Some background - I am mid forties, overweight (but losing steadily now I'm back in the dojo), inflexible with some residual strength from previous activities (big legs from years of hillwalking and mountaineering) and a 5k time of just over 35 mins of steady plodding. I quit karate about ten years ago after an accident which left me with a bad knee and hip but the pain is now down to the odd ache and the doc recommended getting back into some sport for several reasons so I'm getting back into karate. I am training in the dojo twice a week but my kicks need a lot of work if I am going to get them above thigh height. I have never been a high kicker, when I was younger I could plant a round kick to the armpit or a front kick to the chin but now my round kick is just above the knee and the front kick can get to sternum level on a good day. After a week of perusing Van Zandt's advice on here and reading everything I could lay my hands on I have come up with something I think I can do every day without aggravating anything important. My proposed routine looks something like this: Morning: 1. Leg raises to warm up, three sets of twelve working up from knee height to as high as possible. Starting with front, side and back raises, adding in inner and outer crescents when muscles start to get used to it. 2. Slow kicks using a support - front kick, round kick, side kick, 5s from chamber to full extension, hold for 2s, 5s back to chamber. Starting at 6 per leg per kick and adding in as muscles allow. Evening: 1. Leg raises as per morning. 2. Static stretching using as much of Justyn Billingham's Box Splits routine as I can do. Is there anything that is obviously missing or plain wrong? I am not bothered about rapid progress, slow progress avoiding aggravating my previous injuries will do fine. I tried that lot yesterday and it amounts to two 25 minute sessions which seems about right until I get back into the swing of things. Your considered input on this matter would be most welcome.
This might seem like a stupid question, but do you have to kick high? Is it a requirement specific to your art, I'm 45 and did a bit of ninjutsu few years back, and now started JKD (which is great). I don't bother kicking above sternum height myself, low kicks to leg being a preference
Unfortunately kicking to somewhere approaching head height is a requirement for the upper kyu grades. I know that allowances will be made for my advanced decrepitude but I would like those allowances to be minimal if possible.
Your routine looks good. Your stuff is all in the right order. I would advise you to progress very conservatively due to your history and condition. A note regarding leg raises (dynamic stretches) - make sure you don't go further than how far you can stretch in your splits. One way you can make sure this doesn't happen is to compare the angle between your thighs in your splits to the angle in leg raises (use photos/video for comparison). You will make faster gains by adding some strength work to your workouts. Squats like has been said already, especially Hindu squats, will do wonders for your knees. Think about adding PNF/isometric stretches too; stretching as far as you can go (in front and/or side splits) and tensing the muscles being stretched for about 30 seconds is usually enough for the first few months.
Slightly off topic but where in the Peak are you based? I'm near Leek and always keen to get some scrambling done and winter mountaineering when things are a little whiter. I bike a lot too (race XC) so also struggle a bit with leg and hip flexibility from tight muscles. Stretching and foam rolling works well for me.
Hi Steve, I haven't changed my location since I left Bakewell! I live just outside Derby now but I haven't been proper hillwalking since getting injured. Just googled foam rollers, might be worth a try. Thanks guys, I will look at putting some squats in to my training somewhere. I am going to add a basic weight routine to my out of the dojo training but I am still researching that.
