What's the fastest way for me to learn the splits?

I'm kinda with 47MartialMan on this, as someone who didn't get side splits or manage any great degree in flexibility but still passed grades, won competitions, and got to 1st degree in just over 2 years. My flexibility improved slowly, in part from the amount of kicking in class, and the partner stretches in class. Certainly it helps in some of the more advanced grades as technically the demands just get that much harder. Also, its hard to take anyone seriously who joins up and their first post is please please help me do this. How is that community/conversation minded? If you're 18 its likely going to be easier to get this flexibility quicker than if your 44.

 

And I can (and know others who could) still kick as high, have flexibility, and kicking range, etc., (without having to do full splits) from a "cold start"

That said, I can agree that the OP asked for help in this subject.

(Although others ask for help in hand/shin conditioning, or other things seemingly not withstanding time and effort whereas said time and effort could improve other things)

All I am saying, is that one does not need to be able to perform full splits to develop ability.

Last, if it is a personal goal, then it is upon the individual to develop (and ask for help)

 

I recently broke my hand at a comp and cant do full on tkd training for at keast 8 weeks. im going to be working on leg strength (like in the wallace video) stretching and getting a full side split. while its not essential, every type of leg strength and leg flexibliliy including the splits are useful attributes for tkd.

note however, as others have said that its not essential. if you want to progress faster you more likely need to focus on your technique. the time to focus on flexibility is if flexibility issues are impacting your performance or you have no current training goals and want to focus on something different.

 

I would recommend reading through Van Zandt's old stretching threads very carefully. In I remember correctly there is some program recommendations in there that you will find useful.

You are unlikely to find anything specific to the side splits because most people when wanting to increase flexibility will be looking at both side and front splits.

Read into PNF stretching as someone else mentioned. Keep in mind that you don't want to be doing PNF stretching every day. but more like 3 days a week if you do them properly.

Good luck.

 

Hey, I'm in a similar position really. I've been training about 7 or 8 years now and happy in front splits but my box splits have been about 5 or 6 inches off the ground and not really improved for the last year. This is probably because I just stretch in class, so I'm looking for a comprehensive program to get the last bit.

I've just ordered stretching scientifically and read a lot of Van Zandts posts but its hard to know that your doing the right thing. I agree that you can be a good black belt without side splits but for me it feels like one of the milestones I would like to tick off before I start considering grading again. Always wanted to do the van Damme/Kurz splits between 2 chairs

 

Hey all,
I am about to start following the program here http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96381. I am 30+ and not very flexible and am hoping I can get splits in the coming months.

For those who commented black belt vs splits. I agree you don't need to have splits to be a good TKDer however, the dynamics are now changing. If you follow the WTF TKD lineage, in both sparring competitions and patterns (poomsae) splits are increasingly being expected (in terms of scoring). For example if you are in a WTF pattern competition, you will get points for how high you kick.

I wish I had started TKD earlier in my life and had covered the splits. I am at a stage now where I feel 'incomplete' without them and feel it is affecting my progression.