Warmups/stretching/conditioning

[patfromlogan]

If this has been covered, just link the posts if you know it. (just don't call me a fxking n00b!).

In Kyokushin sensei would tell us to do our crunches and running on our own time; then I'd bleed from getting raw backside doing crunches on the hard floor! I guess we were to do thousands at home or something. How much time do you spend warming up and how much conditioning do you think is appropriate in the time spent in the ma? Many serious ma's run and lift, much like any other athlete, outside of the dojo/gym. But for the workout itself, what do you find useful to strengthen and help prevent injuries?

I use a combination of exercises from several karate schools. I sometimes lead class I don't like to spend too much time, about ten to fifteen minutes (as apposed to Shorinji Kenpo where they have a two hour workout and 45 minutes is conditioning/stretching), we...

1. Wave arms in circles ten times both ways. Followed by shake hands in the air (good for carpel tunnel).
2. Shoulder shrugs both ways
3. Upper body twists with feet planted
4. Waist circles
5. Knee circles
6. Ankle circles
7. Roll toes back and under
8. Can can kicks, ten each side
9. Turning back leg lifts - in a left foot forward stance step the left to the right side and turn and do a raising heel kick to the imaginary groin or chin of the opponent behind you with the right. This one is from the cheesiest system I've ever done, but I have kept it and do it on my own when I'm a student in other schools. It provides an unique stretch, teaches balance and gave me a better back kick.
10. Side step leg lifts
11. Push ups and crunches
12. Squat kicks (got these from Shorinji Kenpo and they do them to burn - or rather until everyone except sensei and a few others (my daughter, I'm so proud to say) are still pumping them out.

Then, after sweat is started, stretch. I don't do all of these all the time, but I try to get some of the major trunk/back/leg ones done every time

1. Rotator cuff stretch - the hold elbow on chest thing - it really helps my fucked up rotator cuffs
2. Arm up between the shoulder blade and reaching over behind the neck with the other arm
3. Stand spread and put head down toward the floor between the legs and then back, arching as far as possible, slowly and repeatedly. Often the better people do arches and bridges.
4 Splits, side and forward
5 and now that breath is back, spread and drop, bending one knee and keeping that heel on the floor. Hold it, then change.
The correct position is back straight, but one can touch the floor to keep from falling in needed. After several of these do them back and forth, straightening out one leg and putting the body over the bent one. I do it until the class moaning level get high, then to let breath return
6 Kneel with butt on feet with top of foot on the floor. Go back as far as possible. (I hate watching teens do this laying back relaxing! - I was doing this at a gym and a trainer ran over and told me I was going to wreck my knees - I didn't mention that I'd been doing it longer than she'd been alive).
7 Kneel with butt on heel with the toes forward and lean back.

[WhiteShark]

We do most of that in a typical warmup plus some Ukemi type rolling and breakfalls.

[johnbo]

Originally posted by patfromlogan


In Kyokushin sensei would tell us to do our crunches and running on our own time;

LOL same here.

[Punisher]

Frankly I've never liked warm-up as a part of class. I prefer to do it on my own or not at all. I know I'm still young, but I'd never gotten an injury from not warming up. Warm-ups at my dojo are usually lead my a student and primarily exist to give the instructor a break. Recently I've been volunteering to lead wram-ups more often that not in order to prevent them from being a complete waste of time.

When I taught classes in college, I told my students classes started at 8 and you were expect to be ready to start at 8. If you wanted to show up at 7:30 to warm-up fine. If you got you warm-up by running over to the rec hall fine.

All that being said, I thint Pat's routine the is a pretty go one, with all the basic stuff covered. When I run warm-ups in class I focus on the joint rotations, some dymnaic stretches, and some sport specific exercises. I used to get a lot of stuff from Men's Health Magazine, but now I grab here an there from MMA training books and videos.

I'm a firm believer that a "warm-up" is different that a workout. My warm-ups are geared to get myself and the rest of the students ready for class. The are not intended to increase strength, stamina, flexibility, or anything else. I can and I do work on that stuff at home.

[infidel]

we don't do any warmups at all where i go, but if you show up early you can warm up however you want on your own.

[Sharlintier]

Where I go we have a warm up before class. (mostly because we are the first there and don't have time before class for it, we are the first class in and have to wait for sensei to open the dojo) when Sensei runs warm ups they are thorough, when Sempai runs them they tend to be much shorter and don't include the warmups that Sempai doesn't like (crunches, kicks) sometimes I worry that I am not warmed up enough.

[Greese]

I prefer a warm up done by yourself. I know what I need to feel like to be able to not gimp myself.
I tend to jump rope sans rope, knee bends, then I stretch.

[Ippatsu182]

Karate class:

1. light stretching (20 count)
2. while in different stances, punches, backfists, elbows, blocks
3. leg stretches with a partner
4. leg lifts, kicks

kickboxing class

1. 20 mins. of sidestepping

I think the karate warmup is good because it reinforces our technique. I also like the order in which we do things. The warmup for my kickboxing good is killer on the calves, but really warms me up for class.

[patfromlogan]

The Universal Kempo in Kalihi started with jump rope, then just a little more warmup, then right into training and only after 45 minutes did we take a 'break' and stretch.

Another approach is Shorinji Kenpo with their 45 minute warmup/strenthening/stretch. Practitioners have told me that they feel that they get into pretty good shape by that workout, even without any martial arts. Beginners who can't do much of the art, or who lack the skills to do it hard, feel their bodies changing for the better.

In Kyokushin we'd end with a warm down, light movement and stretching. In Honolulu Kyokushin and in the Sports Academy Chirioku karate we'd end with pushups and crunches. Specially fun in Honolulu after a VERY hard two hour class (poor pat thought he might barf the first tme).