I've been training in muay thai for about 8 months now, I got my yellow belt about a month ago and have been doing a lot of complex combinations, sparring, clinch work, etc. Today we were doing leg kicks, body hooks, liver shots into left hooks, and then head kicks. A lot of the guys get their kicks up easy, but I need to work on my flexibility. I tend to go back to my Kenpo roots and snap the leg occasionally, which I think works in a lot of cases. My questions is does anyone know good ways to get that hamstring area flexible enough to get head kick height easily? Hopefully this is the right section, if not sorry.
uh..good old fashioned stretching? or you could check out century's rip-yer-groin-apart stretching machine....
1) Find a Muay Thai gym that doesn't give out belts. 2) Kicking flexibility has as much to do with hip flexor, iliotibial band, and inner thigh flexibility as hamstring flexibility. I can hardly touch my toes and can kick way over my head. 3) Stretching is static flexibility, kicking is dynamic flexibility. They are different. Work on some dynamic flexibility drills.
To elaborate on number 3, just practice head kicks over and and over again on a heavy bag. You'll see improvements much faster than if you just try to stretch your hamstrings.
But make sure to have a proper warm-up before you do this, or you'll get injuried. Increase the height little by little, don't try to go Ong Bak on the first couple of days or you'll sprain yourself.
I find that these have helped my kicking. My left leg is still pretty inflexible but getting better. 7 Dynamic Stretches
This is what I was thinking also when I read the OP. My first thought was "is he talking about a round kick or a teep?" For a round kick I would work more on hip flexibility/groin stretches rather then the hamstring. Another important point/consideration (IMO) for kicking to the head...especially in Muay Thai or MMA where low and middle kicks work well, (and there are counters to be considered more than just getting blocked and punched/kicked) is strategy. You had better be able to set up a head kick, make it work, recover and defend any counters for such a potentially risky (if not done well) kick.
As far as I know it doesn't which would automatically send up the red flag if I were shopping schools.
If you have been training for a while it's probably your ligaments rather than your hamstrings. Kill 2 birds with one stone. When you are doing the splits, try to buck your hips forward and backward slowly.
Thai kicks come from your hips. I agree 100% with the person that said kick the heavybag as high as you can for improvements.
Stretch everything, the hamstring is important because the support leg relies on the hamstring lengthening. Hip flexor strength is the other portion. It'll come in time.
MT does not have a belt system but lately some schools have started to give them in order to main stream (McDojo) the system. I still shake my head when I hear of a belt system in MT.
To answer all the questions on the belt system, I should have called it a "sash" or "monkong" because it's more of a tradition thing than anything else. I don't have to wear it, it's just a promotion in what you learn. Bucks County Kickboxing & Mixed Martial Arts - Home - The gym where I learn, I recommend looking at the instructor if you have any doubts of my gyms legitimacy. We have a lot of guys from the Sityodthong team that help out and are close friends with my instructor, and I've even seen them with the sash around their waist. It's more of a level that you fight at, and also has to do with the color of the thai trunks. Even in Thailand there are ranks, but they don't use belts. Thanks for the help nonetheless, I shouldn't have said "yellow belt" but I also thought other people have trained in muay thai that would know what I was talking about, and wouldn't dwell on the fact that I said belt. I'll just try to get my kicks up higher and higher as I practice, and do some stretches before. Thanks.
Thats right Chute box does have a belt system and alot of legit gyms that produce both amature and pro fighters have belt systems for begginers and intermediate classes but still offer fighter classes. There is nothing wrong with this. You get a degree/diploma/certificate for nearly everything you study in life adpoting a similar system for MA programs does not automatically unlegitimise the gym or dojo. If that was the Case Chute Box would be a mac dojo and it clearly isnt.
Dynamic stretching. Holding your right hand in front of you, parallel to the ground, kick your hand ten times. Alternate other arm/leg. Repeat with your hand point at a 45 degree angle (like a Nazi salute). Then 10 more times and the maximum height. Do the same out to the side except down worry so much about reaching your hand out, just 10 kicks at low, mid, and high level. You may need to balance yourself by holding on to a wall or something. This not only builds flexibility in the hips, but also builds speed and strength.
I agree with doing the kick a million times always striving to increase power speed and height. The Versa flex from Century really is a good peice of equipment. We have had good results with it at our school.
