5 Tips for Flexibility Without Stretching in the Martial Arts

Flexibility in the martial arts is important. But finding time to stretch isn’t always easy.

Don’t worry! In this video, I share five tips to help you develop flexibility even without stretching.

For a written summary of the video, check out the article below. Either way, keep stretching your limits, my friend!  🙂

5 Tips for Flexibility Without Stretching in the Martial Arts

People ask me about my favorite stretching routine all the time. Well, I have a confession to make—

I don’t stretch.

Of course, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t stretch… you should! I just don’t. But here’s the funny thing…

Even though I just turned 46, I’m still pretty flexible. No, I can’t do a full split, that was in my 20’s, but so long as you’re not taller than six feet, I can still kick a bad guy in the head!

The question is, how? How can a 46 year-old guy who doesn’t stretch still kick a six foot bad guy in the head? Well, here are five tips to help you stay flexible even without stretching.

Tip #1. A-B-C…  always be conditioning.

Think about it—if you want to be able to kick someone in the head anytime, anywhere, then you should be conditioning all the time and everywhere you go.

FACT: You can’t just go to class two or three times a week, stretch five minutes here and ten minutes there, and expect to do full splits like Jean Claude Van Damme!

Speaking of JCVD, I once heard him say in an interview that even when he’s standing in line at the supermarket, he’s flexing his glutes.

And how about ballet dancers? They’re incredibly flexible! Well, I used to know a ballet dancer who slept in a butterfly stretch position… on her belly! Try that and try not to wince. Ouch!

Now, I’m not telling you to sleep in splits, but how about these ideas…

How do you get out of a chair? Most people lean forward and fall out. Instead, spread your feet wide like a horse stance. Instant squat! Even better, stand up on one leg. Go hardcore and add a little jump.

Staircases. Never take one step at a time… always go for two or three. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. For more stair workout ideas, click here.

Drop something? Never bend over with your back. Instead, take the opportunity to do a squat or a lunge.

Playing video games or watching TV? Don’t just sit there, stand in a horse stance!

For more tips on conditioning at home, check out my towel workout.

Tip #2: Don’t stretch before you workout, warm up instead.

I thought everybody already knew that, but I still see students and even teachers starting a workout by throwing a leg up or dropping into splits. Stop that!

Stretching cold muscles is like trying to make pizza with frozen dough. Or blowing a bubble with a new stick of gum.

If you want to throw high kicks, warm up with low kicks. Seriously—start at the ankle. Get your groove and make sure it feels good. Then kick at the knee… the hip… the head.

The point is to get some blood into your muscles and give your joints a chance to loosen up before you run up the walls and kick the ceiling.

Tip #3: Work your stances.

I don’t stretch, but I do work my traditional horse stance, front stance, and cat stance all the time.

If you look at it, low stances open up the same wide angles between your legs as high kicks.

Even better, if you’re practicing throws, sweeps, and even groundwork, you’re developing flexibility in your legs, hips, and lower back without even thinking about it. So, if you want to kick high, get low.

Tip #4: Fix your kicks.

Believe it or not, it takes more flexibility to throw a kick incorrectly than correctly. That’s why you should fix your balance and alignment at a low level before throwing kicks at a high level.

If your head is down, or you’re hunched over, or you don’t pivot properly, then your body is going to tighten up and work against you. That not only limits your kicks, it could also lead to injuries.

So, before you go around kicking cigarettes out of your friends’ mouths, slow down, bring it down, and make sure you’re kicking properly.

For tips on how to fix your side kick, click here.

Tip #5: Keep your cool.

Emotions affect motions. If you’re scared, your muscles will freeze up. If you’re angry, you may feel strong, but you’re also tensing muscles that will limit your flexibility.

Be smart and train yourself to breathe and keep your cool, no matter what happens on or off the mats. Relax your mind and your body will follow.

BONUS TIP!

Okay, okay—I know we’re talking about developing flexibility without stretching, but this wall stretch is so easy, I don’t think it should count.

All you do is scoot your butt right up to the wall and let your legs hang open. That’s it! Let gravity do all the work.

I used to do this stretch when I got home from Tae Kwon Do. I would just turn on the TV and chill. Sometimes I would even fall asleep!

30 minutes later, I’d wake up and be unable to move. But I was more flexible!

Now, stretching against the wall puts the focus on your inner thigh and groin muscles, but you can change it up to hit the hamstrings, too. Just slide your back against the wall and use your hands to hold you up. Try to get your back straight.

CAUTION! This position puts pressure on the neck, so practice at your own risk. If you fall asleep doing this stretch, you may never wake up! But if you’re up for a challenge, you might give it a try.

Final thought: Don’t be in a hurry!

If you yell and scream at your body, it’s going to fight back, so be gentle with yourself.

Ask your body nicely for a little more flexibility each day and I promise, you’ll be kicking bad guys in the head in no time.