Many threads on horse stances turn into arguments over whether or not its usefull for leg strength, application etc.
Well forget that mess.
Ever since I began MA some 6 years ago, I've always had trouble getting my hips to open up.
I've recently abandoned static stretching completely, and moved on to doing 5 minutes of dynamic stretching once in the morning, and once before I train. After 2 weeks of this, I can already kick as high as my flexibility allows for with no warmup beforehand. After 6-8 more weeks of dynamic stretching like this, I will have maximum flexibility while kicking with no warmup.
Here is a link for showing you the proper way to do dynamic stretching:http://www.stadion.com/column_stretch5.html
You're probably asking yourselves: Now where does horse stance come into the equation, good sir?
Well, not only does horse stance give you a relative good burn over a long time of holding it, but, having a good horse stance, will, in fact open up your hips tremendously. Now some of you are probably working at a desk for most of the day, sitting down for the majority of it.
Not only does this tighten the two major muscles surrounding your hip flexor, but is one of the reasons old people hunch over the way they do.
Holding a horse stance as part of your training regime will cure this problem. It will over time, loosen these tightened balled up hip muscles, tendens, and ligaments, but also giving them increased strength. After doing doing horse stance, coupled with my dynamic stretching routine, my hips can open themselves up with no problem. They no longer scream at me for doing things requiring the hips to open up a great amount.
Make sure your horse stance is not too wide, it should have your shins almost vertical, with the knees splayed out, this will stretch not only the groin, but over time, open your hips.
Horse stance, great for flexibility and tenden/ligament strength.
As a side note, doing long very powerful rooted stances, such as horse stance, will increase the strength of the muscles, and ligaments around your knees. My Hung Ga instructor did wushu at the university Wushu club until he graduated. By the time he left Wushu, he couldn't even walk up stairs without his knees having shooting fiery pains going through them. After doing Hung Ga for a few years, his knee problem has been completely resolved to the point where he doesnt even need knee braces anymore.
This is a small part of horse stance, but a huge part of many long powerful stances done properly.
If you do have knee or overall joint problems, taking a omega-3 fatty acid fish oil supplement for the reccomended dosage per day, will infact increase overall joint health, and increase mental sharpness, and awareness.
-Your Kung fu nuthugger.
Well forget that mess.
Ever since I began MA some 6 years ago, I've always had trouble getting my hips to open up.
I've recently abandoned static stretching completely, and moved on to doing 5 minutes of dynamic stretching once in the morning, and once before I train. After 2 weeks of this, I can already kick as high as my flexibility allows for with no warmup beforehand. After 6-8 more weeks of dynamic stretching like this, I will have maximum flexibility while kicking with no warmup.
Here is a link for showing you the proper way to do dynamic stretching:http://www.stadion.com/column_stretch5.html
You're probably asking yourselves: Now where does horse stance come into the equation, good sir?
Well, not only does horse stance give you a relative good burn over a long time of holding it, but, having a good horse stance, will, in fact open up your hips tremendously. Now some of you are probably working at a desk for most of the day, sitting down for the majority of it.
Not only does this tighten the two major muscles surrounding your hip flexor, but is one of the reasons old people hunch over the way they do.
Holding a horse stance as part of your training regime will cure this problem. It will over time, loosen these tightened balled up hip muscles, tendens, and ligaments, but also giving them increased strength. After doing doing horse stance, coupled with my dynamic stretching routine, my hips can open themselves up with no problem. They no longer scream at me for doing things requiring the hips to open up a great amount.
Make sure your horse stance is not too wide, it should have your shins almost vertical, with the knees splayed out, this will stretch not only the groin, but over time, open your hips.
Horse stance, great for flexibility and tenden/ligament strength.
As a side note, doing long very powerful rooted stances, such as horse stance, will increase the strength of the muscles, and ligaments around your knees. My Hung Ga instructor did wushu at the university Wushu club until he graduated. By the time he left Wushu, he couldn't even walk up stairs without his knees having shooting fiery pains going through them. After doing Hung Ga for a few years, his knee problem has been completely resolved to the point where he doesnt even need knee braces anymore.
This is a small part of horse stance, but a huge part of many long powerful stances done properly.
If you do have knee or overall joint problems, taking a omega-3 fatty acid fish oil supplement for the reccomended dosage per day, will infact increase overall joint health, and increase mental sharpness, and awareness.
-Your Kung fu nuthugger.
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