Thomas Kurtz | Building Flexibility & Conditioning for High Kicks

[AndyMaBobs]

In early 2020, before the world closed down, I made an observation that for some reason the average hobbyist in the West, particularly in disciplines like Muay Thai and MMA have quite poor flexibility and mobility as far as high kicks are concerned.

This isn't actually a problem but I do find it interesting, because people who take TKD and Karate up as hobbies always seem to be able to kick to head height, but probably not with the same freedom as someone doing it as a competitor.

I discussed it with some of Sherdog's traditional martial artists a while ago, and the conclusion we reached was that Muay Thai and MMA classes are so focused on getting straight into combat, that they don't take the same time to build the mobility, flexibility and co-ordination to high kick consistently. As opposed to a martial art like TKD or Karate where those drills are part of the foundation and curriculum of the art.

So I started looking into it, to write an article with instructional guides for my gyms website, and along the way I found this dude:





Thomas Kurtz wrote 'Streching Scientifically' and has developed a method of stretching based around not just the stretches themselves but building physical strength in the legs to help the stretches.



This is probably nothing new for you guys - but I'm interested to hear what you all think/if you have anything else to add.

 

[Woldog]

The easiest way to build flexibility is using a tall fence, just keep putting your leg up as high as you can on the fence to the limit of its height and hold it until it feels easier (this will happen over a period of weeks), then move closer to the fence/wall. Similar to doing the splits but not quite as intensive and more relevant to kicking as you have to maintain your balance on the leg that isn't up on the fence.
Another good exercise is simply sitting down and having your legs out straight in front of you and leaning over them. Any stretch that focuses on the groin and hamstring can do wonders for your flexibility for high kicks.
I'm fairly certain if I ever attempted the splits at any point in my career I would have detached my groin muscles from my skeletal system.

Another issue is when the majority of people train Muay Thai, head kicks and high kicks aren't really taught at least not in my experience. In Thailand you do them during pads (not me however I was never flexible enough), in Australia not so much it has more of a focus on thigh kicks and kicks to the midsection. I'm not sure if it's a conscious decision or just happens by accident to ignore that side of it, teeps are another technique that are otherwise ignored because I assume the train of thought goes "Teeps are the most natural kick someone can do, so no point teaching it because they will likely come naturally to a person". Then as time goes on they'll likely correct your form so you pop with your hips a bit more but that's about as far as it'll go.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

The easiest way to build flexibility is using a tall fence, just keep putting your leg up as high as you can on the fence to the limit of its height and hold it until it feels easier, then move closer to the fence/wall. Similar to doing the splits but not quite as intensive and more relevant to kicking as you have to maintain your balance on the leg that isn't up on the fence.
Another good exercise is simply sitting down and having your legs out straight in front of you and leaning over them. Any stretch that focuses on the groin and hamstring can do wonders for your flexibility for high kicks.
I'm fairly certain if I ever attempted the splits at any point in my career I would have detached my groin muscles from my skeletal system.

Another issue is when the majority of people train Muay Thai, head kicks and high kicks aren't really taught at least not in my experience. In Thailand you do them during pads (not me however I was never flexible enough), in Australia not so much it has more of a focus on thigh kicks and kicks to the midsection. I'm not sure if it's a conscious decision or just happens by accident to ignore that side of it, teeps are another technique that are otherwise ignored because I assume the train of thought goes "Teeps are the most natural kick someone can do, so no point teaching it because they will likely come naturally to a person".

I've been doing a variant on the fence, using the shelve compartment I have.

Another method I use is when doing a standing stretch, turning my upper body so that my head is down by the floor, which helps me get a good stretch on the standing leg too + funny looks from guys in the gym.
I heard that the Muay Thai in Australia had quite a bit influence in kyokushin karate, but I don't know if its actually true

FWIW, My Thai coach used to spend about 10 minutes after a warm up stretching and trying to get us as close to the splits as we could reasonably get, he was able to get full splits each way - but I have learned that my martial arts up bringing is quite a different experience to most in the UK

 

[Woldog]

I heard that the Muay Thai in Australia had quite a bit influence in kyokushin karate, but I don't know if its actually true

That I can't answer, I don't know what Karate, Kung Fu or most Asian martial arts even are or what makes them different from each other(Other than sticky hands ) Only one I ever did was TKD which they told my mother when I was 8 years old "Perhaps boxing would be better suited for him" after my first sparring session, so I left TKD and started boxing effectively ending my dreams of becoming Vegeta.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

That I can't answer, I don't know what Karate, Kung Fu or most Asian martial arts even are or what makes them different from each other(Other than sticky hands ) Only one I ever did was TKD which they told my mother when I was 8 years old "Perhaps boxing would be better suited for him" after my first sparring session, so I left TKD and started boxing effectively ending my dreams of becoming Vegeta.

I can only imagine it was your fixation with overhands.

The reason I ask, is because I hear a lot about your Judd Reid's, Peter Graham's and the like, which made me wonder

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Some of this is flexing on mortals.

