Gr81kev

Hey Guys...hope peeps get back to me on this 1??.anyway i just want advice on how to stretch for muay thai......ie for high kicks and stuff....or how long should i be stretching for and how many times a day?...alot of guys where i train seem to have no problem stretching but when i try and i can do it to a certain point n then the strain n pain kick in!!......the one that kills me is the legs maybe 5,6 feet apart and elbows and arms flat on the mat!!...any tips would be well appreciated!!

AkiraInThailand

It may surprise you to learn that the professional fighters here in Thailand don't stretch at all! At least not where I'm training.

However, I've found a general all over body stretching routine works the best. It takes me about 10 minutes to stretch everything.

To get your elbows on the mat during the stretch you describe isn't as easy as it looks and of course you can only stretch until a certain point before it starts to hurt. Try and improve gradually each day, stretching just that little bit more. Make sure you stretch all your muscles, not just the problem ones.

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FrankTheTank

being out of training for long periods of time because of school i find that my kicks lack height

what i try to do is stetch hamstrings and groins everyday of the week for a few minutes, like before a shower or something.
it helps to maintain that level of flexibility

BKicker

Stretching is very important but I will only touch on stretching the hips. All of your power in your kicks comes from your hips, so you might as well have them nice and stretched to give maximum power.

I recommend this stretch: While in the standing position spread your legs apart about four to five feet apart. Put your hands on the top of your butt and push your hips out forward. You should feel your hips stretching out. You can also rotate your hips slowly and feel the hips stretch differently in differently positions as you rotate your hips.

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California Muay Thai

jcal

Ive been training MT for a long time now and ive never been able to that sit down on but , legs stretched apart and touch the mat with my elbows, so instead I grab the ropes in the ring and gently pull myself forward ffrom that same position, never been super flexible but can still throw a real hard high roundhouse kick with either leg, the kind that turns heads in the gym, i guess in MT you dont have to be super flexible and do all that Van Dam crap