balance, flexability and strength in low stances any tips on how to get this?

Question

i do karate and wanna get better with my flexability my balance and my lower stances because i think those things will help me to understand karate a little better does anyone know of any website or even books that are good with that sort of thing

Answer 1

Flexibility is like stength or endurance-you can build it. Slow, static type stretching is best for this along with isolating the muscle groups and stretching parts of those muscles first and then the entire muscle group. Pay particular attention to the groin, hamstring group and also your lower back. Many people neglect to stretch their lower back and only strectch their hamstings for instance and then have problems with it pulling or tearing at the insertion points under your butt and at your lower back. Do an adequate warm up before strecthing-warm muscles strectch better than cold muscles. A short, cool-down strectching routine is also important-it helps keep lactic acid build up from occuring as well as stiffness and soreness.
For stances-practice doing them deeper and lower. Keep in mind that stances should not be so low or so deep that you can not move out of it into the next stance easily. If you have to strain and lean or lurch to move into the next one then it is to deep. Sometimes when I get a student that has learned martial arts somwhere else and their stances are not so deep it is just a matter of them developing the habbit of doing their stances deeper. At first this will seem unnatural but they grow accustom to it with time and it will soon becomes the "new" natural feeling way to do it.
Blackbelt magazine has had some good articles on stretching and other aspects like stances and even if you don't aggree with an article it can give you some good insight about different aspects of the martial arts.

Answer 2

This might not directly answer your question, but will give you a big boost on your training and I dont think simple tips on stretching and balance are what you need. Try cross training with some traditional praying mantis or monkey kung fu. (make sure your teacher approves of you doing some side studies on your own, he or she might even want to help you with them) These styles work extensivly with lower stances. There are many good books on these styles, and you would learn a lot about the applications of the low stances from any decent book. Good luck and have fun training.

Answer 3

I would recommend taking yoga or another martial art that focuses on flexibility and balance training, like shaolin-do.

WEbsites and books on stretching or yoga aren't the most effective way to improve your flexibility. I recommend just taking a class. You will be less likely to accidentally hurt yourself that way

yoga and shaolin-do have done wonders for my flexibility and I'm like gumby now.

Answer 4

Try Steve Cotters Full Kontact Kettlebells its helped me