"... stretch your body - stretch your mind ..."
ALWAYS STRETCH
A vital part of our training consists of different types of stretching routines that stretch the whole body, from head to toe - gentle stretch, hot stretch, cold stretch, power stretch, static stretch, dynamic stretch. Even when we kick and punch - it is still stretching.
Best is to warm up first and only start stretching after you start sweating. Then, the body is warm and ready to safely extend its tissues without risking any sudden injuries. It is recommended that we use our breath to enhance our stretch and that we push beyond our comfort zone. Pain is ok, sharp pain is not ok. If there is no pain at all while you stretch - you are not stretching well enough. Just avoid sharp pain. Know your body well and know how much pain it can take and feel when it reaches its limits. Be patient with it but always keep pushing. Stretching requires a lot of patience and disciplined training with good rest and good hydration! Bounce in all your stretching poses to improve muscle and tendon elasticity and hold each pose for at least 3 breaths. Three breaths (aprox. 15 seconds) is exactly how much time the tendons need to fully stretch. Holding it for longer than that will always help, but if you hold it less than that, it is not a complete stretch.
Once you have started this training you have to stop worrying about not being flexible enough and stop expecting the results to show up. You are on your way now. As long as you stay on the way, you will inevitably reach all your desired goals! So stop worrying about it and rather enjoy it. Set even higher goals.
It would help a lot to regularly stretch in the mornings because then the body is at its stiffest point in the day. Of course, it always helps to stretch, also after work in the evenings, but waking up earlier at least once a week and going through a stretching form will significantly improve your overall flexibility and your mood for the day!
STATIC STRETCHING & DYNAMIC STRETCHING
A vital part of our training consists of different types of stretching routines that stretch the whole body, from head to toe - gentle stretch, hot stretch, cold stretch, power stretch, static stretch, dynamic stretch. Even when we kick and punch - it is still stretching.
Best is to warm up first and only start stretching after you start sweating. Then, the body is warm and ready to safely extend its tissues without risking any sudden injuries. It is recommended that we use our breath to enhance our stretch and that we push beyond our comfort zone. Pain is ok, sharp pain is not ok. If there is no pain at all while you stretch - you are not stretching well enough. Just avoid sharp pain. Know your body well and know how much pain it can take and feel when it reaches its limits. Be patient with it but always keep pushing. Stretching requires a lot of patience and disciplined training with good rest and good hydration! Bounce in all your stretching poses to improve muscle and tendon elasticity and hold each pose for at least 3 breaths. Three breaths (aprox. 15 seconds) is exactly how much time the tendons need to fully stretch. Holding it for longer than that will always help, but if you hold it less than that, it is not a complete stretch.
Once you have started this training you have to stop worrying about not being flexible enough and stop expecting the results to show up. You are on your way now. As long as you stay on the way, you will inevitably reach all your desired goals! So stop worrying about it and rather enjoy it. Set even higher goals.
It would help a lot to regularly stretch in the mornings because then the body is at its stiffest point in the day. Of course, it always helps to stretch, also after work in the evenings, but waking up earlier at least once a week and going through a stretching form will significantly improve your overall flexibility and your mood for the day!
STATIC STRETCHING & DYNAMIC STRETCHING
This photo right here is what we call Dynamic Stretching. In a different way, it is helpful for the same areas - legs, spine and especially lower back. Only this time, the stretch is more powerful. In Shaolin Kung Fu, we have The 5 Basic Stances & The 5 Basic Kicks. The stances stretch our hips, knees and ankles in all angles and work our leg muscles at the same time. Holding them for more than 9 breaths becomes a good Static Cardio exercise. Holding the Horse Stance for more than a few minutes everyday will have a huge effect on improving our lower body condition, stamina, focus and will balance and center our energy, bringing it back to our core, back to its source. That will also improve the health of our gut area.
The 5 Basic Kicks stretch our legs and hips in all angles, opening them up while also stretching the spine. At the same time, the spine is getting stronger and we work our core and our stamina, since kicking very hard and very high will require us to burn a lot of energy. With Kicking we can better control how much we can push our stretch and we can better improve it. Every kick a bit higher, every kick a bit harder. It is also recommended that we shout while kicking - that will allow us to kick harder by taking away our focus from the pain and effort we put into the kick and by directing it towards enjoying the movement. It will also have a positive effect on our mind since we will be fully focused at the moment of shouting. The shout has the power to disperse all our thinking and clear our head, while throwing out stuck and repressed feelings and emotions. Shouting while kicking will also enhance our exhale, making sure that there is no air left inside at the time when we compress our belly in order to perform the kick. If we don't properly exhale while kicking, that air stuck inside of us will have a compressing and explosive effect on our blood vessels and internal organs. So better let it out!
The 5 Basic Kicks are especially designed for stretching and not for fighting - although they can be used for fighting too. But, besides these basics it is good to add Modern Fighting Kicks - Push Kick, Side Kick, RoundHouse Kick, Spinning Kicks, Jumping Kicks. And then start creating kicking combinations.
Static Stretching is better for maintenance, but compared to Dynamic Stretching it will make slower improvements. While stretching in a Static way (like in Yoga), the body will get flexibility in that specific angle only. Stamina is not very much challenged. And, funnily enough, our mobility is also not very much challenged, since it works the flexibility of a certain angle and not of the whole body at once. Dynamic Stretching also works our Stamina and it gives us explosive power and trains our ability to tense and relax. It keeps the body feeling younger and easy to control and it works the whole body in one movement.
OUR WAY OF TRAINING
It is a generally accepted fact that practicing the same type of training will eventually get the body used to it and there will be a point when there is no improvement anymore. We call those places plateaus. It's good to reach them, but it is not good to stay there. In order not to stay there, we must always keep challenging ourselves and surprise our bodies while creating new training routines by mixing up different elements.
Stretching at every training will immensely reduce the post workout soreness and pain in the body. That will allow us to continue our training undisturbed and keep pushing harder. It will also prevent a lot of injuries from happening during training and will help us deal better with injuries and accidents in our day to day life - such as a misplaced foot on a wet floor.
Stretching will also have a good influence on our posture, will relieve stress ad will boost our overall internal health - like our digestion, for example; the flow of solids & fluids in the body.
We mix up different types of stretches, but there are certain stretches that we always do. It depends on the individual. Everybody should do their own stretches, according to their own body condition. After training for a while you will know your stretches.
After doing Calisthenics & Power Training, it is always recommended to practice Dynamic Stretching with Kicks and Punches in order to keep the body relaxed and agile and prevent it from becoming too robotic.
Before and after Bag Work and Pad Work it is always recommended to practice Shadowboxing - also a form of Dynamic Stretching. That will improve our form, sharpen our technique and relax the body, while stretching and lubricating the joints that are about to get shocked from the hits against the bags and pads.
Mixing things up and getting creative is just as important as keeping it simple and basic. Best way to start improving your Stretching is by learning and practicing The 5 Basic Stances & The 5 Basic Kicks. These basics will always challenge your body, no matter for how long you train them, since it is their very design to do so.
