Hips

[pegkerr]

Sometimes my hips just won't do what I want them to do.

I didn't really want to go to class last night. It was spitting freezing rain, and I hated dragging myself away from Alternity. But I went. Came in, and tried to warm up. Some days, when you try to warm up, it's like your muscles are sulking. You want me to be loose and flexible? Ha. I'll show you. And the tendons constrict like stubborn rubber bands. I've been sooooooo frustrated with my straddle stretches lately. They just. will. not. budge. I can't open my legs widely enough, no matter how much I stretch. It's perplexing. A recent New York Time article on the subject suggests UR DOING IT WRONG. I've tried incorporating some of their suggestions. But I'm really frustrated. We worked on the Zhang Du Moon form for awhile, teaching it to the red belts, and then from there we went to practicing pop-up round kicks, pairing with a partner on muay thai pads. Honestly, I was embarrassed to be a brown belt. Since my hips were refusing to open up enough to do the kick properly, I know that my form absolutely sucked--it was like I'd totally forgotten how to do this kick, which I've been working on since white belt. But my hips acted like they were frozen, and to compound my problems, I got a foot cramp in my supporting leg.

Some days are like that. It's as if the body just refuses to cooperate. Nyah, nyah, nyah, you can't make me.

Stupid body. Well, no. It's doing the best it can. It is annoying, though.

Hopefully class on Thursday will be better.

Comments

[moodyduck.livejournal.com]

Have you tried this stretching technique? Do it when you are very warmed up, preferably after a workout. Basically you want to contract the muscles you are trying to stretch, then relax them, then actively push against them. This way the muscles don't fight the stretch. I think there's a name for it that I can't remember, but I have had a physical therapist suggest this as well as a karate teacher.

So if you want to work on the straddle stretch, get into that position but not quite to your limit at first. First push your feet into the floor as if trying to squeeze them together so that you tense the inner thigh--about ten seconds. Then relax for 5 seconds but don't push the stretch yet. Then for 15-20 seconds let both gravity and the opposing muscles push into the stretch. I usually do this several times, starting higher than I have to, working down into it. Works as a partner stretch too, sitting on the floor.

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

In my case, the weather really impacts my body in that if it's cold, I'm much more gimpy and the muscles just aren't as loose. However, 2 Aleve (I use the store brand of naproxen sodium) an hour before I have to work out helps beyond compare, esp. now that it's getting cold. It's ironic in my case--I need to exercise cause it is good for the arthritis, yet the arthritis makes movement painful. Aleve, though, gets me through the day.

*huggles you just because*

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

I hear your pain and share the miseray. For the past ten days, I have not been able to do some things I have been able to do for the past two years. It's as though my body is surly and refuses to do them.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Next time we're at the same party we should compare stretching techniques. I have very tight muscles, prone to cramping and spasming as well as just not wanting to stretch. I found a technique for stretching out the hips and inner thighs that worked well enough for me that I have continued to do those stretches for the 20 years since I stopped doing karate. It might be what you're doing already, or it might be helpful.

I also stretch out my legs and hips in the hot tub whenever I go to my health club, but that's not a very helpful suggestion unless you happen to have a health club membership.

I also found leg warmers to be a lifesaver when practicing on cold floors in the winter, but I don't know if you can even buy leg warmers any more. They don't help with the straddle stretching, but are wonderful for the calves and achilles tendons.

[aome.livejournal.com]

I've become increasingly enamoured of my girls' tae kwon do classes, just as you became interested in your girls' karate. However, time issues aside (ack, how on EARTH would I fit that in, with my homework, their homework, and kid-care and...) I feel like I just can't even consider giving it a shot, ever, because of my joints. Crohn's comes with arthritis, and the idea of doing some of the warm ups or stretches, or to take sparring punishment just makes me cringe. I just don't think I could do it. As you said, stupid body, sometimes "the best it can" isn't good enough. I hope your off day gets better next time, though. I'm just impressed you're doing it, period!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, I've seen a woman earn a black belt who had cerebral palsy, and another man earn a black belt who had Down's Syndrome. They couldn't quite do what fully able-bodied people could do, but they were still amazing. I saw another man earn it who was close to seventy years old. And I've seen a brown belt, at a tournament, who was in a wheelchair. His upper body was partially paralyzed, too. He couldn't quite hold his hands in the proper knife hand position--but he used his electronic joystick on his wheelchair to turn the chair in the proper positions to do the form, and did his folds and blocks as hard as he could. I'm sure he earned that belt--they don't just give brown belts away.

I think whatever your bodily limitations, a martial art will let you work within your limitations, whatever they are.