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THE THREE RULES OF STRETCHING
DYNAMIC FLEXIBILITY
Finally, remember that kicking correctly is the ultimate stretch. Nothing will stretch your body as completely as a kick. The leverage, force, and relaxation inherent in kicking exercises will increase your flexibility dynamically. Also, a kick is extremely specific in the muscle groups and fibres, which it stretches. So after you have warm up do your hand and leg techniques slowly at various heights and with no tension or force. After you have done 20 to 30 increase the speed and power of the technique. This will help increase dynamic flexibilty but too truly increase mobility, dynamic and static movements must be done.
Remember the 48-72 hour rule- Don�t` kick hard one day and stretch hard the very next day. Stretch and kick the same day; or, kick on day one, rest on day two, stretch on day three. Good luck, be careful, and much success.
STRETCHING
A. Advantages of stretching:
B. How to begin your stretching routine:
C. Stretching should follow four basic rules:
D. Stretching routine example:
E. Making your own stretches.
NOTE: The most important thing about stretching - stretch through range of motion. If you become limber, but do not have strength to lift your leg high or kick at this height, you will not have got the full benefit from your stretching.
PULSE
Heart rate and pulse rates are separate phenomena. The difference for our purpose is not significant. Resting heart rate is our pulse rate at rest ( before rising in the morning). The averages are: 72-76 per minutes for men; 30 to 84 per minute for boys; 75-80 per minutes for women; 82-89 per minutes for girls.
Generally, a well-conditioned heart will have a lower resting heart rate and, generally the lower the resting heart rate, the healthier the individual. A well-conditioned athlete will have a resting heart rate of approximately 50 beats per minute.
You can lower your resting heart rate by making it beat faster during regular prolonged periods of exercise (12 to 20 minutes). With proper exercise your heart becomes richer in oxygen, more massive and powerful and more efficient. A reconditional heart beats more slowly at rest and, during work, acquires greater pumping capacity. The heart is strengthened by increasing the quality of the heart muscle (myocardium), and by increasing the co-ordination of the fibres.
The heart needs an overload of blood to be conditioned. You must pursue an activity that pushes your heart rate to a level higher than your normal routine. It is possible to increase your maximum heart rate during exercise from 115 to 180 and lower your resting pulse from 51 to 40 in a five week period following the guidelines of an aerobic kicking drill. Remember, fitness means the development of all the components of your body, these are:
To improve a skill involves specificity-specific strength and co-ordination of muscle groups and nerves that perform that skill.
Finally, a single activity will not achieve total fitness. Fitness strictly relates to your ability to meet the demands to your environment. Performance is how well you accomplish a task. So we must engage in a variety of physical exercise on a regular (ideally weekly) schedule.
HEART RATE CHART PER 10 SECOND COUNT.
Age Group |
60% |
65% |
70% |
85% |
MAX |
20-22 |
20 |
22 |
23 |
28 |
33 |
23-25 |
19 |
21 |
23 |
28 |
33 |
26-28 |
19 |
21 |
22 |
27 |
32 |
29-31 |
19 |
21 |
22 |
27 |
32 |
32-34 |
19 |
21 |
22 |
26 |
31 |
35-37 |
18 |
20 |
21 |
26 |
31 |
38-40 |
18 |
20 |
21 |
26 |
30 |
41-43 |
18 |
19 |
21 |
25 |
30 |
44-46 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
25 |
29 |
47-49 |
17 |
19 |
20 |
24 |
29 |
50-52 |
17 |
18 |
20 |
24 |
28 |
53-55 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
23 |
28 |
56-58 |
16 |
18 |
19 |
23 |
27 |
59-60 |
16 |
17 |
19 |
23 |
27 |
HOW TO TAKE YOUR PULSE.
You take your pulse by placing three fingers over the artery near the centre of the inside wrist. Touch fingers lightly to the area until you feel your pulse. Use a wristwatch or clock with a second hand or a stopwatch. Count the number of beats for a period of ten seconds. Then use the chart above, which is based on a 10-second count.
THEORY OF POWER
The beginning student may ask, "Where does one obtain the power to create the devastating results attributed to Taekwondo?" This power is attributed to the utilisation of a person's potential through the mathematical application of Taekwondo techniques. The average person only uses 10 to 20 percent of their potential. Anyone, regardless of size, age or sex, who can condition themselves to use 100% of their potential can also perform the same destructive techniques.
Though training will certainly result in a superb level of physical fitness, it will not necessarily result in the acquisition of extraordinary stamina, or superb human strength. More important, Taekwondo training will result in obtaining a high level of reaction force, concentration, equilibrium, breath control, and speed; and these are the factors that will result in a high degree of physical power.
REACTION FORCE
According to Newton's Law, every force has an equal and opposite force. When an automobile crashes into a wall with the force of 2,000 pounds, the wall will return a force of 2,000 pounds; or forcing the end of a seesaw down with a ton of weight will provide an upward force of the same weight; if your opponent is rushing towards you at a high speed, by the slightest blow at his head, the force with which you strike his head would be that of his own onslaught plus that of your blow.
The two forces combined: his, which is large, and yours, which are small, are quite impressive. This then is the reaction force from the opponent. Another reaction force is your own. A punch with the right fist is added by pulling back the left fist to the hip.
CONCENTRATION
By applying the impact force onto the smallest target area, it will concentrate the force and therefore increase its effect. For example, the force of water coming out of a water hose is greater if the orifice is smaller. Conversely, the weight of a man spread out on snowshoes makes hardly any impression on the snow. The blows in Taekwondo are often concentrated onto the edge of the open palm or to the crook of the fingers.
It is very important that you should unleash your strength at the beginning, and gradually, particularly at a point of contact with your opponent's body, the force must be so concentrated to give a knock-out blow, that is to say, the shorter the time for the concentration, the greater will be the power of the blow. The utmost concentration is required in order to mobilise every muscle of the body onto the smallest target area simultaneously.
In conclusion, concentration is done in two ways: One, is to concentrate every muscle of the body, particularly the bigger muscles around the hip and abdomen (which theoretically are slower than the smaller muscles of other parts of the body) to the appropriate tool to be used at the proper time and the second way is to concentrate such mobilised muscles onto the opponent's vital spot. This is the reason why the hip and abdomen are jerked sharply in any action whether it be attack or defence.
EQUILIBRIUM
Balance is of utmost importance in any type of athletics. In Taekwondo it deserves special consideration. By keeping the body always in equilibrium, that is, well-balanced, a blow is more effective and deadly. Conversely, the unbalanced one is easily toppled. The stance should always be stable yet flexible, for both offensive and defensive movements.
Equilibrium is classified into both dynamic and static balance. They are so closely inter related that the maximum force can only be produced when the static stability is maintained through dynamic stability
To maintain good equilibrium, the centre of gravity of the stance must fall on a straight line midway between both legs when the body weight is distributed equally on both legs , or in the centre of the foot if it is necessary to concentrate the bulk of the body on one foot. The centre of gravity can be adjusted according to body weight. Flexability and knee spring are also important in maintaining balance
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