Troubles with joints happen–from accidents, aging, training errors, whatever…. So it is good to know which commonly prescribed treatments hurt, which make no difference, and which really help. Get that knowledge from an article Treating Worn-Out Joints.

On a related matter, as doing stupid things to joints damages them, see Flexibility Problems, or Kiddie Stretches for Adult Joints–You Have to Be Kidding! and also read comments on An Unteachable Guy Praises Flexibility Express.

Flexibility Express screenshot chapter 2 Intro 2min28



What is wrong with what he is doing?

More than a year ago, Flexibility Express DVD got a glowing review. I didn’t share it then on Stadion Publishing’s FB and IG pages, because of a photo the reviewer attached to the review (see the photo above). But after getting a testimonial from another customer, with a similar photo, I decided to share that original review, to see how many—or rather, how few—viewers of Flexibility Express paid attention to its instructions. (And then they wonder why they didn’t get results as quickly as they could have–had they actually paid attention to the instructions….)

Teachable people who viewed Flexibility Express, or just read my articles on increasing flexibility, will instantly understand what is wrong with what the reviewer is doing in the photo. If you understand, post your comment at stadion.com/an-unteachable-guy-praises-flexibility-express.

BTW, of the three comments posted so far, the last one, from Gregory, at least shows that Gregory actually applied exercise instructions from Flexibility Express. However, he did not directly answer my question, i.e., “What is wrong with what the reviewer is doing in the photo.”

So, again, can you point out the obvious?

Hint: To answer my question, “What is wrong with what the reviewer is doing in the photo,” see a video excerpt from Flexibility Express (chapter “Introduction”). The video is in the article Flexibility Problems, or Kiddie Stretches for Adult Joints–You Have to Be Kidding!.


See errors of kicking in self-defense and a lethal effect of kicking against knife attack in my recently posted Self-Defense Tip #129 — Kicks vs. Knife Attacks.

Watch and learn from a real-life video.




At the end of my post High Kicks with Tactically Sound Setups, I asked readers who know drills for different but still tactically sound setups of kicks, to post descriptions of those drills in comments to the post. Some did, and you may read their comments at High Kicks with Tactically Sound Setups.


Kicking in a no-holds-barred fight is risky, the higher the kicks, the riskier. From the previous article, Where from Are the High Roundhouse Kicks in Karate, you know how typical applications of kicks in Okinawan te removed risk from kicking. But how about other, more popular, punch-and-kick martial arts and sports? You know, all those that teach high kicks? What about you if you do one of those popular arts or sports and your skills are centered on high kicks? How should you practice to remove nearly as much risk from your high kicks as Okinawan te removed from its low kicks?

Your popular martial art or sport does not teach combining grips with striking — the crucial skills needed for the no-nonsense self-defense tactics of Okinawan te — because these skills do not fit with fundamental techniques of your art or sport, so what can you do? Here is what … Continued at stadion.com/high-kicks-with-tactically-sound-setups


Okinawan te, the precursor of Japanese karate, did not teach high kicks — too risky in self-defense. Forms (practice patterns of movements) of Okinawan te do not include roundhouse kicks, let alone high roundhouse kicks. It is easy to understand why high-level roundhouse kicks and mid-level (mawashi-geri-jodan and mawashi-geri-chudan) are not included … Continued at stadion.com/where-from-are-the-high-roundhouse-kicks-in-karate/

High Roundhouse Kick—Correct Form


Do you want to know who, when, and why introduced high kicks to karate? The answer is in my article Why and Since When Are High Kicks in Karate?

Tom Kurz throws a high roundhouse kick with no warm-up
Tom Kurz throws a high roundhouse kick (mawashi-geri-jodan) with no warm-up


After immigrating to the U.S.A. in the early 1980s as a political refugee, I was looking for a way to make a living from my sports-science know-how. So I was looking at publications on various aspects of sports training and p.e., among them martial arts’ magazines. Especially in those martial arts’ magazines, I noticed a need for good instruction on practically everything. I decided to sell my know-how on flexibility, because it’s so easy to advertise.

Think, how would you advertise, let’s say, the best method to improve a high jump and a reach jump? It’s difficult to show a photo of a dynamic movement that convinces people. But with flexibility it is very easy: a photo of a split between chairs proves a point: the great range of motion combined with considerable strength. But I did not use a photo of a front-back split — I used a photo of a straddle split because, unlike the front-back split, it plays on a human viewer’s “monkey mind.” To see why it does it, read my new post at https://www.stadion.com/high-kicks-and-splits-monkey-mind-and-advertising/

To obtain my flexibility know-how, see publications listed below.

Flexibility Express: Flexibility and Functional Strength in No Time
Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training
Power High Kicks with No Warm-Up!

Do you do martial arts or combat sports? Do you have an answer to the eternal question: What is the best fighting art?
If you do, read my new self-defense tip and post your answer as a comment to it at
real-self-defense.com/self-defense-tip-124-what-is-the-best-fighting-art/