Martial Artists....

[Aredhel]

or anyone else who would like to give their opinion (like anything anyone could ever say would actually stop that).

Anyways, (sry )

Does anybody use devices in their stretching to help them go farther? I'm considering buying this...

http://www.centuryfitness.com/webapp...egory_rn=13512

and would like any recommendations/comments people have regarding straddle-racks. Are they dengerous? The price really isn't all that important to me, as I love the martial arts and would love to be able to attain the splits and beyond (it goes to 190 - OUCH!). Right now I think i'm sitting at about 160 degrees stretch without devices to aid me - would this just be a waste of time? I really want to kick just like Bill Wallace!

[Solstis]

I never actually measured how low I could go (limboo!) in degress, but let me see.

*feels old*

Ow, well, I'm obviously out of shape now.

Hm, I never used machines, just lots and lots of stretching to attain limberness.

I used to be pretty durn close to the ground too.

*sigh*

And to annoying people: Yes, guys can do splits too, and no, yer genitals won't explode.

[Sagasu]

On 2004-06-28 22:07, Solstis wrote:


And to annoying people: Yes, guys can do splits too, and no, yer genitals won't explode.

I am the living proof of this

No, never bought machines, just stretched, excersised, and got thrown around at M arts a lot



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sarunakai on 2004-06-28 22:18 ]</font>

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Dude... Do you honestly want to spend $200 on a machine that does something that your own body weight can do for you? I mean really, what does a machine like that have on a good 150 pounds or so? Just do it the old fashioned way... Remember that sometimes the fast way isn't the better way. By doing it the slow way, you exercise more muscles and learn more patience and discipline. I think that's a little more important.

[Fyrin]

Bruce Lee, a philosopher, and a strong willed fighter.

[Aredhel]

I agree Meira, but I've heard from a lot of people that stretching atraight down on your hips will indeed stretch your muscles out, but will cause hip problems about 20 years down the road. I've used stretch devices before and they truly don't strain the hips as much as going straight down, especially if they have proper back support like this one...

But I'm just the Devil's Advocate

What do you guys use to attain splits? (stretches, that is)

[Aredhel]

Bruce used loads of training and stretching devices - ever see his workout room? If they had Versaflex devices in his day, I can almost guarantee Bruce would have one. He wasn't some mystical God who trained on top of misty oriental mountains - he used what worked and as far as that goes I see no reason NOT to use a stretching device.

Admittedley, Bruce needed to attain peak physical performance for his latest show, movie or appearance and since they, uh...

recently, uh...cancelled...my, uh..movie

I suppose I don't have a justifiable reason to want to achieve the highest kicks I can - but I know I do Tae Kwon Do to perfect an art and do whatever I can to help this. I have no convictions when it comes to upholding some pattern that's been passed down for centuries: birth, hard work, patience, discipline, and death. There's simply no reason to repeat this cycle again - I'd prefer to reach my peak as early as possible, then transcend that by whatever means.

[Sagasu]

Your life, you can do as you please.

Splits? I'm just realy flexible.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Just try harder, dude... Bruce Lee may've been a heck of a Martial Artist, but professionally speaking, it was more important for him to look impressive than for anything to actually be functional (not to say that he couldn't kick the ass of just about anyone who's posted in this thread). I might also point out that Bruce Lee's style didn't emphasize high kicks, because they take longer.

In any case, I don't know much about doing splits, but I do know that my wife and several of her siblings were in Gymnastics for a great many years, and never needed any help from a machine to achieve the splits.

Never rely on a machine to do anything for you, what you can do for yourself.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: HUnewearl_Meira on 2004-06-29 09:33 ]</font>

[Gnarled_rose]

With all the conspiracies surrounding his death, it's pretty eerie to note that his son also died while making a movie. (Brandon Lee, The Crow) I'm sure some conspiracy nuts can back me up on this.
He was a pretty great philosopher, and partially/fully responsible for many martial artists/actors rise to fame. I know that some of his students were Kareem Abdul-Jabaar(sp?), Chuck Norris (who added the only high kick to Jeet Kun Do), Jackie Chan was in a movie with him (as a lackey, no less), and please add more if I've missed some.
I think him and David Carradine had some good stuff to say which often gets obscured or forgotten in the wake of their careers.