Flexibility training

[thrustyourhips]

I'd love to take yoga but I also don't have the time for it, with free time I'd rather be at jits. I'd much rather be stretching during my down time (while watching tv, surfing net).

Really don't know how to stretch though, just trying to force my legs in different directions until it hurts and then hold it. I told my yoga friend this, and she laughed at me, apparently this is the wrong way to do it.

 

[ILGrappler]

I appreciate that, I'm sure there are benefits (and after reading Bruce's reply above, I'm actually interested in giving those stretching techniques a try), it's just that I've never come across a situation in rolling where I thought "Damn, if only I had a bit more flexibility!"

Using an example, I've been caught in an electric chair submission a couple of times, and each time I preferred to focus on what I could have done better to escape or avoid, as opposed to making a conscious decision to improve my flexibility in future.

If there are a number of solutions to a problem, I will always prefer the improvement of technique over the improvement of physical attributes.

I try to practice yoga daily and I can say, without question, that it is the best thing for my jiu jitsu. Being super flexible won't help your technique by leaps and bounds, but it certainly helps. That's not why I stretch, it's for longevity and injury prevention.

I can say with certainty that I've been able to train for 10 years because of my stretching routine which helps in recovery and to help insulate my body from injury. If anyone asks me what they can do to supplement their jiu jitsu, I say yoga everytime.

 

[fittafeis]

can't believe i used BJ penn as an example of flexibility working in jiu jitsu, check out cobrinha's higlights. If those moves dont want to make you go stretch, i dunno what will.

 

[HomerPlata]

I try to practice yoga daily and I can say, without question, that it is the best thing for my jiu jitsu. Being super flexible won't help your technique by leaps and bounds, but it certainly helps. That's not why I stretch, it's for longevity and injury prevention.

I can say with certainty that I've been able to train for 10 years because of my stretching routine which helps in recovery and to help insulate my body from injury. If anyone asks me what they can do to supplement their jiu jitsu, I say yoga everytime.

I did yoga on Saturday morning, after my mate cancelled a weights session with me. It was fucking brutal

 

[mxsam34]

P90X has a DVD on stretching & 1 on yoga, IMO stretching/yoga helps to fight off injuries

 

[iheartthemount]

I've been doing TKD for about 15 years. While I am not one that will sit here and say TKD is AWESOME !!!! I do benefit from all the stretching I have done. For one thing, the fact that I can bring my knee to my chin, makes mounting me very difficult in that its easy for me to get a inside hook in. Even when I roll with black belts (especially bigger guys because they allow a little more space) this is difficult. I mean everything else is easy for them to do but mounting is one thing I am good at preventing.

But yeah, no one wants to spend 15 or even 1 year stretching to improve their guard. Hot yoga has also helped me. But even just doing what Eddie says and stretching while I'm watching tv helps.

 

[Eduardo78]

Re: hot yoga, one must be careful. The heat can make you hyperflexible i.e., muscles will stretch more than they would under an intense static stretch, which can expose you to tears and/or other strains.

Ashtanga yoga is what I'd recommend. Even if you can't get to a class, there are loads of videos online, but at least basic live instruction on breathing and posture to perform sun salutations is highly recommended. Yoga will also help you control your breathing. It's made me far less likely to gas out because I can control and am conscious of when when and how I breathe.