-contact martial art like karate, kung fu, tai chi,
kenpo, taekwondo or cardio kickboxing, supplement the core workout with
stretches from this workout. Perform the core workout followed by the
supplementary stretches or create your own workout by combining the two in a
sequence that is comfortable for you.
1. Rear Arm Stretch
2. Twisting Toe Touch
3. Leg Swings
4. Seated Stick Twist
5. Leg Extension
6. Heel Stretch
7. Lunging Side Stretch
8. Knee Raises
9. Instep Stretch
10. Side Bends
11. Chest Pull
 11. Chest Pull
12. Partner Leg Raises
13. Lying Torso Twist
14. V Stretch
15. Knee Pull
16. Kneeling Quad Stretch
17. Back Curl
18. Groin Stretch

Full Contact Workout

If you practice a full contact martial art like muay thai, karate, taekwondo
or kickboxing, supplement the core workout with stretches from this workout.
Perform the core workout followed by the supplementary stretches or create
your own workout by combining the two in a sequence that is comfortable for
you.
1. Rotator Cuff Stretch
2. Single Arm Twist
3. Inside Forearm Stretch
4. Knee Raises
5. Leg Swings
6. Groin Stretch
7. Neck Pull
8. Chest Opening
9. Instep Stretch
10. Measure Kicks
11. Controlled Kicks
12. Heel Stretch
 13. Seated Stick Twist
14. Modified Bridge
15. V Stretch
16. Crossover Hurdler
17. Frog Stretch

Grappling Workout
If you practice a grappling art like judo, hapkido, jujitsu or aikido,
supplement the core workout with stretches from this workout. Perform the core
workout followed by the supplementary stretches or create your own workout by
combining the two in a sequence that is comfortable for you.
1. Rotator Cuff Stretch
2. Single Arm Twist
3. Outside Forearm Stretch
4. Finger Pull
5. Neck Pull
5. Kneeling Quad Stretch
6. Groin Stretch
7. Knee Pull
8. Wrist Bend
9. Double Arm Pull
10. Rear Palm Press
11. Rear Arm Stretch
12. Back Lift
13. Hurdler Twist
14. Bridge and Roll
15. Bridge
 15. Bridge
16 Corner Stretch
17. Spinal Twist
18. Reverse Spinal Twist
19. Modified Bridge

Mixed Martial Arts Workout

If you train for mixed martial arts competition in both stand-up and
grappling skills, supplement the core workout with stretches from this workout.
Perform the core workout followed by the supplementary stretches or create
your own workout by combining the two in a sequence that is comfortable for
you.
1. Rotator Cuff Stretch
2. Single Arm Twist
3. Slump
4. Partner Bridge
5. Neck Pull
5. Full Body Arch
6. Instep Stretch
7. Knee Pull
8. Wrist Bend
9. Partner Bridge
10. Back Lift
11. Rear Arm Stretch
12. Measured Kicks
13. Hurdler Twist
14. Bridge and Roll
 15. Bridge
16. Chest Opening
17. Spinal Twist
18. Crossover Hurdler
19. Modified Bridge
20. Back Stretch
21. Leg Swings
22. Squat
23. Chest Pull
24. Frog Stretch

Boxing Workout
If you are a boxer or practice a punching based art, supplement the core
workout with stretches from this workout. Perform the core workout followed by
the supplementary stretches or create your own workout by combining the two in
a sequence that is comfortable for you.
1. Rotator Cuff Stretch
2. Single Arm Twist
3. Slump
4. Fist Roll
5. Neck Pull
5. Corner Stretch
6. Heel Stretch
7. Torso Twist
8. Half Windmills
9. Seated Stick Twist
10. Kneeling Lift
 10. Kneeling Lift
11. Arm Raises
12. Modified Bridge
13. Crossover Hurdler
14. Chest Pull
15. Squat
16. Chest Opening
17. Reverse Spinal Twist
18. Spinal Twist
19. Back Stretch

Weapons Workout
If you practice a weapon such as the bo, nunchaku, joongbong, or sword,
supplement the core workout with stretches from this workout. Perform the core
workout followed by the supplementary stretches or create your own workout by
combining the two in a sequence that is comfortable for you.
1. Wrist Bends
2. Fist Roll
3. Rear Towel Stretch
4. Partner Torso Twist
5. Torso Twist
6. Stick Lift
7. Kneeling Quad Stretch
8. Corner Press
9. Seated Stick Twist
10. Windmills
11. Shoulder Press
 11. Shoulder Press
12. Stick Twist
13. Heel Stretch
14. Double Leg Extension
15. Rotator Cuff
16. Kneeling Reach
17. Kneeling Forearm Stretch
18. Back Stretch
19. Single Arm Twist

