Stabilizing Strength (diary entry)

circlaire10.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Muscle highlighted (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

06.10.14 Today’s Triple C session was centred on structural strength with a focus on the legs. We warmed up with some shadow boxing, focus mitt work and footwork drills. This also included stance-changing on a large tyre to promote balance and stability. Then we looked at an exercise for the straight Thai knee or kao. We looked at the full range of motion used in the kick and how it compared to its long range counterpart, the Thai front kick or teep.  I find that stepping up onto the tyre, which provides the right level instability to promote better stabilizing without becoming unnecessarily dangerous, is an excellent way to engage the right muscles to deliver this technique. I have seen the significant difference it makes when the calf is properly used and the heel is raised, gain better penetration with the strike. The stepping up action forces the fighter to get under the strike, utilizing the gluteal muscles correctly. We looked at some movement exercises that my client should use for some of his warm-ups and could be incorporated into his long distance runs. These include high kicks to the front and side and hip twists for throws.  Continuing with the stability theme we looked at four classical kicks from a one-legged stance. This is an exercise I got from my old Taekwon-do days and I find it is excellent for better balance and focusing on form. The leg is thrust out into a front kick and then chambered for a side kick and a back kick before being brought round to the front for a round kick. Throughout the exercise the kicking foot is never put down on the ground and the supporting leg is pivoted in accordance with the nature of the kick. A good posture should be kept and, as the kicker becomes more confidence with his balance the kicks can be repeated again without the kicking foot being put back on the ground. The exercise is a superb specific exercise for developing stabilizing muscles and promoting better muscular endurance. Keeping the theme on muscular endurance for combative application we then went through some muscle activation exercises on the ground. This consisted of the infamous fire hydrant series as well as bridging/hip pop-ups. We also looked at weighted and elevated variations on the latter exercises. The session finished with some standing PNF stretching, keeping the balancing theme consistent with the rest of the lesson.