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mike1989 · 06-09-2008, 02:41 PM

Hi, MattFYF. I used to go to a karate school(I regret leaving it, but I still exercise a lot on my own though

) and at the beginning of every training session we had 30-minute warm-ups. As you may understand, warm-up is vitally important in this sport, so the exercises are actually quite effective. I'll try to give a brief description of some of the moves we did to warm up our leg muscles.

1) Stand straight, put your feet and your knees together, bend your legs a little, put your hands on your knees and rotate them. Switch the direction of the rotation every 5-10 times. Then do the same only this time with your feet separated and put them on a shoulder-length level.

2) Stretch your legs to a double shoulder-length distance and reach for your left leg, then get up, then center, then get up again and then to the right leg. As you may understand, the closer your feet are, the more difficult it is to reach for your legs, so you can increase the difficulty, if you feel you can handle it.

3) Stretch your legs as wide as possible(not to the limit) and twist your torso as if you are switching to do a side split. Try keeping both legs as straight as possible and tolerate as much pain as possible. If you are capable, try reaching the front leg with your head. Then, return to the front split position and try reaching each leg with your head. Use your hands to help you. Try to keep your knees straight. Then do the same, only this time with one knee on the floor and the other leg straight and its' foot facing forward.

4) Swing your legs forward, backward, left, right, keep them straight at all times. Do simple front kicks, as if you are trying to push something forward with your leg: lift the knee, then straighten the leg, pushing the foot forward.

5) Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, grab them with your arms and pull your body forward. You can also ask someone to simply put some pressure on your back and hold it, while you are trying to reach your toes. Keep your knees straight and tolerate as much pain as possible.

Of course, that's not all of the moves, but I hope those can give you a kick-start in what you are trying to achieve. I would also advise to find some videos or, if possible, go to a karate school for a seminar or a demonstration and see what they do to warm up.

P.S. I'm sorry for my primitive level of English and the way I express my thoughts in it, it's not my native language.

06-09-2008, 02:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
mike1989 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 7	Hi, MattFYF. I used to go to a karate school(I regret leaving it, but I still exercise a lot on my own though ) and at the beginning of every training session we had 30-minute warm-ups. As you may understand, warm-up is vitally important in this sport, so the exercises are actually quite effective. I'll try to give a brief description of some of the moves we did to warm up our leg muscles. 1) Stand straight, put your feet and your knees together, bend your legs a little, put your hands on your knees and rotate them. Switch the direction of the rotation every 5-10 times. Then do the same only this time with your feet separated and put them on a shoulder-length level. 2) Stretch your legs to a double shoulder-length distance and reach for your left leg, then get up, then center, then get up again and then to the right leg. As you may understand, the closer your feet are, the more difficult it is to reach for your legs, so you can increase the difficulty, if you feel you can handle it. 3) Stretch your legs as wide as possible(not to the limit) and twist your torso as if you are switching to do a side split. Try keeping both legs as straight as possible and tolerate as much pain as possible. If you are capable, try reaching the front leg with your head. Then, return to the front split position and try reaching each leg with your head. Use your hands to help you. Try to keep your knees straight. Then do the same, only this time with one knee on the floor and the other leg straight and its' foot facing forward. 4) Swing your legs forward, backward, left, right, keep them straight at all times. Do simple front kicks, as if you are trying to push something forward with your leg: lift the knee, then straighten the leg, pushing the foot forward. 5) Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, grab them with your arms and pull your body forward. You can also ask someone to simply put some pressure on your back and hold it, while you are trying to reach your toes. Keep your knees straight and tolerate as much pain as possible. Of course, that's not all of the moves, but I hope those can give you a kick-start in what you are trying to achieve. I would also advise to find some videos or, if possible, go to a karate school for a seminar or a demonstration and see what they do to warm up. P.S. I'm sorry for my primitive level of English and the way I express my thoughts in it, it's not my native language. Last edited by mike1989; 06-09-2008 at 04:58 PM.