High Kick Flexibility

If increasing the height of your kicks is one of your goals, add a selection of
these exercises to your regular stretching workout. Many of these exercises are
advanced and assume that you are already at an intermediate to advanced level
of flexibility. If you are a beginner, start with less intense variations.
1. Advanced Shoulder Standing
2. Kneeling Quad Stretch
3. Advanced Butterfly
4. Y Stretch
5. Measured Kicks
6. Side Bends
7. Advanced Lying Torso Twist
8. V Stretch
9. Knee Raises
10. Partner Leg Raises
11. Abductor Stretch
12. Lunging Side Stretch
 13. Lateral Chest Opening
14. Leg Swings
15. Controlled Kicks
16. Alternating Calf Stretch
17. Straddle Stretch
18. Standing Split
19. Hurdler Twist

My Personal Top 10
1. Modified Bridge
I like doing this exercise before ground combat training because it helps me
have confidence in my neck strength, especially for rear chokes or side
headlocks. I do it for ten to thirty seconds for several sets. I usually combine this
with the Bridge and Cat Stretch to enhance my back flexibility.
2. Shoulder Standing
When I have stress or feel heavy, I do this for 3-5 minutes, then lower my
feet to the floor above my head. It brings the blood from my lower legs to my
head and loosens my lower body. Mentally, it makes me feel balanced. This
exercise is also good for tumbling or ground combat practice.
3. Arm Raises
This exercise enhances oblique muscle flexibility. It makes me disoriented
at the beginning but as I speed up I feel centered around the axle of my body.
Coordination and spatial awareness can be surprisingly improved. I do it 20 to
100 times, especially before practicing spinning kicks.
4. Lateral Chest Opening
Oblique muscles are the most important in circular kicks or punches, so I
use this exercise to relax and stretch my side muscles before roundhouse or whip
kicks. Usually I combine this with diagonal sit-ups to kill two birds: stretching
and strengthening.
5. Outside Forearm Stretch
5. Outside Forearm Stretch
The wrist is very vulnerable in grappling. Either you lose or gain control of
a fight by how you position your wrists. I combine this with the Wrist Flex,
Finger Press and Fist Roll to gain sensitivity of wrist movements for offensive
and defensive actions: pressing, breaking, circulating.
6. Partner Twist
I don’t like to feel disoriented, so I disorient myself as much as I can before
I engage in grappling or throwing. This is a safe, fun and challenging activity. I
do it slowly and then fast 10 to 20 times. It is very important that you fix the
vertical center of your body. I lower my center of gravity and spot his eyes
before I touch hands.
7. Slump
This is a good exercise to release the tension in the hip joint and stretch
your back and hamstring muscles. I especially like to do this after running.
Position your feet in the most stable and comfortable position and just drop your
body. Let gravity take over from there.
8. Single Leg Pull
Before practicing crescent kick, this is a must. I combine it with the Spinal
Twist and Reverse Spinal Twist to release tension in the hip joint and low back
that everyday activity alone can’t resolve. The older you are, the more you might
benefit from this sequence.
9. Controlled Kicks
Nothing compares to actual kicking drills for kicking skills. Holding the bar
provides me with feedback about my mistakes. When I do it slowly, I find it
more difficult and I can be honest about my bad habits. Usually I combine this
with leg swings at the bar.
10. Full Split
Before practicing crescent kick, this is a must. I combine it with the Spinal
Twist and Reverse Spinal Twist to release tension in the hip joint and low back
that everyday activity alone can’t resolve. The older you are, the more you might
benefit from this sequence.

Degree of Difficulty: Low

 Degree of Difficulty: Low
To assist you in choosing exercises for your training program, all of the
exercises in the book have been ranked by difficulty level. The exercises listed
below have a low degree of difficulty. They are well suited for those new to
stretching, beginning martial artists and practitioners recovering from an injury
or a prolonged period of time away from the arts.
Neck Rotation
Neck Pull
Modified Shoulder Standing
Arm Circles
Half Windmills
Shoulder Stretch
Corner Press
Seated Twist
Stick Lift
Press, Press, Fling
Criss Cross
Up Back Over
Shoulder Press
Modified Inverse Chest Opening
Inside Forearm Stretch
Wrist Flex
Wrist Bend
Finger Press
Finger Pull
Fist Roll
Side Bends
Elongation Stretch
Modified Lying Torso Twist
Modified Lunging Side Stretch
Modified Bridge
Torso Twist
Back Stretch
Cat Stretch
Back Curl
Hip Rotation
Butterfly Stretch
Prone Hip Rotation
Cross Knee Pull
Knee Rotation
Modified Knee Raise
Abductor Stretch
Calf Stretch
Modified Toe Touch
Standing Quad Stretch
Modified Static Torso Bend
Modified Seated Toe Touch
Modified Hurdler Stretch
Supported V Stretch
Heel Stretch
Instep Stretch
Arch Stretch
 Ankle Rotation
Toe Stretch

