Hmm....is it true?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Cain, Nov 12, 2002.

  1. Cain

    Cain New Member

    I got the idea of this thread from Ckdstudent's post in the thread 'splitz' ok here goes -

    Is it possible that people who have more flexibility kick with lesser power at low level than those with lesser flexibility?........maybe in a flexible person the muscles will be loose and will have lesser power when kicking at lower levels and a guy with lesser flexibility will hv more rigid muscles thus allowing his kick to be more powerful on the lower areas........hmm.....can any of u sifus help me out with this? Thanx
    |Cain|
     
  2. stump

    stump Supersub

    i don't think the two concepts are directly linked. Only if you take height of the kick into ac****. For example someone ith limited flexability might be able to get their leg up pretty high but not be able to kick well like this, a flexible person will be able to move effortlesly (or relatively effortlesly) through the range of motion of the kick.

    i don't think that less flexible people can kick any harder...but maybe i'm not taking everything into account....anyone like to elaborate on this?
     
  3. stump

    stump Supersub

    emmm....account and what I said previously (unintentionally) are to quite different things....ahem...sorry
     
  4. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Hmm...stump but I meant kicking at a low level like a shin kick it's no doubt thar a flexible person will be able to kick more powerfully at face level but what about lower areas like the shin?
    |Cain|
     
  5. stump

    stump Supersub

    I don't think flexibility has a bearing on kicking power in that case. I'd be very curious to know if other people do think it has a bearing and why though
     
  6. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    Nope, wouldn't really have a bearing unless you were actually inflexible enough to have trouble walking.

    Have to wonder though, why kick to the shin when there's a lovely knee only a few inches higher?
     
  7. Andy Murray

    Andy Murray Sadly passed away. Rest In Peace.

    Shin Kick as in Thai kick Jimmy.
    Striking surface is the shin, target area on the legs is just above the knee, on or at the end of the thigh muscles amongst others.
     
  8. YODA

    YODA The Woofing Admin Supporter

    Shin Vs Knee

    Why punch the face when there's a lovely throat only a few inches higher?

    The shin is a great target - but only if you're wearing shoes - which in JKD is how we train :D
     
  9. Cain

    Cain New Member

    AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

    What the hell happend to my original discussion??????
    |Cain|
     
  10. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Hmm ckd I meant lower areas and not any specific tarrget and please try to keep the subject in place
    Thanx :)
    |Cain|
     
  11. Andy Murray

    Andy Murray Sadly passed away. Rest In Peace.

    Err, you fight people upside down Dave? Throat higher than face eh? Hmmmm, stay back after class :D

    Sorry about the thread hijacking Cain.
     
  12. YODA

    YODA The Woofing Admin Supporter

    Sorry - typed that just after getting home from Capoeira class :D
     
  13. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Now that things are cleared can we just step back to the subject please.
    |Cain|
     
  14. YODA

    YODA The Woofing Admin Supporter

    Hokey Dokey - back to the original subject....

    Nope.
     
  15. pgm316

    pgm316 lifting metal

    I've often thought this might be true. Stretching the muscles and ligaments of your leg must have some effect. In effect you’re lengthening them[?]. Possibly making it harder to generate power.

    I admit to not being an expert on scientific kicking. I prefer to improve my kicking by using weights more than stretching. I wonder what the footballer theory is on this.

    I have more kicking power than a lot of the flexible people I train with, maybe it is because I use weights, and so what’s best?
     
  16. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    In general the more flexible you are the less strength you have, in general, there are very strong, very flexible people.

    The reason is that building muscle reduces your flexibility until you've taught the muscle to stretch out, whereas building flexibility tends to do the opposite since most flexibility training is not particularly strength-intensive.

    To get flexibility and power you need to work on both.

    However, they'll be able to kick with more power at higher levels than you will, since for you it'll be a strain, and for them it'll just be comfortable. Whether this is a good thing is debatable.
     
  17. Mike Flanagan

    Mike Flanagan Valued Member

    Just had a look through a medical text on human movement. I think the idea that you can have either strength or flexibility but not both is a myth. Certainly this particular text didn't throw up anything that would indicate otherwise.

    To develop strength, you need to train for that. To develop flexibility you need to train for that. As long as you do justice to both training regimes (which are not mutually exclusive in any way) I see no reason why you can't develop both. Its just that the majority of people don't get the balance between the 2 right.

    The only danger I can see is in being too keen with the flexibility training and developing hyper-mobility of joints as a result. Hyper-mobility is not a good thing, but strong muscles can mediate its effects - so maybe there's an argument for including some strength training along with any flexibility training.

    Mike
     
  18. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    Oh yeah, you can definitely have both, no doubt about it.

    We've got a girl with hyperflexibility (pre-existing medical condition) but her kicks are absolutely amazing in power, especially considering her size.

    However as you said, most people aim for one or the other almost to the exclusion of the other (did that make sense), so usually people will either be flexible, or strong, rather than both.
     
  19. Andy Murray

    Andy Murray Sadly passed away. Rest In Peace.

    Surely strength, and hence power is dependant on the muscles ability to contract from an extended position, be that the one of the average individual, or one of extreme flexibility.

    If someone with extreme flexibility has trained in such a way that strength is equal contracting from half flex, or full flex, then their ability is geater due to the versatility they have created for themselves?

    The applicition of that ability/flexibility is down to the individual.

    As always, it's about striking a balance, and having some understanding of what it is you are trying to develop.

    Generally speaking though, guys that work on flexibility, are not always the ones doing power squats in the gym, so I guess that affects the perception of who kicks harder, the stretcher or the squatter.
     
  20. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Hmm....nice view you have got there guys I suppose strength training is also important.....and also thanx for not hijacking my thread further you know how I hate that :mad:
    Anyone who like to post further ideas please do.
    |Cain|
     

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