Three Misconceptions About Stretching and Flexibility
13Jun09
Thomas Kurz shows flexibility and strength
In its July 2009 issue, the Black Belt magazine published my article on stretching. The article got a sloppy edit. If you have read it (say, in the course of researching the m.a. market), you probably wondered why would I have written such a disorganized piece. I would not.
Here is the real deal:
In this article I will dispel three common misconceptions about flexibility training:
- That most people can’t do splits because their hips are too tight (Not!)
- That static stretches, such as attempts at doing splits, should be done during a warm-up to increase range of motion and prevent injuries (Not!)
- That it takes a long time to achieve great flexibility (Not!)
Read more at stadion.com/flexibility-training-for-sports-and-martial-arts/.
Click here to read all my articles on optimizing training for sports and martial arts
Filed under: Flexibility and Stretching | 1 Comment
Tags: Flexibility, splits, strength, stretching, Thomas Kurz, warm-up
You’re right, the article was poorly written. I am 53 y/o male 6′ tall @ 215. I have been studying Sanshinkai Karate for 5 years and plan to test for Black Belt this December. I also have a Master’s Degree in nursing so I know a little bit about anatomy and how to write a thesis. I do not do a wheel kick (simular to roundhouse) well. I’ve got short legs and a long torso. I showed my instructor your article and what we got was to move the legs out toe in-toe out to maximum stretch and tilt the pelvis forward. I also run for conditioning and attended a sports medicine seminar at Womack Army Medical Center, FT Bragg. The speaker discussed proper stretching is best after warmup and not to stretch before a running event. He says to stretch after running.