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

To assist you in choosing exercises for your training program, all of the
exercises in the book have been ranked by difficulty level. The exercises listed
below have a moderate degree of difficulty. They are well suited for
intermediate students who want to increase their level of flexibility or advanced
students who need a maintenance program.
Shoulder Standing
Double Arm Pull
Rear Arm Stretch
Arm Raises
Rotator Cuff Stretch
Modified Rear Palm Press
Dip
Kneeling Reach
Kneeling Forearm Stretch
Modified Hand Stand
Scissor Swing
Seated Chest Opening
Chest Pull
Chest Opening
Inverse Chest Opening
Lateral Chest Opening
Outside Forearm Stretch
Single Arm Twist
Single Arm Twist
Stick Twist
Side Stretch
Moving Torso Bend
Partner Torso Twist
Seated Torso Twist
Full Body Arch
Lying Torso Twist
Lunging Side Stretch
Modified Bridge
Spinal Roll at the Bar
Seated Stick Twist
Back Roll
Seated Reaches
Slump
Modified Squats at the Bar
Partner Groin Stretch
Squat
Knee Pull
Frog Stretch
Y Stretch
Partner Piriformis Stretch
Bridge and Roll
Knee Raises
Toe Touch
Lunging Forward Stretch
Lunging Forward Stretch
Toe Raises at the Bar
Individual Leg Raises
Leg Extension at the Bar
Groin Stretch at the Bar
Modified Partner Front Leg Raise
Modified Partner Side Leg Raise
Modified Partner Rear Leg Raise
Controlled Kicks
Forward Leg Swings
Lateral Leg Swings
Rear Leg Swings
Groin Stretch
Kneeling Quad Stretch
Static Torso Bend
Kneeling Groin Stretch
Seated Toe Touch
Seated V Stretch
Modified Straddle Stretch
Hurdler Twist
Crossover Hurdler
Modified Center Split
V Stretch
Double Leg Extension
Spinal Twist
Reverse Spinal Twist
 Reverse Spinal Twist
Alternating Calf Stretch

Degree of Difficulty: High

To assist you in choosing exercises for your training program, all of the
exercises in the book have been ranked by difficulty level. The exercises listed
below have a high degree of difficulty. They are well suited for advanced
students and elite athletes looking for a challenge. The exercises in this group
should only be attempted when you feel confident in your ability to handle the
associated risks. When in doubt, consult your instructor or begin with a less
strenuous variation.
Modified Bridge
Advanced Shoulder Standing
Rear Palm Press
Rear Towel Stretch
Hand Stand
Partner Bridge
Advanced Chest Opening
Advanced Inverse Chest Opening
Advanced Lateral Chest Opening
Back Lift
Lunging Side Twist
Hybrid Torso Twist
Advanced Lying Torso Twist
Advanced Lunging Side Stretch
Bridge
Back Bend at the Bar
Cross Legged Side Bend
Standing Piriformis Stretch
Advanced Butterfly Stretch
Single Leg Pull
Advanced Knee Raises
Advanced Toe Touch
Twisting Toe Touch
Windmills
Single Leg Stretch
Stretching Bar Split
Partner Front Leg Raise
Partner Side Leg Raise
Partner Rear Leg Raise
Partner Controlled Kicks
Measured Kicks
Standing Split
Cross Under
Advanced Kneeling Quad Stretch
Double Quadriceps Stretch
Advanced Seated Toe Touch
Box Stretch
Straddle Stretch
Advanced Straddle Stretch
Hurdler Stretch
Partner Hurdler Stretch
Side Split
 Seated Leg Extension
Center Split
Deep Bow
Reach and Flex
Prone Leg Extension

