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Legs stretching (for intermediate-level practitioners)

After seeing the basic exercises for stretching the whole body and the correct modalities of execution, let’s go to the next step with our basic Tendons Transformation path: the intermediate-level exercises for flexibility.

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).

In this discussion we talk about lower limbs’ dynamic elongation, it is however fundamental to repeat that it is dangerous and incorrect to proceed in reading without having followed the right path.

If you haven’t already, read:

The fundamental difference between dynamic and static stretching is that:

While in the first case the positioning position is maintained
In the second one is reached through a movement

A note by Mater Kongling – For more detailed information about static and dynamic stretching read /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///.

A dynamic stretching exercise for legs

The execution

Swings with legs:

From a standing position let’s open laterally our arms
Our arms must always be straight, on the same line and parallel to the ground (it is also possible to use a long stick to maintain them aligned, read The basic equipment for training in 6DKF)
Our hands are perpendicular to the ground, fingers look upward and palms are facing externally
Our back and our neck must be perfectly straight during the entire execution
Let’s imagine our head hanging centrally to a thread
Our shoulders must be relaxed (let’s imagine they are going down)
Our legs must be straight (not rigid) for the entire execution
Without any backward-loading movement, we have to launch our left foot upwards
Let’s start gradually, this is not a kick, we have to use a small amount of muscular force
We have to leave the leg the possibility to take advantage of the momentum derived from inertia
Ideally, we have to try to let the left knee touch the left shoulder (but this happens only at the highest levels of flexibility)
Reached the feeling of elongation (not pain), let’s let the leg return to the starting position
Especially at the beginning, we have to avoid straining ankles and knees, not bringing them to their limits
Let’s symmetrically repeat the throw with the right side (always remaining straight and perfectly in balance)
Let’s alternate the execution for a total of (at least) 26 repetitions

The most common errors

The typical error of beginners are:

To lose balance
To bend the head
To bend the back
To bend the knees
To bend the elbows
While moving, to do not proceed in a straight line
While moving, to do too few throws in relation to the covered distance
…

Mandatory variations of this exercise

This exercise can (must) be performed also:

Both walking both standing
Throwing the legs in the 8 directions
Doing various kinds of kicks (circular, etc.)
Positioning our hands as a target for the kicks (arms must still remain parallel to the ground and straight)
As a warm-up (taking care not to get immediately to the point of tension)
…

Final notes

A few important tips and notations:

These exercises are useful to increment our kicking capability (read How to prepare legs to kick effectively)
By the way, these exercises are not sufficient to develop a kick strong and safe enough to be used in a fight (read How to kick (simple explanation), Use of legs in a street fight and The use of legs in a real fight)
We have to condition the muscles involved in the last part of the movement (the ones that mostly stress our joints)
Let’s not forget to wear trousers that do not interfere with our openings (Yoga and Tai Chi ones are perfect)
These kinds of exercises are widely used also in modern Chinese Wushu
We have not repeated the details of execution already specified in the guides linked at the start of this article
In the future, we will see more complex versions of this practice (advanced level)
If you do not understand something, feel free to ask in the comments
…

In the next articles of this series, we will see a lot of other stretching exercises.

In-depth video courses

Full body stretching exercises – A visual explanation of a set of exercises to prepare each part of the body for the physical activity
Combat flexibility: tendons transformation for martial arts – A video course about the methods to gain advanced-level combat flexibility

In-depth articles

5 stretching exercises with a stick – How to perform effective elongations using a stick
Conditioning check for flexibility – The martial path toward combat flexibility in 6 Dragons Kung Fu

Question

Can you maintain the back straight during the exercise?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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