Keeping the trunk up when delivering a high kick

[Deadlytech]

I have a problem with keeping my 'trunk' up as i deliver a high kick either side or roundhouse. ive been told that the three top reasons for the lowering of the trunk is:

1.Weak abductors on the kicking leg.
2.Weak extensors of the spine, obliques, and abdominals on the kicking side.
3.Rather inflexible extensor spine, obliques, and abdominals on the non-kicking side.

Anyone know any excersizes that can help with these issues? any help will be much appricated!:rolleyes:

[Deadlytech]

No ideas at all?

[Fish Of Doom]

kick more.

the only real solution :p

EDIT: also, go somewhere that has one of those waist high bars on a wall and put your foot on the bar and switch to various kick positions, to get a feel of how your body should be aligned to maintain good posture. then kick and stretch, procuring to maintain that good alignment.

also, keep your guard up, never let your lead hand lower than your glutes when you kick, and keep the other one guarding your face. tucking your arms gives you more stability than flailing around.

hope that helps.

fish

[slipthejab]

I have a problem with keeping my 'trunk' up as i deliver a high kick either side or roundhouse. ive been told that the three top reasons for the lowering of the trunk is:

1.Weak abductors on the kicking leg.
2.Weak extensors of the spine, obliques, and abdominals on the kicking side.
3.Rather inflexible extensor spine, obliques, and abdominals on the non-kicking side.

Anyone know any excersizes that can help with these issues? any help will be much appricated!:rolleyes:

You're never going to be able to keep the trunk completely upright anyhow... there will always be some flex in the trunk as you kick with either of those kicks... some of that is down to anatomy and some of that is down to the kinetic chains you use when kicking. You may have programmed a whole lot of info into your central nervous system (CNS) and your muscles over the years of kicking a particular way. I often see that sort of thing in people who switch to Muay Thai after years in Karate or TKD... one thing they generally have trouble to get away from is chambering kicks at the knee and then letting the knee pause in the air for a second too long after the kick. I just had some students last night... who as I guessed... came from TKD. So they've spent years programming their style of kicking into their muscles. It takes time to get that out. You have to essentially re-write the muscle memory of those muscle groups and kinetic chains. It can be done... it just takes practice.

You're right to look into the muscular and strength imbalances involved. That's often where some of the problem lies and its a result of a different focus in a different style. So let's see what I can sort out for you in terms of exercises to strengthen some of those groups up. Just be aware strengthening is not going to be the magic fix... but it will help. You will still need to fire off kicks in front of a coach who can critique and help you correct. It also helps you to get some on vid tape and review them and try to figure out how to make the adjustment. When you view yourself on tape it's a whole different world and sometimes can make a big difference.

Ok onto some exercises that might help:


1.Weak abductors on the kicking leg.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/40102_lowerbody-fitness-physioball-abductor.htm

http://www.morefitbody.com/sampleexercises1.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n0Gqj3duZs

(none of those are stellar vids to be honest... I'm trying to find abductor exercises using the cable machine and a cuff that goes around the ankle... it's a good workout with light weight at first... build up... again it's an area that most people don't target.)

This is almost what I'm trying to get out but you do it standing with a cable machine and a cuff that buckles around your ankle. But this is a great way to start... and can be done by adding light ankle weights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxirFMJJnA&feature=related

here goes a better one... with some good insight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMZOHttBcY&feature=related

again... don't be afraid to jump in and do them for a while with just bodyweight to get the muscle used to working this muscle.

Ah here we go... this directly targets the abductors... a good one to work on... again... light weight to start off with. This shows the cable and cuff workout of the abductors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmQL9IE5R5w&feature=related

[slipthejab]

2.Weak extensors of the spine, obliques, and abdominals on the kicking side.

There are tons of exercise you can do for this... a book could be written there are so many. But I'll just post one that I recently posted because it's got such a massive amount of exercise for you to choose from. Staving off boredom is really the key with abs... so variety is focus.

http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/bodyweight/core_exercises.html

That is a great little list.

Also it's important to note that you don't want to isolate your abs just for the kicking side. Not only would it be pretty hard if not impossible to do... you wouldn't want to. You want to work ALL of your abs... not just those on your kicking side. You want it all to get worked. Otherwise you start running into imbalance issues. Balance in muscular groups is key.

[slipthejab]

3.Rather inflexible extensor spine, obliques, and abdominals on the non-kicking side.

Everyone is going to have inflexibility to a greater or lesser degree depending on how much time they spend training, strengthening and stretching. I think that genetics also works into the mix. But on that last note it won't matter you'll just have to work with what you have. It's important to judge yourself on where you've come from in terms of flexibility and where you need to go or would like to get. To take a look at a professional gymnast with grade A flexibility and compare yourself is silly.... his entire regime is based on flexibility and unless you start that from a young age and with that exact focus... you're not going to get there... so be realistic.

This last one comes down to strengthening and stretching. You need to work your stretches into the end part of every workout. It has to be religious. If you don't do the work... you don't magically get the reward.

For this one search out core exercises and stretches. There are tons of posts on MAP regarding flexibility... in fact in the very forum you posted in...

Health and Fitness ---> Flexibility Training

Get to it.