10 Tips: Full Split

While being able to do a split does not guarantee that you will be able to
kick high, many martial artists like to perform splits as a measure of static
flexibility. Here are 10 tips for achieving a full split:
1. In addition to practicing the split daily, create a stretching routine that
targets the lower back, hip, groin and legs, specifically the following muscles:
piriformis, psoas, adductor, abductor, hamstrings, quadriceps, gastrocnemius,
soleus and Achilles tendon. See pages 64-70 for target exercises or choose from
among the exercises on page 290 that target the split muscles.
2. If you experience pain in your hip or knees during a center split, tilt your
pelvis forward. Tilting your pelvis will allow you to achieve a deeper split with
less pressure on your joints.
3. Relax your upper body to promote relaxation in your lower body.
Relaxation is the key to any stretch.
4. Sink your hips and legs into the ground by pressing downward once you
have achieved your maximum stretch.
5. For a center split, there are two possible positions for your legs: knees
facing the ceiling or knees turned forward. Depending on whether your
hamstrings or groin muscles are more flexible, you might find one of these
positions allows you to reach a full split sooner than the other.
6. You can ease the stretch in a front split by point your toes rather than
pulling them back toward you. Pointing your toes will enable you to reach the
floor more quickly.
7. During a front split, there are two possible positions for your rear leg:
kneecap facing the floor or kneecap facing outward. Because they stretch
different muscles, you may find that one position allows you to reach a full split
different muscles, you may find that one position allows you to reach a full split
sooner than the other. For either position, point the toes of the rear foot to avoid
stressing the knee unnecessarily.
8. Begin from your most comfortable position. It is more important to
achieve a moderate split with your legs straight, than to achieve a deeper split
with your knees flexed. Condition your muscles to the correct posture early.
9. For a deeper stretch, gradually lean your body forward at the waist,
supporting yourself with your hands, and then as you progress with your elbows.
When you reach maximum flexibility, you will be able to touch your chest to the
floor.
10. Breathe in through your nose, then exhale through your mouth as you
lean forward or sink your hips and legs into the floor. Imagine emptying your
body of air as you sink into the stretch.

20 Tips: High Kicks

1. Build strength with flexibility, both through kicking drills and resistance
and flexibility training. One of the primary reasons high kicks are so challenging
is the sheer weight of your leg. To propel the full weight of your leg into a
vertical side kick relies as much on the strength of the muscles as on their range
of motion.
2. Practice your high kicks as close to full speed as you are safely able to.
Flexibility is speed-specific. Train your muscles to perform at the speed that you
want them to perform.
3. Focus on dynamic flexibility training. Assuming you are an experienced
martial artist, include the controlled, measured kick and leg swing exercises on
pages 222-230 as a centerpiece of your high kick training.
4. If you are just beginning to train for high kicks, start out with the static
exercises from the High Kick Workout on pages 286-287. Graduate to the
dynamic excises in the High Kick Workout as well on pages 222-230 when you
feel ready.
5. Use the inertia of your kicking leg to create power. Imagine using the
large muscles of your thigh and buttocks to “throw” your foot at the target.
Focus your kicking power in your thigh while keeping your foot relaxed until the
moment of impact.
 6. Bungee cord training (a bungee cord wrapped around your ankle and
secured to the floor) builds flexibility in motion. Like running in sand or up hills,
this type of training will build the large muscles of the leg in a very specific way.
During bungee cord training, 75% of your regular kicking height is a good goal.
7. Use a doorframe to develop your kick structure. Place your foot and leg
along the inside of one side of the doorframe and support your upper body on the
other side. This will enable you to get a feel for correct alignment and posture in
a static position. The doorframe provides both resistance and support for the
upper and lower body.
8. Practice high kicking in motion. Rather than kicking from a static stance,
imitate the rhythmic moving stances of Taekkyon or Capoeira practitioners. Find
your body’s natural rhythm and take advantage of it in achieving greater
relaxation prior to high kicks.
9. Quick focused kicking movements are better suited to high kicks than
large or slow movements. Chamber your leg quickly and compactly.
10. For high kick practice, you can achieve greater height by dropping your
upper body to the rear during most high kicks, but in actually fighting situations,
keep your upper body in a guarded posture.
11. Look at the target from start to finish.
12. Channel all of your power into raising your leg, then let your leg
naturally return to it’s chambered position. You don’t need to put power into the
retraction of the kick.
13. The knee of your standing leg should be slightly flexed, both to allow
you to kick higher and to prevent knee injuries.
14. Imagine that your leg is like a hand holding a whip. The large muscles
of your thigh and buttocks are the hand and the portion of your leg below the
knee is the whip. Use the “hand” to whip your foot into the target.
15. Your standing foot should grab the floor. Stand firmly, but not
flatfooted, actively rooting yourself to the floor.
16. Don’t focus too much on any one part of the kick. Try to integrate all
areas of your body and work toward a holistic movement.
17. Keep both arms bent and move them around the axis of your trunk.
Opening your arms wide, letting them drop or overly tensing them draws energy
Opening your arms wide, letting them drop or overly tensing them draws energy
away from your kick.
18 .Your low stomach (danjun, dantien) is the center of your kick. When
your leg goes up your head will go down. When your right side is up, your left is
down. Focus on moving around this axis to maintain a constant center of gravity
throughout the kick.
19. Practice on a hand target, sheet of paper, inner tube, speed bag or other
light target.
20. The maximum force of a high kick is exerted just prior to impact. Whip
the target rather than smashing through it. Kicking too hard will disrupt your
balance and cause you to lose control of your kick after impact. Withdraw the
kick immediately after impact, focusing on a light follow-through after the full
dissipation of energy into the target.