 

[exclamatio]

Kurtz is the man. Flexible and strong is absolutely the key. Andy Hug always comes to mind when I think of strong athletic kickers.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Kurtz is the man. Flexible and strong is absolutely the key. Andy Hug always comes to mind when I think of strong athletic kickers.

I should have known you'd know him!

How do you go about your flexibility routines? Because you're throwing side kicks up at peoples heads somehow, I know you've got some work with Dr. F right?

 

[j123]

I found that in TMAs, there's more focus on hamstring flexibility than hip

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I found that in TMAs, there's more focus on hamstring flexibility than hip

Could well be true, I know I definitely overlooked hip flexibility

 

[MilkManUK]

Wow, this is a throwback! I remember his adverts in Martial Arts Illustrated and Combat magazines back in the early to mid 90's.
I originally come from a traditional karate background, and back in those days I was able to do the splits with relative ease. I'm 40 now and still retain some flexibility, even without really training for it so much. I reckon with a bit of time dedicated to it, I'd be able to attain the splits again.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane @AndyMaBobs !

 

[CFGroup]

A TKD training buddy of mine could do splits-thought he was a mini back yard Van Dam-and all the spin jump shit when we were just starting out. I was all butt hurt from Judo and taking breakfalls on my back and hips for years that built up tons of tension so I couldn't drop into a full split. I went to our second degree competitive national ranked instructor and asked him when he started being able to do them. He looked at me, shook his head a little embarrassed like it was something to maybe work on one day and said I can't do a splits....end of that.

The best flexibility drill I did was my back to the the wall, my drill partner lifting my calf on their shoulder and progressively applying more pressure into the stretch to my limit and holding for thirty seconds. The other was floor stretching with a partner using their weight on your back.
That was the time when my flexibility was the best for kicking. On my own I'd use the squat rack and hook my heel over the bar and as @AndyMaBobs said make sure to invert my stretch with my head to the base leg in the front kick, round kick, side kick and back/hook kick. If you have the partners and time to do that four or five days a week you'll "open up" your hips.

 

[Sanserif]

Kurtz does demos wearing a full suit and tie - how cool is that? Apart from that he also sells a very cool product called the Unbreakable Umbrella that is probably the toughest umbrella in the world.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Kurtz does demos wearing a full suit and tie - how cool is that? Apart from that he also sells a very cool product called the Unbreakable Umbrella that is probably the toughest umbrella in the world.

I know right? Do the splits anywhere, any time.

A TKD training buddy of mine could do splits-thought he was a mini back yard Van Dam-and all the spin jump shit when we were just starting out. I was all butt hurt from Judo and taking breakfalls on my back and hips for years that built up tons of tension so I couldn't drop into a full split. I went to our second degree competitive national ranked instructor and asked him when he started being able to do them. He looked at me, shook his head a little embarrassed like it was something to maybe work on one day and said I can't do a splits....end of that.

The best flexibility drill I did was my back to the the wall, my drill partner lifting my calf on their shoulder and progressively applying more pressure into the stretch to my limit and holding for thirty seconds. The other was floor stretching with a partner using their weight on your back.
That was the time when my flexibility was the best for kicking. On my own I'd use the squat rack and hook my heel over the bar and as @AndyMaBobs said make sure to invert my stretch with my head to the base leg in the front kick, round kick, side kick and back/hook kick. If you have the partners and time to do that four or five days a week you'll "open up" your hips.

Did you mix dynamic stretching in? Or did you manage it all with static stretching?

 

[Dexter]

The best flexibility drill I did was my back to the the wall, my drill partner lifting my calf on their shoulder and progressively applying more pressure into the stretch to my limit and holding for thirty seconds.

My fav, too.

 

[CFGroup]

I know right? Do the splits anywhere, any time.



Did you mix dynamic stretching in? Or did you manage it all with static stretching?

Both...I was just thinking about the one's that opened up my hips the most, kinda like ripping the Thanksgiving Turkey apart at first. Dynamic is just brief moments at the limits of my range of motion that aren't as painful. We also did a little 5 count bounce at the end of the statics but the real intense dynamics were swinging the legs while ether progressing down a line or stabilizing against a wall with the front, round(45), side, back kicks movements. Not really technically finished kicks just swinging the legs to accent the focus on the area to stretch.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I like the frog pose for the hips since you guys got the hamstrings covered. I get knee pain if I stretch my hips and hamstrings at the same time

 

[Sanserif]

I know right? Do the splits anywhere, any time.



Did you mix dynamic stretching in? Or did you manage it all with static stretching?

Somebody should find out who tailors his slacks so that he can kick without splitting them!

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Somebody should find out who tailors his slacks so that he can kick without splitting them!

Guarantee you he gets them used from a charity shop old shit lasts

 

[Robocok]

I have no idea if this is actually a legitimate way to warm up or train. The only kick I regularly practice is a low kick with my right leg and occasionally teeping, but I like the way Bruce Lee used to do stretches and warm up kicks.