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Stretching is a fundamental part of our conditioning

Stretching is at the base of every kind of training (martial arts, sports, etc.):

It improves our performance (eg. letting our muscles immediately exploit their full elongation)
It allows us to train with a regular cadence (eg. limiting stiffness after the practice)
It prevents / limits injuries (eg. avoiding the muscles to undergo lengthenings beyond their normal extension)
It shortens the time to achieve our goals (eg. improving and preserving at the same time our body)
…

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

For these and many other reasons (read Body flexibility and martial arts), we want to give some basic indications on how to perform it correctly.

What to do before starting our first stretching session

Three important premises:

We always have to consult a doctor before practicing any kind of physical activity
Before the practice of stretching, it is good to do some warm-up exercises (read Basic warm-up and How to correctly perform warm-up)
The rules we will describe are simple but fundamental, let’s focus on each detail

We will have to pay particular attention to this advice especially if:

We are over 30-35 years
We have suffered injuries (or suffer from specific physiological problems)
We usually suffer from cramps
We are naturally not too flexible
Very easily we get hurt (inflammation, dislocations, etc.)
It is a long time since we are not practicing a constant physical activity
…

Stretching: 2 types / moments

Without going into the details of the various types of stretching of 6 Dragons Kung Fu, we distinguish 2 moments of practice (corresponding to two different levels of intensity):

The preparation phase – The one that is done to prepare the body to give its maximum, its peak performance (for training, sparring, sports competitions, etc.) that must be done before the most intense part of the effort
The elongation phase – The one that should be done only when the body is very hot (after training, etc.) that has the purpose of increasing the flexibility of our body (in an as much as possible lasting way, the one that the Shaolin monks call “tendons transformation”)

In the first case, we prepare our body for the practice (low intensity), in the second we lengthen it (high intensity).

To these two phases correspond specularly another two activities:

The morning muscular awakening – Very useful to reactivate the body (eg. for a normal productive day)
The relaxation after training – To gradually prepare the body for a good rest (in view of the following training day, read also 5 regeneration practices to recover after training)

The correct way to stretch

Important – If this is our first approach to stretching let’s read carefully.

The general tips that we are going to share are especially for beginners (and refer mainly to exercises like the ones described in the article Basic soft stretching) but some of them are extremely useful even for advanced practitioners:

Use the breathing – We must learn to perfectly synchronize slow and long breaths with the stretching phase (read Meditation method 5); generally speaking, we have to absorb the air as we come to tension and breathe out when we relax (but this changes in particular exercises)
The right clothes – We must wear elastic / ample clothes that do not limit our flexibility in any way (no tight pants, constrictive underwear, fabric that creates thickness / friction, etc.)
Use only the weight of the body – Especially at the beginning, we must use only the relaxed mass of our body to exert a light and natural pressure on the parts we wish to lengthen (no muscular thrusts, extra weights, constriction tools, etc.)
Feel the tension – We must feel tension, no matter its intensity, the fundamental thing is not to feel pain (if this happens we have to lower the intensity and if it continues we have to stop and consult a doctor)
Our limits – Let’s learn to know our body and its limits (as we always say “never train what is in pain”); the first times it will be more difficult to understand what is happening to our body but with time we will be always able to find the right balance
Maintain the position – In the static exercises it is important to maintain the position without vibrations for 5-45 seconds (depending on the level and on the knowledge of the body of the practitioner); it is better to work on longer times than on stronger tension
Symmetry and equilibrium – Our positions must be stable, comfortable and balanced, we have to avoid postures that are excessively inconvenient or unstable (we must maintain control of our body); in most cases the shoulders are relaxed and the back perfectly straight (but even this changes exercise by exercise)
Oppose a resistance – We always have to oppose a minimal muscular resistance opposed to the elongation direction (so as to strengthen also the involved muscles and avoid breakings / strains during dynamic situations); this is particularly important for martial arts
Concentration – We need to know what we want to stretch and bring our attention to those body elements so as to optimize the position and get the maximum benefit (we must focus our effort exactly where we want to work)
Be gradual – Especially as regards the elongations that require more effort, it is always better to divide the reaching of the extension peak into several steps (depending on the difficulty 2-3 sessions alternated with a short rest)
Be constant – To maintain and develop our flexibility we need to be constant; each person is different but to have a generic reference, we need a session at least every 3-5 days to keep the skill, and every 1-3 days to increase / reach it (the more complex it is, the more frequently we will have to work on it); in any case let’s never try to speed-up, exaggerate or watering down the practice
Relax – The mental stress causes stiffness, stiffness slows down our martial growth (read also Breathing for immediate relaxation); to forget our problems during the practice, let’s use for example the music (read Workout music: how, when, why)
Rest – Stretching is always good but a rest (for our ligaments, tendons, muscles and cartilage) once a week, can be useful (especially if we intensively practice every day, we cannot always be sure we are not stressing our body)
…

To deepen this topic read The secrets of Yoga effectiveness.

What influences our flexibility

The flexibility of our body is not only a matter of exercise, it is also related to:

What we eat – White meals, fruits, vegetables (etc.) are good allies in terms of gaining flexibility (read Qi and proper nutrition)
What we drink – We need plenty of water every day to maintain our body elastic and vigorous
The environment – Continuous exposure to conditions / agents harmful to our organism can damage our body and limit its capabilities
Psychological conditioning – Our body is strictly connected with our moods (much more than we can imagine), and stress is able to stiffen our muscles, tendons (etc.) without even realizing it
Correct execution of training exercises – Bad positioning, wrong methods, unbalanced physical efforts, the absence of warm-up (etc.) can cause chronic pain and stiffness
The way we live – From the way we seat (crossing legs, etc.), the way we walk, we sleep, the sports we do, the work (etc.), everything influences our flexibility
…

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

The results will come – Not all the people are equal but with determination, everyone (with much or less fatigue / time) can reach a good level of flexibility (more than sufficient for fighting)
Let’s not worry – Sometimes it seems to get worse, we do not have to give up, it’s absolutely normal (not every day we can reach our top performance, let’s try to find the causes patiently)
The right age to start – There is no limit age and we are all different but it’s obvious that (on average) it is easy that a child could gain his / her first split in a few weeks, a teenager in months an adult even in 1-2 years (read The right age to start practice)

In the next article of this series, we will list the stretching’s most common errors.

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – The core exercises of 6 Dragons Kung Fu, the ones that truly make the difference
Full body stretching exercises – How to stretch each part of the body, all the most important exercises
Combat flexibility: tendons transformation for martial arts – A video course to build advanced flexibility skills
Breathing methods and exercises – Breathing: the effectiveness secret of Yoga and Shaolin stretching methods
Martial arts weight loss: how to – How to lose weight for daily life and sports competitions
Back and Neck pain treatment – How to eliminate back and cervical problems
Soft Qi Gong for wellness – A Qi Gong path dedicated to wellness improvement
Wellness: self-massage techniques – How to improve our health through self-massage

In-depth articles

Breathe Yoga: the warrior’s breathing – One of the best breathing methods for flexibility purpose
Conditioning check for flexibility – The 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s flexibility martial goals

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What is the most important rule from your point of